Motorcycle Racing and Riding

Vernice Miller, a Gold Wing rider that we know from facebook, sent us information about Wide Open Motorcycle Magazine’s Bike Show. We don’t have experience with this show, and we doubt the roads will be clear enough to ride in Kansas City, but go ahead and go. What else is going on motorcycle wise this time of year? (I know, I know, for those of us with garages the name of the game is “maintenance”.)

Here is what Vernice said about the Kansas City show:

“This weekend, January 9 and 10, is the Wide Open Bike Show at Metropolitan Community College Exhibit Hall, Prizes including cash, gas, Sturgis trip & H-D bike, 1775 Universal Ave, Kansas City, MO, 800-792-9029. There are 27 categories and is sponsored by Gail’s Harley at Grandview, MO., Wide Open Magazine. This is a…”

January’s http://www.wideopenmag.net/ entry tells us that the shows are “family friendly” (and kids under 12 get in free), a “resounding success”, and that one person at each show will go home with a Harley Davidson Super Glide! It appears that they may also include indoor biker games. Read January’s http://www.wideopenmag.net/ entry for more information.

For more information please call: 800-792-9029 (copied from the poster below).

!!!

His responsibilities will be handled by David Atlas, Tom Bledsoe, and Chris Harris.

According to David Atlas COO: “Roger’s health is first and foremost in our minds. Roger’s significant, multi-decade contribution to motorcycle racing is well known but nothing is more important than his health.”

Folks, this opportunity is over, but I will put any future dates that I find, at this same exact URL. Thank you!

AMA Pro Racer Santiago Villa sent us the following via facebook:

Ride 180 MPH with Chris Ulrich and help buy airfence! This weekend at Auto Club Speedway, Saturday and Sunday. First rides at 9:00am, ends at 5:00pm. $50 donation for three hot laps with Chris and all the money goes to the [Roadracing World] Action Fund. Leathers and safety equipment will be provided.

It’s a good cause, and riding with either Chris Ulrich, or Randy Mamola, will be a high point of your life. The event takes place at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana California, and occurs concurrently with a Fastrack Riders track day.

Here is some video of Chris by OTT:

September 30 2009
This one is from my home track at Heartland Park Topeka. Chris’ references to ditches and walls and Chicken Little were probably in response to Mat Mladin’s refusing to race.

July 18 2009
Chris on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10 Project Bike

July 5 2009
Chris at Sears Point (Infineon).

May 10 2009
Chris at Barber Motorsports Park

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The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s Holiday Cards are available for winter 2009. There are 12 card designs, and they will custom-print a personal holiday greeting in the cards that you order. Four of the designs can include a custom photo and caption of your choosing. All designs are by Dave Uhl and David Barnhouse.

$2 from each box of the “Santa’s Ride” design go to the Marine Toys for Tots program, all other proceeds support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Go to www.MotorcycleCards.net to learn more and make an order.

Originally posted 2009-09-21 00:00:33.

Here is what we know about the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Schedule so far. DMG AMA Pro is working on many more events, but these ones are confirmed. They are listed here in date, location, class order. Have fun!

The following was brought to us by the American Motorcyclist Association:

“It is outrageous that Rep. Hinchey would attempt to bypass congressional procedures to put into motion the intentions of a bill that lacks the support of even one representative from the state that bill would impact,” said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. “This attempt is even more shocking in the sense that much of the land in question does not even meet the definition of Wilderness included in federal law. According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness can only apply to lands ‘retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation.’”

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), along with 88 other U.S. representatives who joined Hinchey in sending the letter, is asking for the administrative action while the House debates H.R. 1925, also called America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009.

Not a single representative from Utah supports H.R. 1925, which would designate 9.4 million acres managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as Wilderness.

Once land is designated as Wilderness, no vehicles, including motorcycles, ATVs or bicycles, are allowed on that land. Even horseback riders would be limited.

“It is outrageous that Rep. Hinchey would attempt to bypass congressional procedures to put into motion the intentions of a bill that lacks the support of even one representative from the state that bill would impact,” said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. “This attempt is even more shocking in the sense that much of the land in question does not even meet the definition of Wilderness included in federal law. According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness can only apply to lands ‘retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation.’”

Included in the 9.4 million acres that the representative from New York wants to close forever to Utah’s OHV community are existing OHV riding areas around Moab, the San Rafael Swell and Chimney Rock. These popular OHV areas represent some of the most important remaining OHV recreation areas in Utah, and are some of the most popular with responsible OHV riders. The targeted areas also include existing roads and developments.

