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/762384
IN THE WIND P30 AMA TO SANCTION WERA B eginning with the start of WERA's 2017 season, all WERA events will be co-sanc- tioned with the AMA. "WERA has produced a long line of impressive winners, and many of them have gone on to great success in the AMA Superbike Championship and beyond," said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. "The professionalism and fairness demonstrated by WERA's leadership has always been ex- ceptional, and the organization is an important partner for the AMA as we work to grow both amateur and professional road racing in this country." With this partnership, WERA has access to AMA-approved insur- ance, AMA ratification and recogni- tion of results, and the opportunity to develop a clear path to profes- sional licensing for those riders who aspire to race with MotoAmerica, the home of the AMA Superbike Championship. "AMA and MotoAmerica have worked hard and are succeeding in bringing growth to professional mo- torcycle road racing in the United States," said Evelyne Clarke, WERA owner and president. "Many WERA racers have a dream to compete on a professional level, so it is important to provide them the path to accomplish this, which is one of the things this partnership will do. The many benefits of an AMA membership are valuable to all WERA racers." Clarke, whose history with WERA dates back to 1976, added that the AMA's role as the country's premier motorcycling advocate also was important to the decision to sanction with the AMA. "The AMA has long defended our freedoms to ride and race," Clarke said. "This includes uniting AMA members to help defeat the lead law ban on youth dirt bikes as well as stopping the more recent ef- fort by the Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the conversion of emissions-certified motorcycles into race bikes." WERA, based in Canton, Geor- gia, is one of the oldest and largest national sanctioning bodies con- ducting motorcycle races at road courses across the United States. Since 1974 WERA has enabled thousands of racers at all levels the opportunity to compete across the country. WERA offers a Rider's School with entry-level racing, pro- am racing and vintage racing for anyone with a motorcycle. For more information on WERA, as well as the 2017 schedule of events, see www.wera.com. CN KTM'S 790 DUKE PROTOTYPE GETS THRASHED O ne of the bikes that set tongues wagging at the re- cent EICMA show was the KTM 790 Duke prototype (head to page 73 to hear what the KTM bosses have to say about their new baby). This parallel-twin will fill the company's long-held need of a midsize naked bike to compliment the single-cylinder 690 and 390 Dukes and the big daddy, the V-twin 1290 Super Duke R. And now we have our first glimpse of the prototype in action, as it gets thrashed somewhere in Europe by someone who clearly knows what he (or she) is doing. It remains to be seen whether the razor-sharp styling will make it to the production line, the same with the wild ex- haust that exits out the back of the seat, but we can hope. Anyway, here's someone doing wheelies and skids on a bike we can't wait to ride. CN