Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Motocross des Nations to Budds Greek in'O7 g41ryPryq The 62nd annual Morocross o[ Narions will b€ held at Budds Creek Moto.ross Raceway I in Maryland, September 2l-23, 2007. marking just the second time that the United Stales will host the international leam even[. The announcement was made joinrly in Sourhwick, Massachusetts, during round three of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship. and in Montevarchi, ltaly, at the ltalian round of the 2006 World l"lotocross Championship Series. The l"lotocross of Nations will be sanctioned by the FlM, the international governing body for motorcycle sport and touring. The AMA, the Flln'l's sole U.S. affiliate, willserve as the host federation. "The AMA is excited to help bring the Motocross of Nations back to America on the 20th anniversary ofAMA Team USAS victory in Unadilla, New York," said AMA president Roben Rasor, who also serves as an FIM vice president. "Budds Creek Motocross Raceway is a proven Grand Prix circuit and will be an excellentvenue. We look forward to welcom- ing teams from throuShout the world to the USA in September of 2007." The Motocross of Nations features three-rider teams from around the world aompet- ing in three races, or motos. The United States is the event's defendint champion, havint won last year for a record-tying l6th time. From l98l to 1193, the United States was undefeated in the Motocross of Nations, winninS l3 straight times. The United States last hosted the Moto.ross of Nations in 1987 at Unadilla in upstate New York. DiSalvo To Suzuka Current AMA Formula Xrreme points leader .lason Disalvo is scheduled to test an endurance-racing-prepared Yamaha YZF-R I in Japan at the end oflune afld then race the bike a5 a member of a three-rider Yamaha team in the Suzuka I Hours race on July 30. DiSalvo's first test is scheduled for a test track in Japan durint the week of rune 18. Disalvo will test atain on June 26 at the Suzuka. "This is an extremely important milestone for Jason," said Yamaha team manager Kehh Mccarty. "k will provide a great opportuniry for Jason and the factory to get to know each other and perhaps look towards the future.' The test is another step toward Disalvo's stared goal of premier-class road racing in Europe ooe day. Nearly evenrhing l've done in racing has been to get me ready for an opportunity like this," an optimistic Disalvo said. "Obviously, my focus is winnint a championship in the U.S. and doing the best I can every time I race, but l'd be l).ing if Iraid that the opportunity to race Suzuka doesn't get me excited. ' The "Road to 8 Hours" Suzuka 30okm race was held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan on June I I, with Ryuichi Kiyonari and Yuki Takahashi ridint the Seven Star Honda CBRIoooRRW to victory over a second Honda, ridden by Yoshiteru Konishi and Tsuyoshi Yasuda. The Suzuka 300km race is not included in the All Japan Championship Series, but it serves as a warmup race for the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. The manufacturers had been racin8 Superbikes in the event in the past, but Suzuka requested this year that the factories follow .lapanese Superbike rules, which are more technically restricted. HRC has announced that they will enter two factory CBR|oooRRWS in the Suzuka 8 Hours. but the rider list for those two teams has not been released yet. However, it is like- ly that Kiyonari and Takahashi will race totether Konishi earned pole position for the ra.e on the Toy Story RT4sB/Bridtestone Honda, lapping at 2:08.966. The biggest surprise of the event was Yoshimura's switching tire brands from Dunlop to Bridgestone. Yoshimura Suzuki rider Atsushi Watanabe. who was teaming with Nobuatsu Aoki, ended up seventh fastest in qualifying. While qualifyin8 was held in dry conditions, it rained prior to the start of the race, and all the riders lined up with full wets fitted. Konishi took the holeshot, while Kiyonari was third at the end of the opening lap. With a drying racetrack, Kiyonari pitted on the lfth lap to change to slicks. HRC test rider Konishi led the race from the start to the 23rd lap before giving way to Yasuda. Yoshimura's Watanabe was the next to lead, heading the pack from lap 24 to lap 40. Watanabe handed the Suzuki GSX-R1000 to former GP rider Nobuatsu Aoki. Shinichi lto look over at lhe front of the pack and was leadin8 by 14 seconds when his Honda CBR|000RR ran out of fuel at the Degner Curve, handing the lead and the victor/ to rhe pairing of Kiyonari and Takahashi. "l don't dislike we! race a! Suzuka, but today's condition was veq,, difficult." said Kiyonari. "Race pace was not very fast at the beginninS, and when the pace w.rs up, the track was dried. Top riders did not come in to the pit, 5o I was wonder- ingwhen to change the tire. Yukidid really good iob, and lthink that was the reason we won today-" "Kiyonari-san was tryinS very hard, so my part was shorter than it was planned," said Takahasha. "l was passed by lto-san soon after I went out to the track. His riding was so smooth and I lea.ned a lor following him. lwanted to ride with Kiyonari-san two years ago for the Suzuka 8 Hours race. but it didn't happen, as lcrashed. So lam happy to win today's race with him. lwant to win this year's eiSht-hour race for Honda. lf we win, it will be Honda's loth win in a row." Atsushi Watanabe and Nobuatsu Yoshimura rode their Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a third-place finish- Kiyonari And Takahashi Take Suzuka 300 o o o \ 7v ,'- Joion Disolvo Ryuichi Kiyonori led the Seven stor Hondo leom to Yi(tory in the Suzuko 3(X), ( CYCLE NEWS . JUNE 21, 2006 I

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