The AMA has just released an official statement concerning former President J. Scott Thornton. The release is reproduced here: “In recent days, questions have been raised in various forums about the circumstances leading to the departure of Scott Thornton as AMA President last fall. As previously stated by the Association, Mr. Thornton chose to retire during a meeting of the AMA Board of Trustees on October 27. “As is the case with most employers, the AMA has long had an official position of not commenting publicly on personnel matters, most of which are discussed in executive sessions of the AMA Board. However, because this issue has been raised in a public forum, the AMA is releasing the following: “Mr. Thornton had been hired as AMA President under a one-year contract that began November 1, 1999. That contract called for an evaluation and a decision on contract renewal at the end of the contract period. During this evaluation, questions arose concerning the accuracy of various facts, including those contained in Mr. Thornton’s column published in the September, 2000 issue of American Motorcyclist that purported to discuss his experiences during the Vietnam War. “It was of great concern to the AMA Board of Trustees that statements made in the Association’s publication be factually correct. The Board’s investigation revealed that there were valid questions about the facts in this column. Before the conclusion of the evaluation, Mr. Thornton announced his retirement to the Board. “The AMA is not in a position to confirm or refute any of the statements made in Mr. Thornton’s column. The Association does not speak for Mr. Thornton in this or any other matter, and he does not speak for the AMA.”

The AMA has announced that the 2001 Daytona 200 will be televised on a tape-delay basis, aired at 5:30 p.m. EST, two hours after the event runs on March 11, on ESPN2. According to an AMA press release, a Daytona 200 preview and qualifying-coverage show will air March 10 at 2:00 a.m., re-airing March 11 at 5:00 a.m. EST. Other Daytona road racing action is scheduled to air on ESPN2 as follows: 600cc Supersport, March 17, 3:30 p.m. 600cc Supersport, March 20, 5:00 a.m. 750cc Supersport/Pro Thunder, March 23, 1:00 a.m.

Dave Roper will ride a 1954 AJS Porcupine fielded by Team Obsolete in AHRMA races at Daytona International Speedway March 5-6. Team Obsolete will also enter Yvon Duhamel on the BSA A75R used by Dick Mann to win the 1971 Daytona 200, and Cal Rayborn III will ride a 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750TT raced for Team Harley-Davidson by his father in the early 1970s. Other Team Obsolete entrants will include Johnny Kain on a G-50 Matchless as well as Erik Green, Lon McCroskey and Tupper Robinson on AJS 7R machines. Team Obsolete maintains a website at www.teamobsolete.com

As a January 2 roadracingworld.com report predicted, on January 29 Honda Racing Corporation officials in Tokyo unveiled the V-5 engine the company will use in the 2002 Grand Prix World Championship. Designated the RC211V, the engine uses the three-front-cylinders, two-rear cylinders configuration predicted by roadracingworld.com on January 9. The engine coding, according to Honda officials, refers to this being “the first four-stroke racing engine designed by Honda for the first year of the 21st century.” According to a press release issued by American Honda Motor Corp., “Honda arrived at the unique V-5 engine configuration after examining the revised Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) regulations for 2002. This engine was selected because Honda believes that it will best satisfy two design requirements that Honda has historically pursued: ‘Concentration of mass’ and ‘reduction of projected areas’. The five cylinders have round pistons and four valves each. For the intake system, PGM-FI (programmed fuel injection) has been adopted. The minimum weight as stipulated by the regulations for four- or five-cylinder engine motorcycles is 145kg (approximately 320 lbs.).” The press release continued, “This new chapter follows the storied history of four-stroke innovation for which Honda is famous. The last four-stroke milestones in Honda motorcycle racing were Mike Hailwood’s ultimate victory with the four cylinder RC181 in 1967 in Canada, and Freddie Spencer’s final outing on the oval-pistoned NR500 in 1981 during the British Grand Prix. Honda also has a special Grand Prix history with 5-cylinder engines — Luigi Taveri won the manufacturers’ and riders’ Championships for Honda in 1966 with the 125cc RC149.”

As predicted by roadracingworld.com on January 20 and January 26, Freddie Spencer has formed a company to handle Michelin racing tire distribution in the Western U.S., with Morgan Broadhead managing the program. According to a press release issued January 30, “Freddie Spencer has agreed to terms that will see newly formed Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Product Line handle Michelin’s race tire distribution throughout the Western United States. Spearheading the effort will be new National Product Line Sales Director Morgan Broadhead. Broadhead will work with local sub-distributors to ensure trackside sales and support of Michelin tires at all AFM, CCS California, CCS Southwest, MRA, OMRRA, WMRRA and WSMC events. “Michelin has been associated with Freddie Spencer throughout his racing career and more recently as a sponsor of the successful Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School. The addition of the Western United States distributorship shows Michelins commitment to their 20+ year relationship with Spencer as well as both companies’ strong support of the racing community. “Racer and professional announcer Morgan Broadhead brings a wealth of motorcycle industry experience to this new endeavor. Morgan has worked with the AMA, SFX/Formula USA, WERA and hundreds of racers across the United States. He also manages Team Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge, and Vincent Haskovec. Broadhead will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of vendor relations, sponsorship, contingency, training and marketing of Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Product Line. “Racer support plans include additional tire application and suspension set-up training for trackside vendors and a regional-level contingency program that will be run through Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Product Line. “‘We plan on providing the highest level of customer service and support possible,’ said Mr. Broadhead. ‘Our vendors will be the best trained, most knowledgeable people in regards to getting peak performance out of their Michelin tires.’ “Interested parties can contact Morgan Broadhead at (949) 500-8695.”

