Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Continued from page 98 get it done," Rapp said. "I was going to leave it. Talking to doctors, they said if I don't do it now. I probably won't do it. If I don't do it, I'll probably get worse. Either way it would be sore for Daytona." !he hand was progressing slowly. "Every day it just seems that it gets one-percent better. I can move it and it doesn't hurt so much. I'm getting more range in it." Willow Springs was the first test after the surgery and Rapp said it was sore. "I can't fit it on the clutch right. It's the same thing last year when it was out of place. I've been doing physical therapy, but it's useless. They don't push you. They give you these little one-pound weights. " cars for 10 years," Pritchard said. "I think Aaron's priority is that car deal. It's just a matter of making sure nothing conflicts with that." "I haven't given up on my love of racing motorbikes," Slight said in the CompetitionAccessories.com semi during a break in testing at Willow Springs. "It was Thursday night or Friday night and the only way for me to move it forward was for me to come over and see the guys. I came here to talk about what we can do. They have to see if I can ride, as well. I want to ride. At the end of the day, we'll weigh the options." Slight hadn't been on a motorcycle since the final World Superbike race at Brands Hatch, coincidentally, the place where he was first approached by Ducati North America about racing in the U.S. Tim Pritchard, general manager of the CompetitionAccessories.com Ducati squad, had a very busy weekend February 10-11, along with David Roy of Ducati North America, Pritchard was negotiating simultaneously with John Kocinski, who'd been expected to ride for the team, and Aaron Slight, who was brought in at the last minute, sort of. Pritchard said Roy had contacted Slight at Brands Hatch, the final round of the World Superbike Championship. They were also in touch with Kocinski and Anthony Gobert at about the same time. Kocinski tested the Ducati at Daytona in December and was expected to begin the season on the red Ducatis. The team hired three mechanics, two of whom had worked with Kocinski in the World Championships, at Kocinski's insistence. But Kocinski wanted a few more things that the team wasn't able to deliver, and they parted company, according to Pritchard. "On Friday night, Saturday moming, we realized there were just a few things that John wanted that we weren't going to be able to do. It was John's comfort level with a few things," Pritchard said. Pritchard called Roy on Friday morning and said, 'Let's see if we can get a hold of Aaron, see what Aaron's doing,' and that kind of got the ball rolling. By Saturday morning we knew Aaron could be here." Once Slight committed to the test, Pritchard let Kocinski know and, according to Pritchard. Kocinski was grateful. "That's a good thing," Pritchard quoted Kocinski as saying. "You helped me make up my mind. " Skip Eaken, Larry Pegram's long-time mechanic, has left the Competition Accessories road race team to travel on the dirt track trail with fellow Ohioan George Roeder Jr. "He's running the program for them this year." CompetitionAccessories.com's Tim Pritchard said. "I believe Skip's love is dirt track and I believe that's what he wants to do.· One of the issues, Pritchard said, was relocation. The road-race team just moved into a new road-race shop near the core business in Springfield, Ohio. about a three-hour drive from Eaken's home. "We didn't have a race shop," Pritchard said. "It was the third week in January before we were able to move into the [8000 square foell building. We tumed it into a race shop in two weeks. " Bad weather has plagued this off-season AMA Superbike test sessions more than any in memory, which gave a few of the teams an idea: Why not test in Australia? Kawasaki's Mike Preston thought about it before the 2000 season and Mat Mladin tried to convince the Yoshimura Suzuki team to do it this winter. Preston wanted all of the Kawasaki Superbike teams, the AMA team, the All-Japan Superbike team, and the Kawasaki World Superbike team, to gather for a joint test where information could be shared. The plan was to take only personnel and a limited amount of gear, such as suspension parts. The team would have saved in track rental fees if they'd gathered at Phillip Island and Eastern Creek. "The logistics didn't work out," Preston said. Mladin pitched the idea to Suzuki with the enticement that they wouldn't have to pay airfares for himself, crew chief Peter Doyle or mechanic Reg O'Rourke, since they were already in Australia. Even so, the costs were prohibitive. though, in hindsight, it would have been money well spent. The Yoshimura team had five tests planned dUring the off-season, and all but one was hampered by bad weather. Daytona was cold and rainy, and all the teams suffered. The four-day Laguna Seca test netted about a day and a half of good weather. The follOWing two-day test at Sears Point was completely rained out. The team had a two-day test at Pahrump, northwest of Las Vegas, but a blown Aaron Slight. however, is busy pursuing a car-racing career, and that may interfere with his ride in the U.S. He has a deal to drive a factory car in five or six rounds of the British Touring Car series. none of which conflict with the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, and a full deal for 2002. The possible conflict could come if Slight is asked to test the car between races. 