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/128023
• « Tea,n Husqvarllal Fast f~Y Ferraf':f.:i Tea,n Suzuffi Manager: Roger DeCoster Riders 250 7 Greg Albertyn 20 Damon Huffman 17 Robbie Reynard 125 East 911 Travis Pastrana Johannesburg, South Africa Acton, CA Norman, OK RM250 RM250 RM250 Annapolis, MD ...•.•........RM125 lowdown: Following Greg Albertyn's outdoor title last year, Suzuki is confident and optimistic about improving its stadium results. Though Albee initially toyed with the idea of an outdoor-only contract for 2000, he has since committed to supercross and according to DeCoster, is impressive on the test track. (Incidentally, he has switched from MSR riding apparel to Thor.) Making a return to Suzuki after several years at Kawasaki is Damon Huffman, who had great success on yellow 125s from '93 through '95. That's the kind of success Suzuki hopes for from young Travis Pastrana, who Suzuki brought up through its amateur racing program before signing this year. Just 16, Pastrana made a name for himself by winning the X-Games, but he's good on the track as well; he looked strong on a 250 at the U.S. Open, and won the 125cc class (against Eastern Regional champ Ernesto Fonseca) at the World SX round in Pasadena. Manager: Bill Ferracci Riders 125 East 73 Paul Carpenter 109 Alessio Chiodi 115' Robbie Skaggs' Ithaca, NY Brescia, Italy Corona, CA CR125 CR125 CR125 lowdown: World-renowned Ducati Superbike team owner Bill Ferracci heads up this three-man team that will concentrate its efforts on the eastern rounds of the Supercross series. Said efforts are being stepped up, as evidenced by the purchase of a new 18-wheeler and the moving of three-time 125cc World MX Champion Alessio Chiodi to the U.S. "Chico: as he's affectionately called, has an Italian background but often rubs elbows with the rich and famous in Monte Carlo, France. He was planning to ride in the west until he crashed in an off-season exhibition race at the Motor Show in Bologna, Italy, injuring his back and wrist seriously enough to put him in bed for several weeks. He'll focus on the 125cc outdoor MX series, but hopes for a top-10 finish in the stadiums. Tea,n ",nsoil CompetitiOIl Af';f,;essoriesiJaf'; f(-illthe-Boxi faf,;tory COllllef.:tioll Honda Tealn Va,nat,a Manager: Keith McCarty Riders 250 12 Jimmy Button 934 David Vuillemin Tuscany Hills, CA Marseilles, France lowdown: With such heavy representation from satellite-team riders like Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Emig, Yamaha has chosen to slim down its in-house team to just two riders. Button is beginning his sophomore year with the squad, and his strong outdoor-season-ending performance on the thumper last year has many predicting big things for him. "The Periscope" is joined by another tall fellow in the person of Frenchman David Vuillemin, the current World Supercross Champion and King of Bercy. Vuillemin has been waiting for this opportunity, and is eager to prove himself in the U.S. Manager: Rick Zielfelder Riders 250 VZ426 VZ250 5 Mike LaRocco 125 West 55 Chris Gosselaar South Bend, IN CR250 Juniper Hills, CA CR125 lowdown: This team gets the award for longest title. Organized out of Factory Connection, the LaRocco squad picked up Amsoil lubricants during the off-season, as well as Competition Accessories - a multi-million-dollar mail-order accessory business out of Ohio (it's also backing a new Ducati superbike team). And just a few days before we went to press, the team re-signed prestigious sponsor Jack in the Box. Joining LaRocco this year is 17 -year-old Chris Gosselaar, who will ride the 125 west races. The boyish Gosselaar (son of Honda mechanic Mike Gosselaar) suffered multiple injuries in '99, but has turned in some eye-opening lap times at the test track in Corona. Like LaRocco, he'll wear O'Neal clothing, Gaerne boots and Scott goggles. As for LaRocco, he's said to be happy with some adjustments that have been made to his equipment, and is no doubt hungry to win his first Supercross since '95. cue I ... n e vv S • JANUARY 12. 2000