Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

November 14, at the Potomac Park Community Center which is located. at 11315 Falls Road in Potomac, Maryland. Road racing videos will be shown on a large-screen TV, pizza and other refreshments will be served, and bench racing will, of course, take place. The cost is $10 which goes to support the MARRC .Safety Crew. For more information, call Rich Sturges ·at 703/536-4443. . Papa's been asked to remind you that the pre-entry deadline for the November 18 Laugh-In Trophy Trial is November 4. Pre-entry is $50 and that will increase to $60 if you pay the day of the event. The American Trials Association-hosted observed" trials eyent will once again take place at Glen Helen OHV Park in San Bernardino, California, and as the organizers say, participation in the event (which is restricted to members of the motorcycle industry - folks who work for .a manufacturer, distributor, dealer or publication) requires "a willing off-road motorcycle (the more unique the better), an understanding boss (the event takes place on Wednesday), and any basic skill level and the ability to laugh at. yourself." For an entry blank or more information, contact Gary LaPlante at 714/8436520. Be forewarnedl Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic candidate for the twoyear U.S. Senate seat that is up for grabs in Califofilia, "told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that· getting a d~sert protection bill passed will be a priority if she is elected.. "It seems to me, if it weren't. for (Republican candidate) John Seymour, that package would have been enacted, so I'll change that," Feinstein told the Press Enterprise. "And I believe (Democratic presidential candidate) Bill Clinton would be inclined to sign it, so I think that's a do-able thing." And speaking of the upcoming general election, if you're in the Los Angeles area on Saturday, October 31, besure and ·drop by Hansen Dam Park in Sylmar between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to take part in a "fun day" of bench racing and ogling the many motorcycles that will be on display, plus pick up your copy of the ABATE Voter Guide. The guide gives recommendations on all the political offices in California. Originally called AMA. Dirt Days by host Pat Owens, this year's event is· titled the Clayton Foundation Motorsports Display Day. There is no entry fee to display a bike nor is there an admission fee. Owenssairl, "We have two goals raise money for the Clayton Founda. tion and get out the vote on November 3. KRW Cycles of Phillipsburg, Ohio, will host an open house, November 6, featuring factory KTM" riders~ defending National Enduro Champion Jeff Russell, National Hare Scrambles series points leader Scott Plessinger and motocrosser Mark Musselman. For more information, call 513/884-5062. Mike Fisher, who gave KTM its bestever finish in the Camel Supercross Series when he joined the team in 1991, will not be re-signed by the Austrian company for the 1993 season. The Californian, who was bothered by a. nagging shoulder injury throughout the 1992 season, is hopin'g to mount a comeback in 1993, but has not yet inked a deal with any team. Roger DeCoster, five-time 500cc MX World Champion, will ride as Grand Marshall on the first day of the "two-day PJ1" Des6ft Mountain National Dual Sport Ride, in Wickenburg, Arizona, Oc.tober 31November 1. The ride will be held in conjunction with the final round of DeCoster leaves Honda s we reported last week, American Honda announced that MX race consultant Roger DeCoster was leaving the company"... to pursue other opportunities." Since then, we\:e spoken with DeCoster, who shed some light on the unexpected announcement. "Basically I'm ready for a new challenge," said DeCoster, the five-time World MX Champion who has been instrumental in guiding many young and up-and-coming riders through the Honda organization, including Jeff Stanton, Jean-Michel Bayle, Rick Johnson, Micky Dymond, Mike Kiedrowski, George Holland, Johnny O'Mara and David Bailey: "I've been with this company (Honda) for a long time now - 12 years - and lately I just haven't been happy. I can't change enough things to my liking anymore, but this is something that usually happens when you've been with a big company for a long time. I just can't get anything done, and it's been very frustrating for me. • "At first everyone would listen to me and make the changes I suggested, but now it's getting more and more difficult. A lot of this has to do with the production CR bikes, not so much with the racing team," said the Belgian. "There's not a problem with Dave Arnold (Honda's MX race team manager), but it's been a very tense year (on" the National MX and S'upercross circuits). There was a lot of tension on the team (and) frustration with Stanton and Bayle," said DeCoster, obviously referring to the friction between the Honda teammates throughout the 1992 season. DeCoster's plans for the future are not yet certain. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet," said DeCoster. ''I'll still be with Honda for a little while, and I'd like to stay in the (motorcycle) industry. There's . a slight chance I'll go to Europe and work for Honda of Europe, but my first" choice is to stay here, even though I do have a house that's empty in Europe." DeCoster's decision to leave American Honda will not effect his association with Motolink, the promoter of the final round of the 1993 AMA National Championship 250cc MX Series at the Glen Helen OHV Park in San Bernardino, California, August 1. A the AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series in Wickenburg, November 1. For more information call Greg or Yvonne Baumann at 602/ 948-4137. The Baltimore County Trailriders Association and Cockeysville Optimists will again host the Timonium Indoor Short Track Series at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. The five-race series starts on Saturday, October 31, and continues the next three Saturdays - November 7, 14 and 21. The series finale will be held on Sunday, November 29. For more information, call 301/472-2360. The Lembo Lake Park Supercross which was rained out on October 24 has been rescheduled for" November 7 at the Modena, New York, facility. Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. and racing will get underway at 12:30. Former National and Supercross Champion Jimmy Weinert will he on hand to sign autographs and he'll have his ex-works Kawasaki MXer on display. In addition, the Tri-State M.C. will host a hare scrambles at the same site on Sunday, November 8. For more information, call 914/427-2248. If you've been to Florida for the annual Winter National Olympics. at Gatorback MX Park in Gainesville, you know that a Thanksgiv1ng Feast is one of the bonuses offered participants. World Sports, promoters of the event which takes place November 23-28, have announced that this year's feast will be presented by Kawasaki. Over 2000 people are expected to be served. Hey, save some turkey for Papal Like fellow 500cc GP contender Billy Liles of Georgia, Great Britain's Kurt Nicoll is rumored to be leaving the 500cc class next year to campaign the 250cc series. With the retirement of 500cc MX World Champion Georges Jobe of Belgium; this leaves the top three positions of the once-prestigious 500cc GP series vacant in 1993. Mic~igan's Eddie Warren, who now resides in Australia, recently clinched the National Championship 250cc MX Series title in Japan. Warren added the title to his Australian MX Championship title earned in 1989, and the Australian Peter Jackson Supercross Masters Series title in 1991. Team selection for the 1993 World Championship Road Race Series is imminent and an overwhelming number of teams have made applications to IRTA for inclusion in the 1993 series. The top 15 teams from 1992 are already guaranteed places, and the· top three teams from the 125 and 250cc European Championships are also entitled to entries. The remainder of the field is by invitation and final team selection will be made later this month after the IRTA Selection Committee interviews the prospective teams. A total of 36 riders will compete in each class, in every Grand Prix. The number includes two wild card entries per catagory nominated by the respective national federation. Mark McGiffin, 30, of North Canton, Ohio, recently suffered a broken neck at the sixth and seventh vertebrae while trail riding at Lightning OHV Park. He currently has limited movement of his arms and shoulders and limited feel in his legs and feet. McGiffin has been an avid motorcyclist since the age of 6, competing since the age of 15 in motocross and hare scrambles. His family would appreciate readers sending cards or letters to Mark and his wife Beth, especially readers who have been through a similar situation. Cards and letters can be sent to: Mark McGiffin, 7265 Thatcher N.W., No. Canton, OH 44720. Jeff Matiasevich (Kaw) won the Acapulco International Supercross in Acapulco, Mexico, October 18. Sixteen-year-old Robbie Reynard (Kaw) was second, and Ray Sommo (Yam) finished third. ... ~ lo-l V ..0. S V > o Z After finishing the '92 Camel Pro season 13th overall, veteran Steve Morehead has yet to decide what hIs plans for next season will include. The 37-year-old Ohioan's season was riddled with bad luck, and the 17-time National-winner suffered one of his dryest seasons in many years. In our coverage of the Pomona Half Mile season-finale, we reported that Morehead "might not be back" in '93. "We had so much bad luck that it's just darn discouraging," said Morehead. "I've talked to Skip Eaken about building my motors next season and I've ordered a pair of new frames, but until we find out what's going on with the series, who knows what I'll do." Entries are still available for the 2nd Annual Fallon-to-Lovelock Hare & Hound held during the Thanksgiving weekend on· November 28 in Nevada. Referred to as the alternative to the "temporarily put-on-hold" Barstow-to-Vegas Hare & Hound, the Fallon-to-Lovelock event is one of the few point-to-point off-road races left in the U.S. For more information contact Western States Racing Association at 702/677-2989. Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee, drew a track record entry of 1044 riders to the October 2425 Honda Top Gun Showdown, the final round of the AMA Southeastern Regional MX Championship MegaSeries. Mike Brown (Hon) was the l25cc A and 250cc A class winner. Greg Rand (Sui) finished second in the 125cc A class and third in the 250cc A class. Robbie Reynard (Kaw) took third in the 125cc A class and Jim Neese was second in the 250cc A division. HIRED: Ed Coughlin, by Seals Communications Corp. as a producer for MotoWorld. Coughlin spent his last four years at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, as an editor and sports producer for the CBS affililate's news shows. Before joining WAGA-TV, Coughlin, winner of an Emmy and Associated Press Award for Best Sports Program in the Southeast, worked at CNN Headline News. CORRECTION: We erred in saying that Scott Parker's victory in the October 10 Pomona Half Mile, the final round of the 1992 AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series, was the 80th career National win for tuner Bill Werner. Mrs. Werner called Papa and set the record straight: the victory was the 87th scored by riders on Harley-Davidsons her husband tuned. - - - - - - Continued on page 4 3

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