Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

WSMC racer Jon Yenzer, 40, was killed November 12th while riding his streetbike on Highland Valley Road near San Diego, California.

According to his close friend Colin Mann, Yenzer would regularly ride on Highland Valley Road during his lunch break from work. Also according to Mann, Yenzer ran wide in a corner and was struck head-on by a pick-up truck.

Godspeed, Jon Yenzer, from roadracingworld.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

First off, let me state that this post is for educating the general public on sex offenders and just plain criminals in general.

One might question what credibility do I have speaking on this topic. Well, I spent 10 years as a full-time police officer and the last 3 1/2 years as a detective. As a detective, I personally handled, on the conservative side, 60-80 sexual assault cases involving adults and children, with the bulk of them being children. This was one of the reasons why I decided to leave police work. You can only sit through interviews of kids so long giving graphic details of how they were sexually assaulted numerous times without it having an effect on you. Then as a detective you have to turn around and play nice to the suspect during the interview in order to get the confession out of them when your stomach is churning on the inside picturing what happened to the victim.

By the way….forget what you see on the latest episode of CSI and Law and Order. THAT’S NOT REALITY FOLKS!!!

First let’s look at the suspects in these cases. Victims almost always know the suspect whether it be a family member, neighbor, other relative, etc. The chances of it being a total stranger and a single isolated incident is incredibly small. By the time the actual assault takes place, there has been an extensive grooming phase where the suspect befriends the victims over the course of several days, months and years. For example, I handled a case where a person in the education field was sexually assaulting boys. He would start grooming these kids in the 5th grade and actual sex acts didn’t occur until they were in the 6th/7th grade.

Sex offenders also have a certain type of victim that they prefer and rarely deviate from it. From my example above, this particular person liked young, light-skinned, African-American boys with short hair who came from low-income homes. The victims that we were actually able to interview, I could have lined them up in a row and it would have looked like an assembly line. Plus, you never find all of the victims. The grooming phase started by buying the victims tennis shoes, taking them to sporting events and movies and actually paying attention to them and spending time with them. Then it becomes a gradual progression of things until you actually get to penetration. The chances of a sex offender being rehabilitated are incredibly small. The recidivism rate is huge! People are always blown away when they find out who these offenders turn out to be. I would hear things like, “He was such a great teacher, he would do anything for those kids and spent so much time working with them….he would never do anything like that.” Hello people…..that’s why sex offenders take jobs where they work around kids all of the time such as teachers, janitors, day care workers, etc.

Then, when people actually get charged and things go to trial one of two things are going to happen from the defense side. If you can’t attack the evidence, then attack the witness. Case in point, the OJ trial. The scary thing is that most juries don’t base their decision on the facts, they base it on an emotional decision. Therefore, testimony in court becomes a theatrical performance on the prosecution and defense side. And then you get the usual response from the sex offender side. “The only reason I plead guilty is because I didn’t want to put my family and the victim through this.” That is such B.S.! If you were charged with something as horrific as sexual assault, common sense and rational thinking would tell you that you would refinance your house, vehemently deny the charges and spend every dollar it took to clear your name of the incident. You don’t just take a guilty plea full well knowing the social stygma attached to it!

I personally had a Catholic Priest that was a friend of mine in high school that I used to go hunting with all the time. He was later charged and convicted of sexual assault when I was in college. No….I wasn’t a victim and never saw any signs of it because I didn’t fit his type. That was the excuse that he used and people bought it.

Now let’s look at the victims. It’s pretty safe to say that they are messed up for life. Yes, extensive counseling does help and can help victims move past it, but it takes years of counseling. That’s why victims act out in different ways in their lives whether it be in future relationships, destructive behavior, etc….after becoming a victim. The scary thing…..victims now become our future sex offenders. Personally, I think sex assault crimes are worse than murder because the victim is still living and has to deal with years of emotional distress.

Is it bad that a sex offender gets labeled for the rest of their life? That’s up to every individual person in society to decide. Is it fair that the victim has to deal with their emotional issues and hurt that surfaces in everyday life? Put yourself in the victim’s shoes.

