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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128111
Cobra World Headquarters
Cobras in the House
By RaPERT X. PEu..rrr
NEW MIDDLETOWN, OH, MAY 23
Opening their doors to a throng of reporters,
industry personnel, Cobra owners and other
invited guests, the Cobra Motorcycle Company held a grand christening at their new manufacturing facility in northeastern Ohio.
Starting with a guided tour of the plant
where the minicycles are born, the guests
were treated to an inside look at Cobra
founder Bud Maimone's dream works - a full
state-of-the-art motorcycle- manufacturing
facility that takes raw materials and molds,
grinds, shapes and assembles precision parts
into a high-performance racing motorcycle.
With the full benefit of CNC machinery and
high-tech, computer-aided assistance, the
Cobra factory is more than an acre under one
roof, and this facility is where the yellow
machines come to life by the efforts of skilled
craftsmen and dedicated support personnel.
To cap off the tour, Maimone unveiled his
newest creation . a Travis Pastrana replica
Cobra CM50, covered in Suzuki colors and
bearing Pastrana's signature number 199, with
yellow handguards. Reportedly designed with
the smaJl-in-stature actor Verne Troyer ("Mini
Me" in the Austin Powers movie The Spy Who
Shagged Me) in mind, the crowd was amazed
and fascinated by the tiny yet brilliant
machine.
Following the factory tour and an extravagant luncheon, guests grabbed helmets and
bikes and headed up onto the three exciting circuits laid out by the Cobra factory employees.
Many industry people were seen scampering
around the layout, which would be used later
that evening for some very competitive "World
Championship" pit-bike races. Upwards of 40
racers on Honda XRs. Yamaha ITs and other
assorted machinery were seen banging bars at
this gala event. Many local pros and invited
VIPs were squeezing in some Supercross practice on Cobra's large, very technical, jumpinfested SX track. Cobra riders put on quite a
display, yet none of the little tikes were brave
enough to launch over the big 30-foot double
and clear the Red Bull promotional vehicle like
the big-bike riders were. If standard outdoor riding was your cup of tea, Maimone has a fulllength, outdoor-style MX course more than a
mile in length, and the twisty circuit kept riders
on thejr toes all afternoon.
"We just wanted folks to come up here,
check out our new Cobra factory, have some
fun and see what we do up here," said Mai·
mone, summing it all up at the end of the day.
·We are pretty proud of this place. We manufacture American-made motorcycles from the
ground up and we enjoy doing it. Many of our
Cobra owners come up here to visit and have
fun. It's like a big familyl I can see everybody
had a good time here today; that's great." 1:1II
Hidden Valley Motocross Park: As Clint Burkeen (Sn) took the holeshot, Kory Cunningham (258) was stuffed in the pack at the
unleashing of the second 2S0cc Intermediate moto in Covington, Tennessee, but he persevered to win both the 125cc and 2S0cc
Intennediate classes.
and in short order not only found himself leading the pack in his Intermediate classes but
running in the top three of the Pro classes.
In 125cc Intermedjate competition, Cunningham put down Orr, Cox and Miller and
was pestering the you-know-what out of
125cc Pro racer Simmons as they crossed the
checkers.
In 250cc Intermediate action, Cunningham
had to deal with the hard·driving Burkeen for
a few laps. Once ahead of Burkeen, Cunningham ran heel to toe with Pro rider Jamaal
Bond and gave the seasoned and savvy Bond
all he could handle.
The new blond on the block (Cunningham
lightened up his dark hair) came to Hidden
Results
50 (4-6): I. JUstWl Wisdom (KTM): 2. Josh Canwright (Cob); J.
Austi'l Clarit (Cob); 4. AIelt Willis: 5. Austin Gentry (KTM).
50 (7.8), 1. Chad Onde