Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

u Dunlop had more to boast about in Grand Prix racing. When Marco Melandri won the 250cc Grand Prix at Brno in the Czech Republic on August 25, the win was the tOOth consecutive 250cc GP-class win for Dunlop - a streak that started in 1996 with Max Biaggi winning the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka using Dunlop tires. (Del Mar Fairgrounds Mile/Grandstand)·. Venues with asterisk means .there will be no 8Ccc class. Brian livengood, 30, of Snellville, Georgia, has been named the 2002 AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Rookie of the Year, according o o o o to the AMA. Livengood finished the season ranked ninth in the final AMA Superbike points standings. Livengood joins Paul Harrell (1997) and Brian Parriott (2002), as the only privateers to break into the top lOin the final AMA Superbike points standings since 1997. "My goal was to get a few top-l 5 finishes this season," Livengood said in a release issued by AMA Pro Racing. "When I took eighth in the Daytona 200, that really gave me a big boost in confidence and I had a new outlook on the season from that point." In all, Livengood scored top10 finishes 11 times, with a season-best sixth in the Saturday Superbike race at Virginia Intemational Raceway on August 10. He was a consistent finisher, eaming points in 14 of the 16 rounds. Livengood ran as high as fourth in the series standings after round three at California Speedway. Livengood considered his strong finishes at the Califomia tracks as a highlight of his season. ""d never raced on any of those tracks before," livengood said. "And tracks like Sears Point have a lot of fast local riders, and I was able to finish as the top privateer there and beat all of the local specialists." Livengood began racing in 1995, but this was his first full season in the AMA Superbike Series. He hopes to find a ride with an established team for the 2003 season and plans to return to the Superbike ranks. Livengood is the 21 st rider to earn the AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Award. Others who have won the title previously include AMA Superbike Champions Doug Chandler (1983), Scott Russell (1988), Thomas Stevens (1990), three-time AMA Grand National Flat Track Champion Chris Carr (1995) and the late Randy Renfrow (1984). AMA Pro Racing has announced that AMA members will receive discounted admission of $12 per person to the "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Guggenheim Las Vegas dUring the 2002 AMA Pro Awards Banquet, set for Saturday, November 23, at the Venetian Resort Hotel Las Vegas. AMA members can show their membership card at the museum admission office to receive the discount admission. In addition to the "Art of the Motorcycie," the Guggenheim's Hermitage Museum will also offer discounts to AMA members for its "Art Through the Ages: Masterpieces of Painting from Titian to Picasso" show. These special discounted admissions will be available Friday, November 22 through Sunday, November 24. g J 'I w 'I o Formula USA has announced that the previously scheduled September 28 n Boise Dirt Track event has been canceled. "There were numerous circuml.J stances that led to the cancelation, but it simply boiled down to the Boise event not being ready to happen yet," said Mike Kidd, vice president of operations for Clear Channel Entertainment. "This f) allows us to focus our energy and excitement on the remaining 2002 Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series events, including our first stadium dirt-track racing event at the Tacoma Dome." The remaining 2002 Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series is as follows: September 14 - Sacramento, California (Cal Expo)·: September 21-22 - Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma Dome): October 5 - Del Mar, California (Del Mar Fairgrounds Short Track): October 6 - Del Mar, California U r C C u C o o o o C n FMF Racing has announced that No Fear will be the exclusive FMF Racing casual line licensee beginning with the imminent 2003 sales season. "FMF has had been very pleased with it's Fall 2000 decision to license out the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of its casual line," said FMF's owner and president Don Emler. "Beginning with the 2003 sales season, the FMF licensee will be No Fear, who unquestionably has the marketing horsepower, design savvy and logistical experience to take the FMF casual line to the next level." FMF's casual line features imprinted apparel including hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts and decals, and will grow to include cut-andsew products such as shirts, jackets and gear bags. The entire line will feature the FMF Racing logo and will be made from highest quality fabrics and materials that have become synonymous with the No Fear name, according to FMF. The 2003 FMF casual line will be released in October 2002 and will be available through all of FMF Racing's distributors and dealers via FMF Racing and No Fear directly. According to the Daytona Beach News Journal, William C" France, chairman of International Speedway Corporation, is recuperating from heart bypass surgery and a broken hip. France, 69, was admitted to a hospital after suffering a fall on ACCEPTING: Moose Racing is currently accepting rider resumes through October 15, 2002 for the 2003 racing season. Resumes must include name, address, phone/fax number, e-mail address, series they race in. class and current standings/winnings along with any other information. Resumes can be sent to Moose Racing, Attn: Roxane, PO Box 5222. Janesville, WI 53547-5222. · o· '-' o o o· r LJ According to a press release from the FIM, the promoters of the U.S. round of the SuperMoto World Championship have withdrawn their event from the schedule. Originally slated to run on November 3, the Vegas round has been canceled and will be replaced by an event in Athens, Greece, on the same date, the FIM says. With two rounds complete, six rounds remain on the series calendar which is as follows: September 22 Toulouse-Muret, France: October 13 Karntenrlng, Austria: October 20 Cuneo, Italy: November 3 - Athens, Greece: November 10 - Broadford, Australia: November 17 - Palmerston North, New Zealand. · · 8 o CREATED: LR's Scary Fast. a new line of off-road exhaust systems from LR's MotoZone. The FMF-manufactured line will include a complete selection of motorcycle and ATV two-stroke exhaust systems, silencers, spark arrestors, four-stroke headers and mufflers. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Capitol Yamaha in Sacramento, California, on September 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. Several of Speedway racing's top stars are scheduled to attend. For more information, call 916/485-92oo. RELOCATED: The Sand City 100, Round 6 of the AMA National Hare & Hound Series, to Grandview, Idaho. The race, which is scheduled for September 15, will reportedly feature a 107-mile course on two separate loops in an area that has never hosted a National before. For more information, call 208/888-9881 . ACCEPTING: Skorbordz is currently accepting racer resumes for the 2003 racing season. Resumes, which will be accepted through December 30, can be sent to Skorbordz, attn: race support, PO Box 190, Somersworth, NH 03878. ACCEPTING: HRP Sports is currently accepting racer resumes for the 2003 racing season. Resumes, which will be accepted through December 30, can be sent to HRP Sports, attn: race support, PO Box 190, Somersworth, NH 03878. NAMED: Chris Jonnum, formerly the managing editor of Cycle News, to the position of editor for Personal Watercraft Illustrated, Cycle News' sister publication. Jonnum wili continue to work with Cycle News as an associate editor. OPENED: Motorcycle Rides of Santa Barbara's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the follOWing address: http://www.sbc-rides.com. APPOINTED: Xtreme Designs Inc. of Carisbad, California, has announced that MTA Distributing will be the exclusive distributor of their all-new, full line of Xtreme Worx Helmets and Xtreme Riding Apparel. With their two warehouse locations, in Califomia and Louisiana, Xtreme feels their ability to offer quick service and fulfillment to their nationwide dealer network was most crucial, according to Xtreme, For more information, cali 800/251-0640. . . . . . . . . '" '" 10,. '" '" 10 .. '" '" • ,. ,. '" ,. '" '" '",. '" '" '" ,. '",.,. , . . '" '" .. '" 2 SEPTEMBER 11. 2002' cue '" .. '" I D n ,. __ OPENED: WomensMXhistory,com's home page on the World Wide Web, The site can be found at the following address: http://www.womensmxhistory.com. s " '" " 10 .. '" August 27. During tests at the hospital, doctors recommended the bypass procedure, ISC said in a statement. ISC spokesman David Talley declined to say where France was hospitalized, citing the France family's wish for privacy, the News Journal report,s. In a statement, France's brother, Jim, said, "I have spoken with my brother and he is alert and in good spirits, The doctors say to expect a full recovery,· France has served as chairman of the motorsports company since 1987. Jim France holds the number-two position president and chief operating officer. France was ill for most of 2000, battling cancer, but resumed most of his duties in early 2001, In November 2000, Mike Helton was promoted tOI president of NASCAR, taking over much of France's workload at that company, which also is controlled by the Francel family, according to the News Journal. The AMA District 37 Board of Directors recently honored their Off Road Legislative Officer for over seven years of volunteer service working to protect competitive and leisure trail riding throughout California, "This honor for Dave Oakleaf is a long time in coming," stated Jim Geddes, Off Road PreSident. "Without the efforts of Dave, competitive dirt bike racing in Southern California would surely be a thing of the past. For that matter, every off-roader who enjoys recreating on two-stroke bikes owes Dave a great debt of gratitude." Elected to the position in 1995, Oakleaf was quickly tagged "that aggressive guy from D-37" by agency personnel for his habit of not letting go of an issue until he was satisfied with the results. This tenacity paid off when Oakleaf was a member of the OHMVR and CARB emission team in 1996, and the off-roading community was faced with very strict emissions requirements that would banish all two-stroke bikes manufactured after 1997 off of public lands, Working with other stakeholders and agency personnel, Oakleaf would not sign off the plan until they worked out what is currently referred to as the "red sticker" program. Thanks to his efforts, bikes with red stickers can compete in any sanctioned off-road event, and can trail ride during certain times of the year throughout Southern California. "Dave Oakleaf is one of our biggest champions for motorcycle riders," said Ed Waldheim, President of the California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVAl. "He is not one to shy away from difficult issues when we are working with the various groups involved in the OHVMR stakeholders." CLORV executive director and lobbyist Pete Conaty, who represents D-37 and OHV interests in Sacramento, was qUick to weigh in on Dave's efforts as well. "If it weren't for people like Dave Oakleaf, CLORV would not exist today, His dedication to off-roading has been way above the call of duty. He is a great person to work with." Colin Edwards collected a surprise award on September 1 after his double win at the Oschersleben circuit in Germany. The Castrol Honda rider was pre- - - - - - - - Continued on page 110

• Cover