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/128374
Stoffer Repeats at NHRA Houston National ast April, Geico Suzuki rider Karen right combination for the windy, cloudy con- Stoffer became just the seventh woman ditions in Houston, and she assumed the favorite's role with a 7.14 in her win over L to win an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event when she won the O'Reilly Springnationals in Houston, Texas. Stoffer likely would have won more races in 2004, but a crash in Columbus Ohio late in the year derailed her rise to the top. But Stoffer made up for lost time on April lOin Houston as she collected her second win, with a close 7.17 to 7.20 finalround win over first-time finalist Kurt Matte. "We're about ready to start buying property in Houston - I love this place," Stoffer said. ''I'm not really sure if there is anything different about this track, but for some reason, our bike runs really well here." Stoffer qualified just 15th in the 16-bike field, with a 7.17, but on race day, she was among the class leaders. Stoffer also managed to avoid some of the mistakes and the freak breakage that sidelined a number of pre-race favorites, including U.S. Army teammates Antran Brown and Angelle Sampey, who both went out in round one. Reigning NHRA champ Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson's Andrew Hines also lost early when he had a late light against Stoffer, whose 7.20 defeated Hines' quicker 7.19. By round two, Stoffer and her husband/crew chief Gary had found the former AMNPro Star champ Ryan Schnitz, who broke on his Muzzy Buell. "That run really turned our race around," Stoffer said. "We were struggling a bit to that point but that's when we finally started to realize our potential. I had a lot of confidence after that." Stoffer remained consistent, with a 7. 15 in the semifinals that held off the 7.26 of Screamin' Eagle Harley's G.T. Tonglet. On the other side of the ladder, Matte was enjoying the best race of his young career. A privateer who fields his own Star Racing-powered Suzuki, he had won just one round of competition heading into the Houston race but tripled his win total with upset victories over Chris Rivas, Chip Ellis and recent Gainesville champ and current points leader Steve Johnson. Matte was consistent if not spectacular with a string of 7.2second runs. The clock struck midnight on Matte's Cinderella story in the final as his 7.20 came up just short of Stoffer's victorious 7.17. '1\11 day, we were just trying to make solid runs, and the win light kept coming on in my lane," Matte said. "I don't have a big budget Karen Stoffer and crew celebrate a repeat victory at the 2005 NHRA O'Reilly Springnationals in Houston, Texas. Stoffer also won the event in 2004. win the race, but I'm happy. At least we were Stoffer not only won the race, but she need to avoid a repeat of the rest of the season when we struggled. We have a new three-year contract with Geico Motorcycle, was also able to move to within two points and that has made a huge difference for our team. We now have the funding to test like and I don't have a full-time crew, but we of Johnson after two of I5 rounds. "We started the same way last year, with manage to get by. I had a vacuum leak in the final and that probably cost me a chance to a second-round finish in Gainesville and a win in Houston," Stoffer said. "Now we just Husqvarna on Solid Footing Husqvarna appears to be in a state of health it has not enjoyed since the brand's heyday throughout the '70s and mid '80s. Husqvarna manufactured just over 12,000 off-road bikes in 2004, and with a target of 15,000 for this year, production is already in full flow on three of the four assembly lines in the MV Agusta Group's Cassinetta, Italy, plant. "Our ceiling for Husqvarna will be 20,000 bikes a year within the next three years," says MV Agusta Group head Claudio Castiglioni. "Not more than this, for a similar reason to MY. We want to keep quality high and the brand an exclusive one. The off-road market has worthwhile volume but stays at a very constant level, which makes it easy for a man- ufacturer to achieve saturation, as I believe has happened with one significant competitor which has been forced to expand into the street bike sector to compensate for this." Presumably he's referring to KTM - but the exciting news is that Husqvarna is indeed also planning to develop a twincylinder on-/off-road range, powered by an all-new family of V-twin engines, which it will manufacture itself alongside the existing HVA singles and MV fours in its Schiranna, Italy, engine plant. Castiglioni confirms that this is so but says that it'll take four years at least for this to happen. "My intention is to develop a twin-cylinder Husqvarna with all the traditional qualities and sporting traditions of the marque," he said, "The only question is, what lUnd of twincylinder bike? There are so many potential ways in which to pOSition such a model, from hard enduro through to adventure tourer, even 100-percent tarmac models like a naked sports. We're still deciding." An added advantage of developing such an engine - almost certainly a compact, relatively narrow-angle eight-valve V- 10 APRIL 20,2005 • CYCLE NEWS able to make a good race of it." the other teams, so I'm expecting big things for us. Hopefully, this is just the beginning." Kevin McKenna twin capable of being built in various capacities from 650cc to looocc - is that it would provide justification for the increased Proton-sourced investment needed to expand the MV engine plant as well as provide a long-term basis for the relaunch of the Cagiva marque. Production of the 650 Raptor is now once again in full flow, powered like its 10000c counterpart by Suzuki V-twin engines, but Cagiva's own power units will eventually replace the Suzukis', "We are a true motorcycle manufacturer, not a virtual one whose entire range employs motors manufactured outside the company," Castiglioni says. "We've proved ourselves capable of developing and manufacturing entirely in-house engines ranging from a 50cc single-cylinder two-stroke, up to a four-cylinder inline four-stroke producing 180 bhp in street form, Such a company can perfectly well produce a 650cc Vtwin engine producing 70 bhp, or a 100-horsepower 1000cc V-twin, and it's true that this is one of the priorities we must address together with Proton in determining at the same time what kind of power units they need for the Asian market, which may also be used in future Cagiva models. Their sophisticated rapid prototyping capability will allow us to respond very fast once a decision about this has been made." In the meantime, as well as making the single-cam 610 easier and more convenient to ride, with an electric start fit- ted to all models, MV engineers are concentrating on developing the all-new Husqvarna 250cc four-stroke motor, which is expected to reach the dyno this spring and to enter production in 2006. This four-valve power unit is extremely compact and light, even by the standards of Husqvarna's rivals, weighing just 46.2 pounds when fitted with a five-speed gearbox (there's space for a six-speeder, too), with electric start as standard. Projected power outputs are 35 bhp in enduro form, and a startling 40 bhp in MX guise. Alan Cathcart With its oH-road bike. rapidly nearing the performance level. of the be.t of its Japane.e competition, Husqvama i. pu.hing forward by expanding production and increasing its R&D eHot1•. Both a 250cc fou.....troke oH-road/MX line and a hl,her capacity V-twin engine - a la Aprilia - are In the worles right now.