In response to a court decree related to a Sierra Club lawsuit, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering adopting California’s strict emissions standards for street and off-road motorcycles as a national standard, effective September 14, 2001. A December 7, 2000 EPA document entitled “Control of Emissions From Non-Road Large Spark Ignition Engines, Recreational Engines (Marine and Land-Based), and Highway Motorcycles,” includes proposals to prevent owners from “tampering” with vehicles and could ban the installation of aftermarket exhaust systems and high-performance parts as well as make it illegal to rejet carburetors or reprogram fuel injection systems. The public comment period on the proposal ends February 6, 2001. According to research by the Motorcycle Riders’ Foundation and the State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization, the latest available EPA figures show that cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles traveled 2.4 trillion miles in a typical year, while an estimated 5.1 million street motorcycles traveled an average of 2613 miles per year, or 0.55 percent of the miles driven by cars. The California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.) estimates the average emissions generated by street bikes is 0.96 grams of hydrocarbons per mile, which means that street motorcycles are responsible for 0.006 percent of all motor vehicle emissions. Concerned motorcyclists can express their opinion by writing to their Congressman and Senators, and directly to Margaret Borushko, U.S. EPA National Vehicle and Fuels Emission Laboratory, 2000 Traverwood, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

Freddie Spencer, the 1983 500cc and the 1985 500cc and 250cc World Champion, was back on a Honda 250 for a two-day training and coaching session with young gun Jason DiSalvo at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. DiSalvo, 16, spent January 10-12 with Spencer at the Las Vegas track before heading to Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California January 13-14, returning to Las Vegas January 15 and then testing at Willow Springs Raceway January 18-21. Spencer rode DiSalvo’s spare 2001 Honda RS250 with DiSalvo in the sessions at Las Vegas, to evaluate DiSalvo and observe him at close range as well as to diagnose problems DiSalvo was having with machine set-up. Spencer last rode a Honda RS250 in January 2000, when he took a few laps on DiSalvo’s 007 RS250 at Las Vegas. Prior to that, Spencer had not been on a 250 since his World Championship-winning year, 1985. DiSalvo finished ninth in Formula One and fourth in Formula Two during the January 20-21 WSMC weekend, starting from the back of the grid in both races. At Las Vegas, DiSalvo and Spencer rode on the 1.1-mile infield course used by Spencer’s riding school (and located inside the Speedway oval) as well as on the renovated 2.2-mile “Classic Course” located outside the Speedway, on adjacent land. The 2.2-mile course has been fitted with GP curbing and rumble strips and run-off has been improved with the removal of a wall in the last turn. Asked about his impression of the current RS250, Spencer said “They have gotten a little bit smaller and the only problem I had was where my knees were positioned. I had to move the clip-ons out so my elbows were not on top of my knees. I don’t ride on slicks here at the school, just DOTs, but just after a couple of laps I felt pretty comfortable on the bike and got up to speed and had a lot of fun on it.” Asked why he wanted to ride with DiSalvo, Spencer said “A couple of things. First, to kind of find out how the bike was working. We were talking about the bike and how it reacts in certain situations. And second, to be able to watch him, and to see how the bike turns and holds its line, how it was transferring weight, how it was steering. “Jason was saying it was stiff, and after riding it, I could see it definitely was. Stock it was really stiff,” Spencer said. “It was almost too hard for me, and I’m definitely heavier than Jason. We got him some softer springs that they put on before he went to Buttonwillow, and that really helped him when he came back here and then went out to Willow. “They don’t have much experience with the bike,” Spencer said of DiSalvo and his team, explaining that he was able to help the mechanics get the bike better for DiSalvo by adjusting the stock suspension and changing the springs, although DiSlavo will be racing with WP forks and shock. “Tweaking the stock suspension and getting it close really helped him, how it was transferring weight,” Spencer said. Spencer rode the bike again on the 2.2-mile course Tuesday, January 16, and said that with the lighter springs “The bike steered pretty good, finished the turn well, really had good feedback. It was softer, almost too soft for me, and it was a lot better for Jason.” Spencer said that the series of tests helped DiSalvo because he was “just putting in laps, gained confidence.” Spencer also said that he had worked with DiSalvo to refine his riding style to better suit the RS250 versus the RS125 he primarily raced in 2000, getting his body farther off the bike.

Ducati North America and local Ducati dealers will host over 40 street rides in various parts of the country in 2001. The events will include door prizes provided by Ducati Performance and by ride co-sponsors Dunlop and Campagnolo. At selected events, participants will have a chance to test ride Ducati ST (Sport Touring) models. The rides have a $15 entry fee and the number of entries is limited. More information is available from Ducati dealers, from (888) DUCATI-2 or from www.ducatiusa.com

A scheduled two-day AMA Superbike test session at Sears Point Raceway by factory Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki teams was canceled due to water seeping up through the track surface as the result of recent heavy rain, according to a press release issued by the track. But in a piece of good news, the release stated “Track officials say they will install a sub-surface drainage system at certain areas on the track prior to the AMA Superbike Challenge in May in order to better deal with wet weather.” The 2001 AMA Pro Superbike race at Sears Point is scheduled for May 4-6. The 2000 race at the track was cancelled due to rain and related drainage problems.