H.R. 1925 would be particularly harmful coming on the heels of the recently enacted Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which closed more than 2 million acres of public lands. This vast Wilderness bill would take away additional recreation opportunities that stimulate the local economies and are currently enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike.

The AMA is calling on all motorcyclists and OHV enthusiasts to help stop H.R. 1925. The fastest way to reach your U.S. representative is a telephone call. You can find contact information for your elected officials by entering your zip code at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues and Legislation. A pre-written e-mail is also available to send to your representative by following the “Take Action” option after entering your information at the above website.

To see the Utah delegation and Ranking Member Doc Hastings speak out against H.R. 1925, click here: http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=147628

The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on Oct. 1 to consider H.R. 1925. To view a video recording of that hearing, click here: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=27&extmode=view&extid=292

Originally posted 2009-11-12 17:20:58.

Please go here to read additional Valencia race coverage.

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 – The 2009 MotoGP season ended with Dani Pedrosa winning the Grand Prix of Valencia and a possible sneak preview at a powerful American trio in the premier class in 2010.

Pedrosa led from start to finish on his Repsol Honda in the 30-lap race Nov. 8 at the Ricardo Tormo circuit after pole sitter Casey Stoner crashed out of the event during the warm-up lap on his Ducati. Spaniard Pedrosa controlled the gap to second place Valentino Rossi in the closing laps despite strong winds, holding off 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Rossi by 2.630 seconds for the home victory. Fiat Yamaha claimed two of the three podium spots as 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Jorge Lorenzo was third, 2.913 seconds behind Pedrosa.

“It’s really great to finish off the season with a win, especially here in front of my home fans,” Pedrosa said.

American riders claimed three of the top seven finishing positions. Colin Edwards placed fourth on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine, while 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden finished fifth on the Ducati Team bike. 2009 Superbike World Champion Ben Spies finished seventh in a wild-card ride for the Sterilgarda Yamaha Team.

Spies’ strong ride in his first MotoGP start of the season was vital for fellow Texas Edwards, who will be his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate in 2010 in MotoGP. Spies passed Andrea Dovizioso late in the race for seventh, dropping Dovizioso to eighth at the finish. That was all Edwards needed to clinch fifth place in the season standings.

Edwards edged Honda factory rider Dovizioso by one point, 161-160. Edwards ended the season with his best points position since he was fourth in 2005. He also was the top rider from a satellite (non-factory) team in the standings in 2009.

“Things really fell my way today, but over the course of the season, I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship,” Edwards said. “I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben got by him, and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it.”

A slipping clutch early in the race hampered Hayden, but he recovered to record his fourth top-five finish of 2009. Hayden finished 13th in points, but just 11 points out of seventh.

“It hasn’t been a great season for me in terms of results, but the improvements we have made since the start are huge, and I’m excited about the future,” Hayden said.

A major test for 2010 rider lineups will take place Monday, Nov. 9 at Valencia. The 2010 season starts with a night race April 11 in Qatar. The third annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Aug. 27-29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

RESULTS

VALENCIA, Spain – Results of the 30-lap Grand Prix of Valencia MotoGP race, with position, rider, country, motorcycle, time behind winner. All riders on Bridgestone tires:
1. Dani Pedrosa Spain Honda +
2. Valentino Rossi Italy Yamaha +2.630
3. Jorge Lorenzo Spain Yamaha +2.913
4. Colin Edwards United States Yamaha +32.515
5. Nicky Hayden United States Ducati +34.585
6. Toni Elias Spain Honda +34.888
7. Ben Spies United States Yamaha +37.706
8. Andrea Dovizioso Italy Honda +38.364
9. Mika Kallio Finland Ducati +42.491
10. Alex de Angelis San Marino Honda +43.689
11. Randy de Puniet France Honda +46.018
12. James Toseland Great Britain Yamaha +50.226
13. Aleix Espargaro Spain Ducati +57.168
14. Loris Capirossi Italy Suzuki +1:06.877
15. Chris Vermeulen Australia Suzuki +1:11.701
16. Gabor Talmacsi Hungary Honda +1:14.405
17. Marco Melandri Italy Kawasaki +1:33.425
NS Casey Stoner Australia Ducati
NS – Not starting
Fastest lap: Pedrosa, 1:32.778, Lap 10; Pole lap: Stoner, 1:32.256

POINTS

Riders: Rossi 306, Lorenzo 261, Pedrosa 234, Stoner 220, Edwards 161, Dovizioso 160, Elias 115, de Angelis 111, Capirossi 110, Melandri 108, de Puniet 106, Vermeulen 106, Hayden 104, Toseland 92, Kallio 71, Niccolo Canepa 38, Talmacsi 19, Espargaro 16, Sete Gibernau 12, Spies 9, Yuki Takahashi 9.

