Garza Wins With Roadrace Southwest At Firebird

newspaper

-

November 7, 2006

Garza Wins With Roadrace Southwest At Firebird

Battle at Main I goes down at Firebird This last weekend was the second to last round for Roadrace Southwest/CCS held at Firebird International Raceway on the Main course. The weekend claimed its share of victims but others had breakthrough performances. Next year will see expert classes to watch as some very fast amateurs are headed that way and Ivan Garza had a perfect weekend once again. Perhaps the most entertaining race was the Roadrace Southwest $1200 Unlimited Grand Prix, with the top three qualifiers within three seconds of each other. Mark Ledesma was forced to sit this one out after a problem with the forks on his North Valley Honda CBR 1000RR oiled his front tire in practice causing him to crash, uninjured but bike damaged. That left the fight for the podium to Lenny Beckman, Ivan Garza and Rory Palmer who set in for a fight when the green flag flew. Ivan took the early lead ahead of a charging Beckman on his Mezcal Beneva Kawasaki, while Rory tried to recoup after being blasted off the start by the others’ liter bikes. Beckman then pulled in to the pits with a mechanical failure of his TintWizard GSXR that later was found to be a loose battery terminal that sent the bike’s engine management system into fits. This allowed Palmer, aboard the HelmetHarbor.com 600 Suzuki to jump into second place, four seconds behind Garza. Rory methodically picked time showing much more speed through the infield, only to lose half the advantage gained on the near half mile straightaway to the Evan Steel Performance motor of Garza. On the ninth of 13 laps, Palmer attached himself to Garza’s tailsection making daring outside passes going into turns eight and nine. The crowd roared their approval as the two battled back and forth between the twisties and the drag strip. On lap eleven, Rory seemed to have Garza beat when the faster Kawasaki did not get by down the long straight. Then on the turn before the white flag, Rory’s bike stepped the rear out too far and Ivan got by. Into the infield one last time, Ivan played Winnebago and took away all of the passing lanes to hold onto a win. After the race, Ivan remarked, “My plan was to take him and block in the infield which was all I could do to win.” What he did not know was that the Suzuki of Rory had taken shrapnel to the radiator that filled the required belly pan with coolant and was splashing his rear tire. Rory said afterwards, “If I could have the grip, I would have found a way by, but the rear just kept stepping out on me because of the radiator leak.” Clearly had his and Lenny’s bikes held together there would have been a nasty three way war for the win and one can only guess what December will bring. Ivan continued his winning ways with a perfect weekend and made it clear that there is no way he could do this many races without the help from Evan Steel and his crew. The last race of the season should be very interesting as all the same expert and amateur players will be back for the final “Battle at Main”. The next event will be December 2-3, for more information go to www.roadracesw.com. Results Firebird Int’l. Raceway November 4-5, 2006 Formula 40 1. Kris Gilbert (Suz) 2. Jim Davis (Yam) 3. Scott Ladd (Suz) Lightweight Formula 40 1. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) 2. Ed Jones (Suz) 3. Ray Hymer (Hon) Thunderbike 1. Bob Russell (Suz) 2. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) 3. Kevin Lynch (Suz) 125 GP 1. Brian Heess (Hon) 2. Kim Brauneis (Yam) Expert GTU 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Danny Demel (Suz) 3. Eric Bartlett (Yam) Amateur GTU 1. Willentino Harfert (Honda) 2. Tyler Smith (Hon) 3. Rick Phares (Suz) Ultra Lightweight Superbike 1. Ed Jones (Kaw) 2. Randy Jusi (Hon) 3. Ray Hymer (Kaw) Cobb’s Restaurant Lightweight Supersport 1. Bob Russell (Suz) 2. Wayne Neilson (Suz) 3. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) Expert GTO 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Scott Bergen (Suz) 3. Darren Kaye (Yam) Amateur GTO 1. Gary King (Yam) 2. Tom Hilsdorf (Hon) Tracktime GT Lights 1. Wayne Nielson (Suz) 2. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) 3. Matthew Kellerman (Hyosung) Powerstands Expert Middleweight Superbike 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Eric Bartlett (Yam) 3. David Siminski (Kaw) Powerstands Amateur Middleweight Superbike 1. Rick Bucher (Hon) 2. Kyle Klein (Kaw) 3. Trevor Van Horn (Hon) Expert Heavyweight Supersport 1. Danny Demel (Suz) 2. Nick Terrell (Kaw) 3. Donny Demel (Suz) Amateur Heavyweight Supersport 1. Rick Bucher (Hon) 2. James Joyce (Suz) 3. Monte Vogeli (Suz) Lightweight Grand Prix 1. Dale Whelan (Yam) 2. Wayne Nielson (Suz) 3. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix 1. Patrick Bertinelli (Suz) 2. James Joyce (Suz) 3. Gary King (Unk) Roadrace Southwest $1200 Unlimited GP 1. Ivan Garza (Kawasaki) 2. Rory Palmer (Suz) 3. Kris Gilbert (Suz) Jim Cox Racing Amateur Middleweight Supersport 1. Kyle Klein (Kaw) 2. Tyler Smith (Hon) 3. Matt Hepler (Yam) Racers Edge Middleweight Supersport 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Eric Bartlett (Yam) 3. Danny Demel (Suz) Racers Edge Expert Unlimited Supersport 1. Scott Bergen (Suz) Amateur Unlimited Supersport 1. Patrick Bertinelli (Suz) 2. Raymond Thibedeau (Suz) 3. Gary King Moto-Services Expert Middleweight Grand Prix 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Rory Palmer (Suz) 3. Eric Bartlett (Yam) Amateur Middleweight Grand Prix 1. William Harfert (Hon) 2. Rick Bucher (Hon) 3. Kyle Klein (Kaw) Big Earl’s Big Greasy Eats Expert Heavyweight SuperBITE (bike) 1. Rory Palmer (Suz) 2. Nick Terrell (Kaw) 3. Donny Demel (Suz) Amateur Heavyweight Superbike 1. Rick Bucher (Hon) 2. Kyle Klein (Kaw) 3. James Joyce (Suz) Value Pools and Spas Lightweight Superbike 1. Wayne Nielson (Suz) 2. Bob Russell (Suz) 3. Jack O’Keefe (Suz) AJ’s Performance/TintWizard Expert Unlimited Superbike 1. Ivan Garza (Kaw) 2. Lenny Beckman (Suz) 3. Kris Gilbert (Suz) Supertwins 1. Tom Hilsdorf (Hon) 2. Steven Hymer (Suz) Amateur Unlimited Superbike 1. Raymond Thibedeau (Suz) 2. Patrick Bertinelli (Suz) 3. Gary King (Unk)

