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/128407
As The World Supermoto Turns... W th the World Supermoto Championship season over, the focus now shifts to silly season, a large part of which has to with KTM's decision to not have an in-house team anymore, leaving two-time 5 I World Supermoto Champion Thierry van den Bosch and new S2 World Supermoto Champion Boris Cham bon without rides for 2006. Bernd Hiemer, meanwhile, will still get factory support from KTM and will run his own team for which he is trying to obtain outside sponsorship. Van den Bosch has been seen testing the factory Aprilia extensively in late November, and that might be his final destination for the 2006 season. Cham bon has also talked with Aprilia as well, but it seems that his future may include the color yellow, as he will probably ride a Suzuki in 2006 with the support of Rigo Moto or with Francis Batta's Corona Suzuki Team. Briefly... Welsh road racer Glenn Allerton rode his Suzuki to victory in the 2005 Maxxis Australian Supermoto Championship at the Cameron Park Kart Track in New South Wales. Allerton was helped out in his cause when Husqvarna's Troy Herross suffered a broken arm in the opening S2 race. With Herfoss out of action, Allerton only had to maintain his composure for the remainder of the program to claim the premier class honors. The 24-year-old obliged on Saturday, circulating to a couple of risk-free seconds and thirds, as Yamaha's Shannon Johnson and KTM's Stuart Bennett scored the race victories. Severe thunderstorms in the area forced race promoters to cancel Sun- The situation at Husqvarna may be tenuous at best, as the Proton deal signed not long by Cagiva to save the future of the Italian company is reported to be under revisions due to the change of the Government in Kuala Lumpur and the consequent disinterest from Asia to support Husqvarna activities. Which means that nothing has been decided yet, as far as a factory team for 2006. The only sure thing is that Ivan Lazzarini and Davide Gozzini both have contracts signed for next year with MV Agusta (Husqvarna), and in the worst-case scenario (if Husky decided it haven't enough budget) they might be paid not to race in 2006. Gerald Delepine and Eddy Seel are still waiting for Husqvarna to decide what it will do in '06. Aprilia is probably going to keep Fabrice Lecoanet in S I - Italy's Max Manzo is out - and both Bolley and Giraudo in S2. Van den Bosch might complete the lineup, but two of these four riders may end up on a satellite squad run by the Daverio racing team. Mario Mar;n; day's events and Allerton was crowned champion. "I'm absolutely rapt - this is just fantastic. I really wanted to win this championship for Suzuki," Allerton said. "The RMZ450 is the fastest Supermoto I've ever ridden - the engine has so much bottom end power, it's awesome. We definitely had the speed to win races, but with Herfoss out, I didn't need to push as hard to get a few extra points, and I wasn't going to do anything silly and throw it all away." Allerton is now the third different S2 winner in as many years, following in the footsteps of Honda's Mark Willis and Johnson in 2004. Team BooKoo's David Vuillemin is a confirmed starter in the Vancouver round of the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP - round two of the series on December 10 - accord- Columbus-based Resource International is All Change For Mid-Ohio creating the asphalt mix for the track with Last week's announcement that the Mid· help from Kokosing Materials' asphait design Ohio Sports Car Course would play host to two AMA Superbike Nationals in 2006 also mentioned major changes [0 the Lexington, Ohio, racetrack. Now TrueSports Inc., the owner of the track, has given some insight into what those changes will be. And they're plentiful. Among the improvements will be a complete track and pit lane resurfacing, and the creation of a connector in the track's famed Keyhole section. Also included in the project unveiling the changes in 2006." The resurfacing portion of the project already has begun, and wili include the milling of the entire road course and pit lane, subgrade and base reinforcement in certain areas, and drainage enhancements. Ohio's largest privately held generai contractor, Fredericktown-based Kokosing Construc- tion, is the project manager. The Dublin, Ohio, firm, Ronald J. Gajoch & Associates. is the architect. ''As with most of the design work we've division. ''A race track is a unique roadway, and the demands that modern racing machines place on it require a unique asphalt mix," said Kokosing Materials president Bob Bailey. "We'll be doing a great deal of testing as we proceed to ensure that the Mid-Ohio track is not only fast, but also safe, consistent and easy to maintain." Among the other off-season improve- ments taking place at Mid-Ohio is the com- the track, the relocation of the wall and overseen at Mid-Ohio, there were a lot of variables to consider," said Ron Gajoch, prin- pletion of an on-site motocross facility. The existing motocross venue will receive a num- guardrail at turn one, the expansion of gravel cipal of Ronald J. Gajoch & Associates. ber of upgrades in order to host AMA and traps at the exits of turn one and the Keyhole. the replacement of all remaining old-style "Maintaining the track's character, increasing its capabilities, and providing a surface that enhances safety for competitors and spectators alike were all imperative, and we've accounted for each with creative solutions." manufacturer events. will be the removal of concrete patches from catch-fencing, and the standardization of curbing throughout the circuit. In addition to enhancing performance and safety, these newest improvements will give the track three road-course configurations, The projects are slated to be completed in advance of the track's first spectator event of 2006, the American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio (May 19-21). new timing loops, additional capacity and flexibility for its track and driving school operations, a complete amateur motocross venue, and a wider range of events and activities for fans, according to TrueSports. "Continuous improvement has been a ing to Clear Channel. Vuillemin, who finished fourth in last year's AHA Supercross Series, has seven career 250cc main event wins and has finished second place in the AMA Supercross Series twice throughout his career (2000 and '02). In 2003, Vuillemin won the opening round of World Supercross GP in Geneva, SWitzerland. "I am really excited to race Vancouver for the first time," said Vuillemin. "I've never been there before! I am also excited to do my first official race with Team BooKoo. I am sure my mechanic, JP Savard, is happy to go race up there [Canada] since he is Canadian. He will take great pride in putting a well-tuned race bike on the line for me and Team BooKoo." Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is selling bricks to be placed in the patio above the Corkscrew, calling it the "perfect Holiday gift." Proceeds from the brick sale will go to the Laguna Seca Raceway Fund, which, in turn, benefits improvements and expansion of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Three sizes of bricks are available and a replica of the brick you choose can also be purchased and given to the honoree. All brick sales and donations to the non-profit Laguna Seca Raceway Fund are IOO-percent l3X deductible. Details on the "Steps to the Corlcscrew" program are available by visiting www.laguna-seca.com or by calling 877/4CORKSCREW hallmark of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course since its founding," said Michelle Trueman Gajoch, president of TrueSports, Inc., the owner and operator of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School. "As always, our goal with these improvements is a better, safer environment for our competitors and students, and a more complete and exciting facility for fans. We look forward to If the track change. go according to plan, the concrete patche. In the comen at Mid· Ohio will be a thing of the Walt Timme, the owner of TImme Motor Sales in Pueblo West, Colorado, died on Saturday, November 12 after a short illness. TImme was 91 years old. TImme became a Honda dealer in 19S9 and was also an enduro racer, hillclimber and flat tracker. Timme is survived by a sister and several nieces. Con';nued on page " CYCLE NEWS • DECEMBER 7, 2005 9