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/128164
mCO c=::::J c=JCJ CJ 0 Continued from page 3 cle Show will be held July 20-21 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, For more information, call 562/435\.....I @[j[JDfJDDfJDD[JiJ@[f)D !1iJ[l@[l[f) 3511. [J(J@[lD~@ [JiJ fij lXlCiJ [l@)[f) t"""' u ,....., AMA Superbike racer Anthony Gobert has joined the growing list of professional motorcycle athletes participating in AMA Pro Racing's officially licensed merchandise program, according to the AMA. Gobert has reached an agreement with AMA Pro Racing's new merchandising partner, Wateree Sports Group, that will allow fans to purchase his personalized gear at AMA Superbike events and also online at www,amaproracing,comlspeedshop, Gobert's line of merchandise was available for the first time at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca for the World SuperbikelAMA Superbike event, July 12-14. "We are very excited to announce Anthony's participation in our AMA Pro Racing project." said Jeff Reeves, vice president of Wateree Sports Group, "Anthony joins a growing list of Superbike racers, including Nicky Hayden and Eric Bostrom, participating in our merchandising program, We are thrilled to have Anthony on board, and look forward to making even more announcements this week," Gobert gear will no doubt be in demand, said Chris Bradley, AMA Pro Racing associate vice president of commercial development. "The combination of Anthony's talent on the racetrack and popularity off of it makes him a great addition to our growing merchandise program," Bradley added that with Gobert's team, Yamaha, also in the crosslicense program, fans will be able to enjoy fully authentic Anthony Gobert and Yamaha road-racing products, "I'm really happy to have made a deal with AMA Pro Racing to sell my merchandise," said Gobert, "I've heard from a lot of fans over the last few years that they'd love to have a T-shirt of me, so it's really cool to have put this deal together. " A record-breaking 1444 entries in 19 classes competed on four distinctly different tracks at the 26th Annual AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships, held June 30-July 7, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. Both for amateurs and aspiring pros, the event is widely regarded as the top rung of the dirt-track ladder. The highlight of the week, for riders and dirt-track fans alike, was the presentation of the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award. This year, the award was presented to two riders - Nicholas Cummings of Mt. Morris, Michigan, and Logan Myers of Wheeler, Michigan - only the second time in the award's six-year history that two racers have shared the event's highest honor. Over the course of the week, Myers earned five wins, two seconds and a third, and grand championships in the 250 Modified Premier and 505 Modified classes, Cummings had four wins, six seconds and a grand championship in the 600 Modified Premier c1ass_ Between the two of them, they grabbed about half of the available podium spots in their races, "In the end, when you look at all these promising racers accomplished, they were so close that we had no choice but to confer the Horizon Award on both of them," said Bill Amick, vice president of AMA Events and Entertainment. "With their results being so close - c o nia. In addition, Team USA, captained again by Motocross Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster, returns to the prestigious international event after withdrawing from the competition last September due the terrorists attacks on America. The U.S. won the competition when it last competed in 2000. "We are proud to announce Chevy Trucks Team USA and its return to the Motocross des Nations," said AMA Pro Racing Motocross Manager Duke Finch. "It's always a difficult process to select a team, but we feel that Team USA will be well represented with this year's members." "This is a team with a lot of experience," said DeCoster, a winner of six Motocross des Nations with Belgium. "As always, there will be a number of countries with great teams, but I feel with the maturity level of this year's team that we certainly will be one of the frontrunners. Carmichael and LaRocco know what it takes to win the Motocross des Nations, and Ferry will be a great addition to the team," For additional information on the 2002 Motocross des Nations, contact Competition Park at o o J ~ o o 8 o o o o Gobert wasn't the only one signing up with the merchandise program, Hot on the heels of that announcement came word that three-time AMA Superbike champion Doug Chandler had also signed on, "I am proud to be associated with Wateree Sports Group as the company has such high standards and proven performance in the NASCAR community," Following that, a release was issued stating that Kurtis Roberts, Jamie Hacking, Tommy Hayden and Roger Lee Hayden had also signed on, 909/654-2126. 