Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

A Duhamel Daytona Memory T he 2005 Daytona Bike Week will be Miguel Duhamel's 16th (he rode for Yamaha France in the World Championship in 1992 so he missed that one), but it was the first that brings a smile to his face. His first was in 1989, when he began the week on an Aprilia 250, but it seized eight times, "so we had to go to plan B," Duhamel said, He and tuner John Lassak pulled the 1988 Yamaha out of the truck for the '89 race and prepped it for the race. Duhamel remembers finding himself riding alone; there was no way he could move forward and fellow Canadian Jon Cornwell wasn't catching him. "I thought I was out of NA5CAR looking back and obviously my speed and cornering ability were not up to par because when I turned back and looked where I was going, I was heading for the wall, right for the cement wall. It took all the strength I had and everything and I turned as hard as I could and did the old push on the bars. 5till, by doing that, I hit the wall - kind of like the X Games skateboarders when they rail on the side of stuff - hit that and bounced back on to the track, back wide open and tucked in and looked back to see if Jon saw that because that was pretty amaz- ing. I just went up the wall at Daytona and survived. I'll always remember this: Jon Cornwell behind looking straight at me, shaking his head, going, 'That's the dumbest thing I ever saw.' And I knew exactly what he was thinking." two more than I was, turned around to look at Jon, I'm like, 'Hey, that's Jon back there. How's it going, Jon?' I'm Henny Ray Abrams Mat Mladin: Team Owner Mat Mladin does everything fast. show up in Florida with a competitive motorA week and a half after first thinking about cycle. Tiger Clay, who worked with Craggill running his own AMA 5uperbike team, the at Corona Extra EBSCO Media Suzuki last year, will be his mechanic. five-time AMA Superbike Champion announced that Mat Mladin Motorsports Craggill was the first rider Mladin thought would run fellow Australian and close friend of. The pair has been close friends and trainMarty Craggill in the 2005 series. ing partners for years. Craggill didn't have ''A week and a half ago, I started making a much going on in Australia and wanted to couple of calls," Mladin said. "Monday aftercome back to the United States. noon, a week ago [February 14], I more or "He's the perfect guy," Mladin said. "I less decided that was the go-ahead day or not hope he doesn't beat me." go-ahead day, that I had enough budget to do Part of Craggill's appeal is his maturity and the season. Monday afternoon at Fontana, I decided Mat MIacIn wID be a to go ahead with this." team_anda Mladin said his inspiration was that in the "next few years I may opt to sit out of racing, and maybe I raeer In 2005. And beyond. long haul. "It's certainly a long-term goal for me," he said. "It's a nice, easy, low-key way to get into it this year, into superbike, and see where the AMA series is going to go in the next couple of years. I'm not sure anybody's too sure about it. "I don't think short term," Mladin added. "This year we're already set up and done. We've got seven months in this season and it's over. Already I've got to start thinking about next year and that sort of SlUff." That said, the bottom line _~_ .. z has to be watched. o ~ "We have to see if you can ~ make a viable business out of i. it," he said. "It's a matter of British Superbike Champion John Reynolds broke his right leg during testing at Valencia in Spain on February 18 and was flown via private iet to his home in Nottingham, England, where he underwent surgery on Monday, February 21 to repair the double fracture. Reynolds was nearing the end of hi. first day of testing on the all-new GSXRI000 when he slid off at tum six of the Valencia circuit, suffering a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg. ''All I can say is a big thank you to everyone," Reynolds said in a press release from his team. "I wouldn't have got home to England as quickly as I did if it wasn't for Rizla Suzuki's team friends. Jonathan Palmer from Motor Sport Vision anranged a private aircraft to collect me in Valencia, and Stuart Higgs from the MCRCB liased with the hospital and sorted an ambulance once we landed. As a result of these efforts and the hard work of the team, I'm now home and in a position to get the best treatment possible. My thanks also go to the two pilots, John Scurr and John Daly, for their smooth landing. I am humbled by the messages of support and well wishes from the superbike race fans. Thank you to everyone for their kind words and support. They have and will continue to help me more than you can imagine." Stuart Higgs, MCRCB's race director for the British Superbike Series, said: "Our first concern is for JR's health, and we assisted the team in making the necessary ground arrangements to take him directly to the Queens Medical Facility from the airport. I am delighted we could help and wish him the speediest of recoveries." balancing budgets and stuff 1D and things that I do with my o and I'm o business in aAustralia,that stuff overseeing lot of ownership type of thing." The most important I "- phone conversation was with American Suzuki's Mel over there. It's just a matter of seeing where you can go with it. If it's going to cost $1 million for a team and you get half a million for support, I'm not going to use hard-earned money to go racing. We'll see Harris. Mladin told Harris his plans and Harris promised to back him, if he could put the team together in such a short period of time. "We'll support you," Mladin says Harris told him, that's always plans to be in the race team business for the ~ CD would be involved in team "and Reynolds Breaks His Leg how it pans out." Mladin said he chose to race here rather than nice his comes to budget and bikes." Yoshimura headed in the right direction without Mladin native Australia because the U.S. series is more lucrative and it's a greater opportunity for him to nurture young riders. Suzuki and Joe Rocket have also been supportive, Mladin said. The team will use Dunlop tires. "It really came together quite quickly," Mladin said. "I was very busy last week chasing things up, getting things together. Leading up to Daytona, we're going to be busy, then having to constantly oversee it. "We've been good training partners, and "The AMA Superbike Series, it's a big series and it's something I'd like to be we drag each other up the hills on the bicycle and on the squash courts and in the gym," Mladin said. "He's a good motorcycle racer and he busts balls with me every day and goes training with me. He was the logical person to bring on some young kids," he said. "I think without throwing them in the deep end, and getting right guidance and some of the experienced people I'm involved with, I can help we have five weeks to get things together. to choose." their careers along." when you're with a compa- ny that holds you in high regard when it It That said, Mladin said the team would experience. He can make sure the team's The deal is for one year, though Mladin 12 MARCH 2, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS involved in, and within the race team, I'd like Henny Ray Abrams British Superbike Champion John Reynolds

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