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/127981
No harm, no foul The AMA responds to Edmondson suit. espite the best efforts of the likes of non-Oakley-sponsored riders such as Jeremy McGrath (shown), Jimmy Button, Jeff Emig and Phil Lawrence, the team lost to the crew from Oakley during the second annual Oakley MX Basketball Game at Oakley's headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California, on February 3. Among those fea tured at the game were Oakley's Ryan Hughes, Ryan Huffman, Mikael Pichon, Larry Ward, Grayson Goodman and others. he following is a response sent to Cycle News from the AMA regarding its .Iegal battle with Roger Edmondson. "In late December, a court decision was rendered against the American Motorcyclist Association in a suit filed two years ago by road race promoter and former AMA contractor Roger Edmondson. The suit arose from the nonrenewal in 1994 of contracts under which Edmondson functioned as road racing manager for the AMA National Championship Superbike Series, and as administrator for several classes included in that series. Mr. Edmondson contended that he partially owned the AMA's professional road racing program by virtue of these agreements. "Mr. Edmondson declined good-faith settlement offers from the AMA during 1994 and launched a rival Superbike Series in 1995. Unable to attract leading Superbike teams to participate in his series, Edmondson filed suit, claiming that the AMA had stolen his property and interfered in his business relationship with road racing facilities. The AMA strongly disputes all allegations made by Mr. Edmondson and had no alternative but to mount a vigorous defense. "Following a week long trial that took place in Asheville, North Carolina, late in December 1998, a jury delivered a verdict for $930,000 against the AMA, which the judge trebled to over $2.7 million. The verdict was challenged in January, and there are presently pending before the court motions to set aside this verdict, award judgment in favor of· the AMA, and in the alternative, to appeal the decision to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. "AMA president Ed Youngblood has stated, 'We believe that the facts in this case, the evidence delivered to the jury, and the law do not justify the verdict. We believe that significantly relevant legal precedents show that there were many errors committed in critically important rulings .against the AMA, creating an unfavorable and prejudicial impression on the jury'"A report appearing in Road Racing World, penned by a writer whose expenses were paid by Mr. Edmondson, has presented a biased view of the trial and facts leading up to it, and in our opinion haS deliberately tried to inflame AMA members against the Association. Youngblood states, 'Any member who would like a better understanding of the AMA's position in this matter can ask.for a copy of our 38-page motion for a new trial or appeal. Just write or call my office and we'll be glad to send this docu- T D Formula Xtreme rider, with the young Californian lapping at I:29.2 to Hayden's 1:29.4. 'll's starting to work really good," Russell said of the VR1000 on Monday, February 8. "I'm excited again. We stumbled on something at Laguna, and it's really handling good. If we keep going, we'll be right there." Miguel DuHamel returned to action at the Laguna Seca test, February 3-4, lapping at 1:31.9 on his factory Honda CBR600 F4. According to sources close to DuHamel, that was some three seconds quicker than he expected to go. DuHamel is still recovering from the badly broken leg he suffered last June at New Hampshire International Speedway.. Chaparral Suzuki's Damon Buckmaster suffered a broken wrist and broken vertebrea in his neck during a motocrossriding accident on February 7 in Southern California. The full extent of the Australian's injuries weren't known at presstime. Buckmaster is slated to begin his 1999 AMA Supersport campaign during Bike Week at Daytona. Entries for the 1999 WMUAMA Ladies International MX Cup Championships are now open. The event will take place in Johnstown, Colorado, on April 17. For more information, call 949 /837-2206. Continental Tires has announced that its new dirt track tire has been approved by the AMA and will be available at all of the Daytona Bike Week pro dirt track events, beginning with the AMA National Hot Shoe race in Savannah, Georgia. For more information, call 770/887-7051 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. Ken Maely called Cycle News and asked for our assistance in getting the word out that the practice track on his Corona, California, r31\ch may be closed from time to time while undergoing renovations to make it larger. Riders interested in coming out to practice should always call ahead first to avoid disappointment. The phone number is 909/277-8989. AMA Grand National dirt-tracker Al Eadie will be wearing Illinois HarleyDavidson Sales Inc. colors for five AMA Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series rounds in 1999. The sponsorship package will include both Springfield Miles, the Du Quoin Mile, the Joliet Half Mile and the Sedalia Half Mile. The season will be Eadie's 22nd as a competitor in AMA professional racing. Longtime Cycle News vendor Leo Potvin recently had a kidney removed after a bout with cancer. Potvin, however, is recovering well and will still be on hand to sell newspapers during Bike Week at Daytona in March. II's highly likely that Potvin, a fixture at Daytona since the '70s, won't be jumping up and down with his usual vigor at this year's event. Both Montesa and Gas Gas have announced their support of the 29th annual EI Trial de Espana and the Trials des. Nations Team Fund. Both of the Spanish trials bike manufacturers will donate a model for the fund-raising event. The EI Trial de Espana will be held April 17-18 at Reed Valley in Aguanga, California. Sweden's Hans Gustavsson will take . part in his first Americall classic road race when he participates in AHRMA