FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Sam Backus, MARRC Charter Member, Motorcycle Enthusiast, and Former Road Racer, 1956-2005 Lifetime motorcycle enthusiast and former road racer, Sam Backus, died of lung cancer on July 1 at the St. Francis Hospice in Honolulu, Hawaii. His sister Leslie Backus of Silver Spring, Maryland, flew to Hawaii to help Sam in his final weeks. In 1979, Mr. Backus started racing with Western Eastern Roadracing Association, WERA. In 1981, he was WERA National Champion in the 250cc Superbike and Production classes. He also raced with Team Edgewood, WERA National Endurance Champions in the Lightweight Superbike class. Team Edgewood won their class in the 1983 Nelson Ledges 24-hour race. Sam Backus was charter member #1 of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Club, MARRC, formed in 1983. He was the first secretary, newsletter editor, and chief instructor of the MARRC Road Racing School. Sam cornerworked with the MARRC Safety Crew, worked the control tower, and did a good job when he was announcing races at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. In the 11 years that he volunteered for MARRC, thousands of motorcycle road racers graduated from the MARRC Road Racing School and benefited in many ways from his avid enthusiasm and knowledge for the sport we all love so much. Sam lived MARRC’s motto: “dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing” ! Sam Backus was born in Washington, D.C., graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in 1973 and received an engineering degree from Capitol College in 1976. He worked for Vitro Corp. in the early 1980s and then worked for Rockville Harley-Davidson and Battley Cycles in Maryland as a parts and computer specialist. In 1994, Sam moved to Hawaii and worked as the Systems Manager for Cycle City of Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Sam worked with the Hawaii Roadrace Association, HRA, as a racing school instructor, race announcer, and a behind-the-scenes guy. If you were talking motorcycles, Sam wanted to be part of the action. Most of his driving years were on motorcycles. He only owned a small pick-up truck for a short while (to get to the races), and when he moved to Hawaii 11 years ago, he gave the truck to the MARRC Safety Crew and it is still picking up crashed bikes and returning them to the pits at Summit Point Raceway. Rest in Peace Brother Sam Backus, Roger Lyle MARRC President Emeritus Hagerstown, Maryland