Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Indoor Orange County Motocross? F or years the historic Marine Corp. blimp slated to be implemented hangars in Tustin, California, have been sitting idle while decisions are made about the site's future. every rider around the to monitor the progress of AMA Supermoto Schedule Announced AMA Pro Racing has released its schedule for the 2005 AMA Supermoto Championship Series. The series will kick The hangars are the largest wooden various tracks. Red lights, rather than flaggers, will off at an all-new event structures in the world and hold a significant amount of historical importance. Now, with also be used to inform riders of impending danger, several different proposals on the table, the according to the developers. Since the facility will California in May and conclude in October on the streets of Reno, Nevada. Highlights will include a return to Copper Mountain, about the future of the site. One of the options, proposed by the Dome be entirely inside, exhaust, well as a stop at the all-new supermoto- noise and dust will be kept specific track at Road America in Elkhart Development Group, is for motocross at reasonable levels for the community, according to Dome. Lake, Wisconsin. contact the Dome Development Group at Marine Base. There has been extensive As for how the facility will be paid for, memberships will be sold once the facility is in operation. In order to get the plan off the can also be contacted through e-mail at jeffreyimmediato@enterarc.com. city of Tustin is set to make its final decision tracks to be built inside one of the hangars. The plan calls for a total of five tracks inside the hangar - as well a restaurant and a muse- um to feature the history of the EI Toro in Southern Colorado, for a double-header event, as "The 2005 schedule is a mix of proven, planning in regard to the safety of the facili- ground, however. support from govemment ty, according to the Dome Development officials and the motorcycle industry is needed. Group, with GPS and computer tracking For more information regarding the plan, 714/427-0370, 714/427-0375 (fax). They The Dome Development Group's office is located at 290 I MacArthur Blvd. # I0 I, Santa Ana, California 92704. existing events, as well as a couple of new venues that show great promise," AMA Pro Racing vice president of communications Kerry Graeber said of this year's championship. "Additionally, the announcement that we will be adding a 2S0cc class and feature two Supermoto-c1ass finales at each round has been tremendously well received. We're confident that this year's championship will be the best yet." Commenting on the reasoning behind the season starting earlier than past seasons, AMA Pro Racing vice president of commercial development john Farris said there were significant benefits. Everts Geared Up for Zolder Stefan Everts posted his third victory of the Grand Prix preseason by going 1-1-1 in the second round of the Belgian MX I In the second moto, Everts led from the start National title, held at his home track in and never looked back. Smets worked hard after a bad start, finally getting past Ken De Dijcker in the closing Neeroeteren. With the win, Everts demon- stages. Championship, held in Neeroeteren, Belgium, on March 27. The Rinaldi Yamaha rider dominated the second round of Belgium strated that he will be tough to beat at Zolder for the opening round of the MX I World Championship on April 3. Second place went to joel Smets on the factory Suzuki. Smets posted 6-2-3 results. For Everts it was an inspiring performance on a track where he has never really had a lot of success. In previous races in Neeroeteren. Everts has struggled, losing out to Mickael Pichon in last year's Belgian Grand Prix and often coming up short in Belgian Championship races. Several riders had misfortunes over the "The opportunity to showcase AMA Supermoto in Southern California in conjunction with a major consumer event like the Extreme Motorsports Expo [May 1415] was just too good to pass up," Farris said. "Same can be said for the new round The final mote of the at Road America, where AMA Supermote day saw Everts take the will be featured on a purpose-built track in victory, ahead of defending MX2 Champion conjunction with the AMA Superbike Steve Ramon, Smets, Marvin Van Daele and The 2005 AMA Supermote Championship Series calenar is as follows: weekend." Melotte. While Everts was dominating in Belgium, josh Coppins was doing the same in the second round of the British Motocross Championship. The CAS Honda rode well after recovering from his shoulder injury he sustained at the Hawkstone Park International a few weeks ago. Coppins won teammate, jussi Vehvilainen. The Finnish flyer went 2-2 for the runner-up spot. Vehvilainen also finished second in round one of the series and is now fighting for the series lead with round-one winner Paul Cooper (Honda). Cooper finished with 3-5 results this weekend, while another Honda weekend, with KTM factory rider Ben Townley suffering another terrible day. The MX2 World Champion DNFed two motos and failed to crack the top five in the other. Factory Suzuki rider Kevin Strijbos suffered the second round of the British MX I Championship with I-I results. The New Zealander continued his good more injury to his ankle and is in danger of missing the opening round in Zolder. Zolder and go head to head with eight-time World Motecross Champion Everts. Coppins' Cedric Melotte held a slight lead in the opening moto, but halfway through the race, rider, james Noble of the RWj Honda team, finished with 4-4 results. In the MX2 class, Molson Kawasaki rider Tom Church went 2-2, with Champ KTM rider Carl Nunn on a factory KTM 250cc four-stroke finishing with 1-3 results. Also shining brightly was Yamaha UK rider Billy victory played out around a very rough Polesworth circuit in the midlands and, with good starts and consistent lap times, Coppins Mackenzie, who went 4-1. American Mike Brown again struggled with a sixth place in the second moto and a looked solid. Second place in England went to Coppins' DNF in moto one. Melotte made an error, giving the lead to Everts. Townley held a top-five position until his machine broke. early-season form and will now head to May 14 - Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, California June 4 - Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin July 30 - USA International Raceway, Shawano, Wisconsin August 20-21 - Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Copper Mountain, Colorado September 24 - Music City Motorplex, Nashville, Tennessee October 1 - Downtown Reno, Reno, Nevada - - - -.... 0: W J: U Geoff Meyer !j: :< '" g >- Ron Griewe, Former Cycle World Magazine Editor, Dies The motorcycle industry is mourning the loss of Ron Griewe. Griewe, Motorsports in San Bernardino, California, until 2002, when health 65, died Thursday, March 24, in Fontana, California, of congestive heart failure. issues forced him to retire. Griewe is survived by his wife, Marylin; two sons, Donnie and Brian; An avid and accomplished off-road rider, the "Ogre," as he was affectionately known as by his friends, lived in Victorvilie, California, and was the senior test editor for Cycle World magazine for 16 years before moving to Utah and joining ATK from 1993 to 1996. In 1997, and four grandchildren, Melanie, Coty, Shelby and Adam. Memorial services will be held on April 10 at the Percy Bake Community Center, 9333 E. Ave., Hesperia, California, between noon and 3 p.m. Griewe moved back to California and went to work for Chaparral 12 APRIL 6, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS A memorial trail ride is being planned.

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