Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Reed Nailed For 25 Points he biggest news sweeping the pits and the stadium on Saturday at the Salt Lake City round of the AMNTHQ Supercross Series was that Yamaha's Chad Reed, David Vuillemin and Yamaha privateer Tyson Hadsell had each been penalized 2S points for fuel that was considered illegal that had been used at the Dallas round a week earlier. first title at Salt Lake and Vuillemin was in a tight battle with laRocco for third in the overall point standings. Because of the strict rules, heavy controversy, and overall picture of the penalty, Yamaha press man Terry Beal took charge of the situation. T for the riders and the brand name, and we will appeal ." Reed kept his thoughts to himself but commented: "This gas thing was very unexpected. Our gas was fine when they tested it In San Francisco, and I have nothing to prove ." "We are baffled by the findings of the AMA, and we are going to appeal the deci- "We feel terrible for the riders and the brand name, and we will appeal." - Yamaha PR man Terry Beal sion," Beal said. "The AHA suggested that we purchase fuel testing equipment at the beginning of the season, and we did. We test the fuel every week, and it's been all right, and we were even tested by the AMAat San Francisco, and we passed . We fee l terrible Apparently the fuel was over the legal limit for the amount of lead content, and nobody knew about the AMA's decision until Friday afternoon. As you can imagine, everybody In the Yamaha camp was dealt a big blow as Reed was supposed to clinch his Vuillemin said of the ruling: "We do not cheat . We never have, and we won't. I saw this whole thing on motonews.com before anyone told me. If you appeal, you should get your points back (in reference to the Kevin Windham appeal earlier in the year)." When asked about his thoughts on Yamahaand the fuel ruling, Windham said: "I don't know a lot about the fuel rules. They do have a right to appeal, though. I made myself a deal after my AHA issue that I had that I would not complain about the AMA any more. I respect the AMA now." Da ve D e r rin g e r The AMA has taken 25 points away from Chad Reed because hi, Yamaha failed a postroce fuel test. Chandler said he and Hansen began having discussions around Daytona. Chandler was hoping to put his own deal toge ther, with Yamahas in the Superblke class, but he couldn't get any support, so he and Hanse n, with whom he's raced the past two years , first in Superbike and then in superm oto , decided to retearn . Chandler To Return Three-time AMA Super bike Champ ion Doug Chandler will return to road racing at the Barbe r Motorsports Park roun d of the AMA Formula Xtr eme Series, the Californian set to compete aboard an HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing749R. In 2002, Chandler rode a Ducati 99BRS for the Mitch Hansen -owned team, ending the year with three podium finishes. In 1999 and 2000, HMC raced a 74BRS in the now-extinct AHA Pro Thunder class, winning the championship in 1999 with Shawn Conrad. It was only last Monday, April 19, that Ducati made the commitment to Hansen to run Chand ler on the 749. The 749s won't arrive until this week, so they won 't be ready for round three of the series at Infineon Raceway this weekend. The target is for round four at Barbe r Motorsporu Park, the weekend of May IS- 16. 8 The ir collaboration in 2003 ended with Chand ler's break ing his foot In a first-turn accident at the AHA Columbus SuperMoto race. Prior to that , he hadn't ridden a road bike since last year at Road America when he parted ways with the No Umits Racingteam . To get back in the groove, he went to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last week to ride the Kawasakls of Keith Code's Ca liforn ia Superbike School. "The foot was good ; I was pumped," he said. "I had a good time . Uke anything, you forget after you've been off it for a while. That was a bit of an incentive." Chandler's also trying to put together a team for the AHA Supe rmoto series , when ever it happens . "I ultimately want to esta blish myself with my own identity tea m; that way when I don't ride any longe r, I can still continue to be involved," he said. ''I'm trying to get something, somewhat square with KTM and continue with that. " Even though he won't be road racing until Barber, he hopes to have a KTM 4S0 ready for the two days of supermoto racing at Infineon Raceway. He's been racing at local tracks and hopes to be in the field for the ESPN X Games . "I feel that the team we assembled with Doug and the 749R is capable of getting on the pod ium and winning consistently through the year," Hansen said in a press release. MAY 5, 2004 • C Y CLE NEWS "W e've entered the season late, but we know that anything can happen in racing, and we hope to pull off the championship: ' Kawasaki Sweep at Lucerne Kawasaki Team Green took the top three positions at the fourth round of the AHA National Hare & Houn d Series in Lucerne Valley, California, on April 2S. Former Hare & Hound champion Destry Abbott ended up taking the win, followed by early leader Brian Brown and previous-round winner David Pearson. Brown was leading going into the second lap, but Abbott ran him down and took the win by about a minute over his team mate. Pearson managed to hold onto third after crashing and severely damaging his exhaust pipe. Fourth overall went to defending hare and hound champion Russell Pearson , breaking the Kawasaki streak on his Montclair Yamaha/Zip-Ty Racing YZ450F. The previous day, Russell teamed up with Ty Davis to win the Best in the Des e rt Silver State race in Nevada . Honda-mounted Kendal Norman rounded out the top five overall, while KTM's Joey Lanza placed sixth. Davis/Pearson Tops at Terrible's Town 250 Team Honda 's Johnny Campbell and Steve Hengeveld led every inch of the way at the Terrible's Town 250 round of the Best in the Desert Silver State O ff-Road Series in Nevada, on April 24, but it wasn't enough to win it. The XR6S0R-mounted duo was the first team off the line, and they never got passed , but the Montclair YamahalZip-Ty Racing duo of Ty Davis and Russ Pearson came home the winners on adjusted time. Davis and Pearso n, aboard a Yamaha 40th Anniversary YZ450F, managed to make up just enough time to be declared the ove rall winners despite being the second bike to cross the finish line. Third overall went to another Honda XR650R-mounted team that was made up of Quinn Cody and Kendall Norman. Honda's Chris Blais soloed to fourth overall and first place In the Four-Stro ke Pro class, while Clint Braun and Matt Gos nell rounded out the top five, winning the 250

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