Roadracing World Action Fund Reaches $2.25 Million To Help Improve Motorcycle Safety On The Racetrack

Trudy Ulrich

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January 31, 2020

Roadracing World Action Fund Reaches $2.25 Million To Help Improve Motorcycle Safety On The Racetrack

In 2019 donations for the Roadracing World Action Fund came from throughout the motorcycle community in the form of wedding gifts and memorials; of fundraisers by both racing organizations and motorcycle clubs; and from businesses and a corps of hard-core supporting individuals who have steadily donated over the years. Soft barriers are deployed more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before, thanks to contributions totaling $2,256,591.31 since 2001 to support the Roadracing World Action Fund’s mission of helping to prevent racetrack injuries through motorcycle road racing safety education.

2019 Donations

The Roadracing World Action Fund received a check for $500 in honor of Patrick & Elizabeth Delaney. Elizabeth wrote, “Please accept this donation being made in lieu of favors at our recent wedding. My husband participates in track days with N2 so the mission of your action fund is dear to him.” N2 Track Days had a fundraiser of its own, along with P.R.E., Motovid, and other track day organizations who raised money for the Roadracing World Action Fund to help keep their riders safer on the race track.

Here is a review of Roadracing World Action Fund 2019 highlights.

Steady Donations Add Up…

Steady donations really do add up! Since 2005, David Pierce has donated $500 almost every year. His latest contribution to the Action Fund brings his grand total to $6,500! Rand Kennedy has donated $200 each year since 2013, for a grand total of $1,400.

Fundraising…

Racing Organizations

Performance Riding Experience (P.R.E.) held its annual fundraiser at VIR, which raised $15,710 in donations, with the goal of bringing more soft barriers to VIR, as well as NC Bike, according to President of P.R.E. John Allen. P.R.E.’s grand total now stands at $121,089 since 2014 and maintains the top position on the Roadracing World Action Fund all-time total donations chart. Combined with the amount raised for the Action Fund while he was with the now-disbanded NESBA, John Allen-led fundraisers total an astonishing $179,420.

Motovid.com and ZARS (Zalusky Advanced Riding School and Track Days) teamed up for the Eighth Annual Broken Wing Benefit to raise money for the Roadracing World Action Fund. The event included a Silent Auction/Dinner, and was held in the evening on Saturday Aug 11, 2019, at Blackhawk Farms. Both track day organizations were there for the weekend, with the ZARS Track Day run on Saturday and the Motovid.com Track Day Sunday. The event raised $18,788, and the overall total from Motovid Broken Wing Benefit now stands at $82,394.

N2 Track Days, in its sixth year of fundraising for the Roadracing World Action Fund, brought in $15,093.00 in donations for a grand total of $114,622.25.

Racer and AHRMA trustee Arthur Kowitz started a grass-roots fundraiser which ran from July through October, and raised a total of $2,404 when it was all said and done. Kowitz said he would talk to AHRMA members at meetings and events about the importance of having soft barriers in place, and encouraged them to donate to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Kowitz emphasized the urgency of donating now rather than put it off, saying, “It’s too late to stroke a check when you’re sliding on your ass [while crashing].”

New Jersey Motorsports Park donated the proceeds from a parade lap at a recent AHRMA event totaling $150. “Not much, but we tried,” wrote Brad Scott, NJMP President and COO. Herb and Pam Haigh won a raffle at the AHRMA Awards Banquet and immediately donated $200 toward the fundraiser. Other AHRMA members contributing included: David A. Pierce, 500; Kevin Dinsmoor (AHRMA Race #304), $304; Arthur Kowitz $300; Lorraine Crussell, $200; Curtis Comer, $100; William Doran, $100; and John Rickard, $50.

Businesses

Backcountry.com/Motosport matches customer contributions to the Roadracing World Action Fund dollar-for-dollar, and has since 2011. The company’s contributions for 2019 total $5,614.00, bringing the grand total to $43,364 over the past nine years.

AmazonSmile donations are made each time a customer uses the AmazonSmile portal to make purchases on Amazon. The AmazonSmile Foundation’s total contribution for 2019 was $1,816.56. To participate, be sure to log in to the AmazonSmile portal and name the Roadracing World Action Fund as your charity of choice. Donations are automatically sent to the RWAF quarterly.

The KMC Employee Charitable Contributions Matching Program matches employee contributions to non-profit organizations, up to $500 per organization per employee. Croft Long and Jon Rall took advantage of the program to double their donations ($500 and $100, respectively) to the Roadracing World Action Fund, for a total of $1200.

Ninja400 Bike-Build Fundraiser, organized by Dee Ridgeway, raised $1250 for the Roadracing World Action Fund

Club Donations

The Mid Atlantic Ducati Owners Club (MAD) has donated $2000 to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Treasurer Stephan Oliver wrote, “Our club voted for charity donations and everyone agreed your fund is a worthy cause. Our club regularly does track days and sponsors two events with the Cornerspeed Professional Roadcourse Instruction at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. There are air fence systems there which everyone pitches in and installs for the motorcycle events. As track day enthusiasts we all appreciate the additional safety that the air fences provide and recognize organizations such as yours aid at race courses and want to promote more devices in the future. We would like to thank you for your efforts and want to donate to keep your efforts affordable for the future safety at all courses where motorcyclists have the same passion to race and enjoy our sport.”

The Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists have donated $600 to the Roadracing World Action Fund. The donation arrived with a letter from Bob Burns: “My name is Bob Burns. My wife Jennifer and I are part of the Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists which is most definitely not a club. We non-members of ChiVinMoto are very proud of our lack of organization and the associated complete failure to have things like officers, dues, and regularly scheduled meetings about meetings. There are two small events that I put together every year for the non-members of ChiVinMoto. One is an annual outing to southwestern Wisconsin where we spend a weekend enjoying the local twisty roads, cheese and beer. The other is a springtime track day with our friends at Motovid.com where we polish up our skills and get our race bikes ready for the upcoming season of racing with AHRMA. Part of the annual Wisconsin outing is a small fundraising effort. We sell shirts and other swag and sometimes people make donations. Once the costs of the event are covered, we donate any remaining money to some worthy cause. Given that some are AHRMA racers, and so many more of us do track days with Motovid, Jennifer and I felt that it would be appropriate to give this year’s donation on behalf of the Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Thanks very much for all you do.”

The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club has donated $1,475 to the Roadracing World Action Fund, and the club’s all-time total now stands at $2,475. Treasurer Celeste Broadstreet wrote, “The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club (MARRC) provides safety crew services and a Roadracing school at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. Our members have seen first-hand the safety value of Airfence and other soft barriers at the racetrack. We would like to donate, as a club, to your fund to support the deployment of soft barriers. If possible, we would like to target our donation to Summit Point Raceway. Thank you for your dedication to your mission of preventing racetrack injuries. You are making a difference in the racing community.”

Last but not least: Ruts to Racelines (www.rutstoracelines.com), an organization, according to its website, which is “dedicated to help women build confidence and skill to become better and safer riders,” held a bike wash on August 31, 2019, at NCCAR in Garysburg, NC, and raised $33 for the Roadracing World Action Fund.

In Memory of…

Gary McQuiston has once again donated in memory Bill Parr and Richey Halstead, in the amount of $2,000. Adding to his past donations in their honor going back to 2004, his all-time total stands at $3,200. McQuiston says his donation also honors long-time ASRA/CCS race official Jennifer Morgan Campbell, who passed away suddenly September 9th.

Anna Dickey has donated to the Roadracing World Action Fund in memory of Bob Dickey, whom, she wrote, was “a man who loved motorcycle racing and believed very strongly in the safety your air fence provided.” Bob himself donated frequently to the Action Fund, usually in small amounts, almost always with a dedication, and sometimes he just seemed to find a good excuse to donate. His first donation was in 2003, in memory of Mike Monroe. Other notable dedications include:

“20 because Nicky won. 30 because SPEED extended pre-race coverage”

“In Memory of Andre Espaillat, as flamboyant a racer as ever was!”