Classic Day at Daytona International Speedway on March 3. Gustavsson will bring his Vee Two-prepped Ducati 750 (a 1972 Imola replica) on which he won both the European Vintage Cup as well as the Scandinavian Championship. ment.' 0; "The case, now 2 years old, may take another 18 months to go to a decision appeal." John Ulrich, the editor of Road Racing World, stands by his publication'S story. "Edmondson didn't pay," Ulricl1 said on Friday, January 29. "I paid for him to be there for eight days. I paid the guy and I assigned the guy to do the story. Youngblood has totally mischaracterized the story and it's obvious that nothing he says can be believed. I've been a 20-year member of the AMA - I deserve better than this." It now appears that Team Obsolete will be prevented from racing in the AHRMA races at Daytona in March. According to Team Obsolete's Rob Iannucci, all of his team riders have had their entries for the upcoming event - including those turned in by Dave Roper, Yvon DuHamel, Eric Green, Mike Green, Lon McCoskey and Johrmy Kain - refused by AHRMA. In a letter sent to Mike Green, AHRMA executive director Jeff Smith wrote: "AHRMA chooses not to do business with Team Obsolete in an of its manifestations. Your entry form for Daytona is not acceptable to AHRMA until references to Team Obsolete are removed. Entries by fax close at 6 p.m., January 30, 1999." The fax that was sent to Green was dated January 30. AHRMA and Team Obsolete have been engaged in legal battles of late. A press release from AHRMA says that its Vintage News publication mistakenly reported that the Daytona Beach and Barberville, Florida, Classic Bike Magazine Dirt Track Nationals, scheduled for March 2 and 4, respectively, are pre-entry only. That's not the case. Vintage dirt trackers may enter these races, as well as the February 28 series opener in Ocala, Florida, on the day of the event. The first Excelsior-Henderson Super X motorcycle was shipped to a dealer on January 30, according to a press release issued by Excelsior-Henderson. In a move apparently intended to prevent 600cc Supersport racers from competing in the 750cc Supersport class, the AMA has released a Pro Competition Bulletin that requires all 750cc Supersport motorcycles to carry a minimum weight of 385 pounds (dry). The bulletin also states that any sensors that determine front-wheel speed cannot be mounted in any location on motorcycles during qualifying sessions, heat races, or races. The sensors can be used in practice sessions only. The exception to the rule is in Supersport, where aftermarket data acquisition, other than automatic lap-timing devices, are not permitted at any lime. PROMOTED: Mark Kelly, to vice president of marketing and product management, ATV and utility v.hicles, of Kaw.saki Motors Corp., USA K.lly w.s formerly director of marketing and product management, ATV and utility vehicles. HIRED: Motocrosser Ry.n Ch.pin, by th.· Los Angeles County Fire Department in Westlake Village, California. Chapin is the son of Lee Chapin, vice president of sales at Mikuni carburetors, and the brother of Rob Cbapin, sales/service representa- prior race engagement. For more information, call CRC at 805/272-8889. NAMED: AMA Travel, as the official North American travel supplier to the 57th Esposizione lnternazianale Cicio Motociclo Assessori - the Milan Show - scheduled for September 15-20 in Milan, It.ly. CORRECTION: The correct address for the Happy Ramblers MC's web site is as follows: http://hom•.••rthlink.n.t/ -v.tssd7. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At MiII.nnium Cycl. Works in Lilburn, Georgia, on February 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. T••m K.w.saki·s Jeff Emig, Ricky C.nnich.el and Damon Huffman, and Team SplitFire's Nathan Ramsey .nd Nick Wey are scheduled to 'ppe.r. For more information, call 770/638-8373. OPENED: TR Promotions' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following tive for Renthal Products. .ddress: http://www.trpro.com. CORRECTION: Round two of the AMA N.tional OPENED: The East Coast Enduro Association's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.ece•.org. Enduro Series in Lake Pleasant, Arizona" will be held on February 28 and not March 15. For more information, see the Arizona Trail Riders' web site' at www.arizonatraiJriders.org. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Lawrencevill. Yam.ha in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on February 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. Team Yamaha's John Dowd and Jimmy Button are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 770/822-0089. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At the Color.do B.U Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, on Friday, February 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. Team Green's Destry Abbott, Dave Ondas and Brian Brown, American Hond.'s Johnny Campbell, KTM Sportmotorcycles' Mike Lafferty, Nick Pearson and RusseU Pearson, and Yamaha's Ty Davis, Donnie Book and Paul Krause are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 7fJ2./457-5775. CANCELED: The motocross practice session scheduled for Saturd.y, February 13, at Los Ang.les County Raceway in Palmdale, California, because of a CORRECTION: A rec.nt issue of Cycle News stated incorrectly that Terry Cunningham is an eight-time National Enduro Champion. Cunningham, in fact, won four National Enduro titles DIck Burleson remains the only eight-time ",:"inner of the series championship. 5rGNED: A letter of intent between Helmet House Inc. and Axo Sport spA of Treviso, naly, in which Helmet House will become the exclusive distributor of .11 Axo Sport products in the United States. MOVED: Nelson-Rigg USA Inc., to 3518-A L.k. C.nt.r Driv., S.nt. Ana, CA 92704, 714/850-1811. CANCELED: Th. 1999 AMA Amat.ur ationallce Racing Ch.mpionships, scheduled for F.bruary 1314 in Lake George, New Yor:k, due to unfavorable weather conditions. The race wiU not be resched_ uled for 1999. 3