Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

resh from their second one-two finish f the year at the Sachsenring Grand rix, the two Yamaha riders took a slight etour to Zandvoort before their sumer break. They were also impressive uring the team test session in Brno, zech Republic, last week, with Biaggi apping at a best of 2:01.5, while Checa urned in a 2:02.2. The pair wil[ return here for the Czech Grand Prix on ugust 26. As well as the fast and furius 25-lap F3 car race, won by Takuma ato in the Dallara-Honda Mugen F301, he real show at the 11 th Marlboro Masers was the line-up of the Marlboro amaha Team riders, former 500cc rand Prix winner Randy Mamola, Ferari test driver Luca Badoer, and Mitubishi drivers Tommi Makkinen and reddy Loix. The demonstration program as become a fixed part of the Marlboro asters, and the day's audience was 5,000 strong. Biaggi and Checa perarmed for their audience by doing heelies, donuts and burnouts, finishing ith a lap of honor beside the Fl and lIy cars. Also topping the bill during the eekend was the Marlboro Yamaha twoeater bike, ridden by Mamola. His pasengers included Indy car champion Arie uyendyk, and other lucky Dutch racing nthusiasts. The Zandvoort crowd was Iso wowed by Checa' s antics yesteray, when he and Mamola dueled with heir YZR500 machines until Checa's ear tire burst, adding to the electric tmosphere at one of Holland's most mportant motorsports events. len Helen Raceway in San Bemardino, California, has added a new Pee Wee tower and picnic area to the facility. There is also a new grass picnic area by the Pee Wee track and another awning, and picnic tables wil[ be added shortly, according to G[en Helen. G[en Helen has also announced that, beginning on Tuesday, August 7, the REM track will be open for practice from 8 a.m. to dusk. The track will be open only to Novice and Beginner riders - 60cc and above. For more information, call 909/880-3090. The GFI Elsinore Grand Prix has been scheduled for November 10-11, with pre-entries set to open on August 21. For more information, call GFI at 909/341-8002. Trail Boss Tours has announced that it will host the Gary Nixon Off-Road Celebrity Ride on November 1, starting in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, call 888/228-6878 or see their Web site atwww.trailbosstours.com. Jim Gibsons' MotoXross Train· ing will be holding a weeklong school at Wards Creek, Washington, August 20-26. For more information, call Gibson at 909/698-9272. Ducati is gearing up for its three-day bash in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 26-28, and has announced a few of the support acts for the event. Motorcycle daredevil Gary Rothwell has confirmed he'll be there, with The Venetian Hotel and Casino set to host the Saturday- night party. Rothwell will also give a demonstration of his stunts outside the Venetian on Las Vegas B[vd. The Swiss band Hang Loose will take the main stage on both Saturday and Sunday, while a traditional Italian band wil[ walk through the activities, playing traditional Italian music, according to Ducati. In addition, the Richard Petty Driving Experience is giving 20 participants the chance to ride in the former champion's training vehicles with his best instructors. There wi[1 also be seminars on all aspects of motorcycling, and Ducati's AMA Superbike technicians wil[ be on hand to assist with mechanical advice and assistance. To view the ful[ schedule of events planned, visit Ducati's Web site at: www.ducatiusa.com. l5!lilfiD &5 Daytona International Speedway booths and lounge area, according to the Speedway's website. in Daytona Beach, Florida, has broken ground on a new infield media center at New Mexico veterans who ride wil[ now have access to specialty motorcycle license plates to commemorate their ser· vice to our country, thanks to the efforts of State Representative Rick Miera, according to the AMA. In addition to the Vets plates, Miera also sponsored a separate bill that was signed into law to make specialty motorcycle license plates available to disabled riders. Miera, a motorcyclist and member of ABATE, earlier this year announced the repeal of New Mexico's handlebar height law, through another bill he authored. the racetrack. The 9300-square-foot media center will be completed in time for Speedweeks 2002 and wil[ feature an expanded deadline press room, staff office, interview room, radio interview be found at the following address: http://www.tekbolt.com. OPENED: Hi Risk Sports Apparel/Gear's home page BORN: Ivan Michael Dixon, on August 2, to Emig Racing's Tim Dixon and his wife Angelia. Web. The site can be found http://www.hirisksports.com. at the 0,0. the World Wide following address: European Parliament Members (MEPl met recently in Strasbourg for the Annual Motorcycle Ride with motorcyclists from all over Europe. The MEP Motorcycle Ride, organized each year since 1997 by the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMAl and the Strasbourg