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/1545838
Team Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ben Townley suffered a separated shoulder on Tuesday, July 11, while train- ing at a test track in Florida. Townley was examined by a specialist on Thursday, July 13, and was told that he would be forced to miss the remainder of the AMA motocross season. Townley, 21, from Taupo, New Zealand, was previously sidelined for nearly six months from a knee injury and had just returned to motocross racing at the July 2 Red Bud MX National, where he finished fifth overall with 8-3 moto scores. "I was dis- appointed with eighth in the first moto, obviously, but third in the second go- round was more satisfying," said Townley. "I am very disappointed to have my sea- son come to an end again with only one race under my belt." Australia is the first country to qualify for Speedway's World Cup Final at Read- ing in England on Saturday, July 22, but the Aussies, winners of the first two Speedway World Cups, had to wait until the very last race in Rybnik, Poland, on July 16 to snatch the automatic placing ahead of Great Britain and Poland, who finished just a point behind. Australia, Great Britain and Poland fought a fantastic battle throughout the 25 heats with no single country managing to establish a clear-cut lead. Poland, in fact, looked to have slipped out of the reckoning with five heats left, but three successive heat wins, including a Joker victory for the inspirational Tomasz Gollob, actually put them ahead with one race left. Jason Crump, who had looked a class apart all night, was up for the challenge and led all the way, but it was Mark Loram's pass of Poland's Piotr Protasiewicz that prevent- ed a race-off to determine who went through. Poland and Great Britain will now contest the race-off at Reading on Thursday, July 20, when they will be joined by the countries finishing second and third at Malilla, Sweden, on Tuesday, July 18. The winners of the Swedish round, which features hosts Sweden, favorites Denmark, the USA and the Czech Republic, will also go straight through to the final. American Honda has announced it will have a limited edition Nicky Hayden T- shirt available for sale during the U.S. MotoGP weekend at Laguna Seca Race- way. As a bonus, a free 1/32 scale model of Hayden's RC211V will be given away with the purchase of each shirt. All pro- ceeds will go to the Ride for Kids, Ameri- can Honda's official motorcycle charity since 1991. Supplies are limited, but Honda will have other officially licensed products available at the Honda store located across from the Honda product display. Store hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The annual fan party for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia International Raceway will be bigger and better than ever, according to event promoters, with cash and other valuable prizes available to be won, among other attractions. The party will get under way at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night, August 18, at the Speed Channel Mobile Theater in the paddock. There will be a deejay, free Red Bull and water for everyone, plus umbrella girls and many of the top riders in the sport, including former World Champions, who will be available for autographs. Event promoters M1 Entertainment will offer a variety of prizes to be won by fans, including $100 cash prizes in a raffle drawing. There will also be a number of signed helmets available to win: one from Arai signed by MotoGP and AMA Super- bike stars, plus former World Champions; one signed by Suzuki Superbike stars Mat Mladin and Ben Spies; and one signed by Yamaha Supersport and Superstock star Jamie Hacking. Plus there will be gear available to be won by Speed Channel, Moto 1 and Joe Rocket, as well as motor- cycle-art prints from the renowned artist Tim Berry. To cap off the evening, there will be a special showing of the new MotoGP movie, The Doctor, the Texas Tor- nado and the Kentucky Kid on the Jum- botron screens. Advance ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm on August 14. Tickets ordered too late to mail will be able to be picked up at will call at the track. To pur- chase tickets, visit www.m1event.com or www.gettix.net. Air Nautique isn't just going to the track at the Air Nautique/AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's presented by Amsoil - they're also going to the lake, and they want the motocrossers to come with them. Air Nautique demo days return for 2006, with the company offering clinics on wakeboarding and a chance to drive an Air Nautique boat on a lake just a few miles from Loretta Lynn's Ranch. The clinic days are Tuesday, August 1, through Friday, August 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. An adult must accompany anyone under 18 years of age. Each person is allowed one guest with him or her. For more information, call 407/855-4141 ext. 104 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern). Parts Unlimited has announced its sponsorship of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, July 21-23, 