Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

CElm I)O:)(BEI[1)cD.' \XI . .. . r I U I o Continued from page 3 Honda V-twins as well as being a former factory KTM flat track team member. "I think that we're going to be really comi I petitive right off the bat," Varnes said. '--J "With our DR-Zs, I'm going to Daytona to win it. We're going to be right in the U ballpark. On the miles, our TL twins will be really good, and we're really committed to a testing program for the half miles. There's a lot that we can do, and I feel like I have the experience to give them the right feedback to get us n there." Varnes also pointed out that the team would benefit from its knowledgeable crew, which includes former Doug ' -i Chandler and Will Davis tuner Dennis Town, as well as budding tuners Ken Mohler and James Hart. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think that we could win," Varnes said. "We have a lot of resources to work with now. This is a r-... great opportunity, and I just couldn't pass it up." n LJ '"""' n After high winds forced the cancellation of the first day of testing at California Speedway in Fontana, California, on Monday, January 6, the teams actually got some work in January 7, though the wind continued to blow hard at times. "Everything went good - other than the wind," Erion Honda's Jake Zemke (pictured) said. "Yesterday (January 7), it was still pretty bad. but we got a full day of riding in. There were times when you were leaned over going down the straights just to keep the bike going straight." Zemke concentrated on his CBR600RR during the morning hours yesterday then switched to his Formula Xtreme mount in the afternoon. "We just worked on some suspension stuff with the 600, and we got it working a lot better, The 600 was good right out of the box, so it's just been some suspension fine tuning. We're pretty close right now with both bikes. We tried a few new things with the Xtreme bike... we're getting real close." Zemke said that in the afternoon session, the riders tried a new course layout at California Speedway, a design put in place after last year's ,tragic .accident that took the life of Ricky Lundgren, The new section features a "super tight" chicane, according to Zemke. "The new layout would work, but it makes the track really choppy," Zemke said. "But it is safer than the other layout." n' U o C LJ r o U o n The silly season vacuum leak left by the departure of Varnes from the Memphis Shades/Parts Unlimted/Drag Specialties team to the Corbin/Samson Suzuki team has already been plugged. Wisconsin rider J.R. Schnabel, 23, has been signed to ride for the Babe Demay-run team in the 2003 AMA/Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships series. Schnabel, who was the AMA Grand National Rookie of the Year in 1996. finished 12th in last year's Progressive Insurance title race, but only after missing rounds while he actively pursued the Formula USA/Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series championship, where he finished second. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me. and I really couldn't be happier," Schnabel said. "From what I saw last year. Babe's equipment was excellent. I'm already training hard for the 2003 season, and I look forward to representing Memphis Shades, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties and all our other great sponsors on and off the track." Demay tuned Varnes to fourth in the Progressive Insurance title chase, the team scoring one win at the Charlotte Half Mile. Demay said that he is confident that he has found a suitable replacement for the Pennsylvanian. "J.R. has long been a fierce competitor, and now that he is on our team, we think we can give him the equipment and support to take him to the top," Demay said. "I feel that we'll be right in the hunt when you consider what he did last year, jumping from ride to ride. He always runs with the gas on. We'll be starting from ground zero, but if we can get the chassis moved around for him, he'll run right up front." Motorcycle windscreen manufacturer Memphis Shades enters its third year of primary sponsorship with the Demay team, and owner Allen Mueller said that he, too, is looking forward to the 2003 season. "Both Babe and I think that our program won't even skip a beat," Mueller said. "We have a new guy in the stirrups, and the program will be better for it - not that we have anything against Kevin. We wish Kevin 76 JANUARY 22,2003' cue well, and we are still friends with him and his family. But as far as J.R. is concerned, he's young, and I have never seen him when he isn't charging. Babe told me that every time he was on equipment as good as ours, he beat us. I think he's the right guy for the job." According to its website, Team Roberts has announced that John Barnard has joined the team as technical director. Mr. Barnard assumes this role. effective immediately. at the team's United Kingdom base of operations. Barnard is famous for his prolific design work with racing cars, especially in Formula One. In a career spanning some 35 years, he has worked for companies such