Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2002 06 05

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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CJ o J houlder that he injured earlier in the ear. Abbott hopes to be back in action n about four months. amaha's Anthony Gobert underent surgery on Tuesday, May 21 to late the broken fibula he suffered in a ualifying crash at Road Atlanta on May 17. Dr. Arthur Ting performed the urgery after getting the X-rays from obert. "The doctor in Atlanta thought hat I should be able to let it heal by tself," Gobert explained on May 20. "I ent the X-rays to Ting and he wants to ut a plate in there tomorrow. He's oing to plate the fibula and realign it a it because the ankle moved about three o four centimeters one way. It's not too The flat-track community is mourning the loss of AMA Grand National dirt-track competitor Jim Sumner, 32, of Grafton, Wisconsin, who died Sunday, May 26, as the result of injuries sustained in a single-bike accident during practice for the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, llIinois. The accident occurred on the front straightaway during the second practice session. Witnesses said that Sumner attempted to avoid a rider who was experiencing mechanical difficulties when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed. Sumner was unconscious when he was transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital. He never regained consciousness. Sumner, AMA Grand National number 45, was part of a racing family deeply rooted in motorcycle competition. He was a life-long racer, following his father's footsteps into the sport, He first earned his Af'IIA Pro Racing license in 1986. Although he never became a star on the Af'IIA Grand National circuit, he was a journeyman racer who earned the respect of his fellow competitors by turning in some strong performances over the years. He was one of the riders in the series who raced for the sheer love of the sport. Sumner's best Af'IIA Grand National result was a 10th-place finish at the Springfield Mile in May of 1995. He also experienced success in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series (formerly called the Harley-Davidson 883 Dirt Track Series) where he eamed II-career top-10 finishes, including his only national podium finish, a third on the Springfield Mile in September of 1993. He twice came back after suffering serious injuries, a testimony to how much he enjoyed racing. In addition to his racing efforts, Sumner worked for and was sponsored by Suburban Motors, a Harley-Davidson dealership in ThiensviUe, Wisconsin. He had been with the company for over 11 years. Sumner is survived by his parents, AI and Judy; sisters, DO and Chris; and brother, Bert. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 5566 N. 69th St., Milwaukee. The family is requesting donations to the St. Philip Neri Catholic School, local animal shelters or the Steel Shoe Fund - a benefit for injured dirt-track racers. An article on Sumner by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel can be seen at http://www.jsonline_com/news/Metro/may02/46758.asp. ad right now. We traveled back from tlanta today. It was a bit of a pain and calendar is as follows: July 14 - Namur, the perfect compliment toward our and two other children. Pat Leavitt was a t's swollen quite a bit because I couldn't Belgium: August 25 - Valkenswaard, expansion into new areas of outdoor regular on the District 34 motocross eep it elevated. I'm looking forward to Holland: September 22 - Toulouse- fun," says Adrian Spiker, program man- scene since Mike began racing. etting up to Ting' s and getting it taken Muret, France: October 13 - Karnten- ager for Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain are of." The crash occurred when Gob- ring, Austria: October 20 - TBA, Italy: Resort. ·We're excited about bringing Road racer Robert Ulm will race for rt lost the front end in tum four. "I've November 3 - Las Vegas, Nevada: so many people in to see the great the Honda UK World 600cc Supersport ever really been happy with the new November 10 - Broadford, Australia: things our resort has to offer. - Wisp at Championship team at the Lausilzring, ront except for at Fontana," Gobert November 17 - Palmerston North, New Deep Creek Mountain Resort is Mary- Germany, round, according to the team. aid. "It's not a problem with it, it's just Zealand. land's largest ski resort. Located just Ulm will replace John McGuinness in the two hours from Pittsburgh and two and a team as the British rider contests the half hours from the Washington/Balti- Isle of Man IT races the same weekend. more area, Wisp rises to an elevation of Ulm, 28, from Murzzuschlag, Austria, over 3000 feet, and offers golf, paintball returns to World Supersport action after and other activities in the spring and starting the year with the BKM Honda summer. Deep Creek Mountain Resort team. hat I've not been that happy with it. I hink it was just riding a bit too high in Racer Productions will introduce AMA he front - too high in the stroke. I fig- Grand National Cross Country motorcy- red I'd just do a couple of laps with it cle and all-terra in-vehicle racers to a nd it happened on the second lap. I new environment at the Wisp GNCC as just trying to finish the comer and it at Deep Creek Mountain Resort, round ust folded.