“Happy Birthday Harry Tomlinson. A buck a year!” ($48)

“A bet’s a bet and IMO M3”

“In honor of Dits and NBC chickens”

“In memory of my Endurance partner, M3”

“Congratulations Metalhead for 2nd in your first WERA race!”

“For all you do for all of us. Bob Panthercity Racing”

“Thanks for all y’all do! Bob ‘Panthercity’ Dickey”

Over the years, Bob Dickey donated a total of $673.

Ohlins USA has donated $75 in memory of Arthur Sakakura, father of Yoshimura Racing LLC president Don Sakakura.

The Welch Family has donated $200, “In Celebration of Mackenzie Podo.” The Chattahoochee Elementary School Retirees have donated $25 in her memory, along with Mastermind Productions, $300; Bob & Mimi Buchanan, $50; and Brittney C., $50.

ASRA/CCS founder and president Kevin Elliott has donated $300 to the Roadracing World Action Fund in memory of his mother, Roxie Elliott. Fast Lane RnR Cycles also donated in memory of Roxie Elliott, in the amount of $200.

Donating in memory of racer Robert Miller: Douglas Coulter, $360.

Two-Up Ride Adventures

Team Hammer’s Chris Ulrich once again gave two-up Superbike rides on the Dunlop 2-Seat Superbike Suzuki GSX-R1000R at MotoAmerica events in 2019, promoting the sport of motorcycle road racing and also raising money for the Roadracing World Action Fund. Fans who donated a minimum of $250 got to experience the ride of a lifetime, and support a good cause at the same time. A record total of $11,950 was raised in 2019. Since 2016, this program has raised a grand total of $26,270.

Every year since 2006, Chris Ulrich has a two-up Superbike ride fundraiser on Thanksgiving weekend during the Fastrack Riders track day at Auto Club Speedway. This year, the event, held on Sunday, raised $1,310, bringing the all-time total to $60,810.

Summary of Posted 2019 Contributions

(Contributor comments and dedications are included below with their listing. Total overall contribution appears in parentheses.)

Roadrace Fund

8^th Annual Motovid.com Broken Wing Fundraiser $18,788 (82,394)

Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Fundraiser $15,710 ($121,089)

N2 Track Days Fundraiser $15,093 ($114,622)

Chris Ulrich Two-Up Superbike Rides With Dunlop and MotoAmerica $11,950 ($26,270)

VMware Foundation 12-Year Milestone Award- A.J. Ciampa -$6000

Backcountry.com/Motosport $5,614 ($43,364)

Pirelli Tire LLC $5000 ($10,000)

Pacific Utility Installation $3500

Otto & Hanna Duetsch Private Charity Fund $3000

Bob Robbins $2500 ($32,900)

Mid-Atlantic Ducati Owners Club $2000

Gary McQuiston $2000 In Memory of Bill Parr, Richard Halstead, and Jennifer Morgan Campbell ($3200)

Anonymous In Memory of Ave Gudelsky $2000 ($8,000)

AmazonSmile $1816 ($4713)

Anna Dickey $1500 In Memory of Bob Dickey

Peter & Carol Anne Swetish $1500

Chris Ulrich Two-Up Superbike Rides/Fastrack riders.com Fundraisers $1,310 ($60,810)

Ninja400 Bike-Build Fundraiser $1250

MARRC $1000 ($2475)

George & Janette Nassaney $1000 ($1500)

The Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists $600

KMC Employee Charitable Contributions Matching Program $600

Craig Beardsley $700 ($4810/Includes Disney Matching Funds)

Croft Long $500

AHRMA $500

David Pierce $500 ($6,500)

In Honor of Patrick & Elizabeth Delaney Wedding $500

Dent Wizard $500

Kevin Dinsmoor $304 AHRMA Racer #304

Arthur Kowitz $300 AHRMA ($800)

Mastermind Productions $300 “In Celebration of Mackenzie Podo”

Kevin Elliott $300 In Memory of Roxie Elliott ($400)

Mountain Air Auto Care $200 ($300)

Yamaha Champions Riding School $250 ($1,010)

Brew Crew Racing $250 “Thank you for the Airfence. Haven’t hit it yet but tire walls hurt.”

Kevin Boda $250 ($500)

Keith & Patty Souter $200 ($4000)

Welch Family $200 Celebration of Mackenzie Podo

Fast Lane RnR Cycle $200 In Memory of Roxie Elliott

Thomas Costantino & Anita Koury Charitable $200 ($400)

Rand Kennedy $200 ($1400)

Lorraine Crussell $200 AHRMA

Herb & Pam Haigh $200 AHRMA

James Bonner $200 ($600)

NJMP AHRMA Event Parade Lap Fundraiser $150

Bob Guntrip $136.39

Juan & Gudrun Negreira $125 ($465)

William Doran $100 AHRMA

Jon Rall $100

Bruce Hammer $100

Curtis Comer $100 AHRMA

Paul Lamoureux $100

Beach Chair Therapy $100

David Sapsis $100 ($597) “ WERA Zarco 2019 bet. You go, Garf.”

Robert A. Kindler $100

BeatGdub $100 (Note from Greg White: “To settle on my RMFantasySX debt. BeatGdub smoked me and he deserves this in his name.”)

Vijay Lorick $93 ($143) “From Big Bird WERA MotoGP Fantasy League”

Ohlins USA $75 In Memory of Arthur Sakakura

Mel Hinshaw $50

Sheila Barnes $50 In Memory of F. Allen Barnes ($1200)

Chippy Wood $50

Stephen E. Moore $50 ($100)

Nathan & Allison Kirklin $50 ($150)

Sean Stebbins $50/fastedyamaha

Jason Bays $50 In Honor of Chris Bays

John Rickard $50 AHRMA

Brittney C. $50 In memory of Kenzie Podo

Bob & Mimi Buchanan $50 In Memory of Mackenzie Podo

Nicholas Hande $40

Ruts to Racelines Benefit Bike Wash At NCCAR Aug 2019 $33

Dean Alsman $25

Chattahoochee Elementary School Retirees $25 In Memory of Mackenzie Podo

Neil Barker $15

About the Roadracing World Action Fund

The Roadracing World Action Fund – a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization – began back in 2001 as a grassroots movement to improve racetrack safety for motorcycle racers and riders. At the time, hay bales or stacks of tires were sometimes placed in front of concrete walls for rider protection in case of a crash. A far better solution for rider safety existed – inflatable soft barriers which absorb the energy of a crash. Soft barriers – made by Airfence or Alpina – can allow racers to often walk away from a crash which in the past might have caused catastrophic injury, or even death.

The Roadracing World Action Fund gained the support of the motorcycle community, as racers, riders, family and friends, motorcycle businesses, and racing organizations and racetracks helped to make use of soft barriers the standard, rather than the exception, for motorcycle races and track days at racetracks across the nation. Now, from Laguna to Daytona, Motorsports Ranch to VIR, AutoClub Speedway to Blackhawk Farms, and many more, soft barriers are deployed more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before, as the Roadracing World Action Fund continues its mission of helping prevent racetrack injuries through motorcycle road racing safety education.

