Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Bucky On The Mend Conrinuea from page 9 3D Yea,..- Ago... 5eptelnber 23. 1975 Advanstar has announced that Kawasaki will post more than $244,000 in factory contingency for the upcoming BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series presented by K&N Filters. With $2000 going to the winner of the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes each night, Kawasaki is offering the largest winning-per-race payout yet for the BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series, according to Advanstar. "Kawasaki's support program has always been one of the best in the industry," said Mike Kidd, Arenacross Race Director for Advanstar. "With Kawasaki posting $2000 to win per night for both the 125cc and 250cc races, there's .1!I!'!"'!iIIip""'!!,.1 We featured the new KTM 250 MX on the cover of Cycle News 30 years ago. At $1725, we said the KTM was a real bargain... We reported that Jim Pomeroy won a moto at the Trophee des Nations at Maggiora, Italy. He went 1-6 on the day, but teammates Tony DiStefano, Kent Howerton and Brad Lackey did not fair as well, and the team lost to Belgium, which contained three World Champions: Gaston Rahier, Harry Everts and Roger DeCoster... Corky Keener won his second consecutive AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series half mile in Toledo... WalTen Reid topped Mike Bell and Broc Glover in a 125cc Pro race at Saddleback. Jeff Jennings outdueled Bob Hannah in the 250cc class, while the late Jim West won the 500cc class. - !jJill ill ,. Kawasaki's new GPzlOOORX Ninja graced the cover of Cycle News 20 years ago. It was fast and powerful but also heavy at a claimed 526 pounds... David Bailey, Jeff Ward and Ron Lechien gave the U.S. its fifth straight win at the MX des Nations in Gaildorf, West Germany... Ricky Graham won the San Jose Mile, but Bubba Shobert clinched the GNC title... Willie Surratt, George Holland and Willie Simons were the big winners at the Trans-Cal Series in Huron, California... In the middle of the Nevada desert, Anthony Pasqualotto teamed up with Billy Hill to win the Frontier 500 - and they did it aboard an M-Star. ---- - 1D Yea,..- Ago... 5ept.ember i!D. 1995 For clinching his secconsecutive .iliiiii.., World Superbike title, Carl Fogarty was featured on the cover I0 years ago this week, as was the new 1996 Honda CRI2SR... We interviewed 15-year-old Ricky Carmichael after he competed in his last minicycle race. In it he said that he's "pretty much just like any other kid."... We also chatted with new 125cc World Champion Alessandro Puzar. The Italian revealed that he earned about $216,500 that year... Geoff Aaron wrapped up his second consecutive National Trials Championship... Speaking of clinching things, Stefan Everts took the 250cc World MX title in France... We reported that Japan's Yasutomo Nagai died from injuries that he sustained at the World Superbike Championship in Assen, Holland. Sport Bike Night in Northern California will debut at its new location on Wednesday, September 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. with road racer Tony Meiring scheduled to appear. The new location for Sport Bike Night is The Ubrary at 7042 Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento, California. For more infonnation, visit www.sportbikenight.com or call 916/600-3742. racing as these athletes race for the big pay- AMA Pro Racing has announced that it will again recognize outstanding efforts in racewin advertising at its annual championship awards banquet, scheduled for Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 19. Introduced in 2004, the Fox Racing took the honor for best ad in the Ad Awards, and Dunlop was the recipient of Best Campaign. Kerry Graeber, AHA Pro Racing vice president and director out of sure to be some very close and competitive in the BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series." Riders can register for the "Race Rewards Program" at participating Kawasaki dealers or online at www.kawasakirewards.comfTeamGreen. i!D Yea,..- Ago... 5eptember i?S. 1985 ond Briefly... Road racer Damon Buckmaster isn't sure where he'll be racing next year, but he is sure that he'll be healthier than he was this year. At the final race of the season at Road Atlanta, Buckmaster revealed that he'd been suffering carpal-tunnel syndrome since shortly after injuring his right wrist at the 2004 Barber race. The condition caused his hand to go numb late in the races, and thus, Dr. Thomas Bryan performed corrective surgery on Friday, September 9. "That was Friday, so I just want to let the wound heal a little bit before I start to get physiotherapy on it," Buckmaster said of the 50-minute surgery. "It's healing well. By the end of the week, I could get some physiotherapy at least, get some blood going. It feels really good; I'm moving the fingers, moving the hand. I'm sort of judging by how weill can open the fridge door at the moment. It's feeling better every day. It's going to be good, I think." Buckmaster opted to stay awake for the procedure, with only a tourniquet on the arm to deaden the area. He and his surgeon kept up a running dialogue throughout the procedure. "He indicated that once he got in there and saw it that it was in desperate need of some attention," Buckmaster said. "Everything was kind of squashed in there and there was no room for anything, and he completely understood what I'd been complaining about for three months. So he just opened it up and released the whole carpal tunnel area and said it should be good now." Buckmaster plans to return to his home north of Sydney, Australia, on September 21. But if it looks like a deal is imminent to race in the U.S., he'll stick around to sign a contract. At the moment, he has two solid offers to race in Australia, but he would rather stay here. The most likely seat is on the Attack Kawasaki team, but there's been no movement of late. Henny Ray Abroms Ten-time World Sidecar Champion Steve Webster has retired, according to his team, ending a record-breaking career as the most successful sidecar racer in the history of the FIM World Championships. "I've had a fantastic career," Webster said. "I've enjoyed every minute, but it just feels right to stop now, as no one can go on forever. I had a couple of months off due to illness, which I'm now over, and I found out I didn't miss it anymore. Everyone has to stop sometime, and that time for me, at 45, is now. I don't feel sad about it. It's been my decision to go now. I haven't been forced into it, so I'm going with a happy heart and a smile and taking with me so many good memories from friends and rivals. I've had a great team around me over the years, and it is that close teamwork that has given us the success. There are many people involved who all do a little bit behind the scenes, and all that wori< adds up to win the championships the team has won, so thanks to all of you - you know who you are. It's truly been a great time, and it's lasted for 25 years. It was something I started doing as a hobby, and I've managed to make it a profession - what more could I have wanted?" Webster won his first World title in 19B7, and he has notched up the distinction of being the only FIM World Champion to win 10 road racing championships in one class. A benefit auction to help injured riders will be held on Sunday, September 18 at the Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park in Axton, Virginia. Several of the top professional motocrossers have given to the auction with items including autographed jerseys pants, hats, number plates and goggles. For more information, visit www.lakesugartree.com or call 276/650-1 158. Braun Entertainment, the producers of the Amateur Open of Motocross, has announced that the 2005 event will again be held the week after Thanksgiving (November 29-December 4) at the Arizona Cycle Pari<, west of Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.BraunEntertainment.com or call 607/742-942B. communications, said the selection process was difficult. ''A large number of outstanding, very well-produced ads and campaigns were submitted last year," Graeber said. "It was tough selecting a single winner for each category. With the great wori< being done again this year, we expect the selection process to continue to be a challenge." Individual ads can be entered into the Best Ad category or a group of ads can be submitted and entered Into the Best Campaign category. Ads promoting racing from the 2005 AMA racing season are eligible as are ads that promote a 2004 championship victory. Ads from any medium are eligible. Graeber encourages anyone responsible for producing race-win advertising, including agencies and advertisers, to enter. Finalists will be notified by October 25, and winning entries will be announced at the banquet. Complete information, including rules and a downloadable entry form, are available at www.amaproracing.com. AFM, the American Federation of Motorcyclists, announced that its efforts to improve motorcycle safety at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, have received a boost from the Roadracing World Action Fund, which will provide 10 Airfence Bike modules to the AFM for use at motorcycle races and track days. Kevin Smith, president of the AFM, said: "It's gratifying to have the Roadracing World Action Fund support our goal of making Infineon Raceway safer for motorcycle racers and riders. The AFM has taken the first step, but we need support such as this from the motorcycling community to make it succeed." Donations for the AFM Airfence Fund are still needed to offset the $80,000 cost of purchasing the Airfence Bike modules. More information is available at www.afmracing.org or by calling Smith at 4081B96-6505. All funds will go toward purchasing the modules, with the goal of having them in place for the 2006 season. Airfence Bike modules are not inflated but have an internal foam frame that is designed to keep the modules working even after an impact. The AFM plans to make the system available for rent to all motorcycle users of Infineon Raceway and to use the proceeds to maintain the modules and purchase additional modules. The Bridgestone Global Group of Companies donated more than $1 million to Conrinuea on page 14 CYCLE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 13

• Cover