Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1992 08 19

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/146674

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 1 of 65

~ IN THE WIND By Papa Wealey ~ Chris Carr (H-D) won the Expert "' ~ final at the August 7 Sturgis Short Track, a round of the AMA 600 National Championship Din Track Series held in Sturgis, South Dakota. Dan Ingram (Hon) was the runnerup, and Georgie Price (W-R), Andy Tresser (W-R) and Aaron Hill (WR) rounded out the top five. Clint Vahsholtz {W-R) topped J.P. Simonsen (Hon) and Jaime Aguilar (W-R) in the Junior main event. Brian Manley (Hon) topped the Pro class at Commotion by the Ocean V, held at Carlsbad Raceway in Carlsbad, California, August· 8-9. Steve Lamson (Suz) was the runner-up, and Willie Surratt (Hon), Mike Fisher (KTM) and Pat Gomm (Yam) rounded out the top five. Ty Davis (ATK) was the winner of the Motolink Off Road Events (M.O.R.E.) Pro 4-Stroke Series finale, held in conjunction with Commotion by the Ocean V, August 9. Kyle Lewis (Hus) was second, ahead of Willie Musgrave (ATK), Rex Staten (ATK) and Pete Murray (Hus). Mike Young (Hus) finished the day seventh overall, but captured the series championship. Fritz Kling (Yam) won the Formula USA race at the WERA Pro Series round at hidianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, Indiana, August 9. Kling won both legs, beating Michael Martin (Suz) and Donald Jacks (Suz) in the first leg, and Martin and Chris D'Aluisio (Yam) in the second. D'Aluisio won the Formula II portion of the program, topping Robbie Petersen (Yam) and Kurt Hall (Yam). In Formula III action, Marcello del Guidice (Hon) beat 12-year- . old Nicky Hayden (Hon) and Doug Carmichael (Hon) to take the win. Fritz Kling also led Gold Hill Racing (Yam) to victory in the fourhour WERA Vanson/PM National Endurance Series round at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Kling teamed with Christian Gardner to beat Virginia Breeze Racing (Suz) and Roswell Racing (Suz). That Donald Jacks rode a Team Hammer-fielded Suzuki in the Indy Formula USA race is news on its own. Team Hammer fields a Suzuki under the Team Suzuki Endurance banner under contract to American Suzuki and Jacks was dropped from the team after he committed to ride a Lucky Strike Suzuki as a replacement for the injured Kevin Schwantz in the Hungarjan GP. Although he tested the works bike - which uses Motul oil and Michelin tires, rather than the Valvoline oil and Dunlop tires he was contracted to use, Jacks did not compete in Hungary because Schwantz did. Explaining the return of Jacks, Team Hammer's John Ulrich said, "When I was 23 years old, I did something really stupid and because the guy I was working with. took a hard line I was out of racing for 18 months and I thought my life was over. I wasn't willing to put Donald through that unless I was 100percent sure. So we're trying to work everything out." Ulrich, who thinks very higWy of Jacks' riding ability, said Dunlop didn't furnish tires for Jacks at Indy, he had to purchase them. Dan Ingram (Hon) was the winner at the August 8 AMA Western Regional Championship Half Mile, held in Sturgis, South Dakota. Dave Durelle (W-R) was second, ahead of Andy Tresser (W-R), Aaron Hill (W-R) and Rex Fisher (W-R). James Hart (W-R) topped the Junior class, and Matthew Wait (W-R) bested the Pro-Ams. Tommy Clowers (Kaw) and Ricky Carmichael (Kaw) were big winners at the August 5-9 NMA Grand National MX Championships, in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Clowers won the 125 and 250cc Modified Pro classes Schmit clinches World Champions4ip 250(( MX title in Finland D 2 onny Schmit, of Bloomington, Minnesota, clinched the 1992 World Championship 250cc MX title at the 11 th round of the series, held in Heinola, Finland, August 9. The Chesterfield Yamaha rider crashed hard in Sarurd.ay's practice session and took a trip to· the hospital for a checkup but bounced back for Sunday's race to post 1O-5-DNF moto finishes, good enough to clinch the title with one round remaining in the series. Schmit, the 1990 125cc MX World Champion, has stood atop the highest step of the winner's podium four times this season and posted 10" moto wins along the way. Englishman Rob Herring (Hon) was the day's overall winner in Finland, posting 2-1-6 moto finishes to edge out Dutchman Edwin Evertsen (Kaw), who recorded a 5-3-1 tally. Belgian Stefan Everts (Suz) returned to action after suffering internal injuries resulting from a crash at the German GP in June, and he earned third overall, via 1-2-DNF moto performances. Newhall, California's, Bobby Moore (Yam) and England's Jamie Dobb (Kaw) rounded out the top five with 4-4-7 and 6-9-2 moto scores, respectively. Trampas Parker, the defending 250cc MX World Champion from Shreveport, Indiana, was a no-show because of a thigh injury sustained at the previous GP in Sweden. Entering the August 23 series finale at Suzuka, Japan, Schmit boasts 416 points, mathematically out of reach of second place Bobby Moore, who has 343 points. Italian Alessandro Puzar, the 1990 250cc MX World Champion, is third with 319, ahead of Evertsen (315) and Parker (287). Schmit is the third American to claim a World Championship 250cc MX crown. Californian Danny LaPorte, who now resides in France, won the title in 1982 on a Yamaha, and Parker was the champ in 19.90 aboard a Honda. U.S. MX des Nations team named J eff Emig, Mike LaRocco and Billy Liles will represent the U.S. at this year's running of the World Championship team event, which will be held in Manjimump, Australia, September 6. Emig, who hails from Highland, California, will compete in the 125cc class, LaRocco, from South Bend, Indiana, in the 250cc division, and Liles, from Fairburn, Georgia, in the 500cc class. AMA Pro Racing Director Roy Janson said in a phone coi-tversation on Monday, August 10, "We just turned in our entry today, and on that entry was Emig, LaRocco and Liles. We feel this is a good, solid team." . Earlier this year, recently crowned Camel Supercross and 250cc National MX Champion Jeff Stanton and Damon Bradshaw said they would not accept an invitation to represent the U.S. on this year's MX des Nations team, in order to "give somebody else a chance" to compete at the prestigious race. It was then rumored that Liles and Donny Schmit would fill in for Stanton and Bradshaw, with Mike LaRocco competing in the 125cc class. While Liles accepted the invitation, Schmit refused. "Emig is riding well right now, so we decided to put him in the 125cc class and LaRocco, who has more experience on 250s than Emig, in the 250cc class," said Janson. "And we're really proud to have Liles represent us in the 500cc class." . Liles can finish no worse than third in the 1992 World Championship 500cc MX Series that concludes in Switzerland on August 30. Last year in Holland, the Stanton, Bradshaw and Mike Kiedrowski team gave the U.S. its llth straight MX des Nations victory. and was crowned Grand National Champion in the Motorcycle division, while Carmichael topped the 80cc Stock and Modified (12-13 year-old) and Super Mini (0-16 year-old) classes and was crowned Grand National Champion in the Minicycle classes, mour, California's Republican senator, used a parliamentary procedure to end the hearing. However, according to the AMA, the Cranston bill isn't dead'yet. There's a chance that it could be considered again after September 8, when the Congressional session resumes after a four-week recess. Chadd Walts, the injured tuner for Kawasaki Team Green's Ryan Hughes, is well on the road to recovery. Watts was seriously injured in an automobile accident July 29 and is now out of intensive care and will soon be returning to. his North Carolina home. Watts says he hopes to start turning wrenches again at the September 27 Delmont, Pennsylvania, National. "I just want to say thanks to all the people who have helped out; everyone has been really great," said Watts. Raffles were held at the Ponca City GNCand the Commotion by the Ocean MX to help defray Watts' medical expenses. Cards and letters can be sent to Watts at 2775 Royster Rd., Shelby, C 28150. Highly regarded Italian road racer Massamiliano Biaggi, 21, has inked a contract to ride for Rothmans Honda in the 1993 World Championship 250cc Road Race Series. The 1991 European 250cc Champion, who currently lies ninth in the 1992 250cc World Championship, will join Erv . Kanemoto's team, replacing two-time 250cc World Champion Luca Cadalora. Cadalora is trying to secure a 500cc Grand Prix ride for 1993. Motocrosser Fred Andrews suffered a broken left forearm in a practice crash at Plano, Texas, on Tuesday, August 4. Andrews, a member of the Rad-nBad team, underwent surgery to have the broken bone plated the same day. Using a procedural tactic, Sen. John Seymour prevented a Senate committee vote on Sen. Alan Cranston's sevenyear-old California Desert Protection Act. Cranston, California's Democratic senator who is now in his final months in the U.S. Senate, made what· many consider a last-ditch effort to get his bill on track by arranging for a vote in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, August 5. Also scheduled for consideration was another controversial measure - a Republican-sponsored logging bill. After an amendment to combine the two bills was offered by Sen. Tim Wirth (D-Colorado), Sey- If you're wondering why ESPN telecast their taped coverage of the Syracuse Mile on consecutive Thursday nights, wonder no longer. The Parkersburg Half Mile tape was "lost" by ESPN after they received it from Seals Communciations, the producers of the show. They ran the Syracuse Mile show a second time, and then, as you know by now, found the Parkersburg Half Mile tape and aired it last week. With the end of the 1992 MX season rapidly approaching, rumors are flying regarding factory riders changing teams. Perhaps the hottest rumor has Steve Lamson inking a deal with Team Honda for the 1993 season. And from what we've heard, it is a done deal. Lamson, who now rides for Suzuki, will fill the gap left by JeanMichel B~yle, who plans to retire from motocross after the National Championship 500cc MX Series to pursue a career in GP road racing. When asked about the team change, Lamson said, ''I'd rather not comment." If Lamson has signed with Honda, then that will effectively end any chance of Team Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw making the switch to Honda, a switch that many predicted he'd make at the end of the season. Look for Bradshaw to either stay with Yamaha or go to Kawasaki, depending on the best offer. Rumors also have Suzuki focusing on the 125cc class next year, and signing a number of young, up-and-coming motocrossers. Team veteran Guy Cooper will most likely have his contract extended for one last year, while Brian Swink will remain a Team Suzuki rider for at least another year, as well. . Walter von Schonfeld, a longtime-. fixture at road race events, died suddenly on August 7 at his ho~e in Durham, North Carolina. Von Schon- . feld was involved with motorcycles and motorcycle racing since the '30s,

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's - Cycle News 1992 08 19