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/128161
~wrlwcn o ~ 2000 with the GSE team, are proof of this. For this reason. we have decided not only to confirm but also to increase' the support for our satellite team in the future. In 2003. we will run two riders: following his excellent results with GSE Racing. Neil Hodgson will move to the factory team, while contacts with the other rider are still being defined. " B D O O D D O o As has been reported here. former GNCC champ Shane Watts has been recovering from a serious pre-season wrist injury. We published an update in our GNCC coverage in this week's issue. but here's a first-person version Watts himself recently sent us: "Hey there. everyone; how's it going? Sorry I've been laying a bit low lately. but I've been trying to sort out my health and have had some serious recovering to do. Even though I'm all smiles at the moment despite everything that's happened. it has been a little hard to take. Here's what happened: ObViously. I broke my left wrist at that supercross race in Australia at the start of February _ broke the end B O D O off the ulna bone. so after seven weeks. that was healed. yet I was still haVing trouble with my wrist not operating and being painful when I tried to ride. Went back to the specialist in Florida several times to get more X-rays· and was continually told that I had carpal-tunnel syndrome and needed to rest the wrist for some months in order for it to heal. Well now, got back to Cleveland at the start of O O O O O D O O O D O O D D:', . , June. and I still wasn't happy with my wrist progress. so I went to the Cleveland Clinic on June 6 for another opinion. The specialist there diagnosed that. in my original crash. I had also suffered a dislocated lunate bone in my wrist. which was pushing down the nerves and tendons and giving me the carpal-tunnel symptoms. I was supposed to have an operation to correct this lunate bone on Tuesday, June 18. but last week whilst attending a photo shoot for my clothing sponsor, I had small crash with major consequences. I was thrown over the handlebars and was consequently landed on by the bike. Not only was another small bone broken in my left hand. but I also suffered a broken vertebra in my back and some internal injuries. like 8,:i~ 0 severely bruised lungs and chest. Thus. my wrist operation was postponed until June 25. and the surgeon predicts that I'll be looking at a recovery period of up to three months. So that sums up my life in recent times. I hope that you all have had a better run of luck than what I have. One thing about it all. though, is that I can't wait to get healed up and back the bike and start winning races soon. Catch you later. Wattsy. " Trials rider David Chaves, of the Sherco USA team. severed three fingers . while spotting for Ryan Young in a local trials event. Chaves was in the act of catching Young' s bike in a fall when his fingers got caught in the bike's rear sprocket. Two of the fingers were successfully reattached. The Spaniard is currently fifth in the AMA/NATC National Championship Trials Series. Anti-doping controls were carried out at the Austrian Grand Prix. held on the Kamtenring on June 9 and among the urine samples taken. one was found not in accordance with the rules of the FIM Anti-Doping Code. according to the FIM. The sample that showed up positive belonged to New Zealand Joshua Coppins, who competes in the 250cc class. Coppins' sample contained a concentration of 157 micrograms/ml of pseudoephedrine (cut-off level: 25 micrograms/mD and a concentration of 7.4 micrograms/ml of cathine (cut-off level: 5 micrograms/mD. according to the FIM. Both products are sanctioned by the FIM Anti-Doping Code, Art. 10.3. Prohibited Classes of Substances. Coppins has asked for a counter test with the B sampie and the case will be judged within a few days by the International Jury. who is entitled either to make a decision or refer the case to the International Disciplinary Court. All the other samples tested showed the absence of any banned substances. The other riders tested were: Ben Townley. James Dobb. Patrick Caps. Gordon Crockard and Mickael Pichon. WSMX will hold a one-day class at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park in Lake Elsinore. California, on July 27 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. For information. call 949/837-2206. , , " , ,.,', ,." , ,.,",., ,"" , Several top AMA road racers will take part in the inaugural Pit Daddy beauty pageant. slated for Sunday. August 11 after the final AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superlbike round at Virginia International Raceway. Sponsored by Cycle News. Parts Unlimited. D~nlop and Teknic. all proceeds from the pageant will go to the Clayton Foundation, which provides aid for injured motorcycle racers. The racers will strut their stuff in both formal and swimwear. Raffle tickets can be purchased online at http://www.cyclenews.com/pitdadcly for $10 each. with all proceeds going to the foundation. Tickets to the pageant will be on sale for $1 5 at the Cycle News booth at Virginia international Raceway. or at the door. The night will include a pig-roast dinner and music. For more information. including a list of contestants. raffle prizes and funds raised go to http://www.cyclenews.com/pitdadcly. Fans of Yamaha Racing will have a new opportunity to show their team support. thanks to a new cross-license