December 31, 2019

Accounting Details to Date

Road Racing Expenditure Details
Purchases of soft barriers: $1,624,318.05

Shipping/Customs: $94,486.37

Bank Fees: $8,689.19

Transportation & Installation: $203,647.17

Soft Barrier Parts, Repairs & Signage $53,052.91

Accounting/Business Fees: $7,924.50

Misc. Supplies/Services $1,170.14

Office Services: $34,987.00

Total Spent: $2,028,275.33

Total Donations Collected: $2,107,962.87

Cash on hand: $79,687.54

Dirt Track Expenditure Details
Purchases of soft barriers: $123,789.35

Shipping/Customs: $2717.72

Transportation & Installation: $2174.77

Soft Barrier Parts, Repairs, & Signage $5,800.00

Total Spent: $134,481.84

Total Donations Collected: $148,628.44

Cash on hand: $14,146.60

Certain administrative costs, including web site maintenance, promotional items, and shipping have been absorbed by Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Aprilia All Stars 2020: Festival Scheduled May 9 At Mugello Circuit

David Swarts

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January 31, 2020

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APRILIA ALL STARS 2020

SATURDAY 9 MAY, AT MUGELLO, THE GREAT APRILIA FESTIVAL IS BACK
ON THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CIRCUIT IN THE WORLD, THE PROTAGONISTS WILL BE THE APRILIA MOTOGP TEAM RIDERS, ALONG WITH THE GREAT CHAMPIONS AND BIKES THAT HAVE MADE APRILIA HISTORY AND DESIGN THE FUTURE

TWO EXTRAORDINARY DÉBUTS: THE FIRST OUTING OF THE ANXIOUSLY AWAITED RS 660, THE SPORT BIKE BORN FOR THE ROAD OUT OF RACING TECHNOLOGY FOR A NEW GENERATION OF RIDERS

THE TRACK DÉBUT OF THE NEW ITALIAN APRILIA SPORT PRODUCTION CHAMPIONSHIP AND THEN MUSIC, ESPORTS AND LOTS OF OTHER ACTIVITIES WILL LIVEN UP THE PADDOCK FROM DAWN TO DUSK

Aprilia's new RS 660 twin-cylinder sportbike. Photo courtesy of Piaggio Group. — Aprilia’s new RS 660 twin-cylinder sportbike. Photo courtesy of Piaggio Group.

Milan, 31 January 2020 – The images of the great parade of Aprilia bikes that invaded the Mugello circuit at the closing of the first Aprilia All Stars edition is still fresh in the minds of the more than ten thousand enthusiasts who responded en masse to the call of Aprilia last year. It was an extraordinary day of love for bikes and racing.

It is precisely from this great success recorded in 2019 that Aprilia All Stars picks up, once again calling all enthusiasts to come together. The second edition of the great Aprilia festival, free and open to all motorcyclists, will be held on Saturday, 9 May, as always at the Mugello racetrack, a true temple of world motorcycle racing.

It will once again be an unforgettable day on the most beautiful track in the world to celebrate one of the most victorious brands in motorcycle racing, its history, its bikes and its champions of past and present. Among them will be the Aprilia MotoGP team riders and the extraordinary Aprilia RS-GP prototypes that compete in the World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing premier class.

However, the true protagonists will be the fans, who will be involved in the Mugello paddock by an exceptional series of activities: music, meetings with the riders, an exhibit of the Aprilia range, a special area dedicated to eSports and shopping for Aprilia and Aprilia Racing branded apparel, food areas and much more.

Recently presented by Max Biaggi and DJ Ringo for the vast number of those in attendance at the Verona Motor Bike Expo, the 2020 Aprilia All Stars edition promises to be enriched even further, dedicated to all riders, but in particular to the young.

In fact, it will be at Mugello on 9 May that the anxiously awaited Aprilia RS 660, the new sport bike from Noale built for a new generation of motorcyclists, will be available for all to admire for the first time in action.

But that’s not all: in the spirit of always looking to the future, on the same day, the very young riders will take to the track who are registered in the Italian FMI Aprilia Sport Production Championship, the new single-brand championship that brings the Aprilia “School of Champions” back to life. This will be a test unique in its kind, where the young riders will take their first steps astride the Aprilia RS 250 SP followed by federal technicians and “coach” riders made available by Aprilia Racing.

World Supersport: Oli Bayliss Secures Wild Card Entry For Phillip Island

David Swarts

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January 31, 2020

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World Supersport: Oli Bayliss Secures Wild Card Entry For Phillip Island

Oli Bayliss Secures Wild Card Entry For WorldSSP At Phillip Island

Australia’s own Oli Bayliss has been chosen as a Wild Card Supersport World Championship entrant as part of the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Yamaha Finance opening round at Phillip Island from February 28-March 1.

The 16-year-old Queenslander, who this week set some solid times at the Island during the Official mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul (ASBK) Test aboard his Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6, is sure to have a plethora of Australians backing him as he takes on the world’s best.

Oli – son of triple WorldSBK Champion and MotoGP rider Troy Bayliss – in the coming days will receive an upgraded engine to use for the WorldSSP Test which will take place a few days before Round 1.

“I’m really excited and grateful to have this opportunity to race at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in the World Supersport Championship for the first round as a Wild Card rider,” Oli said.

“It’s going to be really tough with how fast them guys have been going over the years and it’s going to be a great opportunity to ride with some of the fastest guys in the world and see how I can place amongst them.

“I will be doing double duties (ASBK and WorldSSP) so it’s going to be a big weekend and a bit of a challenge, I’m going to be training very hard coming up to that round to stay fit.

“When Dad was racing with World Superbikes I grew up around a lot of the mechanics, who are still around in the paddock now, they might help me a little bit, but the main thing is going out there and giving it my all.

“The difference between my ASBK bike and World Supersport bike is around 10 and 15 horsepower, it’s not much, but enough to go a second or two a lap quicker.

“Before World Supers I’ll be doing the Official Test at Phillip Island, which will be fun seeing how fast they can go around this (Phillip Island) track.”

As a proud nervous Father, Troy Bayliss, is also very excited for Oli’s Wild Card entry.

“His first year on a 600 in 2019 taught him a lot, not just about racing a bike, but communicating with the team, also learning what changes in settings to have on the bike on-track,” Troy said.

“He’s really improved a lot and I think the biggest challenge for the weekend will be for Kim (Bayliss) and myself, as we have to watch him on track twice as much.

“Right now, he really wants to do it, he’s enjoying his racing.

“It’s a difficult one for me, though, as when I ride with him on the track we have the best time ever, but when he’s on the track racing I feel like a really normal dad, as I get really nervous and I find it really difficult to actually watch him.

“It will be his first international race and he’s nervous and excited; it will be an experience and if he can grab a couple of points that will be even better.

“Wild Cards have been really good for me in the past and it puts you in front of the world stage and you never know what can come out of it.

“It’s the first round of the Australian Championship as well and to have another Aussie on the world stage is a bit of bonus (for fans and the sport).”

MV Agusta: How A Millennial Russian Financier Is Remaking An Italian Icon, Part 1

John Ulrich

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January 30, 2020

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MV Agusta: How A Millennial Russian Financier Is Remaking An Italian Icon, Part 1

By John Ulrich

Five years and two reincarnations of MV Agusta ago this month, I went to a press intro at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where the then-latest management team for MV Agusta USA explained how they were going to turn around the company’s U.S. distribution operation and resolve all the historic problems owners had getting parts and service. A couple of years later, the U.S. operation crashed and burned again and was taken over by an Australian dealer, who made the same promises, with the same result.

MV Agusta models lined up for a press event held at Auto Club Speedway in January, 2015, when Mercedes-AMG owned 25% of the company.

Recently I sat in on an MV Agusta dealer convention in Las Vegas, the new hometown of the reorganized MV Agusta USA. There, along with 32 of the 36 MV Agusta dealers in the U.S., I listened to 37-year-old Russian millennial and serial entrepreneur Timur Sardarov (who now owns and runs MV as Chairman and CEO) and his management team talk about their plans to resurrect the iconic brand in everything from manufacturing to marketing to customer engagement.

