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/1542395
l- lN THE LI'YrNEr Round five of the British Superbike Championship was cancelled due to appalling weather conditions at Mondello Park on May 21. Rain fell all day and after a number of delays the riders went out for a I 5-minute warmup in very wet conditions. During the warmup a number of riders succumbed to the wet track and crashed. The rain continued to fall heavily and at I p.m. the event orSanizers delayed Pro- ceedings for an hour to review the situa- tion. Then at 2 p,m, they decided to cancel the event. Round six of the British Super- bike Championship is scheduled for.lune 4 at Mallory Park in Leicestershire. AMA and AMA Pro RacinS have announced that loel Grover has been hired to the new position of Supermoto director, and will be relocating to AMAS PickerinSton, Ohio, headquarters from his home in upstate New York. Grover will oversee both the AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited as well as the AMA Sports Supermoto Grand Champi- onships in association with NASMOTO- Grover will report to Doug Neubauer, vice president ofAMA Spons, and will be directly focused on moving AMA Supermo- to forward as a premier form of motorcy- cle competition. 'Joel brings a solid level of experience to his position, and we're delighted to have him aboard to help guide Al'4A Supermoto to the next level," said Patricia DiPietro, Al'4A CEO. DiPietro added that algnrng professional and ama- teur Supermoto under one organizational structure will help solidify the relatively new racing discipline and set the stage for continued growth and a terrer progression of riders from amateur to professional rac- ing. Al'4A Pro Racing series manager, Todd Eagan. remains based in the Al'1As west Coast olfice and will continue to manage race operations for the AMA Supermoto Championship presented by ParB Unlimited. Pirelli is offerang a unique tire trade-in progmm for privateer rirceas competinS in the 2006 AMA Outdoor Motocross Nationals. Any AMA Pro licensed rider may trade in any used set of competitor's tires for a brand-new set of Pirelli MX tires mounted by Active 8 Racin6 for the fee of $50. This program is limited to two sets of tires per rider, Additionally, Pirelli is paying cash contingency for riders placing inside rhe rop 20. Pirelli will be providing rrack- side racing support for privateers ar all out- door nationals through Active I Racing. Road Atlanta and VrSinia lnternational Raceway are offering the Southern Suzu- ki SuperPair ticket combo for $99. The ticket combo offers three-day admi5sion, paddock access, parking, a fan ride and a sowenir T-shirt at both ofthe AMA Super- bike events - the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, August l8-20, at Virginia lnter- national Raceway and the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Makita, Septem- ber I -3, at Road Atlanta. This marks the first time the two AMA promoters - M I Entertainment and Road Atlanta - have col- laborated on an event combo ticket. Fans will save more than $50 by purchaiing the Southern Suzuki SuperPair ticket package. "With Suzuki as the title sponsor of both events, we wanted to give fans an oppor- tunity to attend both races," said Brian 5kuza, general manager of Road Atlanta. "The Southern Suzuki SuperPair offers a huge drscount from the regular ticke( price for each event, so we hope to attract record crowds to watch the AlulA champr- onship battles develop at both events." Both events are Superbike doubleheader weekends. Southern Suzuki SuperPair tick- ets are now on sale online at www.roadat- lanta.com or by calling 800/849-RACE. The deadline to order the Southern Suzuki SuperPair tickets is Augu5t 14. The board of directors of Ducati Motor Holding S,p.A. has approved the financial results for the flrst quarter that ended March 3 l. Revenues for the first quarter of 2006 were euro 78.2 million, down 4.5 percent compared ro euro 81.9 million in the same period in 2005. This was due to a reduction in motorcycle sales, offset by a positive-product mix, increased sales in accessories, as well as a positive exchange- rate effect, according to Ducati- Ducati says 7337 units were sold in the period. Revenues from motorcycles for the period decreased 8.6 percent to euro 60.2 million against the same period last year and accounted for 77 percent of total rev- enues. Motorcycle-related products. including spare pafts, accessories and apparel, amounted to euro I 6,9 million, up 9.9 percent on the first quarter of 2005. Gross margin for the period amounted to euro 24.2 million, or 3 I percent of rev- enues vs. euro I 7.9 million, or 2l .8 per- cent over the same period last year. due to a positrve-product mix. increased acces- sories sales, as well as a positive exchange- rate ef{ect, accordin8 to Ducati. Net result for the first quarter 2006 was a profit of euro 1.5 million compared to a loss ofeuro 2.6 million in the first quarter of 2005. As of March 3 I , 2006, the company's net assets were euro 122 million. "2006 is off to a strong start, both in terms offinaflcial results as well as on the racetrack. The transition from TPG to lnvestlndustrial as the controlling shareholders has been suc- cessfully completed, and the company refi- nancing has seen positive input from the bank, headed by UniCredit,'said Federr- co Minoli, Ducati's chairman and chief executive officer. "The company has the financial resources and renewed enthusi- asm to face future challenges with passion and confidence." The Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia lnternational Raceway, August l8-20, will feature the Virginia Rally - a two-day motorcycle rally that will offer participants 200-mile poker runs on Thursday and Fri- day, August l7- 18. The runs will originate from the tri-city area around Danville, and will incorporate some of the country's most scenic roads through the foothills of the Appalachian l'4ountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the