- nine of the 2002 series, June 29-30, according to a press release from e. .s Cross Country Racing Assoiation has a change of venue for round Racer. Located in McHenry, Maryland, Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain Resort is ight of its series scheduled for June 15- one of the region's premier ski and golf 6. Originally scheduled for Lake Murray, areas. "The Wisp GNCC at Deep Creek he race has been moved to the 4L Ranch Mountain Resort will create a whole new n Jacksboro, Texas. For more informa- experience in off-road racing," says ion, visit www.tccra.org. borders Deep Creek Lake, a 3900-acre freshwater lake that offers fishing, water Genichi Kawakami, 90, the man who skiing and other activities. The Wisp helped make Yamaha a household name GNCC at Deep Creek Mountain Resort around the world through a mix of musi- stands as the ninth race in a 13-round cal instruments and motorcycles, died of Racer Productions' Tim Cotter. "This race will offer beautiful accommodations circuit that began in Florida and will con- unreported causes on May 25, accord- clude this fall in Indiana. ing to the Washington Post. He lived and died in the industrial town of Hama- Pat Leavitt, the mother of Team ccording to the FIM, the U.S. round of and exciting recreational activities for Green motocrosser Mike Leavitt. has he SuperMoto World Champi- everyone, a race course that sends rac- died after a long bout with cancer. nship, scheduled for November 3, will ers up and down ski trails, and great Known by those at the races as ake place in Las Vegas, Nevada views of all the action from fully opera- "Motocross Mom, - Leavitt is survived instead of Bakersfield, Califomia). The tional chair lifts." "Hosting a GNCC is by her husband, John; her son, Mike; matsu, 125 miles west of Tokyo, where Yamaha is based. In 1950, Kawakami took over his father's musical instrument company, which had been established in the 19th century, and developed it into the world's largest maker of pianos, helping fuel a music boom in Japan. The o o o o o o 8 o o o C r u n U C o o o o o o o o leap to motorcycle production came after Yamaha used its knowledge of HIRED: Heather McLeod, formerly with Answer Racing, by Vreeke & Associates as art director. Vreeke & Associates is a full-service advertising and public-relations firm with leading clients in the motorcycle industry. including American Honda and Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. wood products gained from piano-making to diversify into the manufacture of wooden airplane propellers during World War II, according to the Post. From there, it started producing metal proment was no longer being used and OPENED: The Alamo Motocross Facility in Sparks, Nevada. The track will be open yearly from June to September. For more information, call 775/825-8680 or 775/677-7540. duce Yamaha's first motorbike. the YA1, nicknamed aka lombo, or red dragon- . is third with 19, Johnson is second with 22 and Hannah is first with 27. OPENED: Electrex USA's new home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://www.electrexUS8.com. CORRECTION: Dirt tracker Jared Mees rode an A.B.S./Matt's Honda/Michael's H-D/John Masonary/Moroney's-backed Honda in the Formula USA race in Houston, Texas. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Manchester Honda/KTM in Manchester, Connecticut. on June 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Team Honda's Ricky Carmichael. Sebastien Tortelli, Nathan Ramsey and Emesto Fon- • seca, Team Factory Connection's Mike laRocco, Travis Preston and Chris Gosselaar, Team KTM/Red Bull's Steve Boniface, Team Cemic's/PC Worldwide's John Dowd and Keith Johnson, and Team White Bros.' Paul Carpenter are scheduled to appear. For more information, call 860/645-3130. .................................................................................................................................................................................................... "" 10 c U a I LJ pellers. When the war ended, the equip- CORRECTION: In our coverage of last week's Hangtown National MX, we incorrectly stated that only Rick Johnson has more 250cc National MX wins than Ricky Carmichael. Bob Hannah also has more 250cc wins. Following this weekend's High Point National, Carmichael :J n Yamaha adapted the machinery to pro- MARRIED: Mike Zarzan to his fiancee Cary Cook on May 25 in Santee, Califomia. Zarzan is an electrical engineer at Ricky Stator. .. • fly. The Yamaha Motor Co. spun off from the musical instrument company in 1955. "I believe the most important thing when building a product is to keep in mind the standpoint of the people who will use it," a Yamaha Web site quoted Kawakami as saying shortly after founding Yamaha Motor. Kawakami retired from Yamaha in 1992. - - - - - - Continued un page 112 n _ _:IS • JUNE 5, 2002 3 C o o 8 o c o

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