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/128599
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Continued from page 3
Fame in Detroit, Michigan, at a ceremony
scheduled for June. Hannah won three
outdoor titles, three Supercross crowns
and a Trans-AMA Series title during his
illustrious career.
same time turned in by World Champion
Alex Criville on the same day. "My speed
in comer is too high: Rossi said. "I ride
my NSR as a 250 machine. This is a
great mistake because with a 500 you
must be very prompt to open throttle to
exit fastest from comers. I must work to
change my riding style.•
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The Outlaw Dirt Tracker Club Winter Millennium Series has
announced new dates for its races at
Sarona Speedway Park in Ramona, California. Club events are now scheduled to
take place on Sundays, starting with the
February 6 race. Additional events are
scheduled for February 20, March 5 and
19, and April 9. For more information,
call 619/427-0979.
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Loris Capirossi also took part in the
test, his first as a member of the Si 0
Pons-owned Honda team. Capirossi
lapped at 1:43.6. "A 500 is still a 500 - a
machine that is hard to ride," Capirossi
said. "In respect to the past, now the
engine is easier to ride, but the chassis
and tires are the same that I knew very
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AMA Grand National Champion Chris
Carr and AMA Prostar Champion Rickey Gadson will appear at the Yuasa
booth during the 32nd annual Dealemews International Powersports Expo,
February 19-21, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Expo will take place at the Indiana
Convention Center and RCA Dome.
Dwell."
D
An assortment of 250s were on hand for
the Jerez test, with Aprilia' s Marcellino Lucchi emerging as the fastest of
those 250s. In fact, Lucci broke the lap
record with a 1:44.0 on his factory
RSW250. Marco Melandri, the new
Aprilia factory rider, crashed at over 100
mph and was fortunate to escape injury.
"This is my first mistake with the RSW
and now I know that with a 250 it is better not to crash," the 17-year-old
Melandri said.
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The Portsmouth MX Club and DM Sports
Management have inked a deal to co-promote the Pro Clean Women's Inter-
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national Motocross Championships in Portsmouth, England, on
August 19. The event will feature 125cc
Pro, Pee Wee, 60, 65, 85 and 125cc agedivision classes. For more information,
call 949/837-2206.
Motocross legend Bob Hannah will be
induced into the Motorsports Hall of
toO JlIReIIl of LDerda equity to the Soros group. wblch Is
jNepeaed to inw:st $1 million in acquiring the company. This
would . . . the consortium of seven Italian banks underwritIng the company's continued existence to receive 45 percent
of Laverda's outstanding debt with them. totaling $16 million
- l1li ~ that six out of the seven accepted at a meeting on
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Members of the Planning Commission
in Sonoma, California, voted recently to
instruct Sonoma County Staff to draft a
resolution certifying the Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) and approval of a
new use permit for Sears Point
Raceway - a critical step for the racetrack's proposed modernization plan.
The commission will reconvene on February 17 for a final vote on certification
of the EIR and the racetrack's new use
permit. The Modernization Plan must
then receive final approval by the County Board of Supervisors before implementation. Members of the Planning
Commission outlined a series of operating conditions that were nearly identical to those recommended by the staff
that address potential impacts identified in the project's EIR. They include a
comprehensive noise monitoring program and construction of a pedestrian
tunnel under Highway 121. Sears Point
had indicated at an earlier hearing that
it was prepared to embrace the majority
of the proposed use permit conditions.
"This was a significant milestone in a
process that began nearly three years
ago, - said Steve Page, president and
general manager of Sears Point Raceway. "We appreciate all of the work
that the county staff and our supporters
and the community have put in to reach
this point. - Sears Point eliminated
65,000 permanent grandstand seats
January 12.
First Duclili. then PIaggio • _1.aveRIIL
After the ~ of the first ~ 1egendaIy ItIIIiIIIl twowheel marques by prMde equIr iI
,.,.. COQi I i tl out·
side Italy. ClIIl now be Pe. . .d 1hlIl Laverda Is MXl in line
for possible ac:cpdtl1ion, this time by II ZUric:b-buecI flnanc:e
house, the biIIon-dallar Quanblm ~Iic Oevidopmenl
Fund headed by legendary Investor George Soros.
Now owned by c:ouslM I'Iadir Dd Ral»erto Spenepria
(but with former proprietor Frucesc:o TOSJDOft. now In
charge 01 Bimota, retIIiI:liBt • 10-peR:ellt sbenJhoIding),
Laverda ....... In
far the , . ~. pending a
""+titian W
deN
<:Oq)OrIIte ~
by the Spenip'las • to
basic:aIIy ~ up the bIIIInc:e sheet, . . . prepete the COilllpany for bther eIIpIIIWaD. ~ - . he. e.er, c:onlmued . . ill a deIuIIlary t'IIII*ln.
jIIIll500 tlIces JlI'O'
duc:ed in 1999 bebe the Z- ........,..., ........ down
last 1"IoYemIler, pending _ ..... of !lie COIpcIIlI1e sIIuatIan.
~ had In fact IIjljN'OlICIled
wi1h a YIew to
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a possible . - - . . . . . . . . . . .July
~•• ..,.
seIes 00. AIfttIo lcIi, "and the two sides have been
Ing MriouIIy sInc:e 0dI:Iber.- On Dec:emba 21. the saholders unIIlImou~ lIgIeed to gllIe ' " ; Ie! o.nwe BassaI8I'O II
,
D Iwh Ie II dell
¢
.,••• to MIl
60
FEBRUARY 9, 2000'
However. the one remaining bank - by no
caincidence. the one with the biggest financial
exposure - initially held out against the deal.
but at II January 28 crunch meeting between
all parties an agreement WIIS hammered out,
wblch looks likely to allow the Quantum
b1k_ to go through, thus aRawing Laverda
to be saved from closure yet again, but very
posst>Iy this time for real.
Should Quantum end up taking over Laverde, all key executives with the company will
be lI!Iked 110 sign two-year service contracts, to
enlIUn! that the same hands-on management
will remain in place. Mer all. there has been a
healthy increase in advance orders - 1500 firm
orders for the Suzuki-powered Lynx 650 alone
have already been received from distributors
around the world for 2000, says Lolli, and
interest in other new models powered by
Laveda's own new-generation parallel-twin
englne. lI