8 o Club Moto, located in Livermore California, has announced the addition of a new arenacross track to the facility. The new track was slated to open on July 11 and will be open during regular riding hours, and will have lights for night riding along with the already existing outdoor track and pee wee track. For more information, call 925/443-MOTO, The first race on the all-new track is scheduled for August 3. o n The AMA has now officially announced that the trio of Ricky Carmichael, Tim Ferry and Mike LaRocco will represent America in the 2002 Motocross des Nations, which will be hosted by the United States this year on September 28 and 29, at Competition Park, located in the Soboba Indian Reservation near San Jacinto, Calififor- c (J o o n 108 JULY 24,2002' cue • uCiJ [J:s@ e Team Shark Plano Honda manager Scott Sheak recently announced that New Zealander Josh Coppins will be joining the team at round eight of the AMAI Chevy Trucks U.S. Nationals in Unadilla, New York, July 20-21. Coppins, who is currently in the second place in the n e __ !IS and both of them accompliShing so much before planned pro careers - they richly deserve to share this award, And I fully suspect they'll more than make their marks in the pro ranks," The AMA Horizon Award is presented each year to an outstanding young rider who's most likely to succeed at the sport's next level. Since 1997, AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award winners have distinguished themselves in AMA Pro Racing - Nicky Hayden (1997), Roger Lee Hayden (1998), Bryan Smith and Tony Meiring (1999), Cory McDermitt (2000), and Jared Mees (2001), Two other racers earned two grand championships apiece Patrick Jacobsen, of Montgomery, New York, took top honors in the 65cc DTX and the 65cc Modified (7-11) Premier classes, while Michael Martin, of Lockeford, California, won both the 50PW and the 50 Senior classes, Also honored at week's end was Matthew Weidman of Westerlo, New York, who received the Cycle News "Fast Brain Award" for his prowess both on the track and in the classroom, In addition to winning the grand championship in the 85cc Mod (7-1 J) Premier class, Weidman maintains a 4.0 grade-point average. Check out next week's Cycle News for complete coverage of the event. 250cc World Championship, will join the team for one race before returning to Europe to finish the World Championship. "We are very excited about having Josh come over and ride for us. I have been putting this deal together since I took over as team manager a couple of months ago. I think Josh will fit in well with our riders, and should have a great chance at a win," said Sheak. Coppins will be racing the 250cc class on a bike proVided by the team with factory Honda parts brought over from Europe. "I am excited about coming to Unadilla to race with all the American riders," said Coppins. British Superbike Championship points leader Steve Hislop suffered a broken collarbone in his last-lap crash at Knockhill in Scotland on July 7, according to a release issued by his team. Hislop, who won the first of two races at Knockhill, was involved in a crash on the final lap in the second race and suffered the injury, According to the release, Hislop is in good spirits and is confident that the injury will be sufficiently healed in order for him to defend his championship lead at the next round at Thruxton on August 11, He currently leads the championship by 11 points. After an exciting freestyle shootout. professional extreme rider Craig Jones won the 2002 European Motorcycle Stunt Championship, held in Bechyne, Czech Republic, on July 4, aboard his Buell Lightning XI. Judges from 10 different countries had been unable to separate Jones from his adversary Kevin Carmichael, and ordered both men to ride in another freestyle competition. Jones delivered and won the championship. More than 20,000 motorcycle enthusiasts converged on the Czech Republic for the 2002 European Stunt Championship and witnessed 60 of the world's finest extreme riders compete for the coveted European title. After a tough qualifying competition involving freestyle and compulsory technical elements, just 12 riders made it through to the final. Jones and Carmichael finished in a tie and then battled it out for the championship laurels. Friends of Vaughn Vandecar are invited to celebrate his 90th birthday on July 26 at the College Bike Shop, at 340 N. Larch Street in Lansing, Michigan, A long-time promoter of motorcycling, Vaughn was always willing to help young racers with needed parts and support. according to his friends. Vaughn retired in Arizona, but is now back in Michigan. For further information, call the College Bike Shop at 517/484-6413. The 17th Annual Lake County Fair Stadium Motocross will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24-25, in Chicago, Illinois, A $20,000 purse (the largest ever posted at this event) and manufacturers' contingencies will be up for grabs in the Pro class, This year's race will feature a new track, new lighting, larger pits, and a supercross atmosphere courtesy of Clear Channel Entertainment. Previous winners include Jeff Gibson, Tommy Hofmaster, Arenacross Champion Josh Demuth, Erick Vallejo and Matt Shue. For more information, call 815-5387744 or visit www.up-front.net. Sunrise Cycle Park, in Adelanto, California, has new owners and is being run under new management. Race Town, as it is now being called, is open for business and will be holding regular practice sessions on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The facility has three tracks: a main track, a vet track and a pee wee track. The new owners say that they will begin hosting races soon. For more information, call 909/496-2569. eN