as Lola Cars, McLaren, Benetton. Ferrari. Arrows and Prost. Barnard assisted Gordon Coppuck in the design of McLaren's 1974 Fl World Championship-Winning M23. From 1975 through 1978 he designed the Vel's Parnelli Jones VPJ6 series of Indy Cars. The series used an in-house developed turbo-charged Cosworth DFV engine, the first turbo application of that engine type. The VPJ6B is also noteworthy for initiating the use of a transverse mounted gearbox. Other notable Barnard penned cars include Jim Hall's 1980 Indy 500 and Indy Car championship winning Chaparral 2K, and the first allcomposite monocoque Formula One car - the McLaren MP4/1. which claimed its first victory by taking the 1981 British GP at Silverstone during its maiden season. The MP4/1 led to McLaren's dominance of Fl in the mid-'80s. While heading up Ferrari's Guildford Technical Office in England, Barnard developed Formula One' s first semiautomatic gearbox. The 1998 Arrows A 19 F1 car was the first car to use a carbon composite gearbox, which was designed by Barnard. In the capacity of technical director for Team Roberts, Barnard will be responsible for all engineering and technical development of the organization's projects, including the 2003 Proton KR V-5 four-stroke Grand Prix racing motorcycle. He will also oversee all e neVIl'S technical aspects of the racing team. "There are a lot of things that can be done with motorcycles," stated Barnard. "It's all very exciting. There are new ways to make things as well as new ways to approach things in general." He added, "Above all we must be realistic. We need to build a good foundation and get our feet on the ground; from there, we can move forward." Team Roberts owner Kenny Roberts commented: "Bringing John into our organization is another step in our quest to achieve a higher level of engineering. overall expertise. and competitiveness." He added, "I've known John for a lot of years and have complete faith in his ability to help us evolve our company and our team to a higher level." Coast Racing Association has sent us information on the current status of Carlsbad Raceway in Carlsbad, California. The'venue, located just north of San Diego and home to numerous historic World 500cc MXGPs in the '70s and '80s. has lived under the threat of closure due to development for the past two decades. That reality now seems closer than ever, according to the follOWing press release: "CRA would like to apologize and inform everyone for the status of the raceway. As we all know, there have been a lot of rumors floating around, and to be honest with you. we really didn't know what was going to transpire this year as well. But here are the real facts as to what's going on and what's going to take place. There has been a new lease established with the new landlords. They still want the Drag Race and MX business to continue operating until they build. That could be about 9 months to 2 years. We would like to hope that it might be even longer, but we are sure that this is pretty legitimate. The delay is in their 'risk management departments.' so an investigation of our insurance policies and loss histories are being conducted to determine what coverage limits they are going to require from us. The only threat is if they require limits that can't be purchased. This is a very large company, and things move slowly. We are constantly in contact with them and hope to be receiving . answers soon. When we get information, we will post our new schedule for the year, and business will begin as usual. For more information, call 760/727-1171. " Ohio GNC rider Jess Roeder has put together a program for the 2003 season that will see him aboard Skip Eaken-prepared Harley-Davidson XR750s. The deal has come together, in part, thanks to a new sponsorship agreement between Roeder and Lima Harley-Davidson of Ohio, which will share billing with Las Vegas Harley-Davidson on Roeder's leathers. "I am very happy to be riding for Las Vegas H-D again and to have added to my team the great people at Lima H-D," Roeder said. "I am very fortunate; by having both Harley dealers, it has allowed me to hire legendary engine builder Skip Eaken to prep the motorcycles, and my dad [George RoederJ is also happy because for the first time I have the budget to pay him to maintain and wrench on them at the track." Roeder will also receive the help of returning sponsors Roeder HarleyDavidson, KK Motorcycle Supply and ANCRA International as he shoots for the top lOin the AMA/Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships. "I can't run this program without any of my sponsors," Roeder said. "I am working really hard to do them all proud. " Roeder said that he hopes to be wellhealed from the shoulder injury that he suffered in a battering 2002 campaign. In the off season, he underwent surgery on his shoulder to repair damage done at the Springfield Short Track, Labor Day weekend. "I have been in therapy for about a month," Roeder said. "I'm satisfied with my progress. The shoulder feels solid. I still have to take things slow, but I should be almost eN 100 percent come Daytona time."

• Cover