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/128154
event. The new race in Tunica marks a return to indoor AMA Grand National racing for the first time since 1985. when the Houston Astrodome IT and Short Track were last held. It also marks the first time the state of Mississippi has hosted an AMA Grand National. "We are pleased to be able to bring the U.S. Flat Track Championship to Tunica." said Bruce Bober. AMA flat track manager. - "There's a lot of variety in the series this year and we hope by bringing the series to new areas will bring in a lot of new fans to the sport." Meanwhile. the July 20 Grand National at Oglethorpe Speed'flay Park in Savannah. Georgia. has been canceled: the 505 Pro Sport class will replace the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance class at the Harrington. Delaware. Hall of Fame race on August for round five of the World Superbike Championship at Monza on May 12. according to Kawasaki. The American will replace Fuchs Kawasaki's regular rider. Hitoyasu Izutsu. who was injured in a qualifying crash at Sugo. Bostrom, who made his 2002 World Superbike debut as a wild-card entry at Sugo. will fly to Europe to join the Kawasaki team right after competing in the Sears Point AMA National on May 5. Despite never having raced at Monza before. Bostrom already has a game plan in mind for his second World Superbike appearance of the season. ''I'm a little bit anxious about racing at Monza." Bostrom said in the release. "I feel that I need to kind of redeem myself over what happened at Sugo. I know I'm going to be a little behind the ball there. never having seen 3: the postponed Scioto Downs race in Columbus. Ohio. has been rescheduled for September 22 and will be televised on Speed Channel: and an AMA National Hot Shoe Series race has been added for August 6 at the Sturgis Fairgrounds in Sturgis. South Dakota. the track before. but I'll go out initially and follow some of the more experienced guys. probably follow Ben [his brother. Ben Bostrom] for a bit. Once I know my way around. I'll try and step it up on Saturday for Superpole and then race with the guys on Sunday. I know that the Kawasaki riders have gone well at the track in the past and I'd obviously like to keep up that tradition." For Izut- Road racer Eric Bostrom has been drafted into the Kawasaki Racing Team scheduled to begin next week. Progress also continues on the sewer line that will suo who fractured the radius bone in his left forearm after highsiding his Fuchs Kawasaki at the notorious chicane during the opening qualifying session at Sugo. the road back to full fitness is like· Iy to be measured in months rather than weeks. The former Japanese Superbike Champion is undergoing treatment on his injured arm back home in Japan. but a date for his retum to the World Championship has yet to be set. carry waste away from the paddock hospitality areas and restrooms. Paving over of the sewer-line trenches in the paddock should be finished this week. Work will begin next week with the extension of the sewer line down "B" Road. Construction crews previously bored under the track near tum three and under the perimeter road in order to run the sewer line to a new holding tank. This is the latest in a continuing string of constnuction activity at Mazda Raceway since ground was broken on the project Febnuary 8. In its entirety. Phase 1 includes a new pit Eight miles of electrical. phone. television and data conduit is currently being installed as part of Phase 1A of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's $15 million improvement project. according to a release issued by the racetrack. These lines will carry power and phone service area. garages. hospitality suites. restrooms. and sewer system and is slated to cost $7.8 million. according to the racetrack. to hospitality suites and garages being built in the paddock along pit lane. The pre-cast concrete garages are currently being built in Antioch. Califomia. by KieCon. while Medford Constnuction is prefabricating the steel structures in their Bakersfield. Califomia. yard for the new hospitality suites. The suites will sit atop 10 double-car garages. Foundation work for the new garages and hospitality suites, which are part of Phase 1A. is Former motocross star Billy Grossi was injured while competing in an AHRMA vintage motocross race at Sears Point Raceway. in Sonoma. California. April 28. According to Charles Halcomb. a good friend of Grossi·s. Grossi crashed on a step-up jump and suffered a badly broken leg and received "extensive injuries to his shoulder area ... Halcomb said that Grossi underwent ...••.