MOTOCROSS ACTION’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: ARE YOU READY FOR A NIGHT GRAND PRIX IN QATAR? DO YOU KNOW WHERE QATAR IS? PLEASE TELL US


        BELGIAN WINS BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP & 250 CLASS DECIDED IN FINAL MOTO

Belgian Kevin Strijbos clinched the 450cc British National Championships at the final race of the series. To take the pressure off, Strijbos earned enough points in the first moto to secure the 450 title over Shaun Simpson. Meanwhile in the 250 class, points leader Mel Pocock had mechanical issues in moto one, which allowed Elliott Banks-Browne to take the moto win (and gain 25 points). On the day Pocock had a DNF-1-6, while Banks-Browne went 1-5-2 to take the title from Pocock by 5 points.

250 BRITISH NATIONALS FINAL STANDINGS
1. Elliott Banks-Browne…447
2. Mel Pocock………………442
3. Bryan MacKenzie……..343
4. Graeme Irwin…………..335
5. Neville Bradshaw………334
6. Steven Lenoir…………..318
7. Nico Aubin……………….269
8. Stuart Edmonds………..238
9. Lewis Tombs……………183
10. James Cottrell…………168

450 BRITISH NATIONALS FINAL STANDINGS
1. Kevin Strijbos…………..530
2. Shaun Simpson………..477
3. Gert Krestinov………….363
4. Matiss Karro…………….308
5. Jamie Law……………….272
6. Martin Barr……………….261
7. Kristian Whatley……….240
8. Alex Snow………………229
9. Damien Coutts………..212
10. Stephen Sword……..198

        2013 GRAND PRIX MOTOCROSS SCHEDULE MAKES ANOTHER MOVE…A NIGHT RACE…IN DOHA, QATAR

Thailand was a shocker, but hold onto your hats. The 2013 World Motocross Championships will be going to the Middle East before they go to Southeast Asia. Giuseppe Luongo has announced that the first round of the 2013 Championship will be in Qatar (pronounced “cutter”). And because of the heat in the Middle East, even in March, the race will be held under the lights. No track was officially named, but most likely at the Losail MotoGP track. The scheduling means that the GP team will race in Qatar on March 2 and then fly to Thailand to race again on March 10. Apart from its rich patrons, who are willing to pay a rumored $750,000 sanction fee to Luongo for the Grand Prix, a single good size shop in SoCal has more dirt bikes in it than in all of Qatar.

        WHERE ARE THEY NOW? YOKO & SINISALO AREN’T DEAD… THEY JUST AREN’T IN THE USA

Yoko Y-MX1 jersey.

Yoko Y-MX1 pants.

Sinisalo Renegade jersey.

Sinsalo Renegade pants.

For more info go to www.sinisalo.com or www.yokoformoto.es

        THIS WEEK’S SEMI-INFORMATIONAL TWEET…WITH WORDS OF WISDOM


        TOM WHITE TO BE INDUCTED IN TRAILBLAZER’S HALL OF FAME… NO MENTION OF HIS BROTHER DAN

Tom White at his museum.                     
Photo: Mike Basher

The Trailblazers will induct 8 new members to its prestigious Hall of Fame at it’s 68th Annual banquet on April 6, 2013. Among the list of eight is Tom White?who most people will remember as one-half of the White Brothers Cycle Specialties, but Tom is much more celebrated than that. Tom was a Class C Grand National dirt track racer in the 1970s (racing against the likes of Kenny Roberts and Gary Nixon), he switched to motocross later in his racing career (winning the Over-40 World Veteran Championship Championship in 1990). His White Brothers company, which he owned with his brother Dan, was a powerhouse in four-stroke development and a sponsor of many racers and events. Since selling the White Brothers Tom has contented himself with running his “Early Years of Motocross Museum,” working for the AMA Hall of Fame and being the brunt of lots of jokes from his REM Glen Helen racing buddies.


Tom White (42) started his motorcycle career as an AMA Grand National dirt track racer.

Joining Tom White in the Trailblazer’s Hall of Fame will be race announcer Larry Huffman, desert racer Larry Berquist, motocross pioneer Jim Connolly, Ascot BSA racer Stu Morley, Ascot Park owner Walt Mahony, offroad racer Lori Conway and stuntman Buddy Stubbs. Sadly, Morley, Mahony and Berquist will receive their honors posthumously.

