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/128399
Briefly... Continued from page 9 are two-time AHA Champion Mike Faria and 2003 championship runner-up Ryan Fisher. The Rivenlde Old-TImers MX Club has announced a date and location change for the originally scheduled REM/Glen Helen Raceway event. Originally slated to run at Glen Helen on October 9, the club has moved its race to Racetown 39S in Adelanto, California, on October B. The race will be an afternoon event, with signup scheduled for noon and practice at I: 15 p.m. All old-timers, support and minis are welcome, and trophies will be presented that day. For more information, visit the club's website at www.rotmx.org. The 60th edition of the Motocross of (Above) Eddie Lawson was on hand in New York City to help Yamaha debut its new sportbike lineup. (Left) Jason DiSalvo joined Lawson in the festivities. Vamaha continued its 50th anniversary celebration by debutt ing its updated sportbikes in New York City's Central Park on a brilliantly sunlit morning on October I. To help with the celebration, Yamaha flew in four-time SOOcc World Champion Eddie Lawson and Yamaha AMA road racer Jason DiSalvo. Bringing the new Yamahas to Wollman Rink in Central Park was the brainchild of Yamaha's motorsports communications boss Bob Starr, himself a former New Englander. "New York and New England and the East Coast is such a strong sportbike market that it's a natural to do something here, and if I had my choice, I'd drop it in Central Park, New York City, make a big deal about that," he said. A stroke of good luck allowed Yamaha to piggyback its intro on to an existing motoring event. "It just so happened that we found this New York City Concours d'Elegance going on, and the organizers were great to work with," Starr said. "The timing was perfect. At the same time, we have the deal going on at Alice's Restaurant [in San Francisco with three-time SOOcc World Champion Wayne Rainey and former Supersport Champion Jamie HackingJ." Hacking was expected to fly to New York on Sunday. "It's very focused on the customer, giving them back a little bit that they never get in New York City," Starr said. President of Yamaha Motor Company Takashi Kajikawa, along with other senior Yamaha officials, including Dennis McNeal, vice-president of motorcycle operations in the United States, and Akira Sano, president of Yamaha Motors U.S., also stopped by on their way up north. Yamaha's Canadian dealer meeting was set for Sunday and Monday, October 2 and 3, and some of the New York motorcycles would be traveling to Toronto. "Mr. Kajikawa was going to be here for that," Starr said. "He came in a little bit early to come and be here for this. So, obviously, that's a big honor to have him here and the people, the consumers, here to see that." Yamaha has at least one more important announcement to make this year - the composition of its race team. It's believed that Eric Bostrom, Jason DiSalvo and Jamie Hacking will all race the new YZF-R I LE in Superstock. Bostrom and DiSalvo will race the YZF-R6 in Formula Xtreme, with Jamie Hacking campaigning the new 600 in Supersport. Starr wouldn't confirm the details. "Not everything is signed at this point," he said. "We'll release it as soon as we possibly can. We really want to do what makes the most sense given the motorcycle lineup," Henny Ray Abrams Nations will take place in Great Britain next year and has been confirmed to run at the historic Farleigh Castle circuit near Bath in England, September 23-24. Bike it Promotions will promote the event. "It is fantastic for us to have the Nations again in Britain, and to bring the race back to Farleigh after 21 years will be a special treat for all offroad motorcycle racing fans in the United Kingdom," said event co-organizer Steve Dixon, who is also the manager of the Bike it Yamaha World Championship team that fields Billy Mackenzie, currently the country's top rider. "We have a great company behind the event in Bikeit.co.uk, and we can make sure that Farleiglh will be ready for all the fans and spectators wiho normally come to visit this meeting from across Europe. It could be another 15 years before we see it again," A new om~ia1 website will be launched shortly at www.mxofnations.com. Robert "Bob" Lunsford Sr., passed away Tuesday, September 27, at his horne in BeIIeYiIIe, Texas. Lunsford was 72. Lunsford was an active member of the motorcycle industry, purchasing the Honda dealership in downtown Houston, Texas, in 1967 and moving it in 1972 to north Houston. Bob Lunsford's Northwest Honda is currently run by Bob's son Ronnie Lunsford, a longtime racer with the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association. A funeral service was held on Friday, September 30, at SI. John's Lutheran Church in Belleville. Cards and remem· brances may be sent to Ronnie Lunsford, c/o Bob Lunsford's Northwest Honda, 10102 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77037. Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division has announced the broadcast team for the 2005 U.S, Open from Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena that will air on NBC and feature host Pat Parnell, color analyst Robbie Floyd and pit reporter Kenan Harkin. The 200S U.S. Open will air on October 23 from 4:30-6 p.m. EST. "NBC Sports is happy to be working again with Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division on the U.S. Open. Superstars Ricky Carmichael and James 'Bubba' Stewart and a challenging Las Vegas track make for compelling racing and great television coverage," said Jon Miller, senior vice presiContinued on page 13 CYCLE NEWS • OCTOBER 12,2005 11