2006. Parts Unlimited will provide VIP treat- ment to all participating dealers during the "dealer only" hospitality located in turn-five chalet. Medalist Laserfab Inc., a progressive specialty sheet-metal fabricator from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has committed to building a custom motorcycle that will be placed in the FMA Foundation's charita- ble auction this fall. Inspired by motorcy- cle-fabricating television shows, the Medalist team will custom-design and build the bike in time for the start of the online auction slated for September 27. Medalist will have the advisory help of Matt Hotch, the two-time winner of the Discovery Channel's "Biker Build-Off." Bidding will continue on the bike at a live auction on the floor of the Fabtech Inter- national and AWS Welding Show in Atlanta, October 31 through November 3. As an added incentive for bidders, Medalist will custom-finish the bike with the winning bidder's colors, logos, or graphics. Medalist plans on investing sig- nificantly in the bike and estimates the value of the finished product to exceed $50,000. Proceeds from the auction will be used to establish manufacturing camps for teens and award scholarships to young adults entering the metal forming and fabricating industry. The FMA will also match sponsorships dollar for dollar with a gift to the Foundation's Endow- ment Fund. For more information or to donate an item or service to be auc- tioned, visit www.industryauction.org. Via the strategic partnership formed between Jeremy McGrath and Wasser- man Media Group, event organizers for the Jeremy McGrath Invitational announced today that American Honda and Amp'd Mobile will be presenting sponsors for the 2006 inaugural Super- cross-style race event. In addition to Honda and Amp'd Mobile, Dunlop Tires, Kicker Audio Systems, Spy Optics, Pro Taper, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and DC Shoes have all committed to vari- ous sponsorship opportunities for the race. This race will be held October 6-7 at the Home Depot Center on the cam- pus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. NBC will air the event on October 22. Tickets and VIP packages are available now at 1-888-MCRACE1; at Ticketmas- ter.com; and at the Home Depot Center and Staples Center box offices. Two-day packages start at $30 for adults/ $20 for kids and go up to $500 for VIP packages. For more information, visit www.jere- mymcgrathinvitational.com. Arai Helmets has announced a volun- tary program to repair those helmets that have experienced a loosening of the flexible trim strip around the helmet's lower perimeter. The loosening was traced to a limited number of helmets in a production run some time ago, and has since been corrected, according to Arai. Arai will also extend its standard five-year warranty by an additional two years to give all affected consumers time to respond and be covered. "We want to accommodate everybody and make all our customers happy," said Brian M. Weston, director of operations. "Our first priority is to get the strips re-fas- tened and returned as quickly as possi- ble, and to allow the extra warranty time for everyone to respond." As an added customers courtesy and to encourage the immediate return of the affected helmets, Arai is offering a limit- ed "Pre-Paid Return" offer for all hel- mets returned on or before September 29. Arai has made special arrangements with "The UPS Stores" to pack and ship helmets at no charge through September 29. Helmets shipped on or after October 2 would revert to the normal warranty program procedures. For more informa- tion, visit www.araiamericas.com/ qcs_query_tech.html. Thomas "T.C." Collins, a longtime employee of Huntington Honda in Hunt- ington Beach, California, died on July 7. Collins was a former AMA Pro who built and raced Triumph flat trackers in and around Chicago, Illinois, in the 1970s. He is survived by his two children, Tammy and Tommy, and two grandchildren. Collins worked for Huntington Honda for nearly 30 years and the dealership is invit- ing all those who wish to celebrate Collins' life to a 9 a.m. breakfast in the store on Sunday, July 23. Sympathy cards can be mailed to Huntington Honda at 17555 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, California 92646. Donations can be sent to Huntington Honda where they will be donated in his name to the The Ride For Kids program. The premiere of a new vintage motor- cycle event at a new race facility is planned toward the end of the summer. Starting September 14 on the Bonneville Salt Flats, vintage and classic bikes will be able to do their best Burt Munro imper- sonation during the World of Speed with the Utah Salt Flats Racing Associa- tion with the special addition of AHRMA racing classes. Stock vintage bikes will also be able to do official timed runs and earn an official timing slip and certificate. On September 15, the event moves to the new Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, for one day of practice and two days of AHRMA vintage road racing. JULY 26, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 6