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/128371
Bike Week Nationals Kick Off AMA/Prostar Season Suit Against Clear Channel Goes to Jury After hearing evidence for six weeks, a jury in the pace and was taken out in the semifinals by veteran Mike Caputo on the Maximum Performance Suzuki. Caputo, who qualified seventh, rode consistent performances According to the report in the Times, Chicago, Illinois, will decide if Clear Channel Entertainment used its leverage to illegally block Jam Productions from becoming the promoters of the AMA Supercross Series, as the lawsuit from Jam asserts. According to the New York Times, part of Brian Becker did just that, passing on his father's message to three other company executives, saying, "This is good advice. We should be proactive." According to the New York Times, the trial "has offered an unusual glimpse into the busi- to his first-ever victory, taking out the evidence is e-mail correspondence from ness practices of Clear Channel, the media the l&W entry of Barry Greene in the final, 6.92 to Greene's early shutoff 8.0 I. Allen Becker to his son, Brian Becker, who is the chief executive officer for Clear Channel's live Entertainment division. "I can't help but be concerned about giant based in San Antonio, that has previously been accused of using hardball tactics to quell challenges by rivals. But this is the first time a competitor of Clear Channel has actually pre- Supercross," Becker wrote on November 7, sented contentions like those to a jury." 200 I. According to the lawsuit, the elder Becker then suggested digging into Jam's jerry Mickelson, co-owner of jam Productions, is seeking $32 million in dam- finances, trying to influence trustees of the ages in lost profit and expenses. taking the event win. AMA, getting Clear Channel's Music division in talks with stadiums that hold 5upercross Clear Channel has denied using anticompetitive tactics to battle jam, characterizing its Doege made a single 7.21 pass in the final events and mounting a public relations campaign to "get the word out" about Jam. actions as those of a fierce competitor protecting its turf, according to the story in the when Gast, who earli- "In the past, it has been kill, crush and destroy," Allen Becker wrote, adding in a postscript, "Brian, consider these things." Times. By the spring of 2002, Jam's Supercross deal with the AMA was dead and Clear Channel replaced it in the seven-year deal. Mystery at Ducati that operate the system." This appears to be similar to Yamaha's earlier electronic/hydraulic clutch of 2002, although that did not declutch completely but merely slipped the clutch. But the system was still under development, he said, and he did Veterans and multi-time champi- ons Paul Gast and Todd Doege battled it out in the Accel Pro Stock class, with Gast claiming the numberone qualifying position at 7.13 but Doege Z (Above) Pro Mod winner Mike Coputo. (Right) l000cc Supersport winner Rickey Gadson. er hurt his motor. could not return. The AMNProstar motorcycle drag racing series kicked off the 2005 season at a new venue. South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Georgia, with the Bike Week Nationals sponsored by Buddy Gregg Motorhomes, March 5-6. The new SGMP racing surface - laid less than a year ago - has developed some bumps that, combined with a strong crosswind dur- ing qualifying, kept typical performance breakthroughs at bay. Four of the five Pro-class champions The Mickey Thompson Pro Street class (formerly Streetbike Shootout) was the Velocity Racing show with Velocity-prepared bikes taking the top four positions, with riders coming from far away as Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Elvin Torres took the pole at 7.5 I seconds but could not keep up with Velocity Racing owner and defending class champ Barry Henson. who simply owned elimina- scored victories in Valdosta. Leading the tions. Torres stumbled off the line in the final, allOWing Henson to take the win with a 7.47. Rickey Gadson, recently released from his charge larry contract with Kawasaki, is shOWing no sign of "Spiderman" McBride, the only six-time letting up in 2005. He is set to debut on Harry lartigue's Pro Stock bike in NHRA competition, but in Valdosta, Gadson scored his first win in 1000cc Supers port, getting by a Darren Burnett holeshot, 9.S0 to 9.S7 was Top Fuel champ champion in Top Fuel history. He began his march for a seventh championship with a final-round win over Chris Hand. McBride, who shut off early in the final, ran as quick as 6.17 seconds and 223 mph during the event. Pro I Funnybike champ Korry Hogan made it look easy in Valdosta. qualifying on the pole with a 6.76/202 and fending off 2003 champ Recently crowned Hot Rod Cruiser champ Rick McWaters took the event win in an all-Patrick Racing Yamaha finaJ over new teammate jeremy English, and Del Flores Mystery surrounds Ducati's experimental engine braking system, under test at Catalunya in Spain - and an impromptu technical briefing made it only a little clearer. The effect of the system, from the outside, was very plain. On the entry to the corners, the clutch loris Capirossi and disengaged completely so the the Marlboro Ducati. bike freewheeled in with the engine idling, cutting in again for the exit. At first, speculation was that they had some sort of automatic gearbox or torque converter, but the truth was more prosaic. "It is a standard nonslipper clutch... with some magic," ~~~E;'~ AI\~e ...., Ducati Corse chief Claudio director Filippo Travis Davis in the final with the low e.t. of the scored the win in the new Super Street class Prezioso confirmed that it was a normal meet, 6.60 seconds to the 6.68 of Davis. Defending lectron Pro Mod champ Charlie Farrar went from barely qualifying to race-day favorite, coming out of the 14th spot to hit a 6.86 for low e.t. of the meet in easily taking out Jerry Young in the final. Sportsman ace Mark Coulson scored a double, winning both Pro ET and Super Gas, while brother Mike Coulson won Super Compo Other winners include Mike Konopacki in Top Gas and Stanley Russell in Street ET. Matt Polito clutch, allOWing the bike to be started on a rear-wheel roller without having to physically the first round of eliminations on the C&W Cycleworks Kawasaki. Farrar couldn't hold 10 MARCH 30, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS - "l( ,;~ Domenicali said. Technical .. ,p lock out the slipper mechanism, as is done via a window in the fairing side on the stock bikes. "The goal is to control the reverse torque at the rear wheel [with the throttle closed)," he said. "We have some electronic strategies not rule out that perhaps a ~ slipper clutch might be § 0(1 g incorporated in the future. "Electronics give you many possibilities," he said. >- Asked if the system used a a:l GPS so that responses 0.. ic corners, he answered, "Not at the moment." § could be tailored to specifThe system was used almost exclusively by Ducati test rider Vittoriano Guareschi. Regular riders loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa both tried it briefly, with Checa crashing badly enough to put him out of the final day of testing. "But it was not at a point where the system was operating," Prezioso said. It was in the late part of the corner rather than the entry. "We are still investigating," he added. Michael Scott