Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Etiffi Barcelona-based American Kenny Noyes has gotten the call from Yamaha Fmnce to repl&e Spaniard David Ch€ca on the GMT94 World Supersport team at the llpcoming round of the World Champi- onship to be held at Valencia on April 23. Checa, the younger brother of MotocP Yamaha rider Carlos Checa. broke his wrist in preseason testinS and was replaced at Losair (Qatar) and Phillip lsland (Australia) by Anthony Gobert. Gobert fin- ished I 2th in Qatar and retired with han- dling problems when running sixth in Aus- tralia. Checa is now recovered, but is committed to riding in the 24 Hours of Le l*'lans scheduled for the same weekend as the Spanish World Superbike round. Noyes, who rides for Folch Yamaha in the Spanrsh l000cc Formula Exrreme Champi- onship, was penciled in as Checa's replace- ment for Valencia even before David'5 iniury 'After I finished second in the World Endurance round last year at Aibacete with the Folch Rl, Yamaha France put me on their list of replacement riders," said Noyes. "l thought they would probably stick with Anthony to replace David at Valencia as well, but I'm really glad to ge! the chance to ride a World round. I haven't raced a 600 since 2001. so it will be a chal- lenge to make the adlustment, but I am looking forward to it." World l4otocross Champaon Stefan Eyerts continued his strong preseason run by winning the first round ofthe Belgian l'lotocross Championship on l'4arch l2 at Hoerbeke-Waas. The Belgian rode his Yamaha YZ450Fl'4 to wins in all three motos, Due to bad weather in Phoenix, Arizona, on March I I , round one of the Western Four-Stroke National Motocross Series at Speedworld Motocross Park was postponed to lnlarch 25-25. The fifth round of the GFI Winter Series at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, on March I 2 was rained out and rescheduled for March 26 at Competitive Edge an Adelanto, California- For more information, visit www.ampracing.com. Federico Minoli, Ducati Motor Holding president and CEO, launched the new Desmoblog online on March 10. ln this blog, Minoli wrote about what is going on at Ducati and in the wo.ld of Du.otisti: decisions being made about the motor- cycles, Ducati events around the world, corporate stra[egies. behind-the-scenes reports from the racetrack, and much moTe, Calilornia Speedway will host the open- ing round of the AMA Supermoto Championship during the Suzuki Super- bike Challenge on Saturday, April 29. Though California Speedway has hosted supermoto events annually since 2002, this is the first time supermoto riders will com- pete for series points at the Fontana, Cali- fornia, facility. The course will be expanded and siSnifi(antly larSer than ever before. with higher iumps and more thrills for fans, according to racetrack officials. Tickets for Friday's Superbike practice and qualifying are $10; Saturday's Superbike race and Supermoto events are $30; and Sunday's Superbike race and support races are $30. A three-day ticket package is offered for the Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend for only $60; a two-day (Saturday and Sun- day) ticket package is also available for $50. For more information, call 8001944-7223 or visit vwwv.racetickets.com. The Kawasaki MotoGP team suffered a setback on Monday, March 5, when tfie team's race transporter was involved in a road traflic accident while traveling from Barcelona tojerez in Spain. Just two hours after leaing Barcelona, the Kawasaki race transponer wa5 buffeted by ferocious winds as it traveled along the highway around Peniscola, forcing the transporter to leave the road and ultimately roll over. Race mechanicJason Corney, who was the pas- senger in the truck. suffered iniuries to his right foot, losinS his little toe as a result of the crash- The Australian underwent sur- gerf to repair damage to his remaining toes on l'4onday evening in Spain and wa5 returned to a clinic in Germany on Wednes- day afternoon for further treatment- The drivel race mechanicJosef Buchner, was also injured in the crash, sullering a dirlocat- ed shoulder. Firsr on the scene at the ac

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