Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Corser and Coli n Edwards II. For more information, call 9] 6/373-] 557. Pit Pro will be on hand to lend technical assistance at the Summercross, a supercross scheduled for July 10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Pit Pro will also be on hand for the amateur races on July 11. For more information, call 661/255-5101. Both o f Anthony Gobert's younger. brothers , Alex , 15, and Aaron , 18, recently completed a Keith Code Californ ia Superb ike School, acco rdi ng to a release from Code. The two road racers took p a rt in a session held at Phillip Island in Australia. It's finally official : The AMA has an no unced t he hi ring of B. Scott HolIingsworth as chief executive officer o f Parad a ma Prod uc t ions Inc. , d ba AMA Pro Racing. Hollingsworth brings 12 years of in vestmen t-ban king expert'ence to AMA Pro Ra cin g . Du r in g h is tenure with Na tWest Ma rkets, the investment-banking arm of Londonbased National Westminster Bank, and wi th Smit h Barnev in ew York, he concluded more tha~ $7 billion of cap ita l mark ets transactions on behalf of domestic and international companies. Hollingsworth most recently di rected the sports-related enterprises of Llama Company, a firm owned by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton. Over the course of his career, Hollingsworth has advised corporations and high net -worth individuals on motorsport investment opportunities . Hollingsworth, an AMA member, is a former Amateur motocross com p e t ito r and cu r re n t street rider. " Pa rad a rna' s role is to ensure a le ve l pla yin g field for competitors, provide tremendous entertainment for fans, and continuousl y improve the economi c environment for all stakeholders," said Hollingsworth . "I appreciate th e su pport shown by teams, manufacturers, sponsors and other partners, and I look forward to further developing all of our sports properties." The number-75 Ford Taurus NASCAR driven by Ted Mu sgrave in the Pepsi 400, held Jul y 3 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beac h, Florida, was sponsored by Victory Motorcycles. The car's paint scheme featured the Victory logo on its hood. Cas trol Honda will fie ld British road racer James Elli son in the Laguna Seca ro u nd of the World Supersport Series. Elliso n, 18, will replace Pere Riba, w ho suffered a broken left wrist and elbow in a first-tu rn crash in Misano, Ital y, on Jun e 27. Ellison has bee n racing for Castrol Honda in the Europea n Super Stock Championship. Former AMA 250cc Grand Prix Champion Da vid Emd e is coming out of retirement to compete in the Aprilia Cup Challenge round at Laguna Seea on Jul y 11. Emde will ride an RS250 sponsored by Alba Action Sports, dP Safety School , Speed Sports, Dunlop and Shoei. Emde won back -to-hack AMA 250cc"Nationals at Laguna Seea in 1982 and 1983. The Riversid e Old-Timers will be hosting a four-round Senior Summer Series, Road America set for Grand Prix in 2000? T he Gra nd Prix circus will likely ret urn to the United States next year with a round of th e World Cha m p ions hi ps at Road Ame rica in Elkhart La ke, Wisconsin, in Augus t, accordi ng to Ca rmelo Esp ele ta, th e man agin g d ir ector o f Dorna , th e World Cha mp ions hip's pro moters. Ezpeleta said at the British Gra nd Prix on Ju ly 4 tha t he was "quite optimisticabout the race." The deal hinges on the track, which has bee n inspected in the past as a possible GP ven ue, being homologated by the FlM, w hich will send representatives in August to inspect the track an d approve changes. "The most important thing is the ho mologation," Espeleta said. Three chicanes are to be built, all between the Carousel and the final tum. Two of those we re placed , tho ugh not built, during an earlier visit by Dorna in 1994, in anticipation of a GP in 1995. Those will be in the kink ou t of the Ca rousel; halfway to Canada Corner; and entering the Billy Mitchell Brid ge, where some trees will ha ve to be removed on the riders' right. A new chicane will be added in Kettle Bottom, with the riders turning left-right-left, In order for homologation to be granted, the work will have to be completed before the onset of winter. In fact, a GP might have been held in 1995 had winter not curtailed the work, about $280,000 of which was paid for by Dorna . Tag Sport, a sports-promotion company in Geneva, Illinois, outside of Chicago, who will promote the race, has asked the AMA to invi te FlM delegates to approve the projected modifications. Claude Danis, presiden t of the FlM road racing commission, and Franco Uncini, the riders' safety delega te, "ill be making the trip to Road America to approve the wo rk the first week in August. . In add ition, the race track has to have a fully dedicated closed-circuit television system, wi th underground fiber-optic cables and cameras on every comer. At just over four miles, the new leng th after the chica nes are added, the track will be the longest on the Grand Prix calendar. Tag Spo rt has been in teres ted in GP racing for so me t!me, having some involveme nt in the French Gra nd Prix. Thei r current particip ati on came abou t after an entreaty by Denni s Noyes, the ge neral director of the U.S. GP at Laguna Seca in 1994, and current television anno uncer for Dorna, as well as occasional Cycle News contributor. "Eve ry thing is continge nt upon two thin gs: It' s continge nt upon the homologation being successfu l and a commercial con tract being signed between Road Ame rica and Tag Spo rt," Noyes said, ad d ing that it wi ll be a five-yea r con tract, from 2000-2004, wit h the possibility of renewal wi th right of first refusal. "Next to Formu la One, we're number two in the wo rld as far as the audience for motorsports," Noyes sai d. Tha t was so met hing Tag Sport foun d attractive. No sponsors have been named for the race, tho ugh Noyes was confident that Tag Sport would find backing. . Henny Ray Abrams Benfield buys Speedway GP ri hts ~ ~··l'~ - en fi, president of the Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FlM), and (left) John Poslethwaite, chief executive of Benfield Sports International, at a press conference held prior to the Polish Grand Prix in Wroclaw. "This is great news for speedway and is a clear indication of our desire to red iscover the glo ry of yes teryea r, w he n World Cham pions hi p Finals were contested by legenda ry riders like Ole Olsen, Iva n Ma uger a nd Peter Colli ns in front of crowds approaching 100,000," Zerbi said. "In recent years, the FlM has worked intensively on the development of all the motorcycling disciplines, and this ag reement will bring speedway into line with other World Championsh ips such as 500cc, 250cc and 125cc Grand Prix, Superbike and Motorcross ." Joh n Hip k iss B ~ ~!... ' beginning on July 10 at Glen Helen Racewa y in San Bernardino, California. For more information, call 714/996-8327. Former Grand National Champion Dic k Mann called the Cycle News offices to report that the British lEuropean Swap Meet wi ll be held on [ulv 17 in Carson City, evada. In addition, a vintage dirt track race will be held in Carson City on July 17, with a vintage motocross sched uled for July 18 at Silver State Racewa y. For more information, call 775/267-4392 or 775/267-4996. Man n also reports that th e Lumberjack Seri es that ha s b een goi ng on in Oregon, Northern California and Washington hasbeen sponsored by No rt hwest CZ and Maico. Autographs - come an d ge t 'em. World Su pe rbike Champion Carl Foga rty a nd his team mate Tro y Corser will be signin g autographs on Du cati Isl and a t Laguna Seea on July 11 from ]2 to 1 p.m. Those two will be joined by Anthony G obe rt, Ben Bos trom, La rry Pegram and Ma tt Wait. N H RA executive vice president Tom Compton has announced a strategic partnership on NHRA's sports television package with SFX Sports Group, part of SFX Entertainment Inc., based in ew York. The NHRA will work with SFX Sports to secure long-term, high-profile televi sion contracts that will bring the spo rt of HRA drag racing to more fans th an ever before, according to HRA. SFX Sports specializes in the representation of athletes an d broadcasters, integra ted event ma nagement, te levision programming and production and marketing consulting se rvices. SFX is the wo rld 's largest diversified promoter, producer and venue operator for live en tertainment events, according to NHRA. O PENED: Clarke Manu facturing's hom e pag e on the World Wide Web. The site ca n be found at the following add ress: http:/ /www.cla rkcmfg.com . OP ENED: Bel Ray' s hom e pa ge on the World Wid e Web. The site ca n be found at the following add ress: http:/ / www.belray.com. H IR ED: Tom C enter. for me r national accou n ts manager for PtTSOI101 Watercraft Illustrated, by Ca lho un &: Associates of Marietta. Georg ia . Conk"!' will be the western regional accounts mana ger . represea ting six trade publication s. OPENED: Th e U.S . Open ' s ho me page o n the World Wide Wl.>b. The site can be found at the follo win g address: http:/ /"",,,,,'W.ussx.rom. . CORRECTION: The Eddie Muld er Wc..'St CO-1St Flat Track Series round that was held recently in Ventura, California. was round fou r and not round three as reported. OPENED: La s Vegas Harl ey-D avid son rece ntl y opened a 3lXJO.-square- foot dealership in Hend erson, Nevada , a sate lli te dea lership o f " th e w o r ld's la rgest Harl e y-Da vid son d ea lersh ip ." Fo r mo re infor ma tion, Gll1702 /456-1666. CORRECTION: The correct ph one number for the Women ' s Motocr oss League Mo toc ros s School is '1-19/ H37·3374. OPENED: The Int erna tio nal Tri als School's horne page on the Wor ld Wide Web. The site can be found at the follow ing addre s: http:/ / www.itstrial s.com. s OPENE D: MDD Ca rbon Works' home page on the World Wide web. The site can be fou nd at the followin g ad dres. : http :/ / www.mddcarbon wor ks.com. s RESIGNED: Bob Bitzer, d irector of product de velopment a nd purchasing for Fox Racing, to pursue othe r opp ortunities . For more informa tion, ca ll -108/782-8812. RESIGNED: Debbie Matthew s, as race- even t direc tor for the Wom en's Motocros s League, effectively imm edi ately, to pursue other oppo rtu nities, accord ing to WMl chief executive officer Elaine Ruff. For more information, call i60 /788--52n. OPENED: Baja Bound Adventure;' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following add ress : http: / / 'www.bajaboundmoto .rom . OPENED: A Yama ha TZ250 ho me p age on th e World W id e Web . Th e site can be found at the f01· lowin g address: http:/ /www.tz250.com. AUTOG RA PH SIGNING : At th e Arizona Sta te Fair grounds in Phoen ix. Arizona , on July 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. Cha pa rra l Yama ha 's Jeremy McCrath is sc hed ul ed to a p pea r . For mor e informat ion. call 602/269-5039. BORN: Clai re Marie Oakes. to No-Toil Industri es ' director of sales, Scott Oakes , and his wife. Jessica, on Jun e 10 in Yuba City. California. SIG N ED: A two-year contract between motocrosscr Ezr a Lusk and Fox Racin g. Th e co ntract includ es exclusive endorseme nt of Fox apparel, spo rtswea r an d helm ets. according to Fox. SIGNE D: A contrac t bet ween freesty le motocrosser Trav is Pas trana a nd Acclaim Spo rts , a di visio n of Accla im Ente rta inme nt In c.• a n int era ctiv e-entertainmcn t compa ny. (or the 1999 ESPN X-Games and the 1999 Gravity Games . CIII 3

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