Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Ellis Wins Route 66 NHRA for a Friend Chip Ellis, rider of the G-Squared S&S Buell, became the fifth different Pro Stock Motorcycle winner in five races this season when he won the Carquest Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, on June 12. Ellis won for the first time this season by beating former series champ Geno Scali in the final round with a 7.20 to Scali's slowing 7.34. For Ellis and the entire GSquared team, the win had a special meaning, as it came without their longtime crew chief, Ken Johnson, who was seriously injured earlier in the week in a non racing ATV accident. "This win was for Ken," Ellis said. "He's my best buddy, and this is the first race that he's missed in 20 years. I never realized how much Ken did until he wasn't here. It took four of us to replace him. We all had to work together this weekend and whatever we did, right or wrong, paid off. This is a real special win. It Ellis, who was competing in just his ninth NHRA race, qualified third in the 16-bike field behind reigning NHRA champ Andrew Hines' Screamin' Eagle V-Rod and Antron Brown's U.S. Army Suzuki. On race day, Ellis opened with wins over the S&S-powered Buell's of Matt Guidera and Ryan Schnitz, winner of the recent Columbus, Ohio, round. Ellis' best performance carne in the semifinals, where he used a starting-line holeshot to beat Angelle Sampey's U.S. Army Suzuki. Sampey was quicker wich a 7.22, but Ellis got the early lead and held on for the win with a 7.2S. "I haven't been real proud of my riding lately so it was good to win one that way:' said Ellis, who moved from eighch to second in the points standings with the win. "I feel like I'm finally back on track with my riding, so that's another plus." Another rider who found reason for optimism in Joliet was Chicago native Scali, who won the NHRA Championship in 2003 but has done little since. Scali did not appear in a final round during the 2004 season and finished a disappointing sixth in the standings, but he has been rejuvenated since the start of 2OOS. Scali was just the 12th-quickest qualifier on his Trim-Tex Suzuki, but he had one of the quickest bikes in eliminations with a best of 7.17 in his wins over points leader G.T. Tonglet, Matt Smith and early season leader Steve Johnson. "I wanted to win, but it felt good just to get back to a final," Scali said. "We've been capable of chis type of performance all season, but this is the first time we've gotten to show it. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going." The Chicago event continued a recent trend in Pro Stock Motorcycle racing, as through the first fIVe events of the 2OOS, no racer has appeared in more than one final round. In addition to Ellis, Steve Johnson, G.T. Tonglet, Karen Stoffer and Ryan Schnitz have won races, and Scali, Kurt Matte, Chris Rivas, Andrew Hines and Craig Treble have all earned runner-up finishes in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive season. Kevin McKenna Briefly... Continued from page 7 continuous grand prix site on the calendar, with the first Dutch TT run in 19S2. That circuit was 16.S36 km (I 0.27S miles) and ran for 10 laps. The track was first shortened in 1955 to 7.704 km (3.573 miles) and was shortened marginally again a few times before being shortened by a kilometer in 1984. There were more minor changes to che 2004 length of 6.027 km (3.74S) miles. The track is undergoing yet another shortening for 2004, with traditionalists decrying che loss of one of che crademark sections of track. French road racer Olivier Jacque will race a third factory Kawasaki MotoGP bike in the German and Valencia Grand Prix events in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, the team announced. In addition to these two wildcard appearances, Jacque has been signed as Kawasaki's test and development rider and is scheduled to complete 12 test days aboard the Ninja ZX-RR. Jacque's test role wiil include working with Kawasaki engineers on the development program for the prototype 2006 model ZX-RR, and with Bridgestone technicians on tire testing, the team says. For the German and Valencia races, Jacque will race a third Ninja ZX-RR machine alongside regular factory riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann. "It is a very satisfying moment in my career to sign chis new contract wich Kawasaki. I have not had a full-time job in MotoGP for 18 monchs:' Jacque said. "I'm very motivated for the race and test program Kawasaki have given me. I like boch che German and Valencia circuits, and I think the ZX-RR has a very high potential. It is an honor to be che rider who will begin the testing of che 2006 prototype Kawasaki MotoGP machine." Jacque has already raced twice for Kawasaki chis season as a substitute for the injured Hofmann in China and France. On a rain-soaked Shanghai track in May, Jacque rode to a second-place finish, delivering Kawasaki's best-ever result in MotoGP. In what they called an "amicable split:' British Superbike team Rizla Suzuki and its number-two rider Scott Smart issued a release last week that stated their intent to go their "separate ways in search of improved results and performance." Robert Wicks, Rizla Suzuki team manager, said: "We are disappointed not to have been alble to unlock Scott's obvious potential as a Superbike racer; however, we need to move for- ward and improve our results. Rizla Suzuki is results-driven, and we have not been delivering the values our partners require during the first six rounds of che year. It is best for boch Rizla Suzuki as a team and Scott as a talented professional racer if we pursue our separate paths. We accept that there have been contributing factors chat have made Scott's job extremely difficult The injury to John Reynolds added unexpected pressure, Scott has not always agreed with the direction the team wishes to cake, we lacked testing due to the late delivery of che race bike, and everyone in che team has had to adjust to a new structure. "There is no question II that I struggled to gel wich che Rizla Suzuki G5X-R I000," Smart said. "We tried making many changes, and I still couldn't find a competitive setting. I had very little confidence in the bike, and that was reflected in my