Manufacturers: Yamaha 386, Honda 297, Ducati 272, Suzuki 133, Kawasaki 108.

PODIUM QUOTES

DANI PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team Honda/Bridgestone, winner):

It’s really great to finish off the season with a win, especially here in front of my home fans. I was waiting on the grid with my visor up, and I was looking to the side for Casey (Stoner) to arrive, but the marshal in front of me was walking to the side and I was thinking: ‘Where is he going?’ So I assumed something had happened to Casey on the warm-up lap. In the first few laps, I had to be careful because you have to warm up the tires here, especially on the right-hand side. But once that was done, we maintained a good pace and kept focused. In the last laps, the wind was strong and it would have been easy to make a mistake, but I was able to control the gap to Valentino and take this win.

VALENTINO ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, second):

I’m really happy about this result because it was fantastic to be able to ride well at Valencia, and it’s my best finish here since 2004. Of course, it would have been better to win, but I lost some time at the start battling with (Toni) Elias and (Jorge) Lorenzo, and by that time (Dani) Pedrosa had gone. And at this track, it’s almost impossible to make up a two-second gap. It’s not one of our best tracks, but after the problems we had all weekend, we can be very pleased. We made a great modification in warm-up, so thanks to all my guys for this. We’ve ended the championship on the podium, and it’s been a great season: another world title and the triple crown for Yamaha. I am very proud. Thank you to Yamaha, all my team, Bridgestone and everyone else, now we will have a little party before we start work on the 2010 bike tomorrow.

JORGE LORENZO (Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, third):

I had some good fights at the start, and I was feeling quite strong. But then I made a big mistake in the slow corner, and I was lucky not to crash, so Valentino got by. I was in a bit of pain, and I took some time to recover, and by then the gap was a bit too big to catch him. Anyway, I’m happy to get another podium in Spain, and I am so proud to have finished second in the championship. I want to thank everyone, Yamaha, Bridgestone and all my team, because we have worked so hard, and this is a great achievement in just our second season. Now I can’t wait to start testing the new bike, and I look forward to being even stronger next year.

AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES

COLIN EDWARDS (Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha/Bridgestone, fourth):

Things really fell my way today, but over the course of the season, I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship. At best, I was thinking I could finish fifth in the race, but then I saw Casey (Stoner) wasn’t on the grid, and immediately I thought,‘Well, there’s some more points up for grabs.’ I got a great start and the bike was working awesome, but those three out front were untouchable. I don’t know how they do it, what they’ve got or what they eat for breakfast, but I couldn’t run their pace. In the middle of the race, I couldn’t carry the corner speed I wanted to, so I tried to smooth myself out and just rode out of my skin. I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where (Andrea) Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben (Spies) got by him, and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it. I’m glad he adapted so quickly to the Yamaha because him riding so well is what got me that fifth overall, and I’m really looking forward to working with him. To finish fifth in the championship is a great feeling when you look at the talent in front of me. I was consistent all season and feel like I rode some of my best races to get this final position. I’m happy for myself and for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. We are a really close unit, and they always give me 100 percent, so hopefully they can take a lot of satisfaction out of this result, as well. I wish James (Toseland) all the best for the future, too, and am convinced he can carry on Yamaha’s success in World Superbikes.

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team Ducati/Bridgestone, fifth):

I thought it might be possible to do a little better than that today, but I didn’t get the best start. The clutch was slipping a little bit down the first couple of straightaways, and I lost some positions. After that I managed to pull myself up again, and from there it was a case of doing my best to try and bridge the gap to Colin (Edwards). The bike was working quite well, but every time I closed a tenth or two he had an answer and pulled it back out. Toward the end I had some issues in a couple of left-handers, and my pace dropped too much. Anyway, I had an enjoyable race, going back and forth with a few guys at the beginning, especially. It’s not a spectacular result, but we’ve end the season with two top fives, and we know we have a direction to work in over the winter. It hasn’t been a great season for me in terms of results, but the improvements we have made since the start are huge, and I’m excited about the future. We’re 13th overall, which looks awful on paper, but we are only 11 points off seventh, and I had three first-lap incidents that weren’t my fault – just one of those could have made the difference. Next season starts tomorrow, and I can’t wait to get back to work!

