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/1542337
Briefly... World Superhike 2OO6: Now Bi agg i! The appearance of both Max BiaSEi and Alex Barros on the 2006 ! World Superbike Championship Srids is sull not completely fixed in stone, and some might have it tha( the bricks and mortar have still not been paid for. Of the wvo, Barros' inclusion in the Klaffi Honda squad, a closed deal that onl/ needed some paperwork to come through last week (according to his prospective Khffi Honda team at least), is the closest to fruition. "We are now closer to the point, but as yet nothiE [has been] signed," said Klaus Klaffenbock, the eponymous owner of the Austrian-based squad. "l think that next week we have to have a final decision, positive or negative. That would allow us to be ready in time." All Honda teams are due to test atAlmeria near the end ofJanuary and if all is well with his Brazilian sponsolt, this should be Barros' first outing on the new CBRl000RR. The Biaggi situation is more clouded, mainly because of the already-set- tled lineup olrhe Alstare Corona Extra Suzukiteam. The publicity \ralue of having Biaggi in the squad has been lost on no one involved. but with team bo5s Francis Batta awaiting a final decision from Suzuki and from Biaggi himself, it appears (ha! there may not be an announcement until Bia88i rides the bike for the first time at Phillip lsland this week - or until the deal falls through instead. Some press reports in ltaty have Bafta with the deal done in all but public form, and other reports indicate that :ll is in the hands of Suzuki in Japan. One theory has it that the only way Suzuki could accommodate Bia88i is to depose second rider Yukio Kagayama back to the British Superbike Series Crescent team, but accordint to sources from whhin that outflt, that like- lihood is 99-percent against. Shane Byrne and James Haydon have been confirmed for some time in those slots, while Batta and Crescent have no links other than their relationships with Suzuki. But if Suzuki wants it, then th€re is at least a possibility. Although it looks less likely for Biaggi's other current option, there is sdll a live Honda offer on Bia88i's table: to run as a third rider in the Ten Kate setup. That would be in Winston colors and not those of Camel, Gordon Ritchie Hughes Wins Speedworld WORCS Team Suzuki's n€west off-road racer, Ryan Hughes, stormed to an uncontested win as the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off- Road Championship Series tot und€r way at Speedworld FIX Park iust outside of Phoenix on.lanuary 15. The former motocrosser swooped around the outside of the first tum and then dived into the lead on his FMF/ECC/Moose- sponsored Rl'1-2450 and remained in front for the duration of the tYvo-hour race. KTM s Kurt Caselli managed to keep Hughes in sight for the first half of the race, but he stalled his FMF/Michelin/Moose- backed 450 XC after his refueling stop and dropped several spots. Despite .iding with a sore, stiff neck from a suspected pinched nerve srJffered earlier in the week, Caselli manated to charge back and regain every one ofthe lost positions to earn the runner-up spot, l9 seconds back of Hughes. Sophomore Pro Ricky Dietrich ran as hiSh as second on his Caner Powerspons/Pro CircuivARc-backed Kawasaki fi450E but couldnt hold Caselli off at the end and settled for the final podium spot. Huthes' teammate Mike Kiedrowski and Kawasaki's Nathan Woods, the ovo-time defendinS series champion, rounded out the top frve. "l've Eot a lot of stuff to learn, and I learned : lot today," Hughes admitted- "The tuys are fas(, man; I respect all of them- Today was rry day, and another day might be theirs, but l'm iust going to keep my trainint goinS and my testing goinS and tr)', to do the same thing every race and try to b€ on the podium orwin every race and try to come away with that championshiP." Mork lkriyo He Said, She Said, Pan lliThe following is in regard to the Yamaha vs, Gauloises situa- tion in MotoGP After last week's issue was printed, we received the following from Akadis, lhe owners ofthe Gauloises brand oftobacco: "Contrary to the information provided by Yamaha in its.Januar/ loth press release, Altadis' decision to initiate arbitration proceedin8s was taken - as Yamaha well knows - after many months of neSotiations durinS which Altadis sought ways to release Yamaha from its obligations to Akadis. Altadis would like MotoGP and motorsport fans worldwide to know that Altadis' commitment to motor racinS and MotoGP remains as stron8 as ever AJtadis sincerely believes that its decision to seek redress rn arbrrratron for wha! Altadi5 con- siders to be Yamaha's wrong{ul conduct is good for the sport, which can only benefit from rulings that require participants to honor their contractual undertakings. Altadis is confident that its position, which it belleves advocares the survival of fair play in professional motorcycle racrng, will be vin- dicated in erbitiation. As Yamaha has been formally notified of the initiaaion of rhe pro- ceedings, Altadis' response to Yamaha's allegations conceminS the dispute will be given to the Arbitral Tribunal, who will have the final say. ' lames "Lamar" Williarns, 62, died on Saturday, lanuary 7, aft€r a bout with .an- c6r. WilliarrE was the CEO and owner oI the American Motorcycle Marine and Per- sonal Watercraft lnstitute in Da;^ona Beach, Florida. Funeral services for Wlliarns were held on lanuary 10, He is survived by his wife, Patq4 his lather, Hub Hubell; his mother, Eunice Hubell; his sons, Brandon Lamar williams and Chad Berry: his daughters, Nikki Pearson and Penny Pearson: and his grandchildren, Alexandra Williams and Lucius Cuda. David lruillemin has ennounced that he har a deal with Berkey's Plumbing Heating & Air to sponsor the Frenchman for the 2006 Supercross Season- "David llts tlle type of rider w€ have always sponsored in the past." said Billy Stevens, the ovwrer oI Berkey's. "He's a great family rnan and a terrific role model for" kids. David will put Texas back on the map in Supercross." Berkey's is a Iamit-owned service compa- ny in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Chad Reed's Yamaha factory mechanic Darrin "Rookie" Sorenson admitted himsel{ into Rive6ide Communir}, Hospital on Thursday, ,anuar), 5, with symptoms of blurred vision and impaired speech. The allable mechanic, who earned "Mechanic of the Year" honors for his efforts durinS Reed's Supercross Championship season, Codtinued on poge t t z 5 P o .4 CYCLE NEyr'S . JANUARY 25, 2006 9 .77 dd) \d L Z N -- (.849 "-/ \ N Will Mox Bioggi be riding q Suzuki in World 9uperbike ftis yeor? l,t I I a.rq t :i n 7,