Timur Sardarov, Chairman and CEO of MV Agusta. Photo courtesy of MV Agusta.

I came away impressed. The difference in this turnaround plan is that it addresses foundational issues and is being driven and financed by the man who owns and controls the parent company. Sardarov has a credible plan and enough experience and backing through his investment company to make it happen. For the first time in decades, Sardarov said, MV Agusta is properly capitalized, assembly lines are consistently running and producing motorcycles—currently the Brutale 800 R and Dragster RR models are coming off the lines–and a five-year plan is in place and being executed. He’s moving with his family (a wife and two daughters) from his home of 17 years in London to be near MV headquarters in Varese, Italy. And he told me, “I’m 100% on MV Agusta. I’m working 24 hours a day for one company only. Because I had to go all-in into this. So I don’t have plan B. For me this is the project that I need to make successful.“

I believe him.

***

Before he took over, Sardarov told the dealers, MV Agusta had “no mass production, bikes were being individually built, the company was losing money. We spent $3.8 million a year racing while the company was losing money. There was no plan; the plan was some rich guy comes along and bails it out.” Now, he says, “The company will focus on making money and creating great new products.”

The new plan includes building and selling 5,700 motorcycles in 2020 (up from 1,500), launching new models, restyling the entire line, and reaching the break-even point of 15,000 motorcycles within a couple of years, quickly increasing to 25,000 to 30,000 motorcycles sold.

Part of the plan to increase sales involves taking market share from three targeted companies worldwide—Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and Ducati–plus BMW North America in the U.S. His team looked at those competitors and calculated how much market share MV can take from each one. In the U.S., Timur told the dealers, “from 2020 to 2025 we can take 25% from Ducati, 20% from Triumph, 5% from Harley-Davidson. The MV range will be competing with these brands.” He added, “We don’t want to fight KTM, they do a good job. We didn’t even want to fight BMW,” but said BMW North America presented an opportunity that could not be ignored.

Press launches of new models are already being planned, and marketing initiatives are being developed, including a nationwide Moto Love demo tour running from April through October and heading for selected track days and events, including some MotoAmerica Superbike race weekends.

New digital connectivity platforms are launching in February, including a new app linked to GPS and allowing MV fans to connect and plan rides. The company will be online in seven languages, with a new dealer locater and dedicated dealer pages, and new 24-7 customer hotline is launching in March. Dealer programs include in-house flooring plans through MV Agusta Finance.

New models under development include a new budget-priced 800cc three-cylinder Rosso line aimed at millennials, along with new middleweight DOHC, four-valve twin-cylinder 500cc and 350cc entry-level machines in naked, scrambler, touring, and sport versions. Sardarov sees great potential in the 250cc-500cc market, noting that 12 million bikes are sold in Asian markets, and saying that he wants MV to build (working with Chinese partner Loncin Motor) “The lightest, (most) fun bike in the category.”

Plans also include launching new electric motorcycles branded with the Cagiva name, (which MV owns), and new infrastructure, within 3-5 years. “They will be less than $6,000, for everyday use, a type of new mobility,” Sardarov said. “Everything is driven by economics. Keep it simple, keep it cheap.”

I asked Sardarov how he got involved with MV. “I have an entrepreneurial approach,” he told me. “My background is, I see an opportunity and I execute. It’s all about finding the right place, and the right area to make money. I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve never been in an industrial company (before), for me it’s been more about service companies, or IT companies and media companies. MV Agusta was more of a passive investment to start with, because I do have an investment company, but then became more of day to day business. Since we took it over, I decided to focus all my attention on MV Agusta.”

What about his connection to motorcycles and the motorcycle industry?

“ I’m a rider,” Sardarov said, admitting “I’m more a car guy. I used to race, I used to race in rally, in ALMS, in GT3, so I’m more about cars. But I like everything that has an engine. I do have MVs, I have Harleys, I have a couple of Ducatis. But my investment (in MV) was done more from the heart than the head, so I was dragged into this rather than making a rational decision, because the moment the company needed the capital to go through Chapter 11 (bankruptcy in 2015-2017), the Italian version of Chapter 11, there was no one else. So I became a minority shareholder, and then the company needed more capital, and a different approach. So a year ago I took all the control, brought in the best available management–because I believe in the power of people and the quality of people–and did a deal with the Chinese to help the company expand its range, and created a new industrial plan for the company. Now we just have to execute it.”

To me, it’s been fascinating to watch MV Agusta over the decades, because it seemed like the business plan was, spend all the money, find someone (including Proton in 2004, GEVI in 2005, Harley-Davidson in 2008, Mercedes-AMG in 2014) to buy the company or give the company more money, buy it back for one Euro, repeat. So I asked Sardarov about that.

“It’s happened,” he said. “Yeah, I know that. But you know it’s always been certain actors as president who had been doing that. Right now those actors are gone. I don’t want to go into criticizing the way it was done, but this chapter is over. So, MV Agusta will grow in a stable company. Because the way it was run, was not very rational. A lot mistakes, a lot of passion and love for the product rather than actually looking at what the business is. And you’re absolutely right, the company was making decisions that will hurt in the long term, for the benefit of the short term. In an industrial company, it is commercial suicide to act like that. Because the development cycle of the product is so long, and the investment is so big, if you make the wrong decision, it will bite you in the ass within three or four years time, and that was enough time for them to switch it to one partner from another, shareholder, investor, and it all turned out that the company never really got properly financed.

“The story with Harley-Davidson was different than with other investors, because Harley acquired the (whole) company. But then Harley faced its own issues, and it had to dispose of that asset. They shut down Buell, they had to sell MV Agusta. But Harley invested $200 million in MV Agusta, into the three-cylinder platform, for R&D, which right now there is no carry over but that started the mid-range (MV Agusta) product (line). And they (Harley-Davidson) didn’t want to sell it, they wanted to grow, they wanted to execute the strategy that right now they are doing in-house. To (build) more naked bikes, touring, and sports. It would have been successful if Harley didn’t get to the issues of 2008 and 2009 that led them to dispose of assets. And the Castiglionis here became by accident, because they had an earn-out, during this process. So Harley couldn’t sell MV Agusta to anyone with this contract, with this earn-out contract, with which the Castiglionis had to stay. And they made the money, because it was a $100 million earn-out, that obviously with a company that was producing 1,500 bikes and was consuming a lot for R&D, money-losing and also with an earn-out. The only chance for them (Harley-Davidson) was to write it off, pay $20 million more, on top, and return it back to the Castiglionis.

“And then the story started with the Castiglionis with which they had a company that was burning a lot of cash, because of the Harley-Davidson investment plan, and they had to find ways to finance it with banks, then also putting more pressure on the supply chain, postpone the payments, then getting the money from customers, delaying the bike. So very complicated and a bit unfair to all surrounding the company. There also was the desire to keep control. This happened with AMG to a certain extent, which they didn’t want to give up the control for that, so they were underfunded. MV Agusta was always underfunded. It always tried to engineer certain things, and be more opportunistic rather than rational and consistent with what it does. “

But this is a big project, a huge project, and I asked Sardarov, “With your plan, do you have enough capital now to pull this off?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s a big project. Because MV Agusta is multi-national industrial automotive company. Its only issue is its size, which should be much bigger, to produce all of that. Look how many models we have. How technologically advanced in terms of rideability, in terms of engines, general propulsion, electronics, where we are not behind everyone. In certain things, we are in front. With way less money to afford it, with less scale, because they already design the platform, cost the same to us, maybe a bit more to our competitors just because of the overall structures, and the way they are set up.