Updated: Red Bull Rookies Cup Contestant Wins Mini Title In California

newspaper

-

November 7, 2006

0

Updated: Red Bull Rookies Cup Contestant Wins Mini Title In California

PRICE CLINCHES SCMINIGP HONDA NSR50 CUP TITLE Fresh from his trip to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup tryout in Valencia, Spain, Drew Price clinched the SCminiGP Honda NSR50 Cup title this weekend at the first ever AMA sanctioned mini Grand Prix event, on the California Speedway cart track in Fontana, California. The Honda NSR50 Cup is arguably the most competitive class in the field as all bikes must be completely stock, even down to the tires. In a race that saw competitors coming from as far as Vancouver, Washington and Canada, the level of competition was very high. Price suffered a broken wrist at the last race but cut his cast off the night before the big finale at California Speedway. The very capable young Benny Solis was able to check out, leaving Price and the talented youngster Peter Lenz to battle it out for second place. Fans saw a great battle with Price and Lenz passing each other back and forth the whole race; Price dug deep on the last two laps and opened a small gap, just enough to clear the checkered flag by half a wheel. Price, a second year factory rider for Blata pocket bikes, finished second in the Pro GP Light class and third in the 50cc Shifter class on his stock Honda, racing against modified bikes. Price closes out the season with a podium position on all his classes and looks forward to moving up to a 125 next season. “This has been an awesome year for me. From everyone, even people I never met, coming together to help get me to Spain for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup tryout to taking first place in the Honda NSR50 Cup, I couldn’t be happier,” said Price. “My goal this year was to win the NSR50 Cup and show everyone what I was capable of; last year I finished second. Getting to accomplish what I worked so hard for all year and two other top 3 finishes for the season in my other classes and the trip to Spain, what can I say? It’s been a really great year. I plan to keep plugging away and develop my skills. Now that I’m moving up the full sized bikes, I’m hoping to attend a few race schools, if they’ll take me when I turn 16 in December. I’ll be racing USGPRU and WSMC if all goes well.” More, from a press release issued by ScminiGP: AMA-SANCTIONED MINIGP EVENT A SUCCESS SCminiGP, Southern California’s premier youth road racing program, officially hosted the first AMA-sanctioned miniGP-only event. Presented by Arai Helmets, the minimoto races created a national-like presence as it hosted riders from five states and Canada! More than 50 riders attended the event held at California Speedway’s kart track in Fontana, California. This AMA-sanctioned event included racers as young as 5 years old competing on Blata 2.6 pocketbikes and riders 9 years and up riding on advanced 65cc shifters categories, all the way up to 80cc. The spread of competition among locals and traveling racers was surprisingly even. No less than six different races were decided by less than a wheel-length, as youth and adult competitors demonstrated a high level of competition from a large geographic pool. In the premier minimoto classes, Rocky Morales took the win from season champion Benny Solis Jr. by one wheel in the 80cc GP presented by ASV Inventions. In the 50cc Lightweight presented by Vortex, Benny Solis Jr. took the win while a thrilling four-rider cluster battled it out for the runner-up spot. Austin Dehaven finished in second, followed closely by Peter Lenz, Rocky Morales and Drew Price, all finishing with less than two bike lengths between the four. The Honda NSR Cup presented by Bridgestone saw Benny Solis Jr. take another win while Drew Price scored second after a neck-and-neck battle