BEN SPIES (Sterilgarda Yamaha Team Yamaha/Bridgestone, seventh):

It was pretty good. I actually got a better start than I expected, but in the first few laps I got shuffled around and bullied a little bit. I guessed that would be the case as I haven’t figured out how to get comfortable quickly on the tires. Eventually I slowly picked off some people with some smart passes, as I didn’t want to mess up anyone else’s championship position, and I wanted to be clean but still ride as hard as I could. I saw (Andrea) Dovizioso and then I was thinking about him and Colin (Edwards) and their battle, and I managed to get past him. Then I kept my head down and tried to keep the laps fast, and I recorded my best time on the last lap, so it was good. I didn’t do anything stupid and stack it up. It was a good weekend, and we got a top 10. This result is like winning a World Superbike race for me in terms of the amount of satisfaction it has given me. These are the fastest guys in the world.

MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS

250cc: Hector Barbera, Spain, Pepe World Team Aprilia. Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan clinched the World Championship.

125cc: Julian Simon, Spain, Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia. American Cameron Beaubier was not classified after crashing with one lap remaining. He finished the season tied for 27th in the World Championship standings.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time.

Image owned by the AMA, and linked from: home.ama-cycle.org

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced today the 2010 schedule for the AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series, which determines the country’s top desert racers every year in a number of skill- and machine-based classes.

New for 2010, the AMA has partnered with the National Hare & Hound Association (NHHA), which will promote the series. The NHHA is made up of four AMA District 37 clubs: Desert MC, Vikings MC, Four Aces MC and 100’s MC.

“Similar to how our partnership with the National Enduro Promoting Group has reaped benefits for the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series presented by Moose Racing, working with the NHHA will help elevate the AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series in 2010,” said AMA Director of Racing Joe Bromley.

The NHHA’s Ryan Sanders says the group is already moving ahead to advance the 2010 championship.

“Our goal is to elevate the AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series and return it to its position as a premier national championship,” Sanders said. “We intend to do that by securing sponsorship and working with the clubs to achieve uniformity. We want our racers to be greeted by the same format, the same sign-up procedures, and the same signage at every event. Beyond that, we intend to promote, promote, promote.

“We’ve also teamed up with accomplished desert racer Chris Blais as series manager,” Sanders continued. “Chris brings his years of racing experience to help make sure we keep this a series built for racers and not necessarily a series built just for profit.”

Bromley said the first step was putting together an exciting schedule for racers.

“The 10-round schedule will once again provide the country’s top desert racers with a number of exciting courses,” Bromley said. “In addition, with multiple rounds scheduled after the summer break, we’re expecting the suspense of the championship to go down to the wire, bringing many racers and fans out to enjoy the fall portion of the program.”

The 2010 AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series will begin Jan. 24 at the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area near Lucerne, Calif. The 10-round championship will see action in California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah. The complete schedule is below.

2010 AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series Schedule

Round 1

Jan. 24
Desert M/C
Dale Shuttleworth
(909) 578-1599
desertmotorcycleclub@yahoo.com
DesertMC.com
LOC: Johnson Valley OHVA, Lucerne, Calif.

Round 2

Feb. 14
Four Aces MC
Richie Wohlers
(805) 358-2668
richie@fouracesmc.org
FourAcesMC.org
LOC: Spangler Hills OHV, Ridgecrest, Calif.

Round 3

March 7
Roadrunner Off-Road Racing
Kirk Hester
(760) 275-9852
roadrunneroffroad@hotmail.com
RoadRunnerOffroad.org
LOC: Superstition OHVA, El Centro, Calif.
GPS: 32° 54′7.23″N 115° 47′15.86″W

Round 4

March 21
Dirt Inc.
Bill Walsh
(208) 459-6871
braaap@cableone.net
DirtIncRacing.com
LOC: Murphy, Idaho

Round 5 (no ATVs)*

April 10
Sageriders MC
Kari Christman
(435) 851-1138
dezchik111@yahoo.com
Sageriders.com
LOC: Jericho, Utah

Round 6

April 25
Vikings MC
Alex Rodriguez
(760) 834-5006
alex@arrowdevelopment.net
VikingsMC.com
Loc: Johnson Valley OHVA, Lucerne, Calif.