        CHAPARRAL PARKING LOT SALE ? SATURDAY, OCT. 6… BUT IT’S NOT AT CHAPARRAL

        REM GLEN HELEN: MONTH OF WORLD VET WARM-UP RACES STARTS SATURDAY

Are you planning on racing the 2012 MTA World Vet Motocross Championship on November 3-4? If you are, don’t you think that you better rub off a little of that ring rust? To help you get ready, REM will race every weekend of October? starting this weekend (Oct. 6) and going through Oct. 13, Oct. 20 and culminating with the Annual Octobercross on Oct. 27.

The Octobercross, which used to be called the “Commotion By The Ocean” when REM held its races at Carlsbad Raceway, will be the first race held on the full 2012 World Vet track layout. The World Vet always has a new track design and this year will be no different (which means that it will be different). The Octobercross will be the first and last time a rider will be able to race the layout before the November 3-4 World Vet. The world Vet has classes for all skill levels and ages that go from 30 to 80. For info on the 2012 World Vet Championship go to www.glenhelen.com. For more info on REM, go to www.remsatmx.com

        FORMULA 1 DRIVER KIMI RAIKKONEN’S GP TEAM SIGNS XAVIER BOOG

Xavier Boog.                                                   Photo: Sarah Gutierrez

Ice1Racing, owned by F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen (aka “the Iceman”), will move its headquarters to Belgium and come under the leadership of recently retired Finnish GP rider Antti Pyrhonen. Ice1 has signed 24-year-old French rider Xavier Boog for 2013. Boog finished seventh in the 450 World Championships in 2012. Boog said, “I am very happy to join the Ice1Racing team. Although the team is fairly new in the World Championship circus, they are experienced and the team knows what it takes to win”

Pyrhonen said, “Our plan is to move the team operations to Belgium and concentrate fully on the MX1 class in the World Championships. We want to reach the top in all areas, which requires the full attention of the whole team.”

        WHAT? NO ENERGY DRINK WAS AVAILABLE? AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS SERIES TO BE SPONSORED BY TEREX

It what is the first sign of a refreshing shift in sponsorship packages, the 2012 Australian Supercross Championships have found a non-energy drink sponsor in the form of heavy equipment manufacturer Terex. Now called the “Terex Australian Supercross Championship,” the also Aussies got additional sponsorship from Pedders, an automobile suspension company most famous for helping Australian V8 Supercar teams. The first round of the Terex Australian Supercross Championships will be held at Dubbo on October 13.

        MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: PRO CIRCUIT RACE MECHANIC APRON

Manufactured exclusively through Mechanix Wear, the Pro Circuit Race Team Apron allows for quick access to tools and parts placed in the various pockets. The Ballistic Nylon construction, double stitching, adjustable length-wide webbing neck and waist straps, internal hanging pockets and dual side of the waist hammer hanger loops all add to the function and useful features of the Race Team apron. The apron is water resistant and machine washable. Fits size 28 to 44 waist. $29.95 ? www.procircuit.com.

        MARK JOHNSON RESIGNS FROM HIS INDYCAR TEAM MANAGEMENT POSITION…WHERE TO NEXT?

Mark Johnson.
                                         Photo: KV Racing

Former Kawasaki team director Mark Johnson has resigned from the KV Indycar Racing team. Johnson said, “At this point in my career, it is time for a reassessment on many levels. My life and my family have always been and will continue to be in the motorsports industry. However, it is time for us to define new goals and how we would like to move forward in the sport.” After leaving Kawasaki (the first time) Johnson worked for Precision Preparation which supported the Arciero-Wells CART team, Toyota Off-Road team, Toyota Atlantic team, Tide Winston Cup and Ivan Stewart’s Toyota Baja/SCORE offroad truck team. Johnson joined Rahal/Letterman Racing in 2001 and stayed there until he returned to Kawasaki in 2003 as the team manager of the Chevy Trucks Kawasaki team (which at the time included James Stewart). Mark Johnson was instrumental in supporting Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton on run to become the winningest team in 250 Supercross/motocross. During his time at Kawasaki, Johnson worked with Ricky Carmichael, Eddie Lawson, Jeremy McGrath, Wayne Rainey, Larry Roeseler, James Stewart and Jeff Ward. He returned to Indycars in 2006 and led the KV team for seven seasons until resigning this past week.

        THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAY BOYS… BIG PARTY AT THE AYERS & SON PAVING COMPANY
Oct. 7…Randy Lawrence
Oct. 7…John Ayers
Oct. 7…Ted Campbell


Oct. 8…Brian Myerscough


Oct. 8…Travis Pastrana
Oct. 10…Jeff Cernic


Oct. 12…Cody Cooper

        USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: HARDLINE TREAD DOCTOR
  
The Tread Doctor a heated tire cutting tool that promises to extend the useful life of your knobby tires, by slicing off a thin layer of the acceleration edge of the rear tire with a scooping motion down the vertical side of the knob. Experienced MXA test riders are wary of cutting knobs vertically because it makes the knob narrower, which allows it to flex more. When knobs flex the rear tire wallows. That said, the Tread Doctor’s ability to take very thin slices made this method a viable option in the right conditions.

VERDICT: Although hesitant to make vertical cuts on our knobs, the MXA wrecking crew warmed up to the Tread Doctor the more we experimented with it. Its ability to remove very small amounts of material make it a handy gadget for the homegrown tire engineer. $59.99 ? www.hardlineproducts.com or (805) 581-4700.

        “DO YOU THINK I MISS YOU GUYS?
AMA Hall of Famer Lars Larsson has been spending the summer in Sweden instead of racing at home with the MXA guys. He is due back in SoCal before the World Vet Championships, but we got a email from Lars with a couple of photos of his bike after a recent Swedish mud race. All the email said was, “Do you think I miss you guys?” Here are the photos he sent.

        WHAT’S LEFT TO DO IN 2012? FOUR IN OZ, TWO IN VEGAS AND TWO AT GLEN HELEN


MAXXIS BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP
    October 7…………………………………….Little Silver, Exeter
2012 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS RD. 1
    October 13…………………………………..Dubbo, NSW
MONSTER ENERGY CUP
    October 20……………………………………Las Vegas, NV
REM OCTOBERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
    October 27……………………………………Glen Helen, CA
AMA ENDUROCROSS
   October 27……………………………………Boise, ID
2012 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS RD. 2
    October 27-28………………………………Phillip Island, VIC
MTA WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
    Nov. 3-4………………………………………Glen Helen, CA
2012 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS RD. 3
    November 10……………………………….Toowoomba, QSL
PARIS SUPERCROSS
    November 9-11…………………………….Paris, France
AMA ENDUROCROSS FINALE
    November 17……………………………….Las Vegas, NV
2012 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS RD.4
    November 17………………………………..Newcastle, NSW
WINTER OLYMPICS
    November 19-24…………………………..Gatorback, FL

        MXA TECH SPEC: YOUR INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE 2013 KAWASAKI KX450F


Air forks. Air forks were first tried in motocross in 1974 and became stock on Yamahas in 1976. The idea is incredibly simple. When air is compressed, it takes on the properties of a spring, but without the weight of coiled steel. Additionally, minor air-pressure changes can make the fork stiffer or softer in seconds. The air forks weigh 1.7 pounds less than the previous Kayaba dual-coil-spring forks.


Fork adjustment. Air pressure in the forks can be altered with a bicycle pump (although special pumps are available from Kayaba and DRC).


Brakes. Kawasaki has never set the world on fire with its braking prowess, and while most racers would have preferred a larger, 260mm front-brake rotor in 2013, Kawasaki did give lip service to its brake issues. The front-brake master cylinder has a new lever-to-brake piston system that energizes the system more aggressively (and new rotor shapes on the front and rear). The front brake hose is 30mm longer to put less stress on it when fully extended.

Power. If there is one thing the 2013 KX450F doesn’t need, it is more power than the 2012 version. So, the KX engineers remapped the ignition to smooth out the hit, revised the piston crown for better burn and fit a new intake cam with less lift for a more manageable throttle response.


Fuel injection. As with all fuel-injection systems, Kawasaki’s DFI system self-adjusts to atmospheric changes, hop-up mods and gasoline quality. There is no jetting required (or possible without reprogramming the black box). Kawasaki’s 12-hole injector nozzle sprays particles with a droplet size of 60 through the 43mm throat of the Keihin throttle body. The injector nozzle is angled at 45 degrees for optimum midrange power. The throttle body uses eccentric dual linkages that open the butterfly quicker from 3/8 throttle to wide open.


Grips. Prior to the 2013 KX450F, the only way to get longer grips was to special order them from Bob Rutten at A’ME. Now, Kawasaki has taken the first step by increasing the grips by 10mm to give the riders more room to hang on.


