Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127944
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activists become more actively involved
in the 1998 election process. The centerpiece of the new program is an information kit that includes a 1998 election
schedule and project checklist, a stateby-state voter-registration and primaryelection chart, suggested activities and a
variety of ad slicks. Also included are
entry forms for the AMA Club and
Member Activist Challenge, a contest
that will recognize the legislative efforts
that have the greatest impact on this
year's election cycle.
Danny Ornelas suffered spinal injuries
in a crash on May 16 during Amateur~class racing at Hangtown in Sacramento,
California. Ornelas, a resident of Dublin,
California, is currently hospitalized at
the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. The Hangtown Dirt Diggers
M/ C is administering assistance to
Ornelas, and those wishing to contribute
can contact them at PO Box 620338,
~rangedale, CA 95662.
Fuel tests conducted on the fuel used by
John Kocinski and Tadayuki Okada in
the Malaysian 500cc Grand Prix came
back from testing at Intertek Testing Services and, according to Dr. Jim Laxton's
report, all. was okay - except, perhaps,
with the way the tests are carried out.
"Nothing in the EMPA data leads me to
think either rider used anything but the
approved FIM fuel. The overall evidence, in my view, is that fuel sampling
and handling prior to analysis needs to
,be improved." The FIM will be organiz-
ing a meeting with the testing labs and
Grand Prix technical director Jack Findlay "in order to clarify all the aspects of
the fuel handling and sampling."
Motocrosser George Hamel is in San
Bernardino County Hospital after suffering spinal-cord injuries. Hamel, who
is currently paralyzed from the waist
down, was injured in a crash at the
AMA 125/250cc National Motocross at
Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino,
California, on May 9. Cards and letters
can be sent to 11650 E. Callen Del Rincon, Tucson, AZ 85749.
The World Superbike round scheduled'
for·October 11 in Shah Alam, Malaysia,
has been officially canceled, according
to an FIM press release dated May 12.
The championship will now consist of
13 rounds.
Longtime dirt track tuner Lawrence
Ashton suffered a broken neck and
other injuries when he and his wife
LuAnn were involved in an automobile
accident near their home of Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia, on April 22.
Ashton is now recovering at home after
a stay at the Winchester Medical Center.
Cards and letters can be sent to 945
Johnson Mill Rd., Berkeley Springs, WV
25411 or e-mail ton2ocw@intrepid.net.
Dave Pickett,. a candidate for California's State Assembly, has received the
formal endorsement of the League of
Off-Road Voters, according to Pickett.
"I am very proud to have received this
endorsement," Pickett said. '~I have
worked with many members of these
organizations and found them all to be
very dedicated to their respective sport,
the environment, and the spirit they
show in the area of fund-raising for
charity is outstanding."
No doubt in response to the giant aftermarket of Evolution-style "clone"
motors being used by custom motorcycle manufacturers and back-yard
builders, Harley-Davidson Motor Company is now offering the Harley-Davidson Smart Start Engine Program, which
allows customers to purchase genuine
1340cc Evolution engines through its
network of Harley-Davidson dealers.
Engines will be available in either polished silver or black-and-chrome
schemes, with prices starting at $2995.
For more information, see your local
Harley-Davidson dealer.
Showing they are indeed serious about
this motocross thing, Mazda ran a 14by-9-inch four-color advertisement on
the back page of the Monday, May 18
edition of USA Today, congratulating
Jeremy McGrath on wirining the 1998
AMA Supercross Championship.
"Mazda congratulates Jeremy McGrath
on winning the Supercross ChampiOnShip (when he lands, we'll tell him):'
the ad copy says. In the ad are both a
color action shot and a portrait of
McGrath (holding the number-one
plate). Ironically, the Supercross Series
is backed by Toyota. The Mazda ad also
features the company's new logo for its
sponsorship of the AMA 125/ 250cc
National Motocross Championship.
Mazda is also an associate sponsor of
McGraths' team, Chaparral Yamaha.
While on the subject of Mazda, the automobile / truck manufacturer will not pay
bonus money to riders who do not use
Mazda stickers on both the front and
side number plates during the 1998
AMA Mazda Truck 125/250cc National
Motocross Series. "It's a rider's fund,"
Mazda's Jack Stavana said. "We will
h9nor only the riders who recognize the
Mazda Truck Series. To the best of my
knowledge, we won't be paying riders
who don't have the stickers on their
number plates." Team Honda has
declined to run the stickers and their
riders will not be eligible to be paid any
bonus money from Mazda.
RESCHEDULED: The AMA half mile dirt t