Round 7

May 15
Sugarloafers
Rob Davies
(435) 743-4180
offrdsp@hotmail.com
SugarloafersMC.com
LOC: Jericho, Utah

Round 8 (no ATVs)*

June 5
Utah Desert Foxes
Steve Rij
(801) 964-8773
steve.bmp@att.net
UtahDesertFoxes.com
LOC: Wendover, Nev.

Round 9

Oct. 10
SoCal MC
Justin Shultz
(949) 981-6776
justins@bgainsurance.com
SoCalMC.com
LOC: TBA

Round 10

Oct. 24
100’s MC
Ryan Sanders
(949) 584-9395
ryansanders24@hotmail.com
100sMC.org
LOC: Lucerne Valley, Calif.
 
*The U.S. Bureau of Land Management does not allow all-terrain vehicle (ATV) competition at these locations.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.

Here are the results of the last MotoGP race of 2009 (below): brought to us by indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Ben Spies was in the top-ten! This post will include the final Race Report as soon as it is made available to us.

So what happened? Casey Stoner crashed on the warm-up lap ending his day. Stoner would have been the pole sitter, had it not been for this pre-race high side. We hope for a quick recovery from any injuries sustained in this incident.

Dani Pedrosa got the holeshot, led the entire race, and won, thus changing the final standings for 2009 so that they are now: Rossi, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Stoner, etc. Pedrosa said the following during the post-race interview:

It’s fantastic to win here and I really wasn’t expecting it. We had some problems with the setup but in the end we proved we were competitive.

Valentino Rossi image linked-to-from motograndprix.motorionline.com. Click to follow.

This was Ben Spies’ first weekend ever on a Yamaha YZR-M1, and he finished seventh. He’s only raced on a grand prix bike three other times, and each of those times was on a Suzuki (not the strongest bike). This weekend He had this to say before the race:

Here at Valencia I’m not the person to win the race, or with the target on their back like Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner. Those are the top guys and I have nothing to prove right now. There’s no way I can do anything that they’re doing right now, it’s almost impossible. So I’m going out to learn the bike and have fun and enjoy it. My season’s pretty much over so this is more a fun race for me.

I’ll know more on Saturday afternoon what is possible. I’d be very happy with a top-ten result for the first weekend on the bike; that would be very difficult too. I don’t know yet, after qualifying on Saturday I think I’ll know a little bit more what my chances are for the race.

You can’t compare a GP bike and a Superbike, they’re completely different so this is still a Yamaha, but it’s a new bike for me. With only about three hours of track time and then a race it’s going to be pretty hard to learn quickly so we’ll just take our time.

Ben said the following after qualifying in the top ten (9th):

It’s better than I expected this early on, with just three hours on the bike, but the package is great. The bike is great, the tires are great, it’s just me now. I am slowly building up my faith in everything. It is not going to happen overnight, but I am quite pleased to be not so far off the other guys on the Yamaha.

We’re competitive, so we have to try and get a good start in the race tomorrow, get in position to follow a few people and learn what we can. But it is a case of so far, so good. Every time we get on the bike we have to look at the lap time and make sure the gap to the front guys gets smaller and smaller. That’s what his weekend is for.

I know who I am riding against and they are the world’s best riders, who have been on these bikes for a long time. So I can understand not being higher up the grid, and the riders around me on are fast guys!

Ben was the greatest World Superbike rookie in history. We fully believe that he is one of the top five racers in the world. Here is Ben’s after-race quote. To get all of the race details, please see go here to see indianapolismotorspeedway.com’s Race Report.

It was pretty good. I actually got a better start than I expected, but in the first few laps I got shuffled around and bullied a little bit. I guessed that would be the case as I haven’t figured out how to get comfortable quickly on the tires. Eventually I slowly picked off some people with some smart passes, as I didn’t want to mess up anyone else’s championship position, and I wanted to be clean but still ride as hard as I could. I saw (Andrea) Dovizioso and then I was thinking about him and Colin (Edwards) and their battle, and I managed to get past him. Then I kept my head down and tried to keep the laps fast, and I recorded my best time on the last lap, so it was good. I didn’t do anything stupid and stack it up. It was a good weekend, and we got a top 10. This result is like winning a World Superbike race for me in terms of the amount of satisfaction it has given me. These are the fastest guys in the world.

Go here for FREE live timing of the MotoGP races a throughout the weekend this-weekend.  This benefit was provided by the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.  Thank you, Indianapolis Motor Speedway! You can see how each rider is doing throughout each race.