Maps. Since 2012, the KX450F has come with three plug-in maps (erroneously labeled “soft,” “hard” and “stock” when they really meant “aggressive,” “mellow” and “stock”). Almost every MXA test rider chooses to race with the mellow (hard) map, because it makes the bottom-end rush more controllable by muting the
horsepower down low.

Footpegs. Kawasaki is the only manufacturer to offer two-position footpeg mounts. Perhaps if you were 6-foot-3 you’d lower the pegs, but most MXA test riders prefer the taller position.


Launch Control. When the button is pushed, Launch Control is activated. It costs about four horsepower, but enables much more controllable starts. When the rider shifts into third gear, the ignition returns to normal mapping.

Starting. The engine can be started with only three rotations of the crankshaft using the electricity generated by a single kick of the starter. No battery is needed to activate the fuel pump. The magneto system delivers electricity to the bike’s electronics in this sequence: first the ECU, then the fuel pump and finally the injector.

        JIMMY ALBERTSON’S MOTOCROSS HEROES, BEST BATTLES & THE STROKE WARS

        USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: HIGH-PRESSURE RADIATOR CAP

Since the boiling point of water increases when the water is placed under pressure, a radiator cap has a coil spring situated between two rubber seals. The stiffness of the spring determines how much pressure the water is under. As the water heats up, it expands. This expansion puts pressure on the radiator cap’s spring. When the radiators internal pressure exceeds the spring rate of the radiator cap, the hot coolant escapes and overflows between the two rubber seals

VERDICT: The MXA wrecking crew always changes the stock 1.1 radiator caps on Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki motocross bikes. With CV4 offering a 2.0 kg/cm2 cap we can easily stop our test bikes from puking out water on the starting line or steaming like Turkish sauna after a mud race. $21.95 (Japanese brands), $28.95 (KTM and Husaberg) ? www.cvproducts.com or your local dealer.

        ONLY FOUR STOPS LEFT ON KTM’S FREE DEMO DAY SCHEDULE

The KTM Moto Tour program is a chance for riders to demo all the new KTM SX models prior to purchase. Interested participants must obtain a pass from their local KTM dealership in order to participant in a Moto Tour demo ride. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid photo ID in order to participate. All riders must also come prepared with the appropriate riding gear, including: a DOT approved helmet, jersey, riding pants, gloves, goggles and boots. All 2013 KTM SX model motorcycles will be available to test at each stop. Here is a list of the last four chances you have to ride a 2013 KTM 125SX, 250Sx, 250SXF, 350SXF or 450SXF.

October 6………Spring Creek MX Park………..Millville, MN
November 9…..3 Palms Action Sports Park…Conroe, TX
November 17…Thundercross MX Park……….Okeechobee, FL
November 20…Gatorback MX Park…………….Gainesville, FL

        MARK BORZAK’S BROC HEPLER, TONY D & MARTY SMITH DRAWINGS

Tony DiStefano.


Broc Hepler.


Marty Smith.

MXA gets a wide selection of drawings, paintings and art work about motocross, but we have consistently highlighted the drawings of Mark Borzak. Here is some of his work.

        USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: KREFT KTM 250/300 POWER DIAL POWER VALVE ADJUSTER

The KTM Power Valve is a flapper valve that alters the size of the exhaust port. It opens and closes in relationship to the engine’s rpm. As the rpm increases, the Power Valve overcomes the resistance of the Power Valve spring, and the opening of the valve can be changed by increasing or decreasing the preload on the Power Valve spring. The Kreft Power Dial makes it possible to adjust the spring preload on the KTM 250/300 Power Valve without tools. In fact, we could pull over to the side of the track and adjust it in seconds before continuing on our merry way.

VERDICT: The MXA test riders started by turning the adjust in one-half turn and then out one-half turn. The difference between the two settings is very noticeable. This was a worthwhile tuning exercise. $89.95 ?www.kreftmoto.com or (970) 403-2715.

        RECYCLED NEWS: WASH, RINSE, REPEAT THE JUSTIN HILL TO PRO CIRCUIT NEWS
Suddenly the news cycle is full of breaking news that Pro Circuit has signed top amateur Justin Hill to be their fourth rider for the 2013 season. It may be breaking news, but it is on its second time around. Hey, that happens. Here is the story that MXA ran back on September 21. What next? Bubba to Suzuki?

        WMN WOMEN’S RACE AT GLEN HELEN ON OCTOBER 20

For more info go to www.wmnracing.com or call (949) 290-0712.

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