Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Kenny Roberts Jr. called the Cycle News offices on Wednesday, February 10, to clarify some things from his interview that appeared in Issue #6. "After reading the interview, I thought it sounded like I was picking on Matt (Wait), and I didn't mean it that way:' Roberts said. "He's a 'friend of mine and I think he did good last year in the GPs. He stayed On the bike and he finished races. He really wasn't given an opportunity to compete on a level playing field with everybody else. He didn't have any telemetry and he didn't have the resources that everyone else had. I think he's going to do well on the superbike because the bikes will be a lot closer and he'll be able to concentrate on his riding. But I still think that the younger riders coming through a series like the AMA are not arrowed to gain enough knowledge about setting up a motorcycle, like a 500cc Grand Prix bike, to suit their style." . AMA 750cc Supers port Champion Richard Alexander Jr. will be trying a different form of racing in February. Alexander will join forces with Brock Davidson of Team Suzuki Sport/ Yoshimura R&D to race the MRE Sunshine National Drag Race in Gainesville, Florida, February 26-28. Alexander will ride a Suzuki GSX-R600 in the 600cc Supersport class. According to a press release issued by AHRMA on February 11, the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association's board of trustees has formally acted to end all dealings with Team Obsolete and has revoked the membership of team owner Robert Iannucci. AHRMA is engaged in ongoing legal action with Iannucci and Team Obsolete over the use of a trademark owned by AHRMA. As a result of the board action, AHRMA will no longer accept race entries from Team Obsolete or from riders who, list Team Obsolete 'among their sponsors. Yamaha will host the Weekend of Cha.mpions event in conjunction with Bike Week at Daytona. Yamaha will host road race champions Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, Don Emde, Rich Oliver and Jamie James as well as motocross chanipions Bob Hannah, Broc Glover, Mike Bell, John Dowd, Doug Henry and Jeremy McGrath. The past and current champions will be on hand in the Yamaha consumer tent outside Daytona International Speedway, autographing limitededition "Weekend of Champions" posters on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 5-7, from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. 'Those same champions will also take a parade lap around Daytona International Speedway prior to the opening ceremonies for the Daytona 200 on March 7. Georgian motocrosser Drew Roberts suffered a severe spinal-cord injury while racing at a motocross event in his home state on January 10. A fund has been established to benefit Roberts and his family. Contributions can be sent to the Drew Roberts Benefit Fund, First Liberty Bank, P.O. Box 4388, Maco/1, GA 31294. Cards and letters can be sent to Roberts at Shepard Spinal Center, Room 207, 2020 Peachtree St., Atlanta; GA 30309. ~ ~ '" :::J ~ 2 Helmet House and Axo Sport America president Jim Hale have entered into a consulting agreemenHhat will also include three of his key employees. In addition, Marcel Fortney, owner of Ranchworks Consulting and a former national sales manager 'for Fox Racing, has also entered into a consulting agreement with Helmet House to assist with the transition of and in the organization of a new Axo management team. Fortney can be reached at 805/649-2139. In January, Helmet House and Axo Sport SpA in Italy signed an exclusive deal in which Helmet House will be the distributor for all Axo Sport products in the United States. Is there a CBRllOOXX PGM-FI CBS HYPER VTEC Super Blackbird in your future? Probably not, but Honda recently introduced a CB400 Super Four in Japan fitted with the latest refinement of Honda's VTEC valve-control system, dubbed HYPER VTEC. VTEC (Variable Valve Timing & Electronic Control system) has long been available on many of Honda's cars, but the new HYPER VTEC differs from the other systems as the camshaft acts directly on the valve lifters, rather than through rocker arms, making the new system suitable for use at high rpm. Hydraulic control of the slide-pin mechanism is effected using oil pressure, controlled electr'onically through a spool valve. The system leaves closed two of the four valves per cylinder at low and middle rpm for grea,ter intake velocity and swirl effect (as well as lower friction), with those valves opening at high rpm for better volumetric efficiency at increased engine speeds. Honda says the system increases both economy and performance at all engine speeds, and dtes internal test data that fuel efficiency is improved by 6.6 percent. At this time, no announcement has been made about the availability of this technology for U.S.-market models. Debut-season GP winner Simon Craiar injured his thumb in a testing crash at Sepang and had to cut short his testing as a resUlt. The Red Bull Yamaha rider and teammate Regis Laconi were both reporting difficulties in making the transition from Dunlop to Michelin tires. "The Michelins grip much better, but the Dunlops are much more sympathetic at the edge," Crafar said. "It's easier to slide and spin with the Dunlops. I have to learn how to deal with a lot more traction." It is a familiar refrain, from other riders who have found the same switch difficult in the past. Crafar was off the pace by 1.5 seconds at Phillip Island but was lying sixth at Sepang when he fell. Carlos Checa also fell at Sepang, on two consecutive days, each time without injury. 'Mystery surrounds the GP future of John ,Kocinski, as team boss Erv Kanempto struggles once again to save his sponsOrless team. IRTA was holding two slots open for Kanemoto, but he is running out of time, though he is still hopeful of securing the backing he needs. Kanemoto has a history of involuntary brinkmanship stretching back many years - the Biaggi/Marlboro deal last year was only clinched at the last minute. He also has a history of sustained World Championship success, starting with Freddie Spencer and stretching on with Eddie Lawson, Luca Cadalora and finally in 1997 with Max Biaggi. World Champion Loris Capirossi has put his preseason test schedule into disarray after breaking his collarbone in a motocross crash while practicing near his home, close to the Imola race track. He will definitely miss the Jerez tests and may be out for longer, as doctors told him they will only be able to assess his condition fully in 20 days. Capirossi, Four-strokes for GPs in 20011 A ccording to reliable sources in Europe, it's been decided that 1000cc four-strokes of any configuration will be the headline class in the 2001 World Championship Road Race Series, ending the long reign of 500cc two-stroke dominance in Grand Prix road racing. . The powers that