end of the rour, Vir- Sinia Rally participanB will ride to VIR for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, where they will be invited to ride a lap of the same 2.25-mile VIR North Course on which the AMA Superbike series will com- pete. Another addition to the weekend of racing is the Boz Bros Bike Show pre- sented by 2wheel Tuner maSazine and Parts Unlimited. Eric and Ben Bostrom will display their new line of streetbike exhausts, plus clothinB and accessories. To purchase tickets, visit www.m levent.com or www.gettix.net. Tau Technologies, a company dedicated to government engineering and scientific research, has announced its support of the Lake Effect Racing Team for the 2005 AHRMA National Vintage lvlotocross Championship. Lake Effects' rider |4ike Srurdevant is contestinS the 50-Plus lnter- mediate class and currently leads the points standings after five of l7 rounds. For more information, visit www.tautech- nologies.com. Honda Rider's Club of America-sponsored Stotz Racing has announced it will take pafi in a street-motorcycle drag-racing exhibition with the NHRA Sport Compact Racing Series in conjunction with the fifth annual NHRA Spon Compact Fallnationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NewJersey, September 30- October l, "This NHRA series is the pre- eminent sports-car dmg-racing series in America, and we are very pleased to be able to showcase our sO0-horsepower pro streetbikes before thousands of young, tech-sawy iacinS fans," said four-time AMrvProstar champion Kent Stotz, the founder and owner of S(otz RacinS. ''This exhibition will serve as the springboard for a year-long program with the NHRA Sport Compact Series in 2007." West Virginia Governor loe Manchin, himself a motorcyclist, has signed a bill that increases penalties for reckless-driving convicrions. "Danny's Law" was named in honor of Danny Kneisly, who was hit and killed when a driver turned left in front of him: the driver subsequentiy received a $20 fine. Kneisly's death and the ensuinS suppoft of his family added momentum to efforts to pass the bill, which ABATE of West VirSinia, AMA members and staff, and other motorcycle activists had been working toward for nearly five years. The new law provides for penalties of a mini- mum of l0 days in iail and a maximum of six months, and/or a fine of at least $50 and up ro $1000, for those convicted ol reckless driving if they seriously injure The Buell l.,lotorcycle Company has selected Sentry lnsurance as the pre- ferred insurance provider for Eluell owners in the United States. Buellworked closely with Sentr/ over the last two years to find the best way to lower insurance rates on Buell motorcycles. As a result, many Buell owners will pay signrficandy lower premi- ums on their motorcycles insured through Sentry according to Buell. "We're excited to work with Sentry lnsurance to provide Buell owners lower insurance rates. Thrs is the most comprehensive alliance we are aware of between a manufacturer and an insurance company with the common obiective of reducinS the costs of owner- ship and insurance," saysJon Flickinger, president and COO of Buell Motorcycle Company. The Supermoto USA 5ummer Series, sponsored by East Bay Motorsports, will kickoffthe opening round at the new Alta- mont Raceway Park on June 3. Limited classes will be run for this series. For more information, visit www.supermotousa.com Recer Productions and Parts Unlimit- ed will celebrate 30 years of competition at the Kawasaki/Monster Energy National at High Point Raceway, presented by Anderson & Strudwick, round two ofthe AMA Toyota l4otocross Championship, presented by FME On Saturday, l'Iay 27, Parts Unlimited will host a vintaSe-motor- cycle show and exhibition at High Point featurin8 bikes from the earliest days of American motocross. Riders are being encouraged to bring their vinta8e bikes to High Point for the weekend and show them off under the Parts Unlimited tent. A panel ofiudges will vote to decide the best bikes. and awards will be handed out in four classes: Mini (such as Honda QA50 and XR75), VintaSe (1974 and older), Evo- lution (1975- 1980) and Modern ( l98l- 1995), For more information, visit www.racerproductions-com or cal I 304128r',-0084 . lnfineon Ra.eway and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital have entered into a partnership that will make the North Bay- based hospital the "Official lt1edical and Fan Care Services Provider" of lnfineon Raceway, raceway offi cials announced. With this two-year partnership, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital becomes the official sponsor ofthe raceway's medical center, first-aid stations and grandstand fan-care center These facilities will each be titled with the hosparal's name. The world's fastest lndian is stopping at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Muse- um, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The legendary motor- cycle, made famous first on (he salt in Bon- neville and then in the recent Sir Anthony Hopkins movie. The Wotld s Fo*est Indion, is the spotlight of a new exhibit coming to the Fairplex in Pomona, California, from June l0 rhror-igh August. Ac(ording ro Tony Thacker, execurive director of rhe Parks Museum, the exhibit willinclude the his- toric lndian Scout bike that New Zealander HJ. "Buft" Munro rode to fame to set numerous land-speed records at Bon- neville in the 1960s. as well as three to four other vintage lndian racing motor"cy- cles. The Wally Parks NHPA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sun- day, l0 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more informa- tion, call 909/522-2133 or visit www.muse- um,nhra.com, I4otorcycle artist Scoft Ja.obs has stepped forward with a deal for the Kids & Chrome fundraiser: He'll unveil his latest painting - of leSendary flat-track racer lay Springsteen - at the Kids & Chrome event during the Sturgis Rally on AuSust 9. "This 8 MAY 31, 2006 . cYcLE NEWS