From a press release:

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO HOST 14TH ‘FRIEND-RAISING BREAKFAST’ AT DAYTONA

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) will host its 14th Annual Daytona Friend-Raising Breakfast on Saturday, March 9, 2002 at 8:00 a.m., at the Holiday Inn in DeLand, Florida. The special guest at this year’s breakfast will be motocross legend Jim Pomeroy.

Pomeroy rode his Bultaco to victory in the 1973 World Motocross Grand Prix, becoming the first American to win a world-championship motocross event and the first rider to win a Grand Prix on a Spanish motorcycle. He was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, and will serve as Grand Marshal of both AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days events in 2002.

The Daytona Friend-Raising Breakfast gives enthusiasts of the legends and history of motorcycling the opportunity to meet and share experiences, while supporting the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. The Museum, located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, is administered by the AMHF.

A limited number of tickets are available for this year’s Daytona Friend-Raising Breakfast; the cost is $15 per person. To make reservations, call (614) 856-2222. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Holiday Inn DeLand is located at 350 East International Speedway Boulevard, west of Daytona International Speedway.

From a press release:

1999 Formula USA National Champion Mike Sullivan has opened The Mike Sullivan Road Racing School.

Fifteen dates at Three Northwest tracks, Pacific Raceway(formerly Seattle International Raceway), Portland International Raceway, and Spokane Raceway Park.

For more information see www.Sullivan Race School.com or phone at (360) 736-2791.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Red Bull Yamaha Grand Prix racer John “Hopper” Hopkins, 18, moved his family into a new house in time for Christmas.

The one-acre site in Southern California includes a main house, a guest house, and a spacious garage.

Since becoming a professional racer at age 16, Hopkins has won the 1999 Aprilia Cup Challenge Championship, the 2000 AMA 750cc Supersport Championship, and the 2001 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship.

He was the youngest-ever AMA Supersport Champion and the youngest-ever AMA Formula Xtreme Champion, riding GSX-R Suzukis for Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki.

Moto-heaven, the North American importer of Wintex Motorcycle Fashion and Safety Gear, is now accepting racer resumes for 2002-season support.

For more information, contact Phil Caudill at Moto-heaven by calling toll-free (877) 416-0969, e-mail [email protected] or go to www.moto-heaven.com.

This is from racer John Glaefke:

As an AHRMA competitor in the Sound of Thunder and Twins classes (yes, AHRMA actually does have modern bike racing as well) I just thought I might warn you that AHRMA doesn’t employ Air Fence* and last I heard has no plans to
do so.

I, as an AHRMA competitor and contributor to the Roadracing World Air Fence fund, would hope that Air Fence would be employed at any round where the AMA decides to combine the class with our Vintage iron.

I truly would love to see Pro Thunder with us but think that AHRMA’s crew should be brought up to speed as to the increased risk involved with running the class. In 1999, a rider left the track at turn seven at Mid Ohio, then returned (much to my surprise!) to the track at turn eight right in front of me! It could have been a very bad accident and later when I approached the AHRMA officials, I was told that it was an isolated incident and that it wouldn’t happen again. I certainly hope not, but just think any Pro riders should be aware that incidents like this are a fairly common occurrence at AHRMA events due to the lack of modern training that AHRