Czech immigrant Vincent Haskovec bailed out on a deal to ride a Blackmans Cycles Aprilia RSV Mille R in the Formula USA series days before flying to Pennsylvania and signing a contract. Blackmans Cycles Racing Manager Kris Bickford had already sent Haskovec a plane ticket to appear at an open house at the multi-line dealership and sign the paperwork when Haskovec called and reneged on the deal. Speaking at Willow Springs Raceway where he was attending a WSMC event, Haskovec said he called Bickford on Thursday, January 18, and called off the deal after EBSCO Media’s Landers Sevier said that he was putting together a Corona Beer and Suzuki-sponsored AMA 600cc and 750cc Supersport team including Haskovec, Jimmy Moore and young gun Tony Meiring. Meiring and his father confirmed at Willow Springs that Sevier had also contacted them with the same information. Haskovec said, “I feel really, really bad for the Aprilia guys. But what can I do? It’s been my dream since I came to America to race in AMA.” Haskovec said that he does not know any more details of the EBSCO deal and that he had not signed any papers. Roadracing World was unable to contact Sevier prior to posting, but sources at American Suzuki said that as far as they knew nothing had been finalized for the deal. When Moore was contacted and asked if he was riding for Corona EBSCO Suzuki in 2001, he replied “Still not sure. I’ll let you know when I am.” In a drawing at the WSMC 2000 season awards banquet held January 20 in Lancaster, California, Haskovec won a 2001 Toyota Tundra V8 extended cab pick-up truck, and told the crowd in accented English, “I cannot believe it, mon! I am flying!” WSMC members received one entry in the annual truck drawing every time they finished in the top 10 of a Formula One race. WSMC also held a drawing for the top five in Expert points in each class, awarding a Specialized mountain bike to Chip Hilliard. In a drawing for riders who finished between 11th and 99th in overall WSMC points, Curtis Adams won a home stereo system.