with Peter Lenz was decided by inches. In the premier pocketbike classes, Peter Lenz swept the Semi-pro Jr. presented by MinigpX.com and Pro-GP presented by Dainese classes. Mark Renthrow held off Aaron Villasenor for the win in the Blata Cup beginner class presented by Blata USA. SCminiGP is a youth-based program which promotes road racing in four stages based on age and skill. Now entering its fourth year of operations, the program has helped develop up-and-coming riders, four of which are moving up to the 125cc level in the 2007 season. SCminiGP looks forward to the upcoming season and wants to thank all of its guests and the event’s presenting sponsor, Aria Helmets. For more information please visit www.scminigp.com AMA Mini Grand Prix California Speedway Fontana, California November 5th, 2006 (Unofficial Results) Vortex 50 Light Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 20 Benny Solis Jr., NSR100F 2. 56 Austin Dehaven, RS70 3. 45 Peter Lenz, NSR50 4. 60 Rocky Morales, DB70 5. 65 Drew Price, NSR50 6. 9 Dominic Contreras 7. 6x Bennie Taylor, Metrakit 50 8. 35 Lex Hartel 9. 71 Anthony Dehaven Pro-Wheel 50 Heavy Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 45 Joe Hylton 2. 21 Jason Paradez 3. 9 Donnie Grimes 4. 17 Robert Andrada 5. 5x Tayo Grasham 6. 67 Rick Tramell 7. 14 Alan Ryono 8. 71 Danny Selves 9. 138 Sam Shaw 10. 15 Jun Sercado 11. 13 Neil Bautista MiniGPX Semi-Pro Jr Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 45 Peter Lenz, BMS 6.2 2. 56 Austin Dehaven, BMS 8.5 3. 6 Bennie Taylor, BMS 8.5 4. 5 Aaron Villasenor 5. 55x Hunter Coffin 6. 77 Ben Hylton 7. 110 Zack Tupaz 8. 57 Anthony Dehaven 9. 749 Arianna Selves ASV Inventions Thunder GP Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 21 Jason Paradez 2. 21x Josiah Taulbee 3. 45 Joe Hylton 4. 8 Donnie Grimes 5. 5x Tayo Grasham 6. 73 Daryl Watts, DNF Smokin’ Pocketbikes Amatuer Sr Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 100 Tom Swirles 2. 20 Wee Tran 3. 20x Steve Kuhnle 4. 748 Danny Selves 5. 200 Erik Kuehn 6. 41 Joseph Guarneri 7. 80 Brent Smith, DNF 8. 73 Daryl Watts, DNF Spiegler USA 80GP Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 60 Rocky Morales, RS90 2. 20 Benny Solis Jr., RS90 3. 14 Royce McLean, YZ85 4. 56 Austin Dehaven, RS90 5. 216 Ken Bigler 6. 136 Mookie Wilkerson 7. 7 Deshon Thomas 8. 138x Doug Wexelberg 9. 138 Sam Shaw 10. 34 Saul Martinez 11. 505 Austin Musloff Rooster Racing Pro GP Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 45 Peter Lenz, BMS 6.2 2. 56 Austin Dehaven 3. 55x Hunter Coffin 4. 6 Bennie Taylor 5. 310 Joey Bernardo 6. 110 Zack Tupaz 7. 748 Danny Selves 8. 73 Daryl Watts 9. 916 Gary Kuhn 10. 8 Donnie Grimes, DNF 11. 21 Dominic Contreras, DNF Bridgestone Formula GP Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 45x Peter Lenz, KTM65 2. 14 Royce McLean, TTR125 3. 45 Joe Hylton 4. 21 Jason Paradez 5. 34 Saul Martinez 6. 505 Austin Musloff 7. 5x Tayo Grasham 8. 20 Benny Solis Jr., DNF Pro-Wheel Semi-Pro Sr Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 55x Hunter Coffin 2. 6 Bennie Taylor 3. 13 Neil Bautista 4. 14 Alan Ryono 5. 20 Wee Tran 6. 20x Steve Kuhnle 7. 77 Ben Hylton 8. 73 Daryl Watts 9. 200 Erik Kuehn, DNF Blata USA Blata Cup Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 7 Mark Rentfrow 2. 5 Aaron Villasenor 3. 26 Kai Blas 4. 749 Arianna Selves 5. 100 Jeremiah Duran 6. 69 Jared Dy 7. 75 Katelynn Long 8. 57 Anthony Dehaven DNF Dianese NSR Cup Position/Racer #/Racer Name 1. 20 Benny Solis Jr. 2. 65 Drew Price 3. 45 Peter Lenz 4. 17 Robert Andrada 5. 67 Rick Trammell 6. 71 Danny Selves 7. 14 Alan Ryono 8. 15 Jun Sercado 9. 35 Lex Hartel

Kel Carruthers Named Grand Marshal Of 2007 Riding Into History Charity Event In Florida

newspaper

-

November 7, 2006

0

Kel Carruthers Named Grand Marshal Of 2007 Riding Into History Charity Event In Florida

