Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

30 YedrE Ago--- June t5, 1976 Ton, Distefano rode his way onto the cover of Cycle Nens J0 years ato... The lg-year-old Distefano took his second consecutive 250cc outdoor motocross title in Southwick, Massachusetts, after fi n- ishinS second to PieEe Karsmakers... Rookie Steve Eklund took the Pontiac indoor TT rlat-track National, top- ping the likes of Kenny Roberts and lay Sprin8steen en route to the win... Don Sweet rode his Montesa 348 to the win in the opening round of the U.S. Trials Championship in Colorado... Gerrit Wolsink's consistent 2-2 moto finiihes were enough to take the oveiall 500cc World motocross win in Finland... We tested the all- new Yamahe Y2250, which now featured a second*eneration monoshock system. and that the hump in the straithtaway leadint to the Corkscrew be leveled. The second photo shows both the run-off and, in the distance, where grad- int work is being done to level the roadway. The track work is in addition to lhe previously announced spectator amenities lhat have been improved for the Red Bull U.S.GP fan experience. e0 Year5 Ago.-- -tune lA. t!rf,6 !-Ll J-:l-rJ Flat-track racer Ricky Graham was sliding his privateer Honda on the cover of Cycle News 20 years a8o... We featured Graham in an interview that detailed his life as a struttlint privateer in the National dirt-track series... Rick lohnson rocked the competition in the Los Angles supercross, beating lohnny o'Mara and lefi Ward to lake the win. .lohnson had sewn up the championship at the previous rcund in Arizona... Wayne Rainey went tlvo for !!vo in road-race action in Elkhan Lake, \Msconsin, winnint both the Superbike and Fl classes... Terry Cunningham won the fourth round of the National Enduro Series on a factory Husqvarna... lefi Stanton dominated the Expert class at the Amateur SprinS Nationals at High Point Raceway. ,O VedrE Ago.-- June lZ, t996 lay Springsteen wa. on the .over of CKre News l0 years ago,.. This was a special dirt-track issue, which featured a profile on the Total Control Racint team, as well as a tech piece on J&M Racing's factory KTM machine, and an inter- view with rider Rich l(ng... Pascal Picotte took his Yoshimura Suzuki to the AMA Superbike win in a aain-soaked race at Mid- ohio after lamie James crashed out of th€ lead. Thomas Wilson gave Harley-Davidson its best-ever Superbike finish, cominS home second, while privateer Brett Metzger took a surprise third-place finish. Rich Oliver dominated the 250cc rank once again in Ohio, with Andrew Stroud winning the 600cc Superspon reae... A young Kenny Roberts la was featlred in an interview and talked about the triajs and tribulations ol his first years of ridint for his father's 500cc trand prix road-racing teatn. Superbike TT Win To McGuinness lsle of Man TT veteran lohn Mccuinness led p.actice throuShout the firsr week, and he continued lhat fast pace to win on the openinS day of action on the lsle, winning his ninth ca.eer TT in the Superbike event on Saturday, June 3. The Englishman jumped out front by the halfway point ofthe opening lap ofthe Superbike evem and never looked back, settinS a new sinSle-lap speed record of 127.835 mph {rom a standinS start- The real battle on the track wes for the second spot, between lan Hutchinson and lan Lougher Hutchinson took the spot at the end ofthe flrst lap, with Lougher right on his heels. Lap tlvo saw Lougher move by Hutchinson. and he slowly started ro pull away for the rest of fie six-lap event, Mccuinness took the race win by 39.14 secondr over Lougher. McGuinness' race time of one hour, 48 minutes and 52 seconds was good enough to set the out- right race-time record for the event. "The sunshine was out. and there were more spectators than I have ever seen at the lsle," said Mccuinness from the podi- um. "l jurt kept my concentration and tried to stay smooth throughout. h \aas a treat day out there. The spctators were just awesome. I really want to thaok all of them of for coming out." Hutchinson took his first-ever podium finish, coming home in third, just over one minute adrift of Lougher. American Jeremy Toye has been on the fasr track to learnint the lsle of lvlan thrs week on his Martin Bullock Racrng Suzuki GSX-R1000. Toye flnished 26th in the Superbike race today - the top linishing rookie- "Wow, what a racel" sad Toye after hrs first race at rhe lsle of l4an. "l'm ready to do another six laps. That was so intense and really fun ar rhe same !ime. lt 5 com- pletet insane, but I now know why people keep coming back here." New Zealander Bruce Anstey took top honors in the Superstock race on lune 4, followed home by Hutchinson and lsle of Man local .lason Grifllths- The 36-year-old Anstey started in the fifth spot and jumped out to an early lead in the four-lap event. "lt's realry so crucial to 8et out front riSht away and set Lhe pace." taid Anstey. ''with guys like M

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