If anyone wants to learn more or dispute what I’m saying….by all means pick up the phone and call me (217)493-3811. I’ll give you all the graphic stories you want to hear.

And who said cops just sit around and eat donuts all the time!!!!

Kevin Hanson
Safety First Racing
Chicago, Illinois



See related posts:

11/16/2004 How We Became The Bad Guys…

11/15/2004 Spies Looking Forward To 2005 And Is Working With Former Bicycle Racer Boyer

From a press release issued by Cycle City Power Sports:

Several losers smashed a window the other night at Cycle City Power Sports in Newnan, Georgia and stole one ATV and five dirt bikes.

Please be on the lookout for kid’s models for sale.

The stolen items are as follows:

Yamaha
YFM80RTW WHITE “Raptor 80” ATV VIN#JY4AB02YX5C035019
PW50T1 BLUE VIN#JYA3PT0345A060395
PW80T BLUE VIN#JYA3RV0315A047917
TTR90ET BLUE VIN#JYACB06Y95A014657

Honda
CRF80F RED VIN#JH2HE01064K309976
CRF70F RED VIN#JH2DE02064K705516

CYCLE CITY POWER SPORTS proudly sponsors Mike Smith in all of his racing endeavors and employs Jack Russell, father of Scott Russell.

Any help in the recovery of the stolen items and/or the prosecution of the scumbags that did it would be greatly appreciated. Please call the police, or Cycle City at 770-253-9770 and ask for Bryan or Greg with any information.

Please check the VIN number if you are considering buying one of these items from an individual or on e-bay.

From a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

2005 World Superbike Championship
Winter Test- Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia
17th November 2004

TROY LEADS THE WAY.

Troy Corser:
“It’s great to be riding a bike and having fun again! Yesterday, was basically about me getting on the bike and making it comfortable to ride, so we spent a lot of time playing with the position of the foot-pegs, seat and handlebars. We also tried some different offsets and changed the head-angle to get a good base setting. At the end of the day, I was a little surprised to find out that I had been the fastest rider of the day! Especially because, I hadn’t pushed hard at all, I had just been riding the bike and getting used to it. I ended up with a 1:36.92 – and that was half a second quicker then anybody else!

“Today we altered the shock a bit and tried different tyres, so once again we weren’t chasing any lap times. I was thinking that somewhere in the 1:35s might be possible and I told a journalist that if I didn’t get under 1:36, I’d buy him a beer. I was pretty close at 1:36.11, so I guess I owe him that beer. But even though I didn’t get into the 1:35s, I was still over half a second faster then anybody out there today and that gave us all a bit of a buzz.

“Even though I am riding a 2003 (Iannuzzo) Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000, I’m already very happy and excited about my future prospects. The bike feels so much better then my last bike from mid-corner to the exit of the corner. The engine responds in a very linear way to my hand on the throttle and I can feel that it has a lot more torque. Also, I can go a bit wide in the corner or be on a different line and can still run a good lap time. The bike is very rider-friendly and the rpm or gear is not so critical.

“It’s also good for me that two of my old Aprilia mechanics (Giacomo and Massimo) are with me, because I feel we know have the complete package for success. They have slotted into the team as if they have always been there and we have a great atmosphere in the garage – everybody is walking around smiling! I cannot wait for the new bike when it comes, but I feel that I could race this very bike right now and be a contender for sure – and that’s a wonderful feeling to have at this early stage. I’m looking forward to getting into the 1:35s tomorrow – or I’ll have to buy yet another beer!”

Times
1 TROY CORSER (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:36.11
2 Laconi (Ducati) 1:36.83
3 Toseland (Ducati) 1:37.11
4 Gimbert (Yamaha) 1:37.97
5 Muggeridge (Honda) 1:38.21


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Further Set Up Successes In Spain

Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s Garry McCoy and Steve Martin today made good progress with their preferred set up of the PETRONAS FP1 during the second day of testing at Valencia.

The team was scheduled to tyre test for Pirelli today to evaluate new compounds and constructions. However further important set up work for both riders has delayed tyre testing until tomorrow in order for the team and Pirelli to gain the maximum benefit.

Continuing dry and sunny conditions enabled both riders to capitalise on the initial adjustments made and work trouble free through the day’s comprehensive bike set up schedule. Each completed more than fifty laps, with consistent lap times over short runs adding to the day’s many positive outcomes.

Garry said, “I had to get checked over by the doctor this morning and he gave me the ok. I feel a bit sore from yesterday’s crash and my leather’s being quite tight put a bit of strain on my muscles, but I wanted to bear with it. The bike is really beginning to feel good for my riding style so I was able to get in some smooth laps this morning, but the bike developed a small electrical problem which slowed progress up a bit until we resolved it.

“We spent a lot of time working on clutch settings this morning to get it more where I’m used to, so that then enabled us this afternoon to play with suspension settings. Although there’s still more to work on, I’m happy with where we’ve got to with set up in this short space of time.”

Team mate Steve Martin made further significant in roads with the set up of this FP1, also feeling more relaxed having had a day’s running on the bike and further learning how the team works.

He commented, “We’ve tried a huge amount of set up changes today, including clutch and suspension, which is something every rider goes through when they get on a new bike. I’m starting to find a pattern of things that suit me though so we now have a good direction for further work tomorrow. We’re going to add front suspension to the game plan as well tomorrow and then hopefully I can start to pull together all the individual elements and get the most out of the track time.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Today is racer Kurtis Roberts’ 26th birthday.

We know that because we got this e-mail from his mother:

Please let everyone know that today is Kurtis Roberts (17th November) 26th Birthday.

Please wish him Happy Birthday from his family.

Thank you,

Patty Roberts Hards
Modesto, California

From a press release issued by Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, which is located in Auberry, California, near Fresno:

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School Announces its 2005
schedule!!

As you work on your bike, remember that the best
combination in competition and fun is a tuned-up bike and a tuned-up rider. So often, people invest in their bikes but not themselves. To become successful, you have to invest in both. To “tune” yourself, consider a Rich Oliver’s Mystery School course.

No matter what the type of riding you do–, street or dirt, recreational or competitive –Rich Oliver’s Mystery School has a program to fit your needs. Each is tailored to teach techniques and training methods that improve your skills, whether you ride in the dirt or on the street.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) DirtBike School provides an appropriate location for new riders to learn how to properly ride. This one-day course is offered throughout the year and teaches basic skills on a custom designed safety course.

The two-day Fun Camp is an exciting two-day adventure. All of the riding you do improves your balance, maneuverability and control. The weekend includes constant flat track riding and racing, motocross riding, target shooting and much more.

The five-day Pro Camp is a high intensity training
program aimed at serious riders and racers. The course incorporates the championship training
techniques developed and employed by the sport’s top racers and includes lots of flat track and motocross riding, nutritional analysis, personal training and continuous tips from school founder Rich Oliver to enhance your abilities both on and off the track.

The Rich Oliver Mystery School is conducted throughout the year on 10-acres in Auberry, California. The facility is groomed and prepared purposely for the presentation and curriculums of the Mystery School programs.

All courses are kept small to ensure students receive lots of riding time and personal instruction from sole-instructor, Rich Oliver. To view our 2005 dates and further information, please visit us at http://www.richoliver.net or send us an email with your address at [email protected] to request our holiday newsletter.

2005 Five-day Pro Camp Dates
January 24-28
February 21-25
April 4-18
June 13-17
September 5-9
October 31-Nov 4
December 12-16

2005 Two-day Fun Camp Dates
January 22-23
February 12-13
March 19-20
April 9-10
May 21-22
June 25-26
July 16-17
Sep. 10-11 and 24-25
Oct. 8-9 and 22-23
Nov. 5-6 and 19-20
December 17-18

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Andrew Pitt debuts R1 superbike at Valencia

Yamaha’s 2005 Superbike World Championship campaign got underway today when new signing Andrew Pitt completed 75 laps in a shakedown test at the Valencia circuit in Spain.

Pitt, 28, will race the R1 for the Yamaha Motor Italia team in Yamaha’s first official entry in the championship since the 2000 season. The versatile Australian rode for the team in the final three rounds of last season’s Supersport World Championship and has an outstanding pedigree, having won the supersport title in 2001 and been a regular competitor in MotoGP.

The team concentrated on finding a good base setup for the rider and monitoring the YZF-R1’s systems on its first circuit outing.

Pitt and Yamaha Motor Italia will spend a further two days at Valencia before heading back to their Milan base to further develop the R1s.

Andrew Pitt
“It’s been a really positive start for us. We all expected to have to deal with a few gliches today but surprisingly we got in a lot of laps without any problems at all. It’s the first day with a new bike and new tyres so you’re just trying to learn as much as possible. We’re all happy because we thought it would be a harder day but we were able to make good progress working on the mapping and playing around with the suspension a bit. Even now I’m confident that we’ll have a good bike at the start of the season. It’s really exciting to be involved with this project and working with the Yamaha Motor Italia team again.”

Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Motor Italia team coordinator)
“Everything has gone surprisingly well today. We started at 10 o’clock this morning because always on the first day you expect little things to be not working properly, but we had no problems at all. We expected to come here with a new bike and start very slowly, but actually our speed has been ok, although the point of this test is to work on making Andrew comfortable on the bike and to gain as much data as possible to help us with our development work. This bike is nothing like the one we expect to use next season. Most of the engine parts we are using are 2004 Yamaha kit parts and a lot of the parts are still standard, like the pistons and swingarm, which is only slightly modified version of the stock one.”

From a press release issued by Dorna:

Reduced crash rates confirm MotoGP safety improvements in 2004

Continuing endeavour on behalf of the organisers, officials, teams and circuits in the MotoGP World Championship saw the number of accidents per rider significantly reduced in 2004 – confirming the positive effect of initiatives such as the MotoGP Safety Commission. In total there were 706 registered falls in the three categories over the sixteen-round season, one more than in 2003, but with an average of thirteen more riders per Grand Prix.

That means that of the average 103 riders taking part in each 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP event, there were just 44.1 crashes per round – representing the lowest number of falls per rider over the course of a season since 1998.

Typically, the majority of the crashes came in wet conditions and the worst hit race was the Gauloises Dutch TT, which was subject to a summer downpour on both days of qualifying practice. In total 64 riders fell at Assen, although the difference in conditions was noted on race day when the dry 250cc race became the only event all season not to feature a single crash.

The worst single session of the season was also in the wet at Estoril, with 33 riders crashing out of the second free practice for the Grande Premio Marlboro de Portugal in the three classes. The only wet race of the season, the Gran Premio Marlboro de España, was also the most crash-strewn with 31 riders, only five of those in MotoGP, falling victim to the torrential conditions – 14 of them in the same corner.

It is no surprise that in the MotoGP and 125cc classes the men to clock up the most falls were Ruben Xaus and Mattia Pasini – each of them showing boundless enthusiasm as they were crowned Rookie of the Year in their respective classes. In fact, Pasini accumulated more crashes than any other rider in the three categories – hitting the deck on no fewer than twenty occasions. In the 250cc class Eric Bataille retired from racing after suffering sixteen crashes in the opening twelve rounds of the season, more than any other quarter-litre rider all season.

Riders with most falls in 2004
Rider
Category
Number of falls

Mattia Pasini (ITA)
125cc
20

Eric Bataille (FRA)
250cc
16

Lukas Pesek (CZE)
125cc
16

Ruben Xaus (SPA)
MotoGP
15

Marco Melandri (ITA)
MotoGP
14

Mike di Meglio (FRA)
125cc
14

Alvaro Bautista (SPA)
125cc
14

Manuel Poggiali (RSM)
250cc
13

Roberto Locatelli (ITA)
125cc
13

Casey Stoner (AUS)
125cc
13