Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I Briefly... Con rinued from page 9 moto Championship. UrbanCross is a series 01 metal jump ramps that create motocrossstyle obstacles. UrbanCross elements debuted at the Dallas, Texas, round of the 2003 AMA Supermoto Championship and were used again at the Championship finale in Las Vegas, Nevada. AMA Pro Racing is planning to feature UrbanCross obstacles at all rounds 01 the 2004 series. AMA Pro Racing's Supermoto Ser ies manager Chris Bradley says the UrbanCross sections 01 the track add to the appeal 01 AMA Supermoto. "In addition to the no rmal paved and dirt sections that are found at supermoto tracks, It's Called EnduroCross Pro-Motion Motorsports has announced a new form of motorcycle racing in America - called EnduroCross - which will debut at the Orleans Arena in LasVegas on November 27. EnduroCross has proven to be successful in Europe the past few years. playing to sold- and Europe will be invited to attend. "T his is really the ultimate test 01 skills on a difficult enduro-style track, mixed in w ith a 5upercross format," Peronnard explained. "The concept has proven very successful in Spain, drawing large crowds and providing out cr owds and showcasing the top European tremendous race action. It is tru ly nonstop off-road talent, accordi ng to Pro-Motion. Eric Peronnard, the man who started the U.S. Open 01 Supercross as well as helped promote the Bercy Supercross in France, and Tim Clark will promote the event. Clark, a magazine publisher, has also helped in the promotion of the U.S. Open. entertainment. I have been watc hing the past five years how it works in Barcelona, and it is very exciting. They have done an excellent job." "The off-road industry needs a shot in the arm - at least the exposure side 01 it," Clark claims. "This even t provides exactly what the off-road industry is looking lor : exposure. According to Pro-Motion, EnduroCross is an off-road race held ent irely indoors. The racing format is similar to a supercross event. utilizing a starting gate, class heats and a series 01 qualilying rounds with riders transferr ing to the main event. O bstacles include bo ulders, rock fields, poles, sand, jumps and Where else can a spectator view an entire water sections similar to the most difficult sections found in off-road events such as Tickets for the event will go on sale on September I and can be purchased online at www.OrleansArena.com or by calling 888/234-2334. For more inlormation, visit www.EnduroCrossUSA.com. enduros, hare scrambles and GNCC series. EnduroCross is an invitat ion- only event where the top off-road racers from America off-road race and see close-up how difficult and exciting that style 01 racing can be? Compared to other forms 01 racing, this is spectacular to watch, especially for the spectator. " Yamaha Signs Jorgensen The Yamaha L&M Motocross Team has completed its 200S rider lineup with the signing 01 Brian Jorgensen. D enmark's Jorgensen, win ner of the German Grand Prix this season, will join Stefan Everts in the hunt for the MX I World Champio nship. The Michele Rinaldi managed team will field Cedric Melone in the MX2 class. Melone, 26 , had an impressive maiden season with the Yamaha L&M Motocross Team this year, scoring one GP win and lour po dium places in the MX I World Champio nship. Now, he's looking to carry that success into his MX2 cam paign lo r 200S . "Fo r next year, my aim will be the worl d title in the MX2, and that is a very exciti ng challenge ," Melon e said . ':A.t first, it coul d seem strange to some people that I go to MX2 alte r quite a good seaso n in MX I, but I really like the idea. My sw itch to another class is also part of a long-term plan to win the MX I wor ld title. Racing the 250 four-stro ke will be good lo r me , because it simply is so fast and so much fun to ride. I realize that it's going to be tough to win the title , but I don't go alter it unprepared. To know that I wili keep on wo rking w ith the Yamaha L&M Motocross Team, and that I can learn from Stefan Everts lor another year gives me great confidence." Jorgensen, 29, finished fourth in the 2003 MXGP World Championship and lies seventh in current standings despite several injuries. T he former 125cc Euro pean Champion is not new to Yamaha, having com peted lor Yamaha UK in 2000 and 200 1. "II you wan t to win a world title , you naturally loo k around lor the best team and the best bike ," Jo rgen se n said. "I know th at Michele and his team are very professional. They are completely dedicated to get the best resu lts out of their riders, and they had a lot 01 success befo re . I should ada pt quickly to the team on a per son al level as we ll. I have lived in Italy lor so me time now and I know Miche le fro m when I was riding lo r Yamaha UK race team. I'm abso lutely thrilled to be a part of th is package lor next season." we add the distinctive UrbanCross elements. The result is an improved show for lans and more interesting track layout lor the riders," Bradley said. "The Urban Cross elements allow our track designers to cre ate a more challenging track lor the racers as well as helping us dilfere ntiat e AMA Supermoto . We've noticed similar elements at other supermoto races as track designers recognize their value ." Bradley also thanked Parts Unlimited lor their support of the series. "We are delighted to have Parts Unlimited help us bring UrbanCross elements to all rounds 01 the 2004 AMA Supe rmo to Ch am pionship," Bradley said. "We also ap preciate Parts Unlimited bringing their sup port 01 motorcycle racing to the new and unique world 01 AMA Superrnoto ." "We're hap py to be involved wit h AMA Supermoto with this program," said Jeff Fox, president and CEO 01 Parts Unlimited. "Our philosophy is to 'support the sport,' and we see AMA Supermoto as one 01 the most exciting things to hit motorcycling in years . Supe rmoto's growth potential is tremendo us, and we want to do what we can to see it succeed." Doug Chandler and Darrick Lucche si will be holding a level-one West Coast Supermota Schoo l at Stockton Motorplex in Stockton, Calilornia , o n Tuesday, O ctobe r 5, lollow ing the AMA Supe rmoto Natio nal at Reno, Nevada. For more inlo, visit www.westcoastsupermoto.com. Team Suzuki rider and five-time Worl d Motocross Ch ampion Joe l Smets successfully underw ent an operation o n the snapped ligame nt in his right knee o n Wednesday, August 18, and is now at home beginning his second peri od of recove ry this year. The 35-year-old was able to leave the hospital yeste rday alternoon, alter staying the night lo llowing the surgical procedure that laste d over an hour. The bro ken ante rior eructate ligament was replaced using a donated part . Sme ts has little pain and now laces a t hree-week rest period be lor e beginning his re habilitation in earnest. "The op e rat io n wen t well and it was go od to get home ," Smets said. "When they opened the knee, they also rep aired some small damage to the exterior me niscus, and I was to ld everything lasted abo ut an hour and a half. I too k some painkille rs in th e hosp ital, but it is not that sore now. The knee looks a bit 01 a mess at the mo ment and is stiff and www.cyclenEWs.com swollen alter the operation, but I now have three weeks just to keep icing the joint, doing some little exercises and letting things cool down belore I can start carefully do ing some swimming and cycling. II everything goes okay, I hope I might be able to visit the Grand Prix in Ireland: ' The injury was sustained during a preseason International race at Mantova in Italy and caused Smets to prematurely end his MX I World Championship campaign. The luckless Belgian then contraeted a blood bacterial inlection and spent several weeks in hospital. Sponsorship resumes lor the 2005 season are now being accepted by more than 200 companies in motocross, off-road and road racing through SponsorHouse.c o m . Founded in 200 I, Spo nso rHouse .co m is an online service helpingto connect riders with spo nsors in the motorsports and bicycle industries. By moving the process online, it has beco me the pre lerred method for companie s helping to get laster responses to riders while helping to reduce the time it takes to process mailed-in resumes, according to Sponsorhouse. For more information, visit www.sponsorhouse.com. The Mot o rcycle Indu stry Council and the Specialty Vehicle Institu te 01 Ame rica have announced a new program to recog- nize the outstanding Take Prid e in A merica volunteer efforts by OHV clubs across the country. They know that OHV clubs already contribute thousands of voluntee r hou rs, and simply by keeping track 01 thei r hours an d regis tering them, they can"gain recognition fo r th ose e fforts Iro m the moto rcycle an d ATV indust ry, as well as Irom the U.S. Dep ar tm e nt 01 Interior. In ad dit ion, prizes w ill be awarded to the 15 top-perlorming OH V clubs. T he re cog nition program , being undertaken in cooperatio n with the Nati ona l 011 Highwa y Vehicle Conservation Council and Ame rican s lo r Respons ible Recreational Acc ess (ARRA), is desig ned to en co urage volu nteerism and reward OHV clu bs and organizations lo r the ir significa nt contrib utio n to improvi ng ou r pu blic lands and recreation areas. Recognition will be bas ed on the nu mber 01 vo lunteer hours contri bute d by clubs o n a perme mber bas is. By doi ng this, small clu bs will be o n an eq ual loot ing with very large clubs . All voluntee r ho ur s must be unde rtake n acc o rding to the ea sy-to-fo llow Take Pride in America guidelines. Prizes include five sound testing units , five $200 co nt ribu tio ns and five $100 contri bu tions. To rece ive an e lec tronic copy of the registr at ion lorm and Take Pride in America guidel ine s, visit t he ARRA web site at http:// www.ARRA-Acces s.com or e -ma il we bmaster@mail.arra-acce ss.com. To ge t pap er co pie s 01 the above fo rm s, ca ll Evan Haglund at 202/336-S 11 2. T he recognition will be based on volunteer events co nducte d betwee n August 18 and Dec ember 3 I, 2004. CYCLE NEWS • SEPTE MBER 1,2004 13

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