Riding Into History, one of America’s premier motorcycle events, will return to the World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida on May 19, 2007. The event will feature Charity Rides, a Concours d’Elegance, the Biker’s Ball and the Historic Ride. All of the proceeds from Riding Into History will benefit the Buddy Check 12 breast cancer charity, a partnership between Baptist Health and First Coast News. The event is presented by the Riding Into History Committee, which is comprised of volunteer members from the Atlantic Beach Vintage Motorcycle Club (ABVMC) and the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida (BMWNEF). Between 300 and 400 antique, vintage and classic motorcycles from all over the country are expected to enter the Concours, which will feature The Sexy Motorcycles of Italy. Thousands of spectators are once again expected to enjoy the event which also includes exhibitors, entertainment, clubs and a variety of food. Admission is still only $10 at the gate for the Concours. Various packages are available for the Biker’s Ball and the Charity Rides, and they will be posted on the website after January 1, 2007. The Grand Marshal for this year’s event will be Kel Carruthers, former Grand Prix Road Race World Champion on a 250cc Benelli. He is also a two-time winner at the Isle of Man, and manager of the teams on which Kenny Roberts won three consecutive 500cc World Championships. Peter Egan, the 2006 Grand Marshall said, “The big shaded circular promenade at World Golf Village is the best place I’ve ever seen for a bike show.” The 2005 Grand Marshal Dennis Gage noted, “With the World Golf Village as its backdrop, this is the premiere motorcycle Concours d’Elegance in North America.” Perhaps Craig Vetter, the 2004 Grand Marshal summed it up best when he said, “A good cause, good people and good bikes. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Internationally know motorcycle artist Don Bradley will once again provide the original artwork for the posters, which have become collectors’ items. Posters, t-shirts and other items will be available at RidingIntoHistory.org and at the event. Sponsorships for the event are available by contacting the RIH Committee. Current sponsors include Jacksonville PowerSports, Miller BMW of Tallahassee and Sargent Cycle Products. The World Golf Village is located just north of St. Augustine on I-95, exit 323. For additional information go to RidingIntoHistory.org, email [email protected] or call 904-730-9719

AMA Brings Drag Racing In-House, Hires Past Champion To Head Program

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 6, 2006

0

AMA Brings Drag Racing In-House, Hires Past Champion To Head Program

PICKERINGTON, Ohio The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and AMA/Prostar are pleased to announce the restructuring of AMA/Prostar Drag Racing. Beginning with the 2007 season AMA/Prostar will come in-house as part of the AMA’s restructuring of its racing operations. Bruce Sauer, 8-time AMA/Prostar National Champion has been named as Drag Race Manager for the AMA and will work with newly appointed Road Race Series Director, Keith Kizer out of the AMA’s headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio. According to Kizer, Sauer brings a wealth of drag racing experience to the AMA not only as a rider, but also as an AMA/Prostar tech inspector and racing coordinator for local events at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. “I am personally thrilled to have Bruce at the forefront of this groundbreaking change for the sport of motorcycle drag racing,” said Kizer. Sauer’s racing accomplishments include the AMA/Prostar 1999 Sportsman Rider of the Year, 9-time winner of the Mechanic of the Year award, and 52 national event wins. As a mechanic he currently has 14 championships to his credit. “I’m excited to be involved in these changes because I care about Prostar and want to see it succeed,” commented Sauer. All current Prostar staff will continue as AMA officials at all AMA/Prostar events. Kizer noted that racers and spectators should notice little difference in how everything looks and works at AMA/Prostar events other than a bigger and better program. The 2007 structure will separate AMA and Prostar in their respective duties preceding each event. Prostar offices will be relocated to New Jersey and operated by a staff lead by Prostar stockholder, Jack Musilli. Prostar will oversee membership services, advertising and spectator promotions. AMA, under the direction of Sauer, will oversee sponsorship programs including contingencies and series sponsorships. AMA, similar to other disciplines, will also oversee all technical rules, event staffing, and logistics. This new separation of duties will ensure a more productive system and a significant increase in staffing between events. Prostar offices in Huntsville, Ala., will remain open until the end of December at which time all services will be split between the New Jersey office and the AMA office in Pickerington, Ohio. Additional information and contact information for Prostar and Bruce Sauer will be distributed shortly.

Entry Deadline Approaches For Concours d’Elegance Vintage Motorcycle Show

newspaper

-

November 6, 2006

0

Entry Deadline Approaches For Concours d’Elegance Vintage Motorcycle Show

The cut-off date for motorcycle entries for the second annual Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance is just weeks away. The entry deadline is DECEMBER 31st. Submissions received after the closing date will not be considered. All motorcycle makes and models (production, competition and custom) up to 1975 are eligible, and the featured marques will be Excelsior, Henderson and Vincent. Entry forms can be found on the website or faxed by request. Last year’s field was comprised of 172 of the finest motorcycles in the world from private collections and museums from four continents. The selection committee is again searching for the best original condition and restored machines for next year. The prestigious international event takes place the first weekend of May at the ocean-side Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California, just south of San Francisco. For more information, or to download an entry form, go to ~http://www.LegendoftheMotorcycle.com~. To request an entry form by fax, call (415) 673-7980 or e-mail [email protected].

Updated: More On Ben Thompson’s Tucson Adventure, Including A Comment From The P.D.

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 6, 2006

0

Updated: More On Ben Thompson’s Tucson Adventure, Including A Comment From The P.D.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It’s real easy to blame Tucson Police Department for the loss of Mr.Thompson’s truck and trailer, but the story is much deeper then that. Mr. Thompson was very much to blame for the theft himself, leaving your vehicle unlocked, unattended with the motor running is a crime waiting to happen. Furthermore, Mr. Thompson should be aware that “I-10 and 22nd Street” is a 30-minute drive from the Mexico border. You know, the border without a fence or any real security. Vans and trucks are stolen from that section of Tucson quite frequently, driven into Mexico, loaded up with drugs and people, then driven back into the USA. IMO Mr. Thompson is very lucky to get his truck back, and I hope that in the future he uses better judgement and is more aware of his surroundings. Due to the close proximity to the Mexico border, Southern Arizona leads the nation in car thefts. You should let your readers know this, and warn them to never leave the keys in the ignition and doors unlocked. Also, it’s a good idea to look for a hotel a bit off of the highway, as thieves/smugglers stake out the ones on I-10. Eric Balderston Former CCS Racer Tucson, Arizona Roadracingworld.com Editorial Note: Nobody blames the Tucson Police Department for the theft; their indifferent reaction to the theft and what could be seen as attempted murder or at least assault with a deadly weapon and their implication that Thompson was involved in drug trafficing and/or prostitution is what came into question, in addition to their public info officer hanging up on a reporter trying to give them a chance to comment on the controversy. A crime victim being a dumbass doesn’t make them less a victim. In our experience we have found that police officers often treat young guys differently than they treat, for example, middle-age guys, and we also have found that people who are not local and are traveling on the Interstate tend to not be up to speed on which parts of a city are closer or farther from the border. This just in from the Roadracing World phone message center: From a phone message left at 8:58 p.m. Friday, November 3: “This is Sgt. Mark Robinson of the Tucson Police Department. I am one of the Public Information Officers for the department and I am reading a story on Roadracing World and I will give you a comment on it. We did not hang up on anybody from Roadracing World, that is an inaccuracy.” Roadracingworld.com Editorial Note: We know when we’ve been hung up on, although the female officer we reached (after following P.D. phone system instructions on how to reach “a public information officer”), explained the situation to and asked for a comment was obviously not Robinson. Our request was followed by an audible “click,” several minutes of dead air, and then a dial tone. Immediately following that incident, we sent the following e-mails, at 4:48 p.m. and 5:16 p.m. November 3, respectively, to Sgt. Mike Hammarstrom of the Tucson Police Department and Andrew Greenhill of the Mayor’s office, and waited around the office for another hour for a response; other than the phone message left by Robinson four hours later, we were not contacted via phone or e-mail reply: Dear Sgt. Hammarstrom: We are seeking comment from your department regarding the theft of motorcycle road racer Ben Thompson’s truck and trailer at I-10 and 22nd St. this morning. The theft and our previous attempt to obtain comment is covered in a series of posts on our news website, as linked below. FYI Thompson is a well-known professional motorcycle road racer and he has regularly been covered by our website and our print magazine. John Ulrich Vice President, Editor ROADRACING WORLD PUBLISHING, Inc. Mr. Greenhill: Our efforts to get a comment from a police department spokesman regarding the carjacking of motorcycle racer Ben Thompson and his subsequent experience with the Tucson P.D. have encountered a dead end. ~https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=27541~ If anybody from the the city of Tucson wishes to comment, please contact me at 951-245-6411 or respond to this e-mail address. Thank you. John Ulrich Vice President, Editor ROADRACING WORLD PUBLISHING, Inc.

World Superbike Racer Kagayama Wins Japanese Superbike Finale

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 6, 2006

0

World Superbike Racer Kagayama Wins Japanese Superbike Finale

World Superbike rider Yukio Kagayama raced to victory in the final round of the Japanese Superbike Championship at Suzuka on Sunday as Suzuki clinched the series Manufacturer Championship. The GSX-R1000-mounted Alstare Suzuki rider formed his own team “JK Suzuki with Bright Logic” for the race, which was his first home championship appearance since 2002. Said Kagayama: “The World Superbike Championship season is over and I wanted to ride for Japanese fans in Japan. Thanks to the great effort of Mr. Tsujimoto and so many volunteer people, my team was organised. My bike is almost the same as normal but I wanted to show my best ride to the Japanese fans and also ride for fun.” Going into the event, Yoshimura Suzuki with JOMO rider Atsushi Watanabe held second place with a chance of lifting the title, but, after setting pole position, mechanical problems forced him to retire after just four laps. Kagayama, who started from fifth position, shot into the lead ahead of Suzuki MotoGP test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi (Yoshimura Suzuki) and Watanabe. On the fourth lap, Akiyoshi passed Kagayama with Watanabe two places further back until he was forced to retire. With five laps remaining, Kagayama passed Akiyoshi on the final corner and then Akiyoshi passed him back, but as the Suzuki duo played cat and mouse, Honda’s Shinichi Itoh slipped by both of them to take the lead. Kagayama passed Akiyoshi and Itoh all together at the chicane with two laps to go and Akiyoshi followed him through to take second. He then took the lead from Kagayama but on the final corner Kagayama got by to win by just 0.1 seconds. With Watanabe on the sidelines, the title went to Itoh with Watanabe second and Akiyoshi fourth. Superbike Results: 1: Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2: Kousuke Akiyoshi (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 3: Shinichi Itoh (Honda CBR1000RR) 4: Tatsuya Yamaguchi (Honda CBR1000RR) 5: Katsuyuki Nakasyka (Yamaha YZF-R1) 6: Takeshi Tsujimura (Honda CBR1000RR) 7: Shogo Moriwaki (Honda CBR1000RR) 8: Akira Yanagawa (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 9: Osamu Deguchi (Honda CBR1000RR) 10: Yoshiki Konishi (Honda CBR1000RR)

