Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

ln the soan of about 45 min- ! rtes, 'Tea. M4 EMGO Suzuki's Shae Fouchek was involved in on-track incidentt with two members of the Yoshimura Suzuki team during testing at California SPe€dway in Fontana, California, las! week. The first was with 2005 Superstock Champion Aaron Yates, who got the worst of it - a broken ritht scapula. The sec- ond was with Ben Spies, who continued on while Fouchek tumbled and his Suzuki GSX- R600 was destroyed. With Daytona less than a month away, Yates was told he wouldrlt need sur8ery "We re letring this thing heal, ' Yates said in a phone call from his Georgia home. "We're letting it sit for a bit." Yates first sent a cell-phone photo of the X-ray, then other materials, to Dr. David Kieffer in St- Louis. Kieffer told Yates he "probably w:sn't Soint to need to go in there," Yates said. There's nothing to do now but sit and wait, and hope that he's {it for Daytona, "Yeah, that's what we're hoping for.'' Yates said. Fouchek, who had very liatle experi- ence at the track, wasn't aware that the back rtrai8ht had been revised over the course of last April's AMA weekend. "He was way off the line, and I felt like lcould tet up there and get by him," Yates explained before Soing for X-rays. 'rqnd he come all the way across the track, and I went as far as I could, and I hit the cone with my knee and barely brushed him and 8ot into a tank-slapper deal, arld it kind of kicked me back and forth and I landed on my shoulder and side." "What happened with Aaron was iust purely an accident," Fouchek said. "lt was my llrst lap out. I hadn't been back (o the track since last year bst year, I had only been able to ride p.omoter practice, ard a( that certain time, that seation of the track wa5 coned off [the track was altered on the first day of last year's Practice on a suttes(ion by American HondJs MiSuel Duhamell. lt w?15 to the point where I kind of knew Aaron was behind, or some- body was - I didn't know. But I could hear him coming and was tryint to gel ofl line and obviously made the wrong decision. Made a mistak€, Didn't intentionally at all knock him down. Or mean to. I feel very bad about it and of course don't want it to happen a8ain." Despite ont doing 28 laps on Tuesday morninS, Yates ended up with the second- fastest Superstock time. Fouchek's day ended iust past noon, when he ran into Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies in lum one. Eyewitnesses said it appeared that Spies took out Fouchek's front wheel, but Spies saw it differently. Spies said that he was coming up behind Fouchek going into turn one and saw him roll off the gas. "As soon as , saw his front wheel go out of my p€r'iphery I let ofl braked, downshifted," Spies said. "l did my stuf{, turned in for about half a second, and I iust got waylaid. My rear tire was off the ground for 100 yards, he hit me so hard." Spies said that he had a cell-Phone video to support his version of the incident. Fouchek said he heard Spies coming uP from behind: "Once we got initiating into the corn€r. he cut in very hard in front of me. At that point, I checked up on the brakes to try to back off as best as possi- ble. At that point in time, that didn'twork, and I went right into the back of his slyingarm. That immediately catapulted me off the bike, and it was over from there." The Supersport-spec Suzuki GSX- R600 was "demolished," said Fouchek, '1fu far as both instances today, it does- n't make me look very good," he added. "Of course, I +oloSize for the lirst inci- dent. The second was a mistake. Obviously, on that end, possibly on mine; I didn't feel like it was, but it happens, and it wasn't a tood situation, and I carne or.rt of it unscathed and everythinS is good." Henny Raf Ab.arns Yates Hurt, But No Sur Required gePy Briefly... KTM North America has announced its KTM Adventure Tours for North America. a pro- gram based on the KTf4 Adventure Tours program already establishGd in locations around the wodd. The KTM North American Tours program will expand into Mexico, Canada and the United states, and will be run by Scot Ha.den. "l couldn'r be more excited about beinS chosen to take on this new challenge," said Harden. "lt's important to remember that these are not competitive events. We're out for adyenture and fun - with Particular emphasis on fun, Most groups will be kePt small and will be matched by ability lev€|. We can handle the hard-core enthusiast, but even rookie off-roaders will have a wonderful time." KTM Adventure Tour customers will ride rally-prepped KTM 640 Adventure motor- cycles, with each bike getting GPS a-nd rally road-books. Future rours will allow particF pants to experience other models in KTM's off-road model line, according to KTM. The tours will begn with a series of simu- lated rally experiences throuShout the south- western United States and Baja California, Mexico, 'through some of the most remote and beautiful southwest desert landtcapes," said Harden. ln addition to the tours, a complete series of adventure camps will be offered as well. An official calendar will be announced rn lYarch on wwwktmusa,com, further exPlain- ing the d€tails of each Adventure '[bur. Continued lrom page 9 w.6t coart Supermoto and WCSM Racing School have announced tlvo new supermoto school dates. The WCSM level- one schoolwill be held at the Stockon l'{ororplex in Srockron. Califomia, on Feb- ruary 27 and the level-two school will be held on March 18 at tie same facility. For more information, visit www.westco:tstsu - permoto.com. The youth trainint trrck at Califomia State Park' Ocotillo Vvells State Vehicular Recreation Area is now open. Children ages l2 and under are able to leam to ride off- road vehicles and perfe.t their skills safely away from more-expeaienced riders. The terrain is similar to that encountered throuthout the park, which makes for a srnooth tiansition to other area5 of the Park once they are ready, according to park ofll- cials. The clear, marked track is bordered by straw bales and fences {or added safety. For the comlort of parents and others who \,\atch the children ride. California State Parks has provided shade armadas, picnic tables, and a restroom just outside the fenced area. lnterpretive shelterc are alro available, offering educational and interPre- tive information about the park. The track is onty open to ATV5 and motorcycles 70cc and under. Children must be supwised by an adult. The area will b€ open from sunup to sundown. For more information, visit www. park.ca-gov o. c ^ll 7 60n67 -539 I . Easton Sports lnc. and Riddell Bell Holdlngs have announced an agreement to combine the two companies- The com- bined entity, to be named Easton-Bell Spons lnc., will be a spons-equipment company. The combined company will gen- erate more than $600 million in annual rev- enue; hold leadinS market positions in base_ ball, softball, football, hockey, cycling, auto racing, and snow and motorcycle sport!; and will maintain its state-of-the-art R&D efrorts, accordinS to the compary Easton's chairman,.lim Easton, will be the chairman of the board of the

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