'In two weeks. it's going to happen or it's not going to happen," Slight said. The worst-case scenario, Slight said, would be for him to do this test and Daytona, then concentrate on car racing, and general manager Tim Pritchard understands. "Aaron's not going to be racing motorcycles for 10 years, but he could be racing engine in a car they were sharing the track with on the second day scuttled the test. The team will be back at Willow Springs next week at full strength, with Jamie Hacking and Aaron Yates expected to take part. AMA Pro Racing will continue its sponsorship activity with Victory Motorcycles this year, as the big twin manufacturer returns as the official sighting bike at AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship events. Track management and racing conditions are of paramount importance to the AMA Pro Racing Superbike operations crew, and the Victory V92SC SportCruiser serves as an essential vehicle for track siting laps prior to major racing events, according to the AMA. "Victory Motorcycles is pleased to enter its second year with the AMA as the official sighting bike," said Darcy Betlach, marketing manager for Victory Motorcycles. "Having our custom-painted V92SC SportCruiser at each of these exciting events allows us the opportunity to reach Superbike audiences across the country. We look forward to a lon9 relationship with the AMA Pro Racing.• Longtime Cycle News correspondent .John Silva, 40, died on January 22 after a brief battle with cancer. In addition to his articles and photos that appeared in this publication. Silva also contributed to Trials Competition and several Northern California newspapers. In recent years, both Silva and his son, Matthew, had successfully competed in trials events. Silva is survived by his wife, Dee Dee, and his l1-year-old son, Matthew. The Tony D. Motocross School will make its annual west coast swing in March. Tony D. will hold a school in Phoenix, Arizona. on March 9. Other stops include Tyler. Texas. San Bemardino and Marysville, California, and Washougal, Washington. For more information, call 410/635-6916. Former factory Husqvarna rider Scott Cloutts, 42, died on February 15 from complications of a brain trauma suffered in an accident in May of 1999. Coutts was a two-time Class 20 winner of the Baja 500 and 1000. The White Brothers World Four· Stroke Championships will retum to its two-day format for the first time since 1994 this year. A IT-type race will be held on Saturday, April 21, with Sunday, April 22 dedicated to the four-stroke motocross. Team Obsolete has announced that Dave Roper and Calvin Rayborn III will ride the Team Obsolete bikes in the historic races at Daytona International Speedway, March 5-6. Roper will ride the 1954 AJS E-95 Porcupine with Raybom slated to ride the 1972-1973 HarleyDavidson XR750TT. Yvon DuHamel, meanwhile, will ride the team's BSA A75R. eN • Atlanta Supercross • Coalinga NatlDnal Enduro • Denver AnmIlClOSS 100 FEBRUARY 28. 2001 • cue • • n __ s 30 YEARS ABO••• IlAllCH 9, 1971 Bruce Baron leaped his 250cc Rickman across the cover of Issue t8. The photo was taken at Southern California's Carlsbad Raceway, where Baron took the victory in the 250cc Senior class ... Eve! Knievel set a new jumping record by jumping 19 Dodge Colts on his red-white and-blue Harley-Davidson XR750. The jumping distance was reportedly 43 yards, or 129 feet. The jump was filmed for the George Hamilton movie about Knievel, tentatively titled "Color Me Lucky·... Jimmy Pomeroy was featured in an expose titled "A Professional Biker at 18.' In the feature, Pomeroy talked of his new Bultaco contract: "Sure, I'U take the contract. I can still race in the Northwest and finish high school, maybe go on to the European motocross circuit this summer and win enough money to cover a good college education ..... Bultaco-mounted Larry Pfutzenreuter scored first overall In the 90-mile Desert M<: Hare and Hound in the high desert of Califomia. 20 YEARS ABO••• MAllt:H II, 1981 The cover of Issue t8 WllS adorned with an illustration of HarleyDavidson's supposed Project Nova. Project Nova was based on rumors of three new engines from America's motorcycle superpower. They consisted of: a water-cooled, V-6, ] 500cc motor; an aircooled, V-4, 1000cc motor; and an air-cooled, V-Twin, 500cc motor... Larry Roeseler was featured in a Yamaha ad after winning the Parker 400. Yamaha YZ465s finished one-two ... We interviewed Team Yamaha's Bob Hannah. "Whatever I do, I hate to lose: he said in the interview. "I'm like that. Gambling, pool - simply anything." ... Seven-time National Enduro Champion Dick Burleson (Hus) got a good start on title number eight with an overall win in Red Mountain, California, round one of the AMA National Championship Enduro Series... We tested Honda's 1981 CR 125R, and we were very impressed. Our tester was predicting dom· inance by the machine, and added that it is "as spacey-looking as a Buck Rogers ---- motodream." 10 YEARS ABO••• IlARCH 6, 1991 Issue .8 was our Daytona Preview issue, featuring Scott Russell, Jamie James, Scott Parker and Jeff Stanton on the cover, along with an aerial view of the 1990 Daytona Supercross track. Inside, we made predictions lIS to the winner of the AMA Camel Pro Dirt Track Series, and we figured Scott Parker to be the victor - again... A TK announced that they would be selling some of their 406<:c offroad and motocross machines for the low price of $2995. However, those motorcycles would be made up of ] 988-]990 model-year, new but obsolete parts ... Team Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw raced to his first Supercross victory of the year in Atlanta, Georgia. Points leader JeanMichel Bayle and defending champion Jeff Stanton, both on Hondas, finished second and third at the muddy race. Brian Swink (Hon) won the 125cc main... We interviewed 1990 AMA Dirt Track Rookie of the Year Mike Hale, and he predicted winning at least one National in 1991 - probably on a mile... Team Green's Larry Roeseler won round one of the AMA National Championship Enduro Series in Clear Creek, Califomia - the 33-year-old once again showing his versatility in off-road events.

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