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/128360
Briefly... Jordan Makes It Official ~-----------"Ul « " a: to « ~ a: >- z z W I >to § I a. Spanish road racer Fonsi Nieto looks set to move to the World Superbike Series in 2005 after several seasons of competing in the 250cc World Championships. The nephew of the I3-time World Champion Angel Nieto, Fonsi Nieto rode a fourstroke for the first time, testing the Team SC Caracchi-NCR Ducati 749R last week at Almeria in Spain. Though bad weather didn't help the cause, the 26-year-old Spaniard made progress. "Fonsi [Nieto) tested the 749R, the only bike available in this moment, and was said to be quite satis- fied," team owner Stefan Caracchi said after Nieto cut 10 laps on Gianluca NannelIi's Ducati. "We are confident that we'll be able to find a good agreement with him." Caracchi was hoping to sign Nieto to contest the 2005 World Superbike Championship on Ducati 999RS's, alongside Lorenzo Lanzi, the young Italian who raced to fourth place in the penultimate round of the AMA Superbike Championship at Virginia International Raceway. T he Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team made its debut on Monday, January 3, at Daytona International Speedway, the same day that official confirmation of the team was released to the media. As was reported here earlier, the team will consist of Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp and Montez Stewart on Suzuki GSXRIOOOs in the AMA series. Pridmore will take part in the AMA Superbike and Superscock Series while Rapp and Stewart concentrate their efforts on the Superstock class, though the latter two will also have the option of competing in some of the Superbike events, according to the team. Primary sponsorship for the Michael Jordan Motorsports team will come from the Jordan Brand. Other major team sponsors include Suzuki, Yoshimura R&D, Gatorade and Dunlop Tires, with more slated to be announced at a later date. Pete Mauhar of Gemini Technology Systems of Wisconsin will again manage the techn ical aspects of the team, and Ammar Bazzaz of BPD (formerly with Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin) will fill the role of Superbike crew chief while also Eaken To Mack Daddy According co team owner George Mack, Mack Daddy Racing, which fields 2004 Peoria TT winner Henry Wiles, will have legendary engine builder and tuner Skip Eaken handling all the tuning and maintenance on the team's XR750s for the 2005 AMA Flat Track Championship season. Eaken will be at all the races with Mack Daddy Racing while maintaining his own Eaken Racing Team with rider Geo Roeder II. Roeder will also be coaching and helping Wiles by offering riding and setup advice. Additionally, the team has reached an agreement with Northern California dirt track veteran Dante D'Ambruoso to serve as Wiles' mechanic and mentor at the singles events on the AMA schedule. D'Ambruoso is a longtime racer and mechanic most closely associated with the Rod Lake Racing stables. "I am very excited about the personnel we have added to the MDR team, and Skip is also excited to work with a talented young rider of Henry's caliber," Mack said. "So, hopefully now our 750 program will be very strong and our singles program will be even better. I feel our taking care of the technical data acquisition and electronic management systems. BPD will also provide the suspension maintenance for all three riders. Richie Alexander, the 1998 AMA 750 Supersport Champion and Pridmore's fellow STAR School Instructor, will also work with the team as the Superstockclass crew chief, overseeing all three Superstock machines, riders and crew. Michael Jordan Motorsports race team operations are being managed by Clear Channel Mororsports, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment. World Motocross To Namur? winner Brian Garrahan. Whoever wins the race, other than Garrahan, will take home an extra check worth $1000. Garrahan, the man with the target on his back, will also be sporting new colors at the Hollister race. The longtime KTM-backed rider will compete aboard a NorCal Motorsports/ 1-888-TrykonalMaxxis/Moose Suzuki RM250. According to The Sacramenta 8ee, Sacramento native and former dirt track racer Paul Albrecht passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 87. In the 19305 and 405, Albrecht was Nationally ranked in the top10 for five years and was inducted into the Northern California Sportsmen's Hall of Fame in 1987. Albrecht is survived by his sister, Marie' three nieces and seven It seems as though there is some confusion as to which circuit will host a Grand Prix in Belgium on July 3 I. The official calendar says the race will be held in Nismes, but rumors in Belgium say it's going to be Namur. Nismes is presently on the official calendar, and the circuit that held the 1997 Motocross des Nations has also run GP motocross events in 1984, 1987, 1991, 1996, 199B and 1999. Nismes officials say that they are running the Grand Prix on July 31, but Namur officials are claiming the same thing. Series promoter Youthstream has yet to confirm or deny the reports. An interesting piece of information about the Nismes circuit is singles program was very strong last year, and with the extra time we that it was here back in 1998 that a young Frenchman named David Vuillemin won his first-ever Grand Prix. With his father hiding under the pit box (due to nerves), the teenager produced a brilliant performance. Vuillemin went 1-3, with Claudio Federic second with a 4-1 tally, and Alex Puzar third with 2-5. Fourth will now have to focus on the little bikes. And with some new develop- place on that day went to another young star - Cedric Melone. ments over the winter, we will shine at all the singles races in 2005." Not only will the THQ AMA Supercross Series get under way on January 8, but so will the first major off-road race of the season. On Sunday, January 9, the opening round of the AMA National Hare Scrambles Series kicks off in Hollister, California, and once again a bounty will be hanging over the head of five-time Hollister Geoff Meyer nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January B, at 10:30 a.m. at Gormley's Funeral Home, 2015 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, California. The BSA Owners' Club of Northern California will host the 18th annual Clubman's All-British Motorcycle Show at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, California, on Saturday, April 9. According to the club, over 100 rare British motorcycles will be on display. For more information, call Barry Porter at 408/98S-7864 or Jim Tomich at 408/377-9457, or visit www.bsaocnc.org. Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports and Suzuki have announced that the Continued on page 9