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/128118
o o\XI !III OD:lG C C C J Contin ued from page 3 Motorcycle Insurance is the first corporate supporter of its Annual Fund Campaign. Progressive has agreed to match donors' contributions, dollar-for-dollar, effectivelY doubling the impact of individual donations. according to the AMA. The matching-gifts program is part of the company's sponsorship of the Museum' s newest and most ambitious exhibit, • A Century of Indian, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance. - Scelzi ripped up portions of the drag strip while piloting Caterpillar bulldozers. The ripping of the drag strip was a premonition, as the second phase will focus heavily on both the road course and drag strip. Phase one, conversely. was centered on infrastructure. traffic access and circulation and environmental mitigation. The bulk of the track improvements and spectator amenities is expected to be complete by the NASCAR Winston Cup event in June, 2002. 'It has been interesting and somewhat challenging to stage our 2001 event season in the midst of a major remodel. but our staff has done a spectacular job making it all work. Now it's time to move back into our construction mode,' said Steve Page. president and general manager of Sears Point Raceway. Phase two of the $35 million Modernization Plan will feature the following elements: Construction of 30,000 hillside terrace seats alongside Turns 7-9, bringing the total to 64.000 hillside terrace seats; construction of a go-kart track on the south side of the property; construction of a 10,OOO-seat permanent grandstand at tum seven; construction of a 15,OOO-seat permanent grandstand along the west side of start/finish line, bringing the total to 25.000 permanent grandstand seats. Twenty-two suites will be built along the top of the grandstands; creation of a 660-foot concrete launching pad for drag racing and separation of the road course from the drag strip; construction of a drag strip return road; increased run-off on the road course at turns 8, 8a, 9 and 10; enlargement of pit road to accommodate a 43-car starting grid for road-race events; repaving of the road course and drag strip. The width of the road course will also increase from 40 to 50 feet; the paddock will be expanded by more than 70 percent; pedestrian tunnels will be added under the start/finish line and turn 10; and the Trackside Tower, Media Center and Driver's Lounge will be remodeled. o C o o o o Michael Goodwin, the man generally credited with having invented supercross. was arrested on Sunday, August 12, in conjunction with the murder of former supercross and ultracross promoter Mickey Thompson, namesake of nowdefunct Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group. Thompson, also a former automobile racer, was murdered along with his wife Trudi outside their Bradbury, California, home in March of 1988. by gunmen who were seen escaping by bicycle. Though he has not been arrested until now, Goodwin has long been considered a suspect, as he and Thompson had a bitter breakup from their business partnership. and Goodwin moved out of the country shortly after the murder. According to the Los Angeles Times, Goodwin, 56, was arrested at his Dana Point home on a Los Angeles County warrant. and was booked at the Inmate Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. Goodwin's attorney was cited as saying that the arrest was a trick to get his client into a police line-up, something Goodwin has successfully avoided until now. Goodwin was released early Monday afternoon after spending the night in jail and being identified in a police line-up by two witnesses. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ~ O Debbie Evans Leavitt, the top-placing American in the Women's World Trials Championship for the past three years, just finished filming for three months for the sequel to the hit movie The Matrix. Because of the intense shooting schedule. Evans will not be competing in this year's Women's World Champi- The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has announced that Progressive 8 O~EB o onship or the Trial des Nations. Instead, she is riding on her new Ducati 996. a gift from the film's directors. Next year. however, Evans is planning a comeback on the new 2002 Gas Gas Trials bike. which is rumored to weigh just 150 pounds. Southern Supersports, whose upcoming race effort we mentioned in our coverage of the Mt. Morris National MX. contacted us with more information on the program. The team. which says it hopes to bring motocross to NASCAR standards. says is backed by Pilot Travel Centers, Anheuser Busch 180. Mountain Dew. Code Red. North Texas Yamaha, FMF and Petrone Speed and Strength. The team claims it will field two Eastern Regional 125cc SX riders and two Westem Regional 125cc SX riders. All riders will campaign the outdoor Nationals as well. According to M3 Racing USA. AHRMA Formula 750 Champion Adam Popp and BOT II & III Champion John Staska will be competing in the Mike Hailwood Memorial Trophy in Silverstone, England, on August 25-27 at the Silverstone Historic Festival. Both racers will be aboard M3-prepared Honda CR750s. The grid will be filled with European. American and International champions (including Gary Nixon) on Triumphs. Harley-Davidsons, Ducatis. Hondas, Kawasakis, MVs and Nortons. Afterward, the M3 team will visit the Honda-powered British American Racing Formula One factory outside of London for a tour and meeting with the British classic press. The Whirley Phase One Suzuki team won the 24-hour endurance race at Oschersleben in Germany. part of the F.I.M. World Endurance Championship on the teams GSX-R 1000. The Whirley Phase One team completed 887 laps. beating their closest rivals. the Chinese Zongshen team - also on a Suzuki GSXR1000 - by 10 laps after 24 hours of rac· ing. The Phase One team consisted of: Peter linden, Igor Jerman, and Olivier Ulmann. The Wim Motors Honda team made up of Laurent Naveau. Albert Aerts. and Heinz Platacis clinched the Superbike World Endurance Championship with their fourth-place result on the teams Honda RC51, with one race still remaining on the schedule next month at Magny Cours. The Super Production Championship is still up for grabs. with the Castrol Suzuki finishing 11 th, and the allFrench GMT94 team crashing dUring the night and spending almost an hour repairing the bike, finishing 19th overall. In the Stocksport class, the Police Nationale Kawasaki team finished first in class and fifth overall on their ZX9-R to clinch the title with one round remaining. eN le,emy 'Showtlme' McGtoth 13.Z'" 96 AUGUST 22, 2001 • c: U c: I e n e _ s: lick "Tao Hip" lohnson Z.t '" ·1...• Irod Lock.y 7.&'" David 'Cob,a" Vulll.min 1.9'" 7.1'" H.lkl "Flying Finn' Mlkkolo 1.9'" 5.1% lOll ·IolI.rball" P.d.rson 1.8% JeU "Chicken" MatiZlsevich 5."'" E,lk ·Ea,'hquok." K.ho. 1.&'" 'Foclory" Phil Lawr.nc. 5.3'" G."il "Dutch D.ntist" Wolslnk I.Z% lell "Flying Fr.ckl.· Word ".7'" Andy "1'0 Show" I.".rson Jimmy "llmme," Weinert .....'" SI.v. "Shotl Slack" Stockabl.D.9'" "Gllsin'" G.ulon Mosler pen, switches teams, rides 8.9'" Ezro 'Yogi' Lusk ThDugh it's generally accepted as fact that Ricky Carmichael will be switching teams in the Dff-seasDn, it's nDI definitely knDwn when he will make the mDve. Which Df the fDIlDwin scenariDs is mDst likely? Z.Z% 'Rockel' Rox Slol.n c:yc:lenews.c:om reader poll question of the weel< Ion 'Dagger" Lochi.n lyon 'Iyno' Hugh.s To cast your vote, log on to http://www.cyclenews.com. 8 o o o o o Have It Your Way 1".0% o~~~~ o o o • 3.0'" Chuck 'Iiling Sun" Sun I.Z'" 0.5'"