Formula Xtreme Goes Supermoto

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 5, 2006

0

The “Duel At The Docks” AMA Supermoto finale in Long Beach, California was infiltrated by four AMA Superbike road racers testing the waters in their off-season. Josh Hayes, invited to race a Honda CRF450 by Honda after clinching the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, rode his first AMA Supermoto event in Nashville, Tennessee, two weeks before the Long Beach finale. Hayes was joined by fellow AMA Formula Xtreme competitor Danny Eslick at the finale, Eslick also racing in his second-ever AMA Supermoto race, aboard a self-sponsored Suzuki RM-Z450.

Jeff Tigert, also a Formula Xtreme and Supersport entrant, and former AMA Superbike racer Jeremy Toye also entered the AMA Supermoto “Duel” in Long Beach. Both had planned on racing in Saturday’s amateur AMA Sports/NASMOTO event, but were forced into the pro ranks by AMA officials for having top-20 AMA road racing finishes under their belts.

The Supermoto pole time of 1:09.503 turned by points leader Doug Henry was a little out of reach for Hayes, Eslick and Tigert, who all ended up in the Last Chance Qualifier along with 15 other riders. Hayes finished first with a best lap at 1:13.844, despite injuries suffered in an over-the-handlebars crash in the morning practice. And Eslick miraculously came in second with a 1:13.587 after his bike caught on fire in a warm-up-lap lowside. Eslick grabbed a fire extinguisher from a corner marshal, put out the flames, jumped back on his bike and made it to the LCQ restart. Tigert was unable to make the final event after a crash in the LCQ left him with a best time of 1:16.821.

In the Supermoto Lites class Toye qualified for the final on his Honda CRF250R with a 1:15.353. The first Supermoto race saw Hayes crash on lap three and retire. Crashes put Eslick at the back of the pack, and he finished a-lap-and-a-half off the leaders. Toye finished a lap down in the Supermoto Lites class.

Hayes and Eslick didn’t start the second Supermoto race of the day.

AMA Supermoto Duel At The Docks Long Beach, California November 5, 2006 Race 1 Results:

1. Mark Burkhart (Yamaha YZF450F) 14 laps, 16:32.480 2. Jeff Ward (Honda CRF450R) -0.494 second 3. Doug Henry (Yamaha YZF450F) 10.143 seconds 4. Christopher Fillmore (Honda CRF450R) 12.840 seconds 5. Troy Herfoss (Husqvarna SMR450) 16.626 seconds 6. Jurgen Kunzel (KTM 450SMR) 26.380 seconds 7. Jason Conlon (Yamaha YZF450F) 42.582 seconds 8. Steve Drew (KTM 450SMR) 60.672 seconds 9. Travis Marks (Honda CRF450) 63.230 seconds 10. Joe Kopp (Honda CRF450R) 68.492 seconds 11. Eddie Ray (KTM 450SMR) 71.054 seconds 12. Drake McElroy (Yamaha YZ450F) 71.834 seconds 13. Kiyoshi Saai (Honda CRF450R) 78.137 seconds 14. Travis Ellis (Honda CRF450R) 1 lap 15. Ronnie Renner (KTM 450SMR) 1 lap, -1.856 seconds 16. Tomoyoshi Masuda (Yamaha YZ450F) 1 lap, -8.571 seconds 17. David Arnold (Honda CRF450R) 1 lap, -19.975 seconds 18. Danny Eslick (Suzuki RM-Z450) 1 lap, -37.449 seconds 19. Matt Burton (Yamaha YZ450F) 2 laps 20. Kurt Nicoll (KTM450SMR) -14 laps 21. Carey Hart (Honda CRF450R) 7 laps 22. Mike Metzger (Kawasaki KX450F) 10 laps 23. Josh Hayes (Honda CRF450R) 12 laps, DNF 24. Vincent Guisande (Honda CRF450R) DNF

AMA Supermoto Lites Duel At The Docks Long Beach, California November 5, 2006 Race Results:

