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/128316
Triumph Keeps Date With History The opening ro und of the 2004 World Supe rs po rt Cham pionship at Valencia on February 29 marked a significant, if less than spectacu lar, milestone in British motorcycle history, with the return of a works Triu mph to the racetrack in a World Cham pions hip event for the first time in over three decades. As the first of what's planned to be as many as five wi ld card According to AHA Pro Racing's we bsite, Jason DiS alvo was fined $SOO fo r ignoring an officialred nag during the ProHonda Oils Supersport race at Daytona International Speedway on March 6. DiSalvo won the race . rides this season in preparation for a full world series campaign in 200S , Brita in's rising star Craig Jones raced the Valmoto Triumph Daytona 600 in its Union Jack-bedecked livery at Valencia. Although not up to World Supersport pace yet, hard MSR has announced that it has signed the Throttlehe a d .com/Ka w asaki! MS R/FMF Te a m for the 2004 race season. The one-year agreement will put Steve Hatch, Andy Shae and Josh McLevy into the MSR System X Apparel for the GNCC and AHA Hare Scrambles Series. "We are extremely happy to be a part of the Throttlehead.com team," MSR's David Casella said . "MSR has a long-standing history of supporting off road 's top riders. This team with its outstanding riders shows our continued effort to support the sport's top athletes." For more information, contact David Casella at 909/340-330 I ext . 2S. work by the Valmoto team under the direction of team owner Jack Valentine has seen the performance o f the Daytona 600 radically improved even since its upset Junior TT victory in the Isle of Man last June, when Kiwi Bruce Anstey registered Triumph's first win in the Island since 1975, and the final Production TT victory (of five, in total) by the lege ndary 750 triple, "Slippe ry Sam ," which tragically perished in the National Motorcycle Museum's fire last September. Triumph was always Britain's most sporting marque w ith production-based motorcycles, and by 1971 it had become a regular race -winner in international events with its 750 Trident triple or its sister ma rque BSA:s 750 Rocket-3, either in production guise, as when Percy Tait and Ray Pickrell won the Le Mans 0 24 Hours that year and Slippery Sam took the 1 M Production TT, or else witR the Rob North-framed F7S0 racer with its dis tinctive letter-box fairing. This won the 1971 Daytona 200 in the hands of Dick Mann , as well as the F750 TT ridden by Tony Jefferies, and perhaps most famously allowed John Cooper to beat Agostini's 500 MV Agusta Grand Prix racer twice in the space of eight days , at Mallory Park and Brands Hatch, in the autumn of 1971 . But at that very moment, the co llapse of the BSA-Triumph Group meant that funding was withdrawn for factory-supported road racing , although some o f the works bikes co ntin ued to appear, thanks to the unpaid efforts of the facto - Auctions are currendy on eBay with proceeds to benefit amateur off-road racer Jamie We lls, who was paralyzed in a crash at Glen Helen Raceway in December 01 2003 and is still in a rehab facility. Wells' family and friends are collecting items to auction off on eBay to raise money to help with his overwhelming medical costs. Some items that are currendy up or will be shortly include: Signed Fly jerseys, Fly MX pants , Oakley goggles and posters from David Vuillemin; signed Yamaha Weekend of Champions posters from Daytona; a copy of The Daytona 200 by Don Emde - signed by the author and other Yamaha Weekend of Champions attendees; annual MotoSponsor.com memberships; a MotoUft; signed THOR jerseys from Chad Reed and Timmy Ferry and more. To check out the auction items. go to www.jamiewellsfund.com and click on the "O nline Auctions " button. There is a link there that will take you to the eBay auction site. For more information , contact Jen Emde at jen@partsmag.com. ry race mechanics. But these were not facto ry-suppo rted efforts as the Valmoto Triumph team is, so since 1971 no works Triumph racer has appeared on the international stage - until now, for the first time under the aegis o f British property developer John Bloor's now nourishing revived company. Alan Cathca rt McGrath Switches Teams w ith him and just trying to leed off of him . It's definitely to my advantage. I'm pretty Seven-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath w ill ride an American Supercamp/White Brothers Racing/Fun Bike Center-backed Honda in AMA excited ." Supermoto Series events in 2004, teaming with White Brothers employee Steve Drew. "l'rn definitely thrilled about this new opportunity," McGrath said in a release. " I really like racing supermoto, and having support like this and a bike like the Honda CRF4S0 makes it more fun for me. I know the guys at White Brot he rs and Supercamp w ill provide me with t he best possible equipment, and I can just enjoy racing ." Drew finished 10th in the 2003 Supermoto Continued From poge ' 9 standard FF4 and the FF4 Polen, are DOT- and Snell 2000-approved for North America . Center of Gravity also distributes the Arata exhaust system in North America. The standard FF4.retails for $389, while the FF4 Polen is available for $4-'19. Center 0/ Gravity has . sponsorship opportunities available for both the OGK he lmets and Arata exhaust systems . More infol"Q1ation is available by contacting Cen ter Of Gravity at 714/374949 1, or emai ltoinfo@ogk-helmet.com. team standings aboard his White Brothers Racing Moto Master Brent Honda and looks to improve on that position in 2004. "There's no better situation that I can find myse lf in to go racing this year than this one," Drew said . " I've got great sponsors behind me like Supercamp and White Brothers Racing, and I ride Hondas. And then to have Je re my on the team what Je re my can bring to the team with his experience is huge. I'm definitely looking forward to be ing able to practice and test Mike Bell, White Brothers Racing COO and 1980 Supercross Champion said : "T here 's not a more well -known name in motocross than Je re my McGrath. We're more than excited to have him join the White Brothers Racing team. Je re m y br ings the finishing touches to ou r supermoto efforts and w ill be racing along with our in-house competitor. Steve D rew. We 're looking for an e xciting year of rac ing from this team and leel that along with our White Brothers Racing-equipped and race-prepped machines, we're sure to be a strong contender to the field." The team will be competing in all AMA Supermoto events, and McGrath may also be involved in a coaching role with the Honda Rider's Clu b o f America Junio r Supermoto C hallenge , a su pport event to the Supermoto Series that selects young riders from around the country to participate in supermoto rac- The Los Ange les Calendar Mo t o rcy cle Show Wee ken d, sponsored by Performance Machine, will again be held at the Queen Mary Event Park in Long Beach, California, with this year's show slated to take place July 17-18. The show will feature a huge weekend of activities with over 160 major motorcycle and product ma nufactu rers, ex hibitors and vendors, togethe r with t he leading custom bikes from across America, according to event promoters. For more infonnation, visitwww.FastDates.com. The Southern California District 37 Dual Sport Rid e For Kids that was originally scheduled lor Sunday, March 21 , has been rescheduled to Sunday, June 13, due to the massive snowfall and trail closures in the Hungry Valley, California, area . Those who have already collected donations in preparation of the event can send the m to the Ped iatric Brain Tumor Foundatio n (PBTF), indicating that you will participate in the Southern C alifo rn ia Dual Spo rt. They will retu rn a " Ride Rec e ipt" that can be brou ght to regist ration o n June 13. Fo r mo re information, visit www.ridefo rkids.org o r call at 8OO/2S3-65 30 or the D -37 ride line at 626/2 49 -2141 (ex t. 3, I) or www.d istrict37ama.org.Maii donations to : Ped iatric Bra in Tumo r Foun dati o n, 302 Ridgefie ld Court, Asheville, N C 2880 6 . ing aboard Honda CRF ISOs. www.cyclenews.com CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 24, 2004 21