be in international road racing - the FIM, International Roadracing Teams Association (IRTA), Grand Prix promoters Dorna and the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association (GMPA) - met in Rome, Italy, on February 8 and decided to make the change. While there will be no limit on the number of cylinders, nor will there be different categories for different numbers of cylinders, there will be a weight differential based on the amount of cylinders for each motorcycle; i.e., 285 pounds for twins, 305 pounds for triples, etc. In addition, the bikes will feature open exhaust in an effort to further lure spectators to the sounds of 1000cc four-stroke Grand Prix bikes. England's Phil Read was the last man to ride a four-stroke to the 500cc World Championship, giving MV Agusta its last hurrah in the class. who has switched to Honda after being dumped by Aprilia as punishment for "stealing" teammate Tetsuya Harada's championship last year, had a downbeat start in Australia, where there was only one bike to be shared between himself and Tohru Ukawa. Capirossi took the first two days on the hybrid development hack, with last year's notoriously sluggish motor in a new chassis, but failed to impress at 2.5 seconds off the pace, though Ukawa was a close third fastest on the same bike. Modenas has yet to name its second rider, to run alongside Jean-Michel Bayle, and announced that a young South African, Brett McLeod, will ride the bike at the Jerez tests. American failed bright hope Mike Hale tested for the team in Australia and Malaysia, and failed. to impress, even though his brief was not to go for Qut-and-out lap times. He was slower than Randy Mamola at both tracks. "We haven't decided yet, but we'd like to find a young rider who could develop along with the team, while Jean-Michel is the lead rider," said team,manager Chuck Aksland. This is the fu!al year of their three-year contract with Modenas, and "we really need to be chasing some results," he said. But the team was optimistic, with their preseason test schedule already way in advance of their previous two troubled years. "We've gQt more power, and we've saved a lot of weight," he said. The bike now hits the scales at about 259 pounds against the permitted minimum of 253, compared with about 279 pounds at th~ last race of last year. "Best of all, we're looking at being ready for the start of the season and looking at making progress, rather than just putting out fires." The road race Grand Prix calendar seems to have settled at 16 rounds, with the "reserve" Portuguese GP scheduled for August 8 now considered a complete npnstarter. Good progress is reported on the new track at Wellsom in South Africa, though the almost complete lack of regional infrastructure is a worry, as at Twin-Ring Motegi. And a new regime of control over the Brazilian track has promised that this time the track really will be resurfaced, with really suitable material, in really good time. NMA president Ron Henricksen has confirmed that racers who have mailed in entries for the NMA World Mini Grand Prix, scheduled for April 7-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will not have to post-enter at the track. Post-entries will be taken only on Wednesday, April 7, between 9 a.m. and 4 p,m. A typographical error in the NMA advertisement in last week's Cycle News led to the misinformation. The AMA Grand National Champi- onship Series round scheduled for Woodstock, Georgia, on May 15th has been canceled. While as of yet no venue has been scheduled to take its place, a new date has been added to the schedule. The series will be making a stop at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wisconsin, on June 11. The event coincides with the AMA/MBNA Superbike event scheduled· for Road America on that same weekend. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At the American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 28 at 1 p.m. Racing legends Don and Derek Rickman, Don Emde, Gary Nixon, Dick Klamfoth, Bobby Hill, Bart Markel, Everett Brashear, Chet Dykgraat, Ernie Beckman, Paul Goldsmith, Bill Tuman, CarrolJ Resweber and Jim Davis are scheduled to appear. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Central Yamaha in Plano, Texas, on February 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Team Yamaha's John Dowd and Jimmy Button, and Chaparral Racing and Yamaha of Troy are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 972/4234089. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Roseville Cycle in Ro~ville, California, on February 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Crusty Demons of Dirt" video stars Seth Enslow and Bubba are schedu.1ed to appea.r. For more information, call888/WERA~. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Cycle Gear in Sacr., mento, California, on February 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. :-ream Tuff/Thor/Honda's leff Willoh and Jeromy Buehl are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 916/488-7977. AUTOGRAPIi SIGNING: At Pro Line Motorsports in Duluth, Georgia, on February 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Chaparral Racing's Jeremy McGrath is scheduled to appear. For more information, call 770/497,0994. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Sport Bike Night at In Cahoots in Saaramento, California, on February 22 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Yoshimura Suzuki's Jason Pridmore and Chaparral Racing's Richard Alexander Jr. are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 916/373-1557. HIRED: Scott Buxton and Russ Bennett, by Spectro Oils oJ America. Buxton will handle sales in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and eastern Massachusetts..Bennett will cover western Massa,chusetts, eastern New York State, Connecticut and Rhode Island. RESClffDULED: Rounds four and five of the GFI California Winter Series North. Round four will be held at Carnegie Cyclepark in Tracy, California, on February 21, and round five will take place at Oatfield Raceway in Turlock, California, on February 28. For more information, c311209/656-9682. cORREcrrON: We incorrectly identified a rjder in a photo in the February 17, #6, issue of Cycle News on page 31. The rider in the photo is Chris SprenkeJ, who finished second in the 125ce Intermediate contest at round~three of the GFI Racing Winter Series South at Competition Park in California. HIRED; Leslie Vance of L.A. Vance. as public-relations counsel for Speed vision .Productions. Vance will be responsible for coordinating the publk-relations effort for Speed vision's U.S. round of tJH'! World Superbike Championship at Laguna Seca, and for the first World Supercross round, scheduled to be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on November 20. CII

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