1. David Pingree (KTM 250SX-F) 14 laps, 16:52.274 2. Brandon Currie (Yamaha YZ250F) 0.194 second 3. Dalton C. Dimick (Honda CRF250R) 17.393 seconds 4. Robbie Horton (Kawasaki KX250F) 21.457 seconds 5. Cassidy Anderson (Honda CRF250R) 24.396 seconds 5. Josh Chisum (Kawasaki KX250F) 25.726 seconds 6. Steve Hatch (KTM 250SX-F) 38.620 seconds 7. Alexandre Thiebault (Husqvarna TC250) 39.087 seconds 8. Matt J. Pursley (Yamaha YZ250F) 39.872 seconds 9. Casey A. Yarrow (Yamaha YZ250F) 41.938 seconds 10. Matt S. Abbott (Kawasaki KX250F) 58.496 seconds 11. Troy Lee (Honda CRF250) 63.751 seconds 12. A.J. Jorgensen (Suzuki RM-Z250) 64.021 seconds 13. Chris E. Fischer (Yamaha YZ250F) 65.729 seconds 14. Chad Pederson (KTM 250SX-F) 1 lap 15. Calvin Andlovec (Yamaha YZ250F) 1 lap, -3.387 seconds 16. Andrew Dickson (KTM 250SX-F) 1 lap, -6.813 seconds 17. Roger Hensley (Honda CRF250R) 1 lap, -7.503 seconds 18. Ronnie Jones (Honda CRF250R) 1 lap, -11.861 seconds 19. Jeremy Toye (Honda CRF 250R) 1 lap, -20.948 seconds 20. Andrew D. Hyder (Yamaha YZ250F) 1 lap, -27.414 seconds 21. Danny Casey (Yamaha YZ250F) 1 lap, -51.364 seconds 22.Cameron Welsh (Yamaha YZ250F) 2 laps 23. Brian Barton (KTM 250SX-F) 6 laps

AMA Supermoto Duel At The Docks Long Beach, California November 5, 2006 Race 2 Results:

1. Jeff Ward (Honda CRF450R) 10 laps, 11:40.429 2. Doug Henry (Yamaha YZF450F) 0.926 second 3. Christopher Fillmore (Honda CRF450R) 1.282 seconds 4. Jurgen Kunzel (KTM 450SMR) 13.517 seconds 5. Mike Metzger (Kawasaki KX450F) 29.076 seconds 6. Kiyoshi Saai (Honda CRF450R) 30.530 seconds 7. Steve Drew (KTM 450SMR) 30.996 seconds 8. Jason Conlon (Yamaha YZF450F) 32.590 seconds 9. Travis Marks (Honda CRF450) 44.634 seconds 10. Joe Kopp (Honda CRF450R) 46.034 seconds 11. Drake McElroy (Yamaha YZ450F) 47.743 seconds 12. Matt Burton (Yamaha YZ450F) 48.642 seconds 13. Eddie Ray (KTM 450SMR) 51.076 seconds 14. Tomoyoshi Masuda (Yamaha YZ450F) 51.518 seconds 15. Ronnie Renner (KTM 450SMR) 57.703 seconds 16. Travis Ellis (Honda CRF450R) 59.522 seconds 17. David Arnold (Honda CRF450R) 1:07.217 seconds 18. Carey Hart (Honda CRF450R) 1 lap 19. Mark Burkhart (Yamaha YZF450F) -5 laps 20. Kurt Nicoll (KTM450SMR) -5 laps

Final 2006 AMA Supermoto Championship Point Standings: Position/Points/Rider/Hometown/Wins 1. 429 Jeff Ward, Newport Beach, CA, 9 wins 2. 393 Doug A. Henry, Torrington, CT, 5 wins 3. 356 Christopher S. Fillmore, Oxford, MI, 1 win 4. 310 Mark Burkhart, Pickerington, OH, 4 wins 5. 310 Jurgen Kunzel, Cato, WI 6. 257 Troy Herfoss, Goulburn, NSW Australia 7. 242 Kurt Nicoll, Temecula, CA 8. 221 Josh W. Chisum, Bakersfield, CA 9. 182 Matt W. Burton, Ottumwa, IA 10. 178 Steve Drew, Riverside, CA 11. 177 Travis C. Marks, Lake Elsinore, CA 12. 131 Jason B. Conlon, Mount Airy, MD 13. 113 Vincent M Guisande, Fairfield, CA 14. 107 Micky M. Dymond, Placentia, CA 15. 99 Travis F. Ellis, Bakersfield, CA 16. 91 David Arnold, Richmond Hill, ON 17. 69 David Baffeleuf, Cournon D Avuergne, France 18. 65 Joe J Kopp, Mica, WA 19. 47 Bernd Hiemer, Leitkirch, 1 win 20. 47 Travis Pastrana, Davidsonville, MD 21. 38 Carey Hart, Las Vegas, NV 22. 37 Jesse L. George, Independence, MO 23. 36 Adrien Chareyre, Audeze, France 24. 30 Danny C Eslick, Broken Arrow, OK 25. 28 Brian Capper, Johannesburg, South Africa 26. 25 Mark Avard, Balcolyn Nsw 27. 25 Billy K Dotson, Pueblo, CO 28. 25 Steve J. Marty, Reno, NV 29. 23 Kiyoshi Saai, Japan 30. 22 Henry W. Wiles, Blanchard, MI 31. 19 Drake McElroy, Sparks, NV 32. 19 Don A. Biava, Rancho Murieta, CA 33. 19 Jimmy N. Roberts, Santa Clarita, CA 34. 18 Eddie L Ray, Miami, FL 35. 17 Norman J Larose, Muskego, WI 36. 16 Mike Metzger, Sun City, CA 37. 16 Gary R. Trachy, Orange, CA 38. 16 Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, MS 39. 16 Mike Ulrich, Burbank, CA 40. 16 Michele Disalvo, Modesto, CA 41. 15 Alex McElyea, Cave Creek, AZ 42. 14 Jason W. Baldwin, Asheboro, NC 43. 12 Tomoyoshi Masuda, Japan 44. 12 Ronnie Renner, Long Beach, CA 45. 11 Jessica R Patterson, Tallahassee, FL 46. 10 Chase M Guthrie, Warsaw, IN 47. 9 Brandon Stooksbury, Knoxville, TN 48. 9 Nick Daniels, Mattoon, IL 49. 8 Massamiliano Gazzarata, San Carlos, CA 50. 8 Glen JR Schnabel, West Bend, WI 51. 4 David B Flashberger, Pleasonton, CA 52. 4 Alessandro Assanti, Aliso Viejo, CA 53. 3 Chris Podergois, Clovis, CA 54. 3 Jeffrey E Shields, Chambersburg, PA 55. 3 Larry Jackson, Caldwell, ID 56. 3 Buck Blair, Huntington Beach, CA 57. 2 Donald J Wanat, Woodinville, WA 58. 1 Jimmy J Skeeters, Springfield, IL

