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/1545842
of the main guys and focus purely on rac- ing and gefting results on the track as well as in the workhop." Former Al4A, WMA and ltalian Women's Champion Stefy Bau has announced her retiremenr from motocross. ln a letter to her fans and the press, Bau talked about her career-ending inj'.rry last fall where she badly injured both feet, dislo- cated her elbow and suffered internal bruising to several organs. After the acci- dent, Bau's mind was already set on rac- in8 again, but instead, a battle to walk again was her immediate challenge. Luckily, it appears she's winning that bat- tle. but she was forced to accePt the fact that her 22-season racinE career was over, "l'm a metocross racea," Bau said in her letter. 'And l've been racing since before I knew how to read. Motocross is my life and everythinS always sPUn arosnd it. On October 20,2005, the life I knew took a really harsh turn. And even though it took so long to accept it in my heart, I had to realize that that was the end of my racing career." Bau won a total of seven ltalian Women's titles, one Italian l*len's Amateur title, two AMA Pro Women's titles, two WMA Women's National titles, one Loretta Lynn's title and was nominated Best Female Extreme Athlete in the world in the 2001 NEA Awards. creg Albertyn will be taking a step back into the world of Pro motocrost this year. The former FIH World and AMA l4otocross Champion will be the team manager for the South African team in the 2006 Motocross des Nations. Heading up the team will be another World Motocross and Al'4A Champion, Grant Langston. Joining Langston on the South African team will be Tyla Rattray and Gareth Swanepoel, who are both currenlly run- ninS in the top-five in the HX2 World Championship. Juha ys. Knight! lt sounds like the ulti- mate ofl-road battle. But with Juha Salmi- nen heading back to Europe at the end of this year, and David Knight planning his move to the United States next yeat it looked as ifthe title fight would never happen- But KTM has announced that the wvo off-road super-powers willgo head to head in the final two rounds ofthe GNCC series this year, Knight is slated to attend Fl'lF Powerline Park in St. Clairsville, Ohio. on October 8; and the GNCC finale, the Klotz lronman in Craw- fordsville, lndiana, on October 22, Rockstar EnerSy Drink has signed on as the title sponsor for the 2006 U.S- Open of Supercross. Rockstar will be on hand at the event sampling their drink to off-road and motocross fans. A second sponsor has also been announced for this year's U.S. Open. Toyota Trucks will sponsor the blingin' three-part Trifecta bonus proSram, which could potentially award the winning rider a quafter-mil- lion dollars for the weekend. The Toy- ota Trucks Trifecta challenge involves being the fastest qualifier, Setting the holeshot and winning the main event. Going "double down" on both nights will bring home the full $250,000 amount, along with a 2007 Toyota Tundra for the rider's mechanic. For the fi.tt-time ever, the U,S, Open will air on CBS Sports. The 90-minute program will feature racing from both nights of the U.S. Open, and will lead into the network's coverage ofthe South East- ern Conference college football game of the week. The U.S. Open will air on CBs sports on Saturday, October 2 I from I :30 to 3 p.m. (EST). Hodgson To World Superbike? Dar(s Unlimited Ducati's Neil Hodtson f may nor be back rn che AMA Superbike Series in 2007, the Brit hoping for a move back to the World Superbike Championship. "My current situation is that l'm out of a job at the end ofthe year," Hodgson said at the Laguna Seca round of the series on July 22. "My conrract with rhe Ducati fac- tory runs out. I've got co say that l'd be excited about the prospecl of returning to world Superbikes. I can't stand here and lie and say I wouldn't be. HodSson is frustrated with his one-and- a-half seasons of AMA racing because he hasn't been flghtint for race wins. 'ifu you know, l'm a Ducati rider so that's where Im aiming to go trecause I think l've done my lime in America," Hodgson sard. "The frustratinS part has b€en you iust get sick and tired of battlin8 for fourth place. k gets very disconcerting and ks no fun at all. I race to win and tet fie enjoymen! out ofwinnint, and I've not had that for wvo years. The prosPect of doing the same over here on a bike that might not be c+able of winnrnt doet not appealto me one little bit. lf they paid me rwenty million I wouldn't want to do it. lt's not about the money - it's about tuming up on a race weekend knowing you've 8ot a chance of winning." HodSson may end up wherever Ducati chooses to pla(e him, but he's heard noth- int that would indicare that he'd be return- ing to the AMA series. ''I ve nor heird any indicalion yet about wherher Ducati would w-ant me to stay in America." Hodgson said. "l'm waiting to hear something." lf HodEson Eets his wa,,, he'll be team- mates with Troy Bayliss on the Xerox Ducati team in 2007. ''lt would be a dream come true, but we will see," Hodgson said. A lot of it is out of my hands. Talk have been held abour me Soing back to world Superbikes and things are movint a lon8. and it would be with Ducati. Motthew Birt Will Neil Hodgson return to World 9uperbike roting in 2OO7? o o .loe Rocket Honda sAdam "Crusty" Ferguson was a more , than interested spectator at the AMly'l"lotocP combina- tion weekend a! Mazda Raceway La8una Seca. The 2004 Australian Superbike Champion said he was exploring the possibility of returning to the Corona Extra Suzuki team he left at rhe end of 2003. "l suppose it's that state ofthe year when the silly sea- son is fla( out," FerSuson said under the Corona hosPital- ity tent. "We've 8ot an eiSht-week break at hpme at the moment. That's probably the main reason I m over here. "l mean, you know it's that time o[ the year when it's time to start exploting options. Let't iust say there's a possability of it. W€'ll iust stick with that at the moment. But yeah, mainly, Im jutt over here to have a bit of fun and son of check iL out and ca(ch uP with everyone. I ha$n't seen these gtrys for nearly three years. ' lCo.ona Extra ream princrpal Tim Saunde6 said he'd be happy to see Ferguson relurn, "We've had a long sucaessful relat;onshiP with Crusty," he said. "We'd love to have him come back if that would be]poss'ute. we re exploring options of havinS crusty colne back wlth us (his year Obviously, we ve tot to adfress a lot of ilsues, contractual or otherwrse. bu! w{ re workrng on that and we'd veq/ mu.h like to have h appears that his sponsorrhip is solid. Corona just announced lhis week a m4or chante in their entire importation structure. "We feel that that will bode very well for us because of the players that are Soint to be taking over the whole U.S, importation and we've actually been having meetints this weekend on that very 3tuation," Saunde6 said. "They're very happy with the program. We will certainly be continuinS and hopefully expand it lor future years. ' As for Fertuson, he said at the end of lhe day that he has to decide what's best tor him and his family. "l feel really comfortable comint back, The worst thing is jet lat. I've slept about four hours in four days." Henny Ray Abrams Crusty For AMA Comeback? to ntinue the team''long collaboration with Suzuki, but h has to explore all options. Saunders is working on machinery for 2@7. He'd like CYCLE NEWS . AUGUST 2, 2006 'l t i I ) I I ./. / 1' I I l,l \ ,e+ I ( al I 't1-a,r-;l a f