“Because we are–with a minimal amount of people—doing the same thing as the big guys. So that’s why the volumes and the rational that the volumes represent, how to sell them, have to be one of the most important parts. Because we cannot stay niche, but have seven models. We cannot stay niche and produce 5,000 bikes a year. We need to produce 15, 20, 30,000 bikes to stay profitable and to all our selves. Not to be others’ project. Not to rely on some rich guy that will bail out, some corporation, it can be drug deal investor, it can be drug deal, and then we will see what is gonna happen. No.

“So now we fund it, we know what to do, we know what we have to do to make it stable. We are already producing motorcycles consistently–that never happened in the last four years, never produced consistently enough–so we are now stable and the supply chain is stable, the deliveries. Just now (it’s) a lot of working with the customers, with the dealer networks internationally to make sure that the product is seen. Because the product is so exciting and so beautiful and has so much care and love and differentiation factors from others, it’s not a problem to find customers, it’s a problem to deliver the experience that MV Agusta represents. And that was very much neglected for many years. “

I asked Sardarov, “When you were looking at the competitors that you selected, and were calculating how much market share you can take from them, how did you calculate that?”

“We took a pool, a cluster of certain brands, that were not doing very well,” Sardarov said. “One of them is falling down; another one is having modest (success), stagnating, with growth of 3% or 5% per year; and another one is purely stagnating. How we selected these brands, are the purchasing power of the customer, it’s a certain approach to what the brand represents, the lifestyle of it, and then we did a survey on which we make a general estimation that we should be (able to take) about 25% of Ducati, 20% of Triumph, and 5% of Harley (in market share). Then we scaled it to the world, and understand where these brands perform the best and from the selling points. And this is where we should go. So it’s a plan for five years. And the potential of the brand based on that analysis is from 30,000 to 35,000 bikes a year. Now what we are doing is we are putting together an exact plan, local plans, where we need to be strategically positioned and what we need to do, to fight our competitors.

“Plus, the product range of the company is gonna be developed. Aligned with the product range of other companies, because we are going after the same customer. Because if Harley loses a customer, it’s our benefit. Because somebody wants to buy it. A lot of brands neglected millennials. Premium brands completely neglected millennials because of how they buy, what they want. They cruise or float over the years, to where the customers they have now are either too old, or they do not acquire new ones. And they blame it on the share economy, the digitalization of the age, young people don’t want to ride. I believe it’s bullsh-t. Why? Because I’m millennial, and I have a lot of millennials around me, and I know what they want. Yes, maybe they don’t want to have a car. But a bike is something that you control and you wanna ride. And let’s not come to the conclusion that everybody is gonna go from owning things to just sharing things. It’s not true.

“It’s gonna take time. And bikes are an exciting industry to be in, in fact. I know it doesn’t look like that right now. But if you see, there’re a lot of positive signals, from Asia, from Europe. Europe grew by 9% over the last year. So, you see that trend going on, and the vacuum is the millennials. And I know what they want and I know what we should do to attract them. And this is what is the most important, to capture right now the attention of the millennials, from 30 to 35. And also, with next iteration of the product, capture anyone from 20 to 30, with the right price range and the right offering. We are in a unique position in this case, because obviously all our competitors are corporates. And (it’s hard) for corporates to attract the clients that right now desire the feel of the brand, and like to have a face. Look how Tesla does it. Because if you buy Tesla, it’s not because it’s a Tesla, you buy because it’s Elon Musk, because of the story and it’s Space-X and etc. etc. etc. That’s how they build a community very quickly. By being entrepreneurial , a bit crazy, but approachable. And no other brands can do this. Because we are competing with multi-nationals, that have no personas. Maybe Ducati has, but the rest , the clients don’t know who is the CEO of Aprilia. Maybe they know about Harley but still it’s a big corporation that’s still a bit faceless. And we are very transparent, we are very friendly, we are very open, and again, we don’t want to grow to 100,000 bikes. We want to grow to between 30,000 and 50,000 bikes–we’ve announced a plan of 25,000–and to defend that niche and to grow. “

Tomorrow: How MV Agusta is applying technology to make motorcycle performance more friendly and accessible

Ducati Certified As “Top Employer Italy” Again In 2020

David Swarts

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January 30, 2020

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Ducati Certified As “Top Employer Italy” Again In 2020

Ducati is “Top Employer Italy” certified for 2020

The study awards the best companies in the field of human resources

Ducati certified for the sixth year running

The Bologna-based company gains recognition for its excellent working conditions

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 30 January 2020 – For the sixth year running, Ducati is recognized as “Top Employer Italy 2020”. The Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer has been certified as one of the top national companies in the Human Resources sector by the Top Employers Institute.

Top Employers certification is awarded to companies that provide excellent working conditions, offering training and developing skills at all levels of the company and aspiring continuously to improve and optimise their best practices in the field of human resources.

The Top Employers procedure is centred on the participation in a strict and in-depth study process – the HR Best Practices Survey – and the required high standards must be attained. An audit is carried out on all responses in order to guarantee the validity of the study process.

Full information on the Top Employers Institute and on the Top Employers certification is available on the website: www.top-employers.com

Report: MotoGP Broadcasts Moving To NBC Sports

David Swarts

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January 30, 2020

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Report: MotoGP Broadcasts Moving To NBC Sports

NBC Sports will broadcast MotoGP races on its networks NBC and NBCSN in the United States in 2020, according to a report by Adam Stern, a staff writer for SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Journal.

You can read the original report here.

Roadracingworld.com has reached out to Dorna and NBC for comment, but as of post time we have not received a response.

If true, NBC will replace beIN Sports, which has held the rights to broadcast MotoGP and World Superbike races in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean since 2016.

beIN Sports also previously held the rights to broadcast MotoAmerica races in the U.S., but after beIN Sports lost its deal with AT&T U-verse/DIRECTV and Comcast/Xfinity in 2018, MotoAmerica chose to take its television production in-house in 2019, do new broadcast deals with Fox Sports 2 (FS2) and NBC Sports, and offer its own live streaming service MotoAmericaLive+.

MotoAmerica recently announced that its 2019 TV viewership was up 134% over 2018 when the series was on beIN Sports.

NBC currently broadcasts American Flat Track, IMSA, IndyCar, MotoAmerica, NASCAR, and Supercross.

According to Stern’s report, plans call for MotoGP races to be delivered via a mixture of live and tape-delayed broadcasts and via live streaming over a new OTT (over-the-top) service call MotoGP Video Pass, which will also show Moto2 and Moto3 races.

The report does not mention any broadcast plans for the FIM World Superbike Championship, which Dorna also holds the rights to.

Australian Superbike: Ducati’s Wayne Maxwell Tops Test At Phillip Island

David Swarts

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January 30, 2020

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Australian Superbike: Ducati’s Wayne Maxwell Tops Test At Phillip Island

Official ASBK Test Complete – Riders Fired Up For 2020

Day-two of the Official ASBK Test is complete with riders setting sizzling lap times with Ducati Boost Mobile rider Wayne Maxwell setting a personal best time of 1:31.776 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, setting up a tantalizing 2020 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.

Maxwell was consistently fast throughout the Official ASBK Test straight out of the gate, sending a strong warning to his competitors that he has adjusted to his new ride superbly.

2019 ASBK Champion and Desmosport Ducati Mike Jones was just behind Maxwell, with a 1:32.434 and 2018 ASBK Champion Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss with a time of 1:32.497.

Yamaha Racing Team’s Aidan Wagner was fast over the two days but suffered a fall midway through the second day and ended up at hospital getting scans for a potential injury.

Based on times set over the two days the 2020 Kawasaki Superbike class is going to be a fierce battle.

In the Motorsports TV Supersport class, it was 2019 ASBK Supersport Champion Tom Toparis with the fastest lap time of 1:36.185, and a very impressive second was Jack Hyde aboard his SSS Developments Yamaha with a 1:36.469, and third Nic Liminton aboard his Yamaha backed ride with a time of 1:36.605.