Another Enthusiast Writes To The Mayor Of Tucson

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 5, 2006

0

Another Enthusiast Writes To The Mayor Of Tucson

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Honorable Mayor Walkup,

My name is Scott Maciag. I live in New York state and just recently purchased a Ducati ST2 motorcycle out in Tucson, AZ. Because I love riding my intent was to ride out there, pick the bike up and maybe spend a day or so checking things out. I haven’t been back since I was there in the United States Air Force.

This gross neglect and dereliction of duties with regards to Ben Thompson’s stolen vehicle case is completely inexcusable. That the fact that it was found (no thanks to the Tucson police) is irrelevant. No one held a gun to these officer’s heads to join the staff. It is employment at will and they can leave at anytime of their own choosing. If they remain in their jobs, they must do so with a higher level of professionalism then the rest of the public because of the nature of their jobs, the fact that they are truly representative employees of the community and, because they are supposed to be the ultimate role models: law-abiding, courteous, competent and always professional.

What a let-down this was. I hope to get a response back from you, because I can always have my bike shipped if I feel this town is unsafe–particularly if the officers do not care to make it so. I urge you to take a much closer look at what I believe is a deliberately negligent, “laissez-faire” approach towards practices, policies and procedures that your Tucson police are supposed to follow.

I ask you to check out this link to their self-titled “Office of Professional Standards” page. (~http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/police/Organization/Chief_s_Office/Professional_Standards/Internal_Investigations/internal_investigations.html~)

It concerns make greatly that an such otherwise nice and beautiful city, has to have a special office called the “Independant Police Auditor”. I expect that from a city as large as New York, where I currently work dowtown. I don’t expect that with regards to the Tucson Police Department. I’m cutting & pasting this email in my contribution of effort to ensure such incompetent, discourteous and very unprofessional practices aren’t further condoned or allowed ruin the splendor and circumvent the safety of people anywhere else in the great state of AZ.

Respectfully yours,

Scott Maciag

Warwick, New York

cc: Honorable Governor Janet Napolitano

RoadRacing World

Special Investigations Division, Tucson Police Department

Updated: Tucson Police Find Racer Ben Thompson’s Stolen Truck

Breaking News

newspaper

-

November 4, 2006

0

Updated: Tucson Police Find Racer Ben Thompson’s Stolen Truck

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

The Tucson Police just called me and they found my truck! Apparently two Mexican guys were doing burnouts in a church parking lot and a neighbor called the cops. They ended up just locking the truck and leaving it there. The police said it looks like there was no damage at all and everything appears to still be in the truck.

The trailer is still missing but hopefully they’ll find that as well considering the idiots apparently stole it for a joyride. I’ll let you know whenever I find anything else out.

Thanks a lot for all of the help. I really appreciate it. The cops had a little different attitude today after getting all the press and e-mail. Ben Thompson Houston, Texas

More, from an e-mail sent to Tucson’s mayor:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Your Honour, Please have somebody on your staff read the following links from Road Racing World magazine: ~https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=27540~ ~https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=27541~

I am a Canadian amateur motorcycle racer. My wife is a physician. We travel extensively in the USA, for my hobby, her career, and for vacations. We are considering moving to the ‘States within five years. The State of Arizona is at the top of our list.

However, we are both dismayed to have read: about professional racer Ben Thompson being a victim of a violent crime in Tucson; and, the apparent lack of interest displayed by your police department.

Sincerely,

Major Steve Bem (retired)

Dr. Janice Legere

Dundas, Ontario, Canada

More, from another e-mail sent to Tucson’s mayor:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Sir,

If this is how people are treated in Tucson. I for one will not be visiting, nor will I thinking about retirement in your area.

Sincerely,

Trevor Heath

Port Orchard, Washington

More, from another reader:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

It’s pretty obvious that the Tucson Police department are extremely well-trained individuals. I hope the mayor is happy with the publicity. By the way, the Citizen Police Advisory complaint web page is ~http://www.tucsonaz.gov/cparb/complaint.html~.

The mayor is Bob Walkup (and take my truck) and his e-mail is [email protected] . I just dropped him a note.

Laurence Owen

OMRRA, Retired

Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada