FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I am very sad to be writing you this letter. I am a former AFM and WMRRA road racer, and a current track day enthusiast in Virginia. As a road racing fan of many years, I have looked up to Freddie Spencer as a guru of sorts, and I am sure I am not alone in this regard. While my wife doesn’t always understand my passion, she certainly supports me in my motorcycle pursuits. For my 40th birthday in March of 2008, she surprised me with a booking at the Freddie Spencer High Performance riding school for July 23/24 at Miller Motorsports Park. Needless to say, I saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime. A few weeks before the date, I was called and informed that the school had been canceled due to lack of riders. I was told I could reschedule or get my money refunded. I waited for a several weeks, and realized due to my work schedule and travel plans, another date in 2008 was not in the cards. When we tried to get the deposit money back, our efforts went nowhere. No phone calls answered, no e-mails or FAXes with any response. We had sent Freddie Spencer $1200. Now, when I try to access his web page I am greeted with this: “Due to current economic conditions and drastically increasing costs, Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Riding School has ceased operations for the time being.” Well, I too have been affected by the current economic conditions. I wanted to go to Freddie’s riding school. Now I am out $1200. I had hoped a person of Freddie Spencer’s reputation and achievements would do better. All I want is my deposit back. Absolutely shameful stuff. Michael Baylor Charlottesville, Virginia Roadracingworld.com attempted to contact the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School at (888) 672-7219. An automated system answered and transferred us to a voice mail system. Messages left were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon local time. A link to Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Riding School: ~http://www.fastfreddie.com/~