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/128117
o o\X/ [i]dJ o o o o o o o Il:i:l G'G:lCB Phil Libhart (Tr;) and Tiger Strank (Yam) made it an all-Pennsylvania day at The All-Star Challenge National Hillclimb in York. Pennsylvania. Libhart took his first 540cc class win of the year, topping points leader David Watson (Han) and Jeff Thomas (Han). Watson came back to win the money round in the class. however. Strank took his second 800cc class win ahead of Watson (Han) and Bobby Templeton (H-Dl. with Templeton selling a new hill record to win the money round. Five-time SOOcc World Road Racing Champion Mick Doohan had his first ride on the Honda RC211 V on Aug'us! 3 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka City, Japan, putting in a handful of laps aboard the new-era four-stroke during the lunch break of Suzuka Eight Hours qualifying. "I haven't ridden a motorcycle in a long time, so this thing feels really good, as far as an eng;ne. And the rest of it is still within the parameters you'd expect it to be," said Doohan afterward. "The engine felt good. ObViously, I wasn't punching it that hard off the turns. My initial feeling is very positive. Handling, at the speed I was traveling, everything felt really good. But I wasn't out there putting it through its paces, that's for sure. I didn't ride it very fast, so it's hard to say what the bike's going to be doing when you're pushing it 100 percent. But I believe, without a doubt, it can be competitive. I was just out there having a ride on the thing. The last thing I wanted to do was destroy their prized possession." Joining Doohan on the track was Honda test rider Manabu Kamada. The 31-year-old Japanese rider quickly gapped Doohan on the track. "This is just a demonstration," Daohan explained. "I've got no idea how fast I was going - a 2:40 or something like that!" On which Doohan's former crew chief, Jerry Burgess, corrected him: "It was a 2.:S6." The SOOcc Grand Prix lap record at Suzuka Circuit is 2:06.746, held by Max Biaggi. 8 o Willie McCoy was disqualified after winning the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance class at Lowe' s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. North Carolina. on July 28. after a post-race teardown revealed that metal had been removed from McCoy's cylinder heads. McCoy's disqualification gives the victory to 17year-old Jacob Johnson. who was actually making his racing debut in the class at Lowe·s. Johnson and his Moroney's Harley get the victory. with everybody else moving up a spot in the final results. o o 8 Woods (Yam). followed by Ryan Terlecki (Hbg). Walters now leads the points standings with 313 points. with Woods in second with 309. 8 ~o Mike Alessi (Yam) was one of the big winners at the NMA Grand National MX Championships in Ponca City. Oklahoma. August 1-4. Alessi won every mota he competed in en route to taking the 85cc Modified and Stock (12-13) and 85cc Open-class wins. Other top finishers included Jesse Cassillas (Yam). who topped both the 250 and 125cc Modifi~d classes. He also finished second in the 125cc Stock Intermediate class. Colt Humphrey (Suz) won the 250cc Stock Intermediate class. while Kyle Chisholm (Kaw) . won the Supermini class. Zack Osborne was another multi-class winner. Osborne took top honors in the Jr. Cycle 65cc Stock (9-11) class on a KTM. and he also won the 85cc Stock and Modified (Thru-11) classes. The fourth round of the Parts Unlimited Off-Road Championship Series was held in Waukon. Iowa. August 5. and Joey Abersini (G-G) scored the overall. Matt Stavish (G-G) took runner-up honors. followed by Jeff Fredette (Kaw). o o Former Formula USA National Champion and multi-time WERA Endurance Champion Tray Batey has agreed 'to join Team Vesrah Suzuki fQ.r the remaining four rounds of the WERA National Endurance Series. according to a release from the team. Batey is filling in for the injured Glenn Szarek and will remain with the team when Szarek returns. Batey's long list of racing accomplishments include the 1996 Formula USA championship several WERA National Endurance championships as a member of Team Suzuki Endurance and Archlight Suzuki and the 2000 TL 1000 Suzuki Cup. WERA F1. Open Superstock and Heavyweight Twins titles. This season he has been competing in the 8 o ~o Spud Walters (Yam) won round eight of the AMA/Yamaha Western FourStroke National MX Series at Clarkia, Idaho. August 5. Walters won both motos. Second overall went to Nathan o 8[J(}@O[jJ 7l@@[JiJiJ (Ij)[BfSj O D O O O O O O o o I To aid in the Motocross des Nations Team USA effort, Cycle News is holding a drawing for an enlarged, autographed and mounted copy of the cover from last year's September 20 issue (#37), which featured coverage of the 2001 winning USA effort. The cover features team members Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Hughes and Travis Pastrana standing in front of an American flag, and above the Cycle News logo are the words "MXdN: USA #1." Each chance to win the cover costs $S, with all proceeds going to the fund to aid the Motocross des Nations Team USA effort. To enter, send a check or money order in the amount of the appropriate number of entries (multiples of $S) to Cycle News, attn: MXdN, 3S0S-M Cadillac Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The drawing will be held on F"!day, November 30. 