Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 17, 2013 major events," Ghiorzi said. "Right now we're exploring all of our options and hopefully we can come up with a solution that will work for all parties." Mid-Ohio is one of the longtime traditional venues on the AMA Superbike calendar. The first AMA Road Race National was held there in 1983. The track has hosted the AMA Superbike event in mid-July since 2009. Prior to that the event ran in early August. Mid-Ohio has an additional challenge in that the AMA's Vintage Motorcycle Days is slated this year for July 18-20 and the track has traditionally scheduled a slate of events linking its two big motorcycle events on back-to-back weekends. While Ghiorzi said all options were being explored, he ruled out a cancellation of Mid-Ohio's AMA Superbike event. "Our Superbike race is the longest running major event we have at Mid-Ohio," Ghiorzi said. "This will be our 32nd consecutive year hosting the event, so in spite of how difficult it may be, we'll make every effort to work things out to make sure the race is on this year's calendar." Paul Carruthers/Larry Lawrence JOHNSON VALLEY OHV SAVED? T he Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area in California, one of the largest offroad riding areas in the state, won't be taken over by the military after all, according to the AMA. Thanks to language included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014 that was approved by a U.S. House-Senate conference committee on December 11, the area will now be shared with the U.S. Marine Corps, who for several months has been trying to take over Johnson Valley for training purposes. U.S. Rep. Paul Cook (R-California) led the fight for the interests of the OHV community by getting the language inserted into the bill. Cook's lancontinued on page 42 P41 Briefly... MotoGP Penalty Points While penalty points assessed to riders during the 2013 Grand Prix season were wiped from the record of the rider at the end of the season that will no longer be the case. Any rider earning penalty points during the 2014 season will now carry those points points for a full year. Little Gets AMA Award Larry Little, the vice president and general manager of Marketplace Events, was named as the AMA Motorcyclist of the Year last week by the AMA. Little and his company created the AIMExpo, the consumer/trade show that made its debut October 16-20 in Orlando, Florida. The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year recognizes the person or persons who had the most profound impact within the motorcycling community in the previous 12 months. It is awarded annually by the AMA Board of Directors. Grant For Paris AMA road racer Melissa Paris was chosen last week as one of the Women's Sports Foundation's Women in the Winner's Circle Project Podium Grant Class of 2014 winners – a project founded by the former president of the Women's Sports Foundation, Indy car racer Lyn St. James. Female racers were encouraged to apply for this grant for an opportunity to receive matching funds to help advance their careers. And while it seemed like a longshot because most of the language on the application was four-wheel driven, Paris decided to just try and apply for it anyway. "I thought it was a real long shot, but I got a call a couple of days before Thanksgiving and it was actually from Lyn St. James calling to ask me some more about my plans for next year," said Paris, who is married to three-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes. "And I remember I was on my bicycle out for a training ride when I got the call and it's just like, 'Oh my gosh I can't believe I'm actually being considered.'" Paris is hoping to use the funds to take a shot at the Spanish National Championship (CEV) next year while also racing in the AMA series. BMW For Kiyonari Three-time British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari will ride a Buildbase-backed BMW in the 2014 British Superbike Series in a two-man team with James Westmoreland. continued on page 45

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