•.. surgery and will be laid up for a very long time and will most likely be unable to work for at least a year. According to Halcomb. a benefit fund has been started for the injured rider. If you wish to contribute. a donation can be made to the Billy Grossi Relief Fund. c/o Coast Commercial Bank. in Santa Cruz. California. Cards and letters can be sent to Grossi at his home at 210 Kalkar Drive. Santa Cruz. CA 95060. · · · · · OPENED: AMA Pro Racing's AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.USMotocross.com. OPENED: Pig Products home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.pigproducts.com. WSMX will host a motocross school at Jolly Roger Motorsports in Lempster. New Hampshire. on June 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost for the class is $125 • AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Montclair Yamaha in Ontario. Califor- : nia. on Thursday. May 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin and Timmy Ferry and Yamaha of Troy's Chad Reed. Greg ': Schnell, Ivan Tedesco and Rodrig Thain are scheduled to appear. as is .. Montclair Yamaha off-roader Ty Davis. Free hot dogs and special discounted Glen Helen National MX tickets will be available. For more infonmation, call 909/628-4748. ACCEPTING: Xpeed Helmets are currently accepting racer resumes and that fee may be paid at the track. but you must RSVP in order to partici- for the current racing season. Resumes can be sent to Xpeed Racer Support. 13275 Paxton St.. Arleta. CA 91331. attn: Mr. Bill. pate. The track will also charge a gate fee. For more information. call 949/837- PROMOTED: Ken Sobaski. to the newly created position of vice 2206 or visit the following Web sites: www.jrmoto.com or www.dmsports- president of sales, marketing and business development for Polaris. HIRED: Mike Schield. to the position of dealer account manager in effective immediately. Southern California for Hap Jones Distributing. Schield was the national sales manager of Shoei Helmets for the past 17 years. For more information. call 909/898·5681 . MOVED: Metzeler and Pirelli motorcycle tire operations have moved OPENED: NOHVCC's redesigned home page on the World Wide turing facility. The contact information for the new operations are: Met- Web. The site can zeler Motorcycle Tires North America, P.O. Box 700, Rome. GA wsmx.com. May 1, 2002. They are now housed in Pirelli's new U.S. tire-manufacbe found at the following address: http://www.nohvcc.org. helmets. The Assembly Transportation Committee on April 22 approved the bill - AB 2700 - that would allow motorcyclists 21 or older to ride without helmets if they have $1 million in medical-insurance coverage. The bill is working its way through the legislative process. "The supporters of this bill. whether legislators or citizens. are either misinformed or misguided - or both." said Edward Moreland. AMA vice president for government relations. "Some lawmakers still subscribe to the 'social burden' fallacy that motorcyclists use more taxpayer dollars than other mem- 30162-7000. 706/368-5826. (fax) 706/368-5832: Pirelli Motorcycle Tire Division. P.O. Box 700. Rome. GA 30162·7000. 706/368-5826, AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Callaway Motorsports in Riverside. California. on May 11 from 11 a.m. to noon. Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's James Stewart. Ezra Lusk and Stephane Roncanda and Team Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks Mike Brown. Shae Bentley, Bobby Bonds and Matt Walker are scheduled to appear. For more infonmation. call 909/683-8839. (fax) 706/368·5832. CORRECTION: Our interview with Motocross des Nations promoter Malcolm McCassy incorrectly referred to Howard Fuel when the official racin9 fuel of the Motocross des Nations is Howell Racing Fuel of Houston, Texas. CORRECTION: The Mammoth Motocross advertisement that was featured in our last issue had some incorrect information. The correct CORRECTION: Former AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp dates for the Mammoth MX are June 27-30. On Thursday. June 27. the has asked us to post the following corrections regarding his factory schedule will feature Vets, Seniors. Masters and Supermini: on Friday. June 28. the schedule will feature 65cc. 85cc and Open: on Saturday, .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. KTM 505. which was run in Bikes of the Stars: Piston· Wiseco: Grips Smith: Lubricants· Silkolene; Cables - Motion Pro. • . .. cue I e Continued on page 100 n e _ o l' w n l.J J o o o ~o o o J J J o o (' \...J J J J J ] J o CJ The AMA is in opposition to a $1 million health-insurance requirement attached to California legislation that would allow motorcyclists to ride without wearing from Pennsylvania to new headquarters in Rome. Georgia, effective w so • MAY 15. 2002 3