section of its French affiliate FFMC (Federation Francaise des Motards en Colerel, aims at gathering motorcyclists and their elected representatives at the European level to enjoy a motorcycle ride through the region of Strasbourg. The riders present were from FEMA national organizations from ACCEPTING: Spy Team Racing is currently accepting racer resumes APPOINTED: Berg Racing USA as the North American distributor for Wolf COl Performance Ignitions. For more information, call 714/7541918. for the remainder of the 2001 racing season and the 2002 racing season. Resumes can be sent to F&S/Spy Team Racing, 7200 N. Dixie Dr.. Dayton, OH 45414, attn: Jeff Stolzenburg. OPENED: Wolf COl Performance Ignition's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the follOWing address: http://www.wolfcdi.com. RESIGNED: Tony Megla, as product designer for Factory Effex. Meg[a can be reached at 805/376·1274. ACCEPTING: Answer Racing/Pro·Taper is now accepting resumes for ADDED: DP Brakes has added a line of high·performance brake pads • for snowmobiles to its existing line of motorcycle brake pads. For more information, call 716/681-8806. . .......... ,. '" '" '" the 2002 race season. All resumes must be received no later than October 31. Send resumes to: Answer Racing/Pro-Taper, 21021 Soledad Canyon Rd. #509, Santa Clarita, CA 91351. attn: Racer Support. '" U Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi held off a determined challenge from a fellow Honda team of Tadayuki Okada and Alex Barros to win the Coca·Cola Suzuka Eight Hours, round 6 of the FIM Endurance World Championship, on August 5. Despite the appearance of the pace car, the pair completed 217 laps, a new distance record for the Eight Hours. "I had the. best teammate this year," Edwards said about Rossi, the current 500cc World Championship points leader. "Valentino is a really splendid rider. 1 have been on the podium many times in the past, but being on top is something special." It was the second year that Edwards and Rossi have raced the Eight Hours together. Last year, both Rossi and Edwards crashed in the race, and it left a bitter memory. That was erased this year. "I am the first Italian rider to win the Suzuka Eight Hours, so I am very happy," Rossi grinned. "Last year, I was disappointed, so I am really happy to win the race today. This race was very important to me." Second·p1aced Okada and Barros were unlucky twice in the race: Okada fell in the second hour while negotiating the chicane, but rider and machine sustained oniy scratch· es and were able to continue. Later, at the final pit stop, a crewmember failed to install the rear axle properly, delaying Barros' return to battle by a minute. "I must say sorry to Alex because I crashed at the chicane," apologized Okada, "I will make revenge for lit) next year." The Honda 1-2 fmish marked the fifth consecutive year that the motorcycle giant has maintain.ed a firm grip on the a11·important Eight Hours race. Finishing third, on the lead lap but a minute back, was Team Suzuki. They started from pole and took advantage of the new-for-2001 regulation of three-rider teams in the race, but their race plan went out the window when Yukio Kagayama rode off at Spoon Curve. Teammates Akira Ryo and Atushi Watanabe shared third-place honors. Defending Eight Hours champions Tohru Ukawa and Daijiro Kato finished 11 seconds behind the Suzuki. Both Ukawa and Kato were unhappy with how their machine set-up worked in race conditions. As last year, their Honda was fitted with Dunlops, but today the Michelin tires used only by the first two Hondas were the envy of others. The day was as bad for Kawasaki and Yamaha as it was good for Honda and Suzuki. The first-string Kawasaki team of Akira Yanagawa and Hitoyatsu Izutsu crashed three times from contact with back markers. The second-string team of Tamaki Serizawa and Gregorio Lavilla were out of the game when the Spaniard highsided in the fourth hour, smashing the seat. Yamaha found that last year's R-7s were no match against this year's Honda VTR1000s or Suzuki's GSX-R750. The team of Anthony Gobert and Noriyuki Haga were holding down fifth for hours on end until their R-7 spit the drive chain off with 30 minutes to go. The second factory Yamaha was doing nearly as well until rider Wataru Yoshikawa crashed it at mid-race. American Michael Bames fmished 39th on the Hooters Suzuki GSX-Rl000. Bames rode with Kyoichi Kosaka after Hooters Racing's Mike Ciccotto declined to ride due to lingering injuries. Tracy Hagen the factory team. Chung leaves his position as suspension technician for Race Tech. '1 f;B[j[}~[j[}!fl@ OPENED: TekBolt's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can HIRED: Kaipo Chung, by KTM Red Bull, as a suspension technician for J @[f@@[JiJf) U@@[JiJf) '" eye I e . . Continued on page 92 n e _ s • AUGUST 15, 2001 3 o o o o o o o o o J J 'I o J J o J J J 'I u J 8 J J J J o o o o o o

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