In the combined YMI Australian Supersport 300 and Yamaha Motor Finance R3 Cup, WorldSSP 300 Kawasaki rider Tom Bramich, was consistently fast over the two-day test with a fastest time of 1:48.418, followed by Yamaha Excite Motorsports rider Harry Khouri who was also in blistering pace over the two days with a time of 1:48.614, and third fastest was the Bike Vault Kawasaki rider Luke Jhonston with a time of 1:48.639.

In the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup is was young gun Marianos Nikolas with a scorching time of 2:11.760, Angus Grenfell in second with a time of 2:11.948 and Cameron Swain with a time of 2.12.014.

All four class time results are available at www.computime.com.au

Competitors in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, are excited and champing at the bit heading into the first round of the championship at the FIM Superbike World Championship February 27, 2020.

2020 ASBK Calendar

Round 1: WorldSBK – Phillip Island, VIC February 27-March 1

Round 2: Wakefield Park, NSW March 27-29

Round 3: The Bend, SA May 7-10

Round 4: Barbagallo Raceway, WA May 15-17

Official ASBK Test – Morgan Park, QLD July 28-29

Round 5: Morgan Park, QLD August 7-9

Round 6: Winton Motorsport Park, QLD September 11-13

Round 7: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC October 2-4

Head to www.asbk.com.au for more info about the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul. For the latest updates from the ASBK, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

MotoGP: Yamaha Signs Jorge Lorenzo As Test Rider For 2020

David Swarts

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January 30, 2020

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MotoGP: Yamaha Signs Jorge Lorenzo As Test Rider For 2020

JORGE LORENZO TO STRENGTHEN YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEST TEAM IN 2020

Yamaha is delighted to welcome back three-time MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo. He will join the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team programme with the aim to boost MotoGP development during the 2020 season.

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 30th January 2020

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing are delighted to announce that five-time World Champion and very successful Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo will be reinforcing the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team for the 2020 season.

Lorenzo is not only a big name in the MotoGP paddock but also a widely celebrated Yamaha rider. He made his debut in MotoGP with Yamaha in 2008 and spent nine years with the Factory MotoGP Team, winning all three of his premier class titles on the YZR-M1, in 2010, 2012, and 2015 respectively.

Starting from the MotoGP shakedown test, held in Sepang, Malaysia from 2-4 February, Lorenzo will ride the YZR-M1. He will also take part in other Official IRTA Tests and some private Yamaha tests this year, with the sole aim to help Yamaha‘s engineers with the 2020 MotoGP development. The Spaniard is the perfect man for the job as he is known for his smooth, precise riding and clear feedback. He will be supported in his search for innovation by Silvano Galbusera, who will be Crew Chief for Lorenzo in the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team.

So far, no wild card rides are planned for Lorenzo in 2020, but Yamaha is open to the possibility, should he decide to race again.

LIN JARVIS

MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING

Of course, we are delighted to welcome Jorge back at Yamaha. When we knew that Jorge would stop his active racing career, we immediately started to consider making a proposal for him to join us.

“The statistics of his achievements with us in those nine years together speak for themselves. He is a vastly experienced MotoGP rider, who is closely familiar with the M1 and the people at Yamaha. We have come to know Jorge as a very precise and motivated rider, with flawless consistency and good technical insight: all the qualities you need in a test rider at this high level.

“Combining Jorge‘s experience, knowledge, and riding speed with experienced Crew Chief Silvano Galbusera is an important element in Yamaha‘s strategy to strengthen the Test Team, which aims to bridge the gap between the engineers and test riders in Japan and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.

JORGE LORENZO

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEST RIDER

I‘m very happy with the decision to join the Yamaha Factory Test Team. I was always planning on staying involved in MotoGP and returning to the paddock, and I think this is a suitable role for me. I know the team and the M1 well. The Yamaha really suited my riding style, and it will be very interesting to ’meet up with my old bike again‘.

“Returning to Yamaha brings with it some good memories. We secured many podiums and victories, and three titles together, so we know where our strengths lie. I want to thank Yamaha for this opportunity, because this allows me to do what I love – riding motorbikes and pushing the limit – whilst enjoying a slightly calmer lifestyle than I did in previous years.

“I‘m very motivated to get to work and can‘t wait to start riding. I want to do my best for Yamaha‘s future, and I hope my riding experience will be helpful to Yamaha‘s engineers and riders to bring the title back to Yamaha.

Sponsorship Opportunity: Mithos USA

David Swarts

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January 29, 2020

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Mithos Racer Support Program for 2020 Season

[Los Angeles, CA] Mithos is accepting applications for sponsorships and offering discounts for racers at every level.

“We are retooling our racer-support program for 2020,” said Ken Tam, CEO of Mithos USA, “Racing is expensive and Mithos suits are not cheap. We hate seeing racers sacrifice quality and safety by opting for discount custom brands. We want to help as many racers as possible. As a result, we have reworked our approach to sponsorships and our M-Bassador program.”

“We have a limited number of full sponsorships for 2020 but we are striving to support every racer at every level in some way,” said Dustin Coyner, Racer Support for Mithos.

Racers interested in Mithos Leathers can learn more at www.mithos-usa.com and can fill out an application online at: https://mithos-usa.wishpondpages.com/m-bassasor-search-2020/

Daytona 200 Monument Celebration Scheduled March 11

David Swarts

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January 29, 2020

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Daytona 200 Monument Celebration Scheduled March 11

Everyone is invited to the Daytona 200 Monument Celebration on the Boardwalk, just south of the Bandshell on Wednesday, March 11 at 11:00 a.m. local time in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Daytona 200 Monument honors the racers, men, and women of the historic American motorcycle race, from the Daytona beach sands to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Other motorcycle people and families are honored here too. Join us for the fun.

This year we honor our beloved founders Dick and Beverly Klamfoth. Dick Klamfoth was a three-time winner of the Daytona 200-mile race on the beach and hand-built this monument with beautiful granite plaques and honorary red bricks. He passed away at the end of 2019.

We are proud to induct Michelle A. Lindsay and TOBC Racing, the only woman-owned team to win the Daytona 200 three times, which it did with Danny Eslick in 2015, 2017, and 2018. The TOBC Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 Daytona 200-winning racebike will be on display. Other inductees are John Parham, Arlen Ness, Rodney Farris, Charlotte Kainz, David Jones and Dick Dickinson.

The plaque that will be placed on the Daytona 200 Memorial to honor TOBC Racing, Michelle Lindsay, and Danny Eslick. Photo courtesy of Roger Lyle and Joan Erdesky.

Daytona 200 champions David Sadowski, Scott Russell, Jason DiSalvo, artist Lee Bivens, and other motorcycle racing celebrities and race motorcycles will be there! Refreshments and food will be served.

As Dick Klamfoth said, “The Daytona 200 Monument is likely to be here forever, and everyone can be a part of it!”

We hope to see you in Daytona.

Roadracing World Action Fund Reaches $2.25 Million To Help Improve Motorcycle Safety On The Racetrack

January 31, 2020

Since 2006, Fastrack Riders have hosted the Annual Chris Ulrich Two-Seat Superbike Ride fundraiser at Auto Club Speedway on the weekend following Thanksgiving.

In 2019 donations for the Roadracing World Action Fund came from throughout the motorcycle community in the form of wedding gifts and memorials; of fundraisers by both racing organizations and motorcycle clubs; and from businesses and a corps of hard-core supporting individuals who have steadily donated over the years. Soft barriers are deployed more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before, thanks to contributions totaling $2,256,591.31 since 2001 to support the Roadracing World Action Fund’s mission of helping to prevent racetrack injuries through motorcycle road racing safety education.

