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/128130
hane Watts (KTM) won his second Parts Unlimited World Off-Road Champinship Series race of the year in round five of six in Roseburg, Oregon. on November 4, Steve Hatch (Suz) fin- su Izutsu won the race to consolidate his third position overall in the series. Motocrosser Andrea Bartolini has Akira Ryo's second place extended his way tie for second in the championship ith Rodney Smith (Suz). who finished championship lead over Makoto Tamada, with the Suzuki star now on 147 fifth on the day, Third went to WORCS points leader Mike Kiedrowski (Suz) with Brian Garrahan (KTM) fourth. points to Tamada' s 134, with only one Destry Abbott's (Kaw) chances of winning the Parts Unlimited World OffRoad Championship Series are looking slim after he crashed while practicing back home in Arizona. Abbott suffered a separated shoulder after his Kawasaki seized while approaching a jump, causing him to crash. Subsequently, Abbott missed this past weekend's WORCS race in Roseburg, Oregon. With one race remaining in the series. Abbott trails points leader Mike Kiedrowski (Suz) by 29 points. Superbike Championships and finishing a solid fifth in both races. "It's great to be nominated for Athlete of the Year," said Bostrom, a nine-year professional we see a Bud Light/Mazda sponsorship for McGrath in 20027 ished second place, moving into a two- The final round is scheduled for December 8-9 in Laughlin, Nevada. 2002. - So. the question remains: Will the more successful of the two gaijin at Sugo, finishing ninth with Bostrom 11 tho Walker's 2002 teammate-to-be Hitoya- round left to run at Suzuka on November 18. Three guest riders will compete at Suzuka for sure. World Superbike riders Akira Yanagawa. Tadayuki Okada and 500cc Rio Grand Prix pole position rider Tohru Ukawa. The race will be the usual season-ending car and bike combined meeting. If Ryo proves to be the champion it will be his first-ever All-Japan Superbike crown, and Suzuki's first championship since the adoption of Superbike rules in 1994. Last week, we reported on our Web site that "Cycle News has it from a reliable source that [Jeremy] McGrath's 2002 rider, who was the Ricky Graham Dirt Track Rookie of the Year in 1993, in a release issued by the AMA. "To be con- appealed the decision of the FIM's International Disciplinary Court (COl) from October 5 that bans him from racing in sidered among the best in all of motorcycle racing in America is a real honor. " any FIM events for six months. according to the FIM. The Intemational Tribunal of Appeal (TJA) will convene at the FIM headquarters in Mies on November 26 This marks Bostrom' s first nomination for Pro Athlete of the Year. His brother Ben was nominated in 1998 after winning that year's AMA Superbike title. The Pro Athlete of the Year Award has a tradition dating back to 1938, when the first Daytona 200 winner Ed Kretz was voted the AMA's most popular rider. to deal with the appeal. Pier"Francesco Chili's proposed move to the NCR Ducati team has hit two significant snags, according to Other nominees will be announced in coming weeks. The 2001 AMA/Speedvision Pro Athlete of the Year will be announced during the 27th annual AMA World Superbike contributor Gordon Ritchie. One is the usual one of money. although the Italian is rumored to have gained more ground in his quest to find Pro Racing Champions Awards Banquet on December 7, at the Desert Springs Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California. To purchase tickets to the the proposed $2 million he needs to have a fully competitive privateer effort running alongside Broc Parkes. The Doug Dubach (Yam) emerged victori- title sponsor will be Bud Light beer." Then we heard from McGrath's publicist. Cheryl Lynch. who phoned our office in regards to the report. "Bud Light has more obvious reason is that Ducati. the brand that Chili very publicly and bitterly criticized long after his relationship with it was terminated after the 1998 season, is less than excited to have the outspo- The 2002 Crossover Challenge ous at the 17th annual White Brothers World Vet Championships at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino. California. not signed on as a sponsor of Jeremy's team as of today's date," said Lynch. who added that the same was true of ken rider back on its bikes. Parkes, for his part. has been offering himself up for sponsorship, with his personal manager presented by American Suzuki Motor Corporation will make its fourth-annual appearance at the opening round of EA on November 4. Dubach won both motos to clinch his eighth World Vet Championship while 39-year-old Guy Cooper (KTM) made the trek west to Anheuser Busch's other products. such as 180 Energy Drink. Lynch also stressed that despite the fact that McGrath's big rig was absent its Mazda Wayne Gardner going on-line to tout for sponsorship for his young charger. AMA Pro Racing and Speedvision have Sports Supercross at Edison International Field in Anaheim, Califomia. Featuring several top athletes and celebrities, the race will include 24 riders. paired in finish second overall and Terry Fowler (Yam) finished third. logo at the recent THQ U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. the auto company is not necessarily ending its relationship with announced the first of the 2001 nominees for the annual AMA/Speedvision Pro Athlete of the Year teams of three, with identically prepared RM 125 motorcycles along with individual mechanics. Last year, Suzuki took The penultimate round of the All-Japan McGrath. "Mazda's agreement for the Superbike Championship featured the talents of two non-Japanese riders at Sugo on November 4. with Kawasaki'S 2001 season was for the EA Sports Supercross Series," Lynch said. "Also, Jeremy's truck was being prepared for Award - Eric Bostrom. The 24-yearold Californian won the 2001 Pro Honda on the presenting-level sponsorship and crowned its first team of Crossover Challenge champions: Tex Devenport (snowboarder), Kevin Barda (marathon Eric Bostrom and former GP rider the 2002 season, and those prepara- Chris Walker taking part. Walker. who has signed for a full season in the World Superbike Championship, proved to be tions were not yet completed. Jeremy really hopes to and looks forward to continuing a relationship with Mazda for awards banquet. contact AMA Pro Racing at 614/856-1900. Oils 600 Supersport Championship and finished second in the AMA/Chevy runner), and Brian Lopes (mountain Trucks U. S. Superbike Series standings. Bostrom also proved his talent on biker). Following the event, the bikes were autographed and sold at Chaparral MotorsSports, the dealership that had provided the bikes. Last year's Crossover Challenge featured a host of extreme athletes and celebrities, including Vanilla Ice (musician), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (actor), Fuzzy Hall CBMX), the world stage by qualifying on the front row at the U.S. round of the World The 2002 AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series will consist of 15 rounds at 10 racetracks (five doubleheaders), according to AMA Pro Racing's Ron Barrick. "Everything is settled except for Mid-Ohio and Brainerd," Barrick said on Friday, November 2. "We expect to have things wrapped up shortly." Among the changes are the additions of the California Speedway round in Fontana, California, and the dropping of the Willow Springs and New Hampshire International Speedway rounds. According to Barrick, there is a possibility that Brainerd could end up being a doubleheader round and that one of the other events scheduled could end up being a doubleheader. The schedule is as follows: Round 1: Daytona International Speedway, Florida, March 10 Rounds 2/3: California Speedway, California, April 6-7 Round 4: Sears Point, California, May 5 Rounds 5/6: Road Atlanta, Georgia, May 18-19 Round 7: Pikes Peak, Colorado, June 2 Rounds 8/9: Road America, Wisconsin, June 8-9 "Round 10: .Brainerd International Raceway, Minnesota, June 30 Round 11: Laguna Seca, California. July 13 "Rounds 12/13: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Ohio, July 21 or 28 Rounds 14/15: Virginia International Raceway, Virginia, August 10-11 Sunny Garcia (surfer), and Mike James (St. Louis Cardinals). Each of the 24 riders competed aboard Suzuki motorcycles, which allowed participants the luxury of being "factory- for a day. Bob Hall, the 2001 Iron Butt Rally winner, will be the guest of honor at the AMA Will Stoner Vintage Motorcycle Swapmeet and Show on Sunday, November 11 at the Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield, Ohio. Hall. 38 from Hinckley, Ohio, will pick the" Hall's Choice" winner in the bike show as well as sign autographs and visit with the fans from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Fair Haven Hall. Show hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is $6 for non-AMA members and $5 for AMA and *Dales to be confirmed. eye I • n e _ s ' NOVEMBER 14, 2001 5 ...J ..J -J ~ J J o R u J J J LJ J "j J J 'I 1 d o J o [J J J 3 o o ] J o J