results. Whiie I didn't always agree with che team on ways to improve the race bike, I do agree wich them now that we should have a clean break and go our separate ways. For che benefit of my own career, I need to get back winning races, and I am now looking for anocher team to achieve that with. I know how important it is for Rizla Suzuki to get results, and I personally want to see MXC, as an investor in my career; and Rizla Suzuki be successful on both counts. I wish Rizla Suzuki well for the rest of che season." A few days later, the RizJa Suzuki team announced that it had hired James Haydon for che remainder of che British Superbike season. The 30-year-old Haydon already has experience with the team after racing at Qul- ton and Mondello Park on the GSX-R I000 whiie substituting for the injured John Reynolds earlier in the season. Prior to that, he took five Superbike race wins for Crescent Suzuki in 1998 and 1999. "I am honored to have been asked to join Rizla Suzuki and want noching more chan to repay that faith in me with race wins," Haydon said. "Racing for che team for two rounds earlier in the year really whetted my appetite. The approach of the team to racing is so professional and positive. I really enjoyed myself, and chis is a dream come true. I have missed too many rounds to challenge for the title in 2005, but 1 have been tasked wich winning as many races and scoring as many podiums as possible in che second half of the season. That's my only aim now, and with a bike as good as che Rizla Suzuki, I can't wait to get started." Haydon joins che team immediately at Donington Park for a two-day test, June 14-16. In an effort to make the riders of the AHA Motocross Championship even more approachalble to fans, che National Promoters Group (NPG). in cooperation wich che motorcycle OEMs, has come up wich a racer meet-and-greet program that will afford Outdoor National motocross fans who arrive to che track on Saturday the opportunity to meet with some of their favorite Pro racers before the race-day crowd rolls in on Sunday. Dubbed "FanFest," the event debuted at High Point and proved to be popular with the fans. "With our historically liberal Pro-pit admittance policies and openness of our achletes in general, the Nationals are recognized - pretty much more than any other form of motorsport by the amazing access allotted to our fans:' explained NPG member Amy Ritchie of RedBud. "Name anocher form of racing, with as reasonably-priced a ticket, where you can enter the front gate and choose the area you want - not, say, being limited to Seat S, Row II, Section 245. Stand along the amazing whoops section at Miilville. Sit up in che grandstands at LaRocco's Leap. Climb Me. St. Helen. Wich little time for Amateur racing programs on Saturday, the NPG has been working on fan-friendly additions to che Saturday program, like the Parts Unlimited Minibike Championships presented by Great Lakes Powersports chat began in 2003. Many of our fans come to the races to camp out and race Amateur days, which puts chem at the track one to two days prior to the National. We want to provide an entire weekend of motocross activities for these families. When che NPG suggested a Saturday meet-and-greet session after Pro practice, the OEMs were glad to help out and give their riders an opportunity to interact with che folks at che crack." The "FanFest" kicked off at High Point with Team Kawasaki, featuring James "Bubba" Stewart and Michael Byrne, along with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racers Matt Walker, Ivan Tedesco, Grant Langston, Paul Carpenter and Stephane Roncada. Here's a look at which teams will be appearing at the NPG's FanFest che rest of the summer, 4 to 5 p.m. on the Saturday before Sunday's National: at Southwick, Suzuki; at Budds Creek, Yamaha and Yamaha of Troy; at RedBud, Kawasaki and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki; Unadilla, KTM; at Thunder Valley, Honda; at Washougal, Yamaha and Yamaha of Troy; at Spring Creek, Suzuki; at Broome-Tioga. Honda; at Steel City, Kawasaki and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki; at Glen Helen, Yamaha and Yamaha of Troy. Three-time AHA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler has announced the official launch of Champ Racing School. Chandler's school is specifically developed for serious road racers and aspiring Pros. Schools will be conducted at various locations across the western United States with plans to expand nationwide. In addition, Champ Racing is affiliated with Keigwin and The Track Club. The school has also reunited Chandler with Kawasaki, Muzzy and sponsors Arai, Shift, Lockhart Phillips and Bel-Ray. For more information, visit www.champ-racing.com. .. Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath, along with ocher property owners, have teamed up with Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and che AHA to help educate Riverside County (California) officials in an effort to keep proposed OHV ordinances from discriminating against off-roaders. In an effort to educate Riverside county officials on how a reasonable QHV ordinances can be written, ORBA and the AHA have teamed up to cultivate a better working environment among the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and planning officials and the local OHV community, according to che ORBA. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure both off-roaders and their neighbors can live together wichout infringing on private property owners' rights. "The off-road industry and user community is very aware of the problems excessive sound creates with neighbors and the surrounding properties:' the ORBA release reads. "We believe the key to solving chis problem is to moderate che sound levels made by the OHVs and to establish reasonalble hours of operation. The ordinance as written today is excessive and possibly discriminatory, as it includes special rules only for people who choose to recreate on OHVs." UPMC Sports Medicine has announced its second Motocross Training Mini-Camp, scheduled for Saturday, July 23, at its facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. UPMC Sports Continued on poge II CYCLE NEWS. JUNE 22, 2005 9

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