2019 Donations

The Roadracing World Action Fund received a check for $500 in honor of Patrick & Elizabeth Delaney. Elizabeth wrote, “Please accept this donation being made in lieu of favors at our recent wedding. My husband participates in track days with N2 so the mission of your action fund is dear to him.” N2 Track Days had a fundraiser of its own, along with P.R.E., Motovid, and other track day organizations who raised money for the Roadracing World Action Fund to help keep their riders safer on the race track.

Here is a review of Roadracing World Action Fund 2019 highlights.

Steady Donations Add Up…

Steady donations really do add up! Since 2005, David Pierce has donated $500 almost every year. His latest contribution to the Action Fund brings his grand total to $6,500! Rand Kennedy has donated $200 each year since 2013, for a grand total of $1,400.

Fundraising…

Racing Organizations

Performance Riding Experience (P.R.E.) held its annual fundraiser at VIR, which raised $15,710 in donations, with the goal of bringing more soft barriers to VIR, as well as NC Bike, according to President of P.R.E. John Allen. P.R.E.’s grand total now stands at $121,089 since 2014 and maintains the top position on the Roadracing World Action Fund all-time total donations chart. Combined with the amount raised for the Action Fund while he was with the now-disbanded NESBA, John Allen-led fundraisers total an astonishing $179,420.

Motovid.com and ZARS (Zalusky Advanced Riding School and Track Days) teamed up for the Eighth Annual Broken Wing Benefit to raise money for the Roadracing World Action Fund. The event included a Silent Auction/Dinner, and was held in the evening on Saturday Aug 11, 2019, at Blackhawk Farms. Both track day organizations were there for the weekend, with the ZARS Track Day run on Saturday and the Motovid.com Track Day Sunday. The event raised $18,788, and the overall total from Motovid Broken Wing Benefit now stands at $82,394.

N2 Track Days, in its sixth year of fundraising for the Roadracing World Action Fund, brought in $15,093.00 in donations for a grand total of $114,622.25.

Racer and AHRMA trustee Arthur Kowitz started a grass-roots fundraiser which ran from July through October, and raised a total of $2,404 when it was all said and done. Kowitz said he would talk to AHRMA members at meetings and events about the importance of having soft barriers in place, and encouraged them to donate to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Kowitz emphasized the urgency of donating now rather than put it off, saying, “It’s too late to stroke a check when you’re sliding on your ass [while crashing].”

New Jersey Motorsports Park donated the proceeds from a parade lap at a recent AHRMA event totaling $150. “Not much, but we tried,” wrote Brad Scott, NJMP President and COO. Herb and Pam Haigh won a raffle at the AHRMA Awards Banquet and immediately donated $200 toward the fundraiser. Other AHRMA members contributing included: David A. Pierce, 500; Kevin Dinsmoor (AHRMA Race #304), $304; Arthur Kowitz $300; Lorraine Crussell, $200; Curtis Comer, $100; William Doran, $100; and John Rickard, $50.

Businesses

Backcountry.com/Motosport matches customer contributions to the Roadracing World Action Fund dollar-for-dollar, and has since 2011. The company’s contributions for 2019 total $5,614.00, bringing the grand total to $43,364 over the past nine years.

AmazonSmile donations are made each time a customer uses the AmazonSmile portal to make purchases on Amazon. The AmazonSmile Foundation’s total contribution for 2019 was $1,816.56. To participate, be sure to log in to the AmazonSmile portal and name the Roadracing World Action Fund as your charity of choice. Donations are automatically sent to the RWAF quarterly.

The KMC Employee Charitable Contributions Matching Program matches employee contributions to non-profit organizations, up to $500 per organization per employee. Croft Long and Jon Rall took advantage of the program to double their donations ($500 and $100, respectively) to the Roadracing World Action Fund, for a total of $1200.

Ninja400 Bike-Build Fundraiser, organized by Dee Ridgeway, raised $1250 for the Roadracing World Action Fund

Club Donations

The Mid Atlantic Ducati Owners Club (MAD) has donated $2000 to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Treasurer Stephan Oliver wrote, “Our club voted for charity donations and everyone agreed your fund is a worthy cause. Our club regularly does track days and sponsors two events with the Cornerspeed Professional Roadcourse Instruction at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. There are air fence systems there which everyone pitches in and installs for the motorcycle events. As track day enthusiasts we all appreciate the additional safety that the air fences provide and recognize organizations such as yours aid at race courses and want to promote more devices in the future. We would like to thank you for your efforts and want to donate to keep your efforts affordable for the future safety at all courses where motorcyclists have the same passion to race and enjoy our sport.”

The Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists have donated $600 to the Roadracing World Action Fund. The donation arrived with a letter from Bob Burns: “My name is Bob Burns. My wife Jennifer and I are part of the Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists which is most definitely not a club. We non-members of ChiVinMoto are very proud of our lack of organization and the associated complete failure to have things like officers, dues, and regularly scheduled meetings about meetings. There are two small events that I put together every year for the non-members of ChiVinMoto. One is an annual outing to southwestern Wisconsin where we spend a weekend enjoying the local twisty roads, cheese and beer. The other is a springtime track day with our friends at Motovid.com where we polish up our skills and get our race bikes ready for the upcoming season of racing with AHRMA. Part of the annual Wisconsin outing is a small fundraising effort. We sell shirts and other swag and sometimes people make donations. Once the costs of the event are covered, we donate any remaining money to some worthy cause. Given that some are AHRMA racers, and so many more of us do track days with Motovid, Jennifer and I felt that it would be appropriate to give this year’s donation on behalf of the Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists to the Roadracing World Action Fund. Thanks very much for all you do.”

The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club has donated $1,475 to the Roadracing World Action Fund, and the club’s all-time total now stands at $2,475. Treasurer Celeste Broadstreet wrote, “The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club (MARRC) provides safety crew services and a Roadracing school at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. Our members have seen first-hand the safety value of Airfence and other soft barriers at the racetrack. We would like to donate, as a club, to your fund to support the deployment of soft barriers. If possible, we would like to target our donation to Summit Point Raceway. Thank you for your dedication to your mission of preventing racetrack injuries. You are making a difference in the racing community.”

Last but not least: Ruts to Racelines (www.rutstoracelines.com), an organization, according to its website, which is “dedicated to help women build confidence and skill to become better and safer riders,” held a bike wash on August 31, 2019, at NCCAR in Garysburg, NC, and raised $33 for the Roadracing World Action Fund.

In Memory of…

Gary McQuiston has once again donated in memory Bill Parr and Richey Halstead, in the amount of $2,000. Adding to his past donations in their honor going back to 2004, his all-time total stands at $3,200. McQuiston says his donation also honors long-time ASRA/CCS race official Jennifer Morgan Campbell, who passed away suddenly September 9th.

Anna Dickey has donated to the Roadracing World Action Fund in memory of Bob Dickey, whom, she wrote, was “a man who loved motorcycle racing and believed very strongly in the safety your air fence provided.” Bob himself donated frequently to the Action Fund, usually in small amounts, almost always with a dedication, and sometimes he just seemed to find a good excuse to donate. His first donation was in 2003, in memory of Mike Monroe. Other notable dedications include:

“20 because Nicky won. 30 because SPEED extended pre-race coverage”

“In Memory of Andre Espaillat, as flamboyant a racer as ever was!”

“Happy Birthday Harry Tomlinson. A buck a year!” ($48)

“A bet’s a bet and IMO M3”

“In honor of Dits and NBC chickens”

“In memory of my Endurance partner, M3”

“Congratulations Metalhead for 2nd in your first WERA race!”

“For all you do for all of us. Bob Panthercity Racing”

“Thanks for all y’all do! Bob ‘Panthercity’ Dickey”

Over the years, Bob Dickey donated a total of $673.

Ohlins USA has donated $75 in memory of Arthur Sakakura, father of Yoshimura Racing LLC president Don Sakakura.

