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RACE WATCH
DuHamel to race H-D Superbike?
The big question in AMA racing is whether Harley-Davidson’s long-awaited V-Twin-powered Superbike will make it to the starting line this year. At presstime, the company was very close to signing former Muzzy Kawasaki rider Miguel DuHamel. Last year, the French-Canadian won the AMA 600cc Supersport championship on a Rob Muzzy-backed Kawasaki ZX-6.
In the wake of DuHamel’s departure, Muzzy signed a multi-year contract with two-time World Superbike Champion Fred Merkel. “He approached me in Italy,” said Muzzy. “When Miguel rejected our offer, I called him up.” Merkel will contest AMA Superbike and 750 supersport races on Muzzyprepared Kawasakis. Most recently, Merkel raced Ducatis in the World Superbike championship.
Another persistant rumor has current AMA champion Doug Polen abandoning the Fast By Ferracci Ducati in favor of a big-bucks Honda World Superbike ride. “As of right now, I will be riding a Ducati,” he said. But when asked if his plans might change, Polen said, “No comment.” Team boss Eraldo Ferracci said, “I have every indication that he will be a part of my team. But his contract is with the Cagiva group, not me.”
In other news, Vance & Hines has signed a multi-year contract with Yamaha. Veteran Jamie James and up-andcoming star Colin Edwards will continue to pilot the team’s YZF750-
based Superbikes at AMA nationals. In the American Honda camp, ex-grand prix star Kevin Magee, who has apparently recovered from head injuries suffered four years ago at the U.S. Grand Prix, has been linked to the company’s highly anticipated RC45. Negotiations are ongoing. Georgian Mike Smith has already re-signed with the Commonwealth Honda team, as has dirt-trackertumed-roadracer Mike Hale.
Kawasaki wins Baja 1000
Kawasaki’s KX500-mounted team of Ty Davis, Danny Hamel and Larry Roeseler took the overall motorcycle class win at the 26th annual Tecate
Kawasaki’s Ty Davis aboard the team’s Baja 1000-winning KX500.
Beer/Score International Baja 1000. Sixty-four motorcycle teams started the race, but only 27 completed the demanding course. It was Kawasaki’s sixth-straight win.
Kawasaki’s greatest challenge came from the race’s overall winner, Toyota’s Ivan “Ironman” Stewart. The longtime off-roader soloed the course in 13 hours and 29 minutes, 28 minutes quicker than Team Green. It was the first time in 20 years that a truck beat the top-finishing bike.
“It was a long day,” said Hamel. “We gave Honda every chance to beat us.” A broken chain cost Davis 10 minutes and Hamel’s night-time crash necessitated new headlights and a replacement subframe. Honda’s sixrider team of Charles Halcomb, Geoff Sanborn, Bob Rutten, Dan Ashcraft, Dave Donatoni and Chuck Miller finished second on an XR600. ^
