Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Briefly... Salminen Again at John Penton Suzuki-mounted Cole Siebler won the fourth round of the Western Four-Stroke National MX Series in Boise, Idaho, May 15. Siebler passed 17-year-old Jake Weiner on the last lap to win the first moto, and he followed that up with a less-dramatic win in the second moto. Weiner; also on a Suzuki, went 2-2 for second overall. Honda rider Leighton Ullie finished third overall with a 3-5. Defending champ Mike Corder went 6-4 on the day. GNCC uha Salminen recorded his third win in a row and the fifth of the year after topping the Wiseco John Penton GNCC In Millfield, Ohio, May 15. The factory KTM rider jumped out to an early lead and rode off to victory with more than a three-minute cushion over fellow KTM rider Robbie jenks. ''I'm still working hard at this, but honestly, it was easy today," Salminen said. Ohio's own jenks enjoyed one of his best GNCC finishes with his first podium of the year. "This is my hometown track, and it was awesome today," Jenks said. "The fans, they kept me motivated." Finishing third was former hare scrambles champ Doug Blackwell on the SCR Suzuki. For Blackwell, his first podium finish of the year was long overdue. "I've been struggling so hard this year, I didn't even know if I still wanted to go racing," Blackwell said. "Things haven't been working out like I hoped." Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk Jr. finished fourth, while FMFlThrottiehead.com/Kawasaki's Steve Hatch rounded out the top-five overall. Many of the stars of the series struggled in Ohio. Suzuki's Fred Andrews finished a distant eighth, while his teammate Glenn Kearney finished IBth after he crashed in the first turn and had to make a stop in the pits for repairs. Am-Pro Yamaha's Jason Raines took the checkered nag in 12th, while KTM rider Shane Watts pulled out of the race near the midway point. After seven of 13 rounds, Salminen holds a commanding points lead over Hawk, 196-123. Kearney is third with 121. Jason Weigandt J Ducati Austin's Neil Hodgson and Eric Bostrom. and Ducati North America CEO Michael Lock were on hand dUring the grand opening party and exclusive U.S. debut of Ducati's SportClassic bikes at Ducati New York in Manhattan on May 10. The dealership, on Sixth Avenue in the SoHo district of New York, returns Ducat; to New York City after an extended absence. Among the 5portCiassics to break cover at Ducati New York was the PaulSmart I000 Limited Edition, inspired by Paul Smart's 750 Imola racer. The grand opening marked the only time that the Ducati SportClassics will be on display in North America prior to the highly anticipated delivery of the production models in December 2005. The legislative action office AMA District 35 has announced that the Hangtown AMA National Motocross round on May 22 will mark the debut of the number-36 LAO Fund-Raising Bike Raffle promotion. All funds garnered from ticket sales will go toward fighting for the right to ride and land-use defense funding in areas such as Clear Creek and the Eldorado National Fonest, as well as legal funding for the BlueRibbon Coalition. The bike is "tricked out" with support from sponsors such as A1pineStars, Acerbis, Big Gun Exhausts, Renthal, Maxxis Tires, DirtWerkz DMC lap timer and a host of other sponsors that donated product. The raffled tickets will sell for $5 each. KTM's Juha Salminen won his third race in a row, at the John Penton GNCC in Ohio. "We were able to test our XR750s down in Houston for the Hot Shoe in April, then test the KTMs a bit as well down in Waco [Texas1 later in the month. Things are going well, but I'm definitely anxious to get back on the track." After one race, Carr's currently in second-place overall, racing his KTM 4S0 SX on to the podium at Daytona Beach's Municipal Stadium in the opening round of the series. "It's more of a hybrid between a Carr Ready for Action It's been roughly 10 weeks since the Ford Quality Checked Certified PreOwned/AMA Flat Track Series got under way in Daytona Beach, Florida, and since then, four-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr and his Ford Quality Checked team have been busy getting both his XR750s and KTMs ready'for when then season resumes on May 21 in Joliet, Illinois. "I've been trying to do a little bit of everything since Daytona," Carr said. Access Victory for Off-Roaders State off-highway vehicle organizations and a national trail-based recreation group claimed a big victory in a legal ruling last week when it was ruled that over 2000 miles of recreational roads and trails will remain open on the Eldorado National Forest in California. Anti-access advocates had asked the court to dose the entire National Forest to motorized users, according to the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC). Senior U.S. District judge Lawrence K. Karlron issued a tentative ruling that directs Forest Service attorneys to prepare an order authorizing vehicular travel on approximately 2245 miles of recreational system roads and trails, according to the BRC. The judge had issued an earlier ruling that found the 1990 Travel Management Plan and 1999 Rock Creek Trail Plan to be out of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Groups praising the ruling include the California Enduro Riders Association, the California Association of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs. District 36 of the AMA, the California Off-Road Vehicle Association and the BRC. "1 think judge Karlton looked at all the issues and decided to try and find some middle ground," said Paul Turcke, lead counsel The Dan Rouit Flattrack Museum will hold its 14th annual open house on May 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Clovis, Califomia. The open house will show off Rouit's remodeled showroom and will feature S6 bikes on display as well as videos, programs, helmets and assorted memorabilia. For more information, call 5S9/29 1-2242. motocrosser and a nat track bike," Carr said of the KTM. "It looks like a motocross bike, but rides like a nat tracker. We changed the geometry a bit, and I'm liking the way it handles." While testing down south, Carr got the team together - including teammate Willie McCoy and their tuners, Kenny Tolbert (Carr) and Bubba Bentley (McCoy) - and went trail riding on some private property down in Texas. "It was a great way to build team comradery," Carr said. for the recreation groups. "The ruling also directs the agency to further analyze travel management on a forestwide basis and orders them to follow their 1999 Rock Creek Trail Plan." Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, said: "1 think this is a huge victory for those of us who champion responsible use of our forest lands. The antiaccess groups had wanted to close the entire forest to the public, but they were wrong. I think the judge looked at the various partnerships that exist between the agency and user groups, and that had a positive affect." The case is titled Center for Sierra Nevoda Conservotion v. Berry, case no. CV-03-325. Hustler Apparel and Accessories has been added to the sponsor list of No Limit Motorsports, according to No Limits. Executives of the clothing company were guests of the No Limit Motorsports team during the Fontana, Califomia, round of the 2005 AMA Superbike Series. With headquarters in Valencia, California, Hustler Apparel markets its clothing and accessories through a number of companyowned stores along with hundreds of resellers located throughout the United States and the world, according to No Limit. Meanwhile, No Limit rider Jason Curtis remains sidelined, as he is still recovering from a shoulder injUry and the subsequent surgery performed by Dr. Arthur Ting. Rather than risk further aggravation of his injuries by coming back too soon, Curtis has opted to wait until the Pikes Peak round of the 2005 AMA Superbike Series. West Coast Supennoto has added a new date to its schedule. A session will be held on Tuesday, May 24 at the Stockton Motorplex. It will be a level-one class. For more information visit, www.westcoastsupermoto.com. Continued on page " CYCLE NEWS • MAY 25, 2005 9

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