merchandising deal announced by AMA Pro Racing. its new merchandising partner Wateree Sports Group. and Yamaha Factory Racing. according to AMA Pro Racing. Fans can purchase Yamaha gear at AMA Superb ike and Motocross events. and also online at www.amaproracing.com/speedshop. The merchandising deal with Yamaha is the latest in a series for Wateree Sports Group. The company has also recently signed AMA riders Nicky Hayden and Eric Bostrom to licensing deals. For Team Yamaha. Wateree Sports Group will produce an officially licensed product and apparel line that will utilize the official logos of AMA Pro Racing and Yamaha Factory Racing. "We are very excited to be able to include Yamaha Factory Racing as part of our new AMA Pro Racing merchandising program," said Jeff Reeves. vice president of Wateree Sports Group. "This cross-license between Yamaha and AMA Pro Racing will allow us to offer some great new products to the Yamaha fan." Chris Bradley. AMA Pro Racing associate vice president of commercial developmen!. said. "Adding OEMs to the product mix of our official merchandise is another major step in raising the authenticity level " "" 6 "." . , ,'.. , . , " ·':,' D D: O D D" D'..................................•.•••••••....•..••............•.........•.............•...........••••..••.•...•••.....••.•........., O OPENED: Blackfoot Motorsports' home page on the World Wide Web. ~: The site can be found at the following address: http://www.blackfootonline.com. SIGNING: At Scuderia West in San Francisco. California. on Monday, July 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aprilia PlayStation 2's Noriyuki Haga is scheduled to appear. Scuderia West is also haVing an open house on July 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. OPENED: VP RaCing Fuels' heme page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the follOWing address: http://www.vpracingfuels.com . HIRED: Chris Stangl as westem advertising manager for Motorcyclist , and Dirt Rider magazines, effective immediately. Stangl was most recentIy brand manager for AXO at Helmet House. AUTOGRAPH =: ~ HIRED: Pat Bourgeois as external reiations coordinator for Polaris. , effective immediately. Bourgeois was fonmerly the communications project manager for Harley-Davidson. OPENED: West Coast Flat Track racer Kevin Bricker's home page on OPENED: Freemont Cycle Salvage & Accessories' home page on the " the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: h t t p : / / w w w . k e v i n b r i c k e r . c o m . h t t p : !/www.fremontcyclesalvage.com. 2 JULY 3.2002' cue • _ n __ lIS of this program. Yamaha's scope of participation in AMA Pro Racing's U.S. Championships will attract significant fan interest to the new product line." According to Yamaha's Licensing Manager Kim Steadman. "Wateree is the beginning of our initiative to establish core licensee partners to enhance the Yamaha brand. We are very serious about our licensing program. and we believe Wateree's Yamaha Factory Racing/AMA Pro Racing merchandise will assist in promoting our brand to the fans at the race track." Steadman added that. in addition to Wateree Sports Group. many other licensees will be joining the Yamaha licensing program and new licensed products will be available soon. "We are very excited about this great cross-licensing opportunity with AMA Pro Racing and Wateree Sports Group." said Bob Starr. Yamaha's national communications manager. "Fans will now have Yamaha Factory Racing co-branded with AMA Pro Racing fan wear available to them at selected race events." Race fans can find the new line of official AMA Pro Racing products at multiple distribution points. including all AMA U.S. Motocross and U.S. Superbike events as well as several top AMA Flat Track Championship rounds. At the races. products will be for sale under the roof of Wateree's newly created. 18wheel interactive merchandise tractortrailer. Products can also be purchased online via amaproracing.com. 1800FlatTrack.com and USMotocross.com. The 32nd annual EI Trial de Espana will be held at the Donner Ski Ranch in Norden. California. August 3-4. and will be jointly managed between the American Trails Association of Southern California and the Pacific Trials Society of Northern California, according to a release issued by event promoters. For more information. call 714/562-7742 or visit the trial's Web site at www.eltrial.org. The Alamo Motocross Facility in Sparks. Nevada. has opened and is hosting a four-race Saturday Night MX Series, with round two slated for July 13. The track has also announced that its final event of the season will be held September 20-22 - the Alamotocross. The track is also open for practice on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. until dusk. For more information. call 775/825-8680 or 775/677-7540. Triumph Motorcycles America Ltd.'s Triumph Across America, the 100th year centennial ride. started in a morning mist and rain in New Hampshire on June 14 with CEO Mike Vaughan cutting the ribbon to start the event. Now. two weeks later, the event is coming to a close. The ride continued throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states with an entourage of bikes at times stretching two miles long. with police escorts made up of Triumph enthusiasts joining together to celebrate this time in Triumph's history. according to Triumph. ApproXimately 35 riders have camed the - - - - - - - Continued on page 102