Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

:Briefly... BondsGone Reigning FIMWorld Supermoto Champion Eddy Seel (Hus) rode his redesigned factory Husky to a solid double win in the Prestige Class at the opening round of the Italian Supermoto Nationals in Castelletto di Branduzzo, Italy. on March 28. Former Wo rld Supe rmo to Champion Tierry Van Den Bosch (KTM) was second in race one, but he cras hed in race two. New Husqvarna rider Gerald Delepirie was third in race B o bby Bonds won the fourth round of the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) in Goldendale. Washington. on March 28. On a six-mile course that was described as being fast and styled very much like a European Grand Prix motocross track. the Kawasaki Team Green rider put his motocross experience to good use , as he worked his way into the lead by the second lap and then ran off with his second win of the year. Bonds eventually took the checkered flag almost one minute ahead of previous -round winner Nathan Woods. on the Montclair Yamaha-backed YZ450F. Woods was an early leader but spent most of the race in second. Third place went to Woods' teammate Ty Davis. who crossed the finish line 23 seconds behind his teammate. Finishing fourth was Suzuk i RM250-mounted Robert Naughton. followed by Montclair Yamaha's Russ Pearson. one and second in race two. Ivan Lazzari- ni (KTM) was th ird in race two. There were two winners in the smaller division, the Sport class [450cc], as Massimiliano Verderosa (Ver) won race one and Simone Girolami (Ho n) won race two. But most of the eyes were on Aprilia's debutant Max Manzo, who finished fifth in race one and fourth in race two aboard the revolutionary Aprilia SX4.5 V-twin. Bobby Bonds became the WORCS s eries' first do uble winner with a v ictory in Washington . Kawasaki Team Green's Destry Abbott and KTM's Kurt Caselli . Honda rider Mark Tilley. KTM's Brian Garrahan and Kawasaki Team Green's David Pea rso n rounded out AUSTRALIA the top 10 overall. Woods still sits atop the series points standings with 98. followed by Bonds with 74. Caselli is third with 70 points . Costa Mesa Speedway will open the doors on its 36th season with its annual Spring Classic speedway race at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. on April 17. In addition to the brakeless, methanol-burning speedway bike show. Mission Motorsports will be presenting freestyle motocross. Gates open at 6 p.m., with qualifying at 6:30 p.m. The first race will run at 7:30 p.m . For more information , call 949/492-9933. or log on to www.cmspeedway.com . The MotoGP Trophy I MELBOURNE Teresa Elaine Rawlins Fasola. the wife of noted AMA Superbike tuner Vic Fasola, died on March 27 afte r a long illness. The Fasolas live in Flower Branch. Georgia. In lieu of flowers, Vic Fasola is asking that contributions be made for jorge Fasola's college fund in his wife's memory. Contributions can be sent to Fasola, 7337 Club Crest Drive . Flowery Branch , GA 30542 . Fasola has tuned for the likes of Scott Russell. Aaron Yates and Anthony Gobert and recently quit the Ducati Austin team in order to spend more time with his ailing wife. Phillip Island's Future The lo ng-te rm future of World Superbike in Australia seems to depend very much o n the new owner, but according to sources in Australia. he has no plans to do anyth ing but upgrade and improve the Phillip Island event . For Paolo Flarnmln l, the future of World Superbike in Austra lia looks rosy to so me degree. ''As far as I understa nd. the deal for Phillip Island is not completed. They are still wo rking. but I am sure that knowing the company who is involved in the track. a huge company, they are oriented to boo st the image of the track," Flammini said. "I am sure it wo uld be an advantage for the circuit, and therefore for Superbi ke , if they complete the deal. I understand it is nearly done, but there is the due diligence to be gone through." Confronted with the fact that the crowd at the opening round of the World Superbi ke Series in Valencia. Spain, was abysmal, and that there were rumors of there being no Valencia race ne xt year, Flammini responded: "Vale ncia? Let's say that I had mee tings with the Valencia directors when I was there, and we are discussing an ext ension of the Superbike contract - so th ey are interested, definitely. At the event this year - you cannot Suzuki has established a full-time MotoGP test team. to be based in Belgium, to back up the two full-time riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and john Hopkins . At the IRTACatalunya test. the rider was former Suzuki World Superbike rider Gregorio Lavilla, who has stood in for the injured john Hopkins at previous tests. The team hopes the Spanish racer will join the test team full time and will be able to take occasional wild card rides in the GP series. consider it normal. It was snowing every- where in Spain, and Valencia was the only little place were there was no snow. So from o ne point of view we we re incredibly lucky; from another po int of view we were unlucky. because in Spain normally yo u have a different climate. The circuit wants to have Superbike, and we are looking to extend the contract beyond 2005 ." Of more wide-reaching significance. Flammini stated an intent to do w hat many consider impossible and ma ke World Superbike racing big in Spain. "Most probably in the next two or three months. we will be able to announce the opening of an FGSport company in Spain. ori e nted to event promotion. etc.,.. Flammini said. "I believe th is is something that will ben efit World Superbike and World Endurance events, at Valencia and Albacete. Spain is the most difficult country for us; the GP tradition is very strong. and there is no Superbike tradition . I believe this effort we are making is to d iffuse the culture into the market. to have Spanish people working the re . having 100 percent of their work for the class itse lf, not just one event." Gordo n Ritchie Valentino Rossi made another little piece of history when he was presented with the first-ever World Championship trophy - a sculpture commissioned by Dorna as a new floating trophy. Rossi's is the first name on the trophy. "I hope to have my name on it again in the future ," he said at the pre sentation. The trophy was sculpted by Lorenzo Quinn. son of the late film star Anthony Quinn. an internationally known artist based in Spain. Not everybody was ta ken with the design, which is a representation of the globe on two wheels. "It looks like Humpty Dumpty on a bike," said one wit. www.cyc lenEWs.com On Monday. March 22. Harley-Davids o n Motor Company advised its U.S. dealers of a voluntary recall on a circuit breaker that is used on certain 2001- through 2003model motorcycles . W idely circulated med ia coverage of this recall inaccurately reported the models that are affected. according to Harley. The vehicles included in this recall are fuel-injected 200 1- to 2003 - model year Electra Glide Classics and Electra Glide Ultra Classics (models FLHTCI and FLHTCUI), 200 I-mod e l year Screamin' Eagle Road Glides (model FLTRSEI-2) and 2001- to 2oo3 -model year police motorcycles (models FLHPI, FLHPEI, and FLHTPI). Upon notification from the Motor Company in the next few weeks, owners of Continu ed on page 9 CYCLE NEWS • APRIL7,2004 7

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