The Welch Family has donated $200, “In Celebration of Mackenzie Podo.” The Chattahoochee Elementary School Retirees have donated $25 in her memory, along with Mastermind Productions, $300; Bob & Mimi Buchanan, $50; and Brittney C., $50.

ASRA/CCS founder and president Kevin Elliott has donated $300 to the Roadracing World Action Fund in memory of his mother, Roxie Elliott. Fast Lane RnR Cycles also donated in memory of Roxie Elliott, in the amount of $200.

Donating in memory of racer Robert Miller: Douglas Coulter, $360.

Two-Up Ride Adventures

Team Hammer’s Chris Ulrich once again gave two-up Superbike rides on the Dunlop 2-Seat Superbike Suzuki GSX-R1000R at MotoAmerica events in 2019, promoting the sport of motorcycle road racing and also raising money for the Roadracing World Action Fund. Fans who donated a minimum of $250 got to experience the ride of a lifetime, and support a good cause at the same time. A record total of $11,950 was raised in 2019. Since 2016, this program has raised a grand total of $26,270.

Every year since 2006, Chris Ulrich has a two-up Superbike ride fundraiser on Thanksgiving weekend during the Fastrack Riders track day at Auto Club Speedway. This year, the event, held on Sunday, raised $1,310, bringing the all-time total to $60,810.

Summary of Posted 2019 Contributions

(Contributor comments and dedications are included below with their listing. Total overall contribution appears in parentheses.)

Roadrace Fund

8^th Annual Motovid.com Broken Wing Fundraiser $18,788 (82,394)

Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Fundraiser $15,710 ($121,089)

N2 Track Days Fundraiser $15,093 ($114,622)

Chris Ulrich Two-Up Superbike Rides With Dunlop and MotoAmerica $11,950 ($26,270)

VMware Foundation 12-Year Milestone Award- A.J. Ciampa -$6000

Backcountry.com/Motosport $5,614 ($43,364)

Pirelli Tire LLC $5000 ($10,000)

Pacific Utility Installation $3500

Otto & Hanna Duetsch Private Charity Fund $3000

Bob Robbins $2500 ($32,900)

Mid-Atlantic Ducati Owners Club $2000

Gary McQuiston $2000 In Memory of Bill Parr, Richard Halstead, and Jennifer Morgan Campbell ($3200)

Anonymous In Memory of Ave Gudelsky $2000 ($8,000)

AmazonSmile $1816 ($4713)

Anna Dickey $1500 In Memory of Bob Dickey

Peter & Carol Anne Swetish $1500

Chris Ulrich Two-Up Superbike Rides/Fastrack riders.com Fundraisers $1,310 ($60,810)

Ninja400 Bike-Build Fundraiser $1250

MARRC $1000 ($2475)

George & Janette Nassaney $1000 ($1500)

The Chicago Vintage Motorcyclists $600

KMC Employee Charitable Contributions Matching Program $600

Craig Beardsley $700 ($4810/Includes Disney Matching Funds)

Croft Long $500

AHRMA $500

David Pierce $500 ($6,500)

In Honor of Patrick & Elizabeth Delaney Wedding $500

Dent Wizard $500

Kevin Dinsmoor $304 AHRMA Racer #304

Arthur Kowitz $300 AHRMA ($800)

Mastermind Productions $300 “In Celebration of Mackenzie Podo”

Kevin Elliott $300 In Memory of Roxie Elliott ($400)

Mountain Air Auto Care $200 ($300)

Yamaha Champions Riding School $250 ($1,010)

Brew Crew Racing $250 “Thank you for the Airfence. Haven’t hit it yet but tire walls hurt.”

Kevin Boda $250 ($500)

Keith & Patty Souter $200 ($4000)

Welch Family $200 Celebration of Mackenzie Podo

Fast Lane RnR Cycle $200 In Memory of Roxie Elliott

Thomas Costantino & Anita Koury Charitable $200 ($400)

Rand Kennedy $200 ($1400)

Lorraine Crussell $200 AHRMA

Herb & Pam Haigh $200 AHRMA

James Bonner $200 ($600)

NJMP AHRMA Event Parade Lap Fundraiser $150

Bob Guntrip $136.39

Juan & Gudrun Negreira $125 ($465)

William Doran $100 AHRMA

Jon Rall $100

Bruce Hammer $100

Curtis Comer $100 AHRMA

Paul Lamoureux $100

Beach Chair Therapy $100

David Sapsis $100 ($597) “ WERA Zarco 2019 bet. You go, Garf.”

Robert A. Kindler $100

BeatGdub $100 (Note from Greg White: “To settle on my RMFantasySX debt. BeatGdub smoked me and he deserves this in his name.”)

Vijay Lorick $93 ($143) “From Big Bird WERA MotoGP Fantasy League”

Ohlins USA $75 In Memory of Arthur Sakakura

Mel Hinshaw $50

Sheila Barnes $50 In Memory of F. Allen Barnes ($1200)

Chippy Wood $50

Stephen E. Moore $50 ($100)

Nathan & Allison Kirklin $50 ($150)

Sean Stebbins $50/fastedyamaha

Jason Bays $50 In Honor of Chris Bays

John Rickard $50 AHRMA

Brittney C. $50 In memory of Kenzie Podo

Bob & Mimi Buchanan $50 In Memory of Mackenzie Podo

Nicholas Hande $40

Ruts to Racelines Benefit Bike Wash At NCCAR Aug 2019 $33

Dean Alsman $25

Chattahoochee Elementary School Retirees $25 In Memory of Mackenzie Podo

Neil Barker $15

About the Roadracing World Action Fund

The Roadracing World Action Fund – a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization – began back in 2001 as a grassroots movement to improve racetrack safety for motorcycle racers and riders. At the time, hay bales or stacks of tires were sometimes placed in front of concrete walls for rider protection in case of a crash. A far better solution for rider safety existed – inflatable soft barriers which absorb the energy of a crash. Soft barriers – made by Airfence or Alpina – can allow racers to often walk away from a crash which in the past might have caused catastrophic injury, or even death.

The Roadracing World Action Fund gained the support of the motorcycle community, as racers, riders, family and friends, motorcycle businesses, and racing organizations and racetracks helped to make use of soft barriers the standard, rather than the exception, for motorcycle races and track days at racetracks across the nation. Now, from Laguna to Daytona, Motorsports Ranch to VIR, AutoClub Speedway to Blackhawk Farms, and many more, soft barriers are deployed more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before, as the Roadracing World Action Fund continues its mission of helping prevent racetrack injuries through motorcycle road racing safety education.

December 31, 2019

Accounting Details to Date

Road Racing Expenditure Details
Purchases of soft barriers: $1,624,318.05

Shipping/Customs: $94,486.37

Bank Fees: $8,689.19

Transportation & Installation: $203,647.17

Soft Barrier Parts, Repairs & Signage $53,052.91

Accounting/Business Fees: $7,924.50

Misc. Supplies/Services $1,170.14

Office Services: $34,987.00

Total Spent: $2,028,275.33

Total Donations Collected: $2,107,962.87

Cash on hand: $79,687.54

Dirt Track Expenditure Details
Purchases of soft barriers: $123,789.35

Shipping/Customs: $2717.72

Transportation & Installation: $2174.77

Soft Barrier Parts, Repairs, & Signage $5,800.00

Total Spent: $134,481.84

Total Donations Collected: $148,628.44

Cash on hand: $14,146.60

Certain administrative costs, including web site maintenance, promotional items, and shipping have been absorbed by Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Aprilia All Stars 2020: Festival Scheduled May 9 At Mugello Circuit

January 31, 2020

Fans and retired Aprilia racebikes lined up at Aprilia All Stars in 2019. Photo courtesy of Aprilia.