2 AUGUST 15, 2001 • cue I & n e _ s The RC211V, with its narrow:angle V-S engine, sounds like no Superbike. The engine note is actually rather rough, obviously suggesting an irregular firing order. Honda staff kept the RC211 V inside a closed garage when it was started, and when it was time for Doohan to take to the track Suzuka Circuit, security had photogra· phers barricaded 10 meters away. Secrecy was the order of the day. Tracy Hagen Formula USA series on an Aprilia RSV1000 Mille. Team Vesrah Suzuki currently leads the WERA National Endurance championship by five points heading into this weekend's round at Summit Point Raceway. Robb Mesecher. the advertising accounts executive at Hi-Torque Publications and former ISDE rider. and his wife, Jill. lost their 18-month-old daughter, Makena Marie Mesecher. to an accident at their home in Valencia, California. on July 30. A memorial service for Makena was held at Grace Baptist Church in Valencia. August 2. Cards and letters can be sent to Hi-Torque Publications. 25233 Anza Dr.. Valencia. CA 91355. The Mesecher's request that any donations be made to your favorite children's charity in honor of Makena. Four-time World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts may make a guest appearance in America in October. Everts has been invited to race the THQ U.S. Open in Las Vegas on October 1213. according to Cycle News contributor Geoff Meyer. If the Belgian deCides to ride. it could be in the White Brothers Four-Stroke Shootout. It seems unlikely that the motocross hero would be competitive in the main program. which will feature riders on 250cc two-strokes. Everts. who won the Belgian 500cc Grand Prix at Namur on August 5. made history with the victory as he equaled Joel Robert's record for most wins in Grand Prix racing. "It's a record I have always looked at." Everts said prior to the race. "I would be thrilled to take my 50th win in Namur. a place I love to race and which has a lot of history about it." Of course, Everts will also attempt to show his form prior to the September 30 Motocross des Nations. where he will possibly ride a 250cc machine for his home country. Belgium. "Joel Smets is a 500cc rider. and it would be best if he rode the Open bike. I can ride a 250cc machine. and I think it will suit the Namur track. so we should have a strong team." Everts recently re-Signed to race a YZF four-stroke for the Rinaldi Yamaha team again in 2002. In 2001. the White Brothers Four-Stroke Shootout will return to the THQ U.S. , Open with the biggest purse ever offered in four-stroke racing. In the MGM Grand Garden Arena. 12 top fourstroke pilots will be competing for their share of the $23.000 purse. There will be two motos each night. with the winner to be determined by the best total score from the two nights of racing. First place alone will be worth $6.000. plus a., $1000 bonus per mota win. A perfect weekend of racing will earn the top rider a $10.000 purse. "This year's White" Brothers Four-Stroke Shootout promises to be better than ever," claimed Tim Clark. director of the THQ U.S. Open. in a recent press release. "We increased the purse for 2001 and THQ upped-the anti by posting $4000 in bonuses. Each winner of each mota will be paid $1000 from the THQ bonus fund. Those who attended the event last year know how great the four-stroke race was. John Anderson over at White Brothers put together an awesome field of riders. including overall winner Kelly Smith and Damon Bradshaw. This year. they've promised an even better line-up of entries. Kyle Lewis and snowmobile champion Blair Morgan will be amongst the chosen few to dethrone Smith and grab their share of the $23.000 purse." Clark made no mention of Everts in the release. Tickets for this year's THQ U.S. Open can be purchased online at WWW.ussx.com. through the MGM Grand box office or by calling Ticketmaster at 702/474-4000. Chaparral Motorsports also has tickets available by calling 800/841-2960. Marlboro Yamaha's Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa took part in a demonstration at the Marlboro Masters in Zandvoort. Netherlands, on August 5. according to a release from Marlboro.