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/128222
The 36th annual Mammoth Motocross finished up Sunday, June 29th. The big winners included CRF450R-mounted L [ L [ Q Jeremy McGrath in the Vet Pro class, Ryan Villopoto (Kaw) in the Supermini and 85cc (14-15) classes, Grant Langston (KTM) in the 250cc and Open Pro classes, Andrew Short (Suz) in the 125cc Pro class, Davi Millsaps in the 125cc Schoolboy class, and Jackie Hudson (Hon) in the Women's Pro class. Suzuki's Broc Hepler finished third in the 125cc Pro class on Saturday @@@@!?U !?@[f {BG!JfJJ@[ffAi}@f]@ r5!lil71DD f:{fJfAi}~ Despite being "sacked" by the Ducati Austin team, Anthony Gobert fans haven't seen the last of the Australian. In fact, those fans will get the opportunity to see Gobert on a factory KTM in the opening round of the AMA/Red Bull SuperMoto Championship at Laguna Seca in July, according to Gobert. And that's not all. In addition to his KTM commitments, Gobert will also team with Adam Fergusson on a Corona Extra Suzuki in the Suzuka 8-Hour, and then backed that up with a second place in Sunday's 250cc Pro main. and they may even see him in the Formula Xtreme or AMA Superbike class at M;d-Ohio on a Corona bike. In a phone call to the Cycle News offices on Thursday, June 26, Wilson Craig (G-G) and Ryon Bell Gobert stressed that the split between him and the Ducati Austin (G-G) split wins in rounds nine and 10 of the AMAINATC National Trails Champ- team was in no way a mutual one. Simply put, he was fired. "I just wanted to say first of all that in response to Terry's [Gregoricka - the team owner] press release, that it wasn't a mutual ionship, held in the Arcadia National Forest in Exeter, Rhode Island, June 28-29. On Saturday, Craig topped Geoff Aaron (G-G) and Chris Florin (Mon) to win the first National of his career. On Sunday, Bell took the win over Aaron and Florin. With three rounds to go in the series, Aaron leads the series by 36 points over Bell, 281-245. Craig is third with 219 points. Barry Hawk (Vam) won the MSR Wisp GNCG at Deep Creek Mountain Resort in McHenry, Maryland, on June 29. Hawk topped Jason Raines (Vam) and Rodney Smith (Suz) in winning the event. After 9 of 13 rounds, Hawk leads the series standings, 223·168 over Raines. Dougie Lampkin (Mon) extended his lead in the World Trials Championship by a further three points. after finishing runner up on both days at the latest round in Benasque, Spain, June 28-29. The victory on day one went to Takahisa Fujinami (Hon) with Lampkin second split: Gobert said. "I actually got the sack (fired) off the team, which was quite strange. I thought about leaving the team just before Colorado, but I decided that the right thing to do was to stick with the team. I wanted to see the year out and make the most of it. Unfortunately, even when the bike quit... well, everyone who was at tum five at Road America could hear that when I went into tum five the throttle stuck open. I had to grab the clutch and switch it off because the throttle was stuck wide open. The guys on the team even said that the telemetry showed that was the case: but I got fired on the grounds that there was nothing wrong with the bike. They looked at it like I just pulled out of the race. "I've read that Vic Fasola {the team's crew chief] said that I went against his recommendations on tire choice and that I had to pull out of the race because I chose the wrong tire - that was totally untrue. Pretty much, it's just quite a frustrating deal. It's hard for me to put in words what I'm feeling. It was just one of those deals that no matter what I tried as a rider, it never seemed to work. Personally, I'm in the best shape of my life. On the Yamaha I was 170 pounds and this year I lost another 10 pounds and was down to 160." Gobert feels that he got the blame because he's an easy target. "It's quite frustrating," Gobert said. "Because of my past, It's quite easy for people to turn around and blame me, but I just want the public to know that I gave it everything that I had. The machine quit on me on many occasions. One time, after the bike quit, they told me that they knew it wasn't going to last the race distance. They didn't even bother to tell me that before. As a rider, it was just a really frustrating deal. Everything I tried was to no avail, and it's a shame to get the sack on the grounds that there was nothing wrong with the bike when at the time they told me that the teleme.try proved that the throttle stuck wide open. I just want it known that it wasn't a mutual split. I'm not a quitter, and I was willing to stick it out. I want people out there to know that I'm not a quitter. I think I've proven over the past few years that I've turned my image around. I'm quite professional; I train really hard - even at the moment when I don't have a ride I'm still going to the gym and training hard." With the Austin team behind him, Gobert has moved on, and it didn't take him long to get another ride - this time with KTM. "I just did a deal with KTM," Gobert said. "Jeremy [McGrathl was going to be the number-one rider for Motard, and apparently Honda have stolen Jeremy. I feel very fortunate that the guys at KTM had my name at the top of the Hst to take Jeremy's spot. I'm really, really excited about that opportunity. Apart from that, they've also expressed interest in myself for the future. n And there's also an offer to go road racing - with the Corona Extra Suzuki team. "I'm going to do Laguna and all the Motard championship for KTM, and also the Corona Suzuki team has approached me to do the Suzuka 8-Hour. I will be doing that for them with Adam Fergusson. I rate 'Crusty' really highly as a rider. I know he likes to have a bit of a good time, and I'm hoping that his fitness level is going to be good enough for the eight hours. I've spoken to the team, and they assured me that last year he did a good job." Gobert made it clear several times during the phone conversation that he didn't want people to think he was crying the blues, and he didn't want his comments to sound like sour grapes. He also said that he has no hard feelings toward the Ducati factory, and, according to Gobert, they have none toward him. In fact, the Australian said that he's "waiting to hear what Ducatl has planned for me in the future. They are not in support of Terry [Gregoricka), and they understand the situation." "I just want to let my fans know that they haven't seen the last of me," he said. "I will be coming back - hopefully, stronger than ever. If I wasn't dedicated to winning motorcycle races, I'd be crazy to go through what I've been through the past five years. n Paul Carruthers and Adam Raga (G-G) third. On day t r i [' [ [ r two, Lampkin was again second. this time to Albert Cabestany (Set) with Geno Scali (Suz) earned his second the event. Money classes will include point margin over Billy Janniro. The two Knobby Tire-Open, Quad ATV-Open, Pro are teammates in the British Speedway 0-505, and Pro Open. In addition. there League, along with another of the 2003 will be four amateur classes, a Senior (40+) class. three vintage classes and a among the 12 riders who have earned Marc Freixa (Mon) finishing third. NHRA Powerade national victory of the year when he defeated G.T. Tonglet Lampkin now leads the World Champ- (H-D) in the finals of the Sears Crafts- ionship by eight points over Fujinami. man NHRA Nationals at Gateway Inter- title contenders. Ryan Fisher. Aiso 202-194. Freixa is third with 174 points. national Raceway in Madison. Illinois. on The Zongshen Team No.1 of Warwick June 29. Tonglet got the holeshot aboard the Screamin' Eagle V-Rod, but speedway class. For more information, contact Michael Marsh at 406/6569960, 406/860-8001 or bye-mail at and World Champion Greg Hancock, Scali was able to sneak past him just mjmarsh@midlandclaims.com. Other who is based in Sweden and is the only before the line and rob the Harley of its first NHRA National win. Scali clocked event information is available at www.usimga.com/rase. American rider currently competing in 12 Hour in Spain on June 29, topping their teammates Zongshen No.2. in at 7.139/187.99 to Tongle!'s 7.177/ 185.46 for a margin of victory of .0177 The AMA has announced that the 2003 year's third-ranked AMA rider. Mike of a second. AMA National Championship Speedway Series. presented by Pro- Under a unique format introduced last Nowland, Stephane Mertens and Igor Jerman (Suz) won the Albecete Boris Cham bon (KTM) finally won his first World Supermoto GP at the third round held in Spa-Francorshamps. Belgium. on June 29. The little big French- Recreational Action Sports Entertainment LLC (RASE) announces the return man on his factory 630cc KTM built a of flat track motorcycle racing to perfect GP win by dominating the Super- Billings. Montana. After several years of Final from start to finish. Belgian rider Frederic Fiorentino (KTM), who won both preliminary motos. took advantage of a couple of rocket starts out of the automatic bids to the 2003 AMA National Championship Series is past AMA! the World Speedway Championship Series. Other notables include last gressive Insurance. will open on Friday, Faria and fourth-ranked Eddie Castro. July 25 at Fast Fridays Speedway in year, each event in the AMA National Championship Speedway Series Pre- Auburn. California. An invitational field of 22 national and international stars. include three rounds of competition. The sented by Progressive Insurance will development. Billings Motorsports Park including a number of past World Cham- Elimination Round is open to eight invit- has been completed. and the 3/8-mile oval track will hold its first motorcycle pions and U.S. National Champions, will ed riders who have not received auto- compete for the AMA National Championship currently held by Billy Hamill. matic bids from AMA Sports. This round includes five heat races from which only event. the Hi-Tech Motorsports Flat Track at Billings Motorsports Park, on August 3, 2003. Hamill, 33, has won three of the last two riders will advance. Sixteen riders deal with the other Belgian. Eddie Seel four AMA national titles, with his 2002 take part in the Qualifying Round. (Hus). and finished third, right behind him. RASE has guaranteed a $2000 purse for championship coming by a slim four- Twelve of those riders receive automatic grid. But in the main, Fiorentino had to 2 JULY 9, 2003' cue • III fte..,.,s