Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA Pro Racing and its new supercross promotional partner, JamSports, have announced a television partnership with Speedvision Network. Speedvjsion is being re-Iaunched early next year as Speed Channel. Beginrung in 2003, Speed Channel will broadcast three hours of live, national television coverage of every AMA U.S. Supercross Championship race in each venue, according to the AMA press release. Speed Channel will also promote each event weekly prior to telecast. In addition. AMA Pro Racing has the option to take eight 250cc class programs to another television network. The television partnership runs through the 2005 season. with an option to extend, according to the AMA. "Our television package is a home run," said Scott Hollingsworth, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. "Live coverage of AMA Supercross benefits fans, teams and riders and is the single most important element in growing the sport in the future. The nearly 50-percent increase in Kurt Caselli (KTM) scored the overall win at the final round of the World OffRoad Championship Series in Laughlin, Nevada. Caselli led from lap one on, taking the checkered fla§- over four minutes ahead of Robert Naughton (Suz), who finished second. Third place went to Mike Kiedrowski (Suz), followed by Peter Russell (KTM) and Pat Garrahan (KTM). Kiedrowski wrapped up the series' first title. ahead of Rodney Smith and Steve Hatch. making it a 12-3 sweep for the Yoshimura Suzuki offroad team. Ben Bostrom and Colin Edwards split wins at the Supermotard event held in conjunction with the Bologna Motor Show, December 8-9. Also in attendance were Grand Prix stars Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi and the recently crowned 12Scc World Champion Manuel Poggiali. The first leg of the event took place on Saturday and was led in the early stages by Edwards on a Honda CRF4S0R. but it was Bostrom who took the win riding a KTM. Capirossi, also on a Honda CRF4S0R, ended up second, followed closely by Tony Elias and Randy de Puniet. Edwards finished fifth after making a mistake, but made amends by winning the second leg of the event the following day. Biaggi finished ninth on day one and sixth on day two. Jeremy McGrath (Yam) was the king of the 14th annual Moto Pro Christmas Grand Prix at Carlsbad Raceway in Carlsbad, California, on December 9. The seven-time AMA Supercross Champion dominated the Pro class, beating runnerup Travis Pastrana, who was aboard a Suzuki DR-Z400, by over 30 seconds. R.J. Thompson (Suz) was third. Cycle News staffers revived from the company's sufficiently radical annual Christmas party to do battle in their own class at the Christmas Grand Prix. CN advertising executive Dano Legere (KTM) nursed a flat tire to his first class victory. Friend of Cycle News Steve Fernandez (Hon) finished second, and CN Editorial Assistant Steve Cox (Yam) finished third. The SuperTT American Racing Series' 2002 season kicks off with a SITARS-sanctioned supermotard to be run at Edison International Field in Anaheim, Califomia, in conjunction with Clear Channel Entertainment's monster truck day of tests at Jerez at the end of November. where he had planned to take three days to compare the merits of four· stroke and two-stroke before making his commitment. "Honda have fixed everything that I did not Uke about the bike when I first rode it at Suzuka. It feels very much better now - and it is fast. with a lot of potential." said Rossi. before continuing tests on the RCV. "But I do not want to say anything more about the bike now until we have had a chance to ride on the same track on the same day as Yamaha and Suzuki." The news was not surprising - although Rossi had expressed some doubts. and Honda was ostensibly leaving the decision to the rider. nobody expected the decision to go any other way. They remained crucial tests, for Rossi and HRC man Tohru Ukawa, their first serious full-on rides of the V-five RCV, on track at the same time as several two-strokes. The plan was for Rossi to sample both two-stroke and four-stroke. then make a decision. He was immediately quicker on the four-stroke. however. and on the second day announced that he would definitely make the switch to the four-stroke for 2002. Rossi ran inside the lap record at 1:42.9. though threetenths outside his pole qualifying time at Jerez for this year's GP, and was qUicker also than Ukawa, who posted 1:43.6 on the V-five. coverage provides opportunities to build the fan base, develop rider personalities and serve the commercial needs of teams, riders and sponsors." "A consistent, live programming schedule, week in and week out from January to May is by far the most important component to ensure the growth of AMA Supercross," said Mike Held, a JlImSports principal responsible for television and marketing. "This, along with the commRment of our partners at Speed Channel and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will give these amazing athletes national exposure on a level never before available.· "Speed Channel is thrilled to finally be able to bring Uve Supercross coverage to our loyal motorcycle viewers,· said Jim Liberatore, president, Speedvision Network. ·We have been partners with the AMA since the start of Speedvision six years ago, and we share their vision for the future of Supercross.· events on January 12 and January 26. For more information, visit www.supertt.com or call 949/768-4626. Shortly before this issue went to press, we received an update on injured off-road racer Tim Staab. According to Johnny Campbell, Staab's teammate at the Las Vegas 200 where he was injured, Staab is still in an induced coma and in critical condition. Doctors are still monitoring the pressure in his skull. Cards and letters can be sent to the UMC Trauma Center, 1800 W. Charleston. Las Vegas, NV, 89102. American-Honda backed Rick Pearce of Bakersfield, California, claimed a third consecutive SITARS SuperIT Premier class championship at the series finale. held December 9 at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow. California. Pearce placed third on the day behind race winner Don Canet and second-placed Don Howard, finishing one spot ahead of his closest points rival. Mark Cemicky. who had trailed Pearce by a single championship point going into the final race of the series. Ricky Carmichael was awarded the AMA/Speedvision Pro Athlete of the Year Award on Friday, December 7 in Palm Desert, California. "It was definitely a surprise.' Carmichael said in a press release issued by the AMA. "If I didn't get it this year, it wasn't meant to be, but I'm happy with the way things have turned out. I'm really happy, I've got it all now.' The other top award was Sportsman of the Year. won by long-time road racer and 2001 MBNA 2SOCc Grand Prix Champion Jimmy Filice. Alice revealed that his first awards banquet was way back in 1981 - when he was named Dirt Track Rookie of the Year. The 2002 four-stroke Grand Prix racing class received a massive boost over the last month, with the announcement of two new machines that will be on the grids for the introduction of MotoGP from the start of next year. Suzuki made the first surprise announcement, that they will launch their V4 XRE-Ol a full year earlier than planned, after encouraging progress on the engine bench and now on the test track. Barely a week later, Aprilia launched their MotoGP entry for next year - a sleek three-cylinder machine with an engine developed by renowned F1 car firm Cosworth. Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau both heartily welcomed the news that the fourstroke project was to be put forward by one year, and that they would be campaigning the new V-four XREOl from the start of next season.• Suzuki made us a promise - and they have kept it. It's the best Christmas present I could have asked for," said Gibemau. who finished ahead of 2000 World Champion Roberts in the championship in 2001. and took the unusual step late in the season of publishing an internal letter from Suzuki's top management promising both troubled riders and sponsor Telefonica MoviStar that "help is coming.' Roberts was also happy. "The two-stroke was already behind the other guys last season. Racing it again. unless Suzuki made a big jump, wasn't going to be a lot of fun,' he said. "With a clean sheet and fresh start, we can get working to be competitive again. " New SOOcc rider Daijiro Katoh was rather the unsung hero of the Jerez tests. Attention focused on Rossi and his new four-stroke. The new 2S0cc World Champion's sensational debut on the V-four NSR was rather overlooked as a result but Katoh. in his first real ride on a 500, not only went faster than Rossi did on either type of bike, but also faster than Rossi's pole time this year. with an impressive 1:42.6. Katoh was using Dunlop tires, and looked smooth and confident on the big bike - as well as extremely fast. Aprilia owner Ivan Beggio finally put the cap on months of rumors and speculation with the launch of the factory's MotoGP entry - a sharply styled threecylinder, with an engine designed by Cosworth. Eager fans at the Bologna motorcycle show were promised that the new 990 was the harbinger of future roadgoing motorcycles. Aprilia racing boss Jan Witteveen had remained tight·lipped about the project. and the rumored threecylinder Cosworth was thought to have been an alternative to a V -twin design bearing more relation to their current big road and Superbike four-strokes. Instead. the cat is out of the bag - and Aprilia has embraced F1-style technology in the same way as Sauber - with pneumatic valves and f1y-by-wire throttle for the 220horsepower 1S,000-rpm triple. Testing is due to start before Christmas, with veteran factory tester Marcellino Lucchi at the controls. But at present there is a mystery as to which riders will be chosen for Aprilia's two entries for next season's MotoGP. It may yet tum out to be Loris Capirossi, even though he is already under contract to race for the West-sponsored Honda Pons again. Aprilia's backers, MS, are said to have insisted on a top Italian name. while Pons is thought to be amenable to approaches that carry a sufficiently large transfer fee. The most advanced with the testing process, Yamaha has been out at Phillip Island and Sepang with the YZR-Ml. Regular development rider John Kocinski joined new four-stroke men Max Biaggi and Carlos Cheea in Australia. but just the two GP men went on to Sepang. Lap times were kept secret. but by the time they got to Sepang. Checa was quicker than Biaggi, who was having more difficulty adjusting to the enginebraking. "We need to work on the suspension and chassis so I can keep my fast comer entry." he said. Biaggi has never raced a four-stroke. Checa has more experience, and said last season that if he did not get the M 1 ride, he would leave Yamaha. Much is expected of the Spaniard, in the switch to the new four-stroke regime. Jobless at the last Grand Prix, Jeremy McWilliams is on the verge of signing with Kenny Roberts' Proton team to campaign the three-cylinder KR3 two-stroke in its last year of racing. Given the apparent speed of the four-strokes, and the fact that the KR3 was just barely competitive last season. this is not a cushy job. However, the bike should suit this hardcharging veteran, who turns 38 during the season. Valentino Rossi will defend his SOOcc World Championship title next year on a 990cc four-stroke. The Italian rider made the announcement early on the second cue I ... n __ S • JANUARY 2,2002 1 o o J o J 8 J CJ J o o o o 8 o J o o o o o o 8 o o J CJ J o CJ j J CJ J J CJ ') '-J n

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