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/127975
On December 28, Team Obsolete issued a press release that stated: "In a recent press release, AHMRA has bragged about having 'won' a lawsuit barring Team Obsolete from using the 'BEARS' title, after AHRMA renounced and abandoned it in favor of 'Sound of Thunder' (See "From BEARS to Sound of Thunder," Vintage Views, December '96, page 13). This pointless lawsuit was brought in viola tion of AHRMA's official, published' policy of 'encouraging others to use our (AHRMA's) rulebook. ..' which, of course, includes class titles. (AHRMA resumed use of BEARS only after bring the lawsuit). Moreover, ARHMA bos-ses spent $75,000 of the members' funds, without their prior knowledge or consent. And AHRMA failed to prove its. claims for money damages. Use of BEARS title by Team Obsolete Promotions was done in good faith upon written permission from the UK-based International BEARS/Sound of Thunder body and on advice of USA counsel. (AHRMA had secretly registered the BEARS title in the USA without permission from the International body). The court stated that 'Team Obsolete ma~ have acted in good faith.' The court has been asked to correct any language to tlle contrary in order to clarify its position. Draw your own conclusions about the true motivations behind AHRMA's lawsuit." Action Promotions will host the Texas Indoor Winter Flat Track Series, beginning with the first round on January 24. All three rounds will be held at the Tyler Rodeo Arena in Tyler, Texas, with a full schedule of classes slated to run from Pee Wee to Pro. For more information, call 903/768-3415. Frank Harrison, 71, died on December 18 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Harrison, a Charter Life Member of the AMA, 'was employed in the early 1970s by Rockford Motors Inc., importer for Bridgestone, Zundapp, and MCB motorcycles and also worked for Cycle News as an advertising salesman. WERA has announced that the WERA/CMRA affiliation has ended. Evelyne Clarke, WERA president and CEO, was notified on December 16 by Harry Tomlinson, president of CMRA, tha t the CMRA board of directors had elected to discontinue CMRA affiliation with WERA. "WERA regrets this decision by CMRA and wishes them success," the WERA press release stated. For more information, call WERA at 770/924-8404. Edmondson wins suit against AMA A president Ed Youngblood. "We believe the evidence and the law do not support this verdict. Om attorneys have already been instructed to file an appeal." According to Edmondson, the charges for which the AMA and Paradama (a subsidiary of the AMA) were found to be at fault included conversion of a proprietary mailing list; three counts of wrongful interference with contracts regarding events at Mid-Ohio, Brainerd and Road America in 1995; conversion of business interests and assets relating to racing programs (Supersport 600 and 750, Harley-Da vidson Twin Sports and the Endurance Series) that Edmondson had created, financed and operated; and failure to "act openly, fairly and honestly." In addition to $930,000 in actual damages; the jury also awarded $750,000 in punitive damages from the AMA and $250,000 in punitive damages from Paradama, for a grand total-jury award of $1,930,000. "Since this started, I have done my best not to try this case in the press or in public statements, but rather to hope for my day in court," Edmondson said. "For several years, people have been told that I got greedy, that I was an AMA employee, that the AMA fired me, and that [ had no case. Eight regular Americans with no preconceived attitudes listened, deliberated, and found otherwise. Naturally, I am pleased with the results." ccording to a press release issued by North American Sport Bike's Roger Edmondson, a jury in the District Court of the United States for the Western District of North Carolina reached a unaninlOus decision in favor of Edmondson in his lawsuit against the AMA and Paradama Productions Inc. on December 18. Edmondson could collect as much as $3.5 million in damages from the AMA, though the association has appealed the decision. Edmondson's release, issued on December 18, claims that in his filing with the court, Edmondson contended that he and the AMA operated the AMA National Championship Road Racing Series under several joint venture agreements from 1990 to 1994. He charged that the AMA offered to buy llinl out in late'1993 and at the conclusion of the 1994 season kept all the business assets iliat he had brought to the joint venture and refused to pay for them. He further contended that when he attempted to mitigate his damages by creation of the NASB program, AMA interfered with contracts be negotia ted with race facilities for the 1995 NASS schedule. Also included were charges regarding accounting during the joint venture. The AMA has appealed the decision. "We were very disappointed by the decision of the jury in the litigation filed by Mr. Edmondson against ilie AMA," said AMA Women account for nearly one-quarter of first-time, new-motorcycle owners, according to the inaugural J.D. Power and Associates Motorcycle Competitive Information Study. Nearly 40 percent of these women are college-educated, more than half are married, and nearly 80 percent ride cruiser motorcycles. According to a press release issued by Chaparral Racing on December 15, Jeremy McGrath was not arrested at a Vanilla Ice concert on December 13. According to the release, Vanilla Ice sta ted in an interview on a Southern California radio station that McGrath had been arrested for public intoxication and for starting-a fight at the concert. McGrath did attend the concert in San . Diego, California, and came to the aid of his girlfriend, who was being harassed, but there was no fight and no arrest. A group of elected officials in Chicago are threatening to ban motorcycles from one of the city's major thoroughfares during overnight hours, according to the AMA. Alderman Barbara Holt is leading a group of eight city officials who have introduced the measure, which would prohibit motorcycles from using the city's Lake Shore Drive, an artery along the Lake Michigan shoreline, between the bours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The aldermen have said the proposed ban is a response to complaints from residents of excessive noise along the route late at night. The AMA has opposed this proposed ban on the grounds that it would deny law-abiding motorcyclists access to this route. "Loud vehicles of all types can be an annoyance to those who live next to thoroughfares," said Sean Maher, legisla ti ve- affairs specialist for the AMA, "but to punish an entire class of road users for the actions of some lawbreakers just isn't justified. The AMA supports the enforcement of noise laws. Instead of issuing tickets to all motorcyclists using Lake Shore Drive, why wouldn't Chicago police is ue tickets to operators of excessively loud vehicles?" . to Accordmg' a press release from Excelsior-Henderson, the first 1999 Super X motorcycle, serial number 0001, rolled off the Belle Plaine, Minnesota assembly line on December 30, 1998, and was immediately delivered to the Excelsior-Henderson Heritage Motorcycle Museum. The company plans to begin production of the S.uper X during the first half of January, with initial shipments to dealers scheduled for the second half of January. , AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Chaparral Motorsports, 555 South H Street. San Bernardino, California 92410, on January 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p,m, Chaparral Racing team members Jeremy McGrath and Steve Lamson will be in attendance. For more information, call 909/889-2761. OPEN HOUSE: At the No Fear store in The Btock shopping mall in Orange, California, on January 8, No Fear Motocross Gear-sponsored riders Jeremy M,cGrath, Sebastien TorteUi and Kevin Windham will be on hand to sign autographs from 7 to 9 p,m. For more information, ca1l714/769-3327. BORN: A boby hoy, George Anthony "'Rhett'" Roeder ill, to Grand NationaJ dirt track racer Goo Roeder and his wife, Connie, in &mdusky, Ohio, on December 21, Automotive Inc. and will now be responsible for directing the overall operations of all American Suzuki divisions, including automotive, motorcycle and marine. Manabu Nakamura, who has served as president of American Suzuki Motor Corporation since March of 1998, was recently promoted to general manager of the Overseas Motorcycle Marketing Division for the North and South American markets. PURCHASED: Petersen Publishing, publishers of motorcycle titles Motorcyclist, Sport Rider, Dirt Rider and MX Racer, by Emup, a British publishing giant, for $1.2 billion. CORRECTION: The Arai Signet helmet featured in our "New Products" section in the December 9 issue of Cycle News incorrectly stated that the helmet comes in beH\ long oval and round oval shapes. TIle helmet, in fact, does not have beth shell shapes and features a long oval shape - "its most' distinguishing feature." OPENED: Maico Only's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be fOlUld at the following address: http://www.maicoonly.com. OPENED: City Bike's home page on the World Wide Web, The site can be f0L!.Dd at the following address: http://www.citybike.com. HIRED: Revelle Harrison, as media and communications coordinator for KTM Sportmotorcycle USA Inc., effective immediately. For more information, call 619/258-6304, ext, 19, OPENED: Cycra Racing Systems' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.cycra.com. PROMOTED: Craig Martin, to motocross supervisor of Kawasaki Team Green. Martin previously worked as a technician ",,1th Team Green and in Kawasaki's technical services department. He will now oversee Kawasaki's Amateur motocross support program, OPENED: South City Motorcycles' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www,mho,net/sccyles, in Poway, California, on January 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. APPOJNTED: Rick Suzuki, as president of American Suzuki' Motor Corporation, effective immediately. Suzuki was formerly vice president of CAMI Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, Ricky Carmichael and Damon Huffman and Team SplitFire's Billy "Payne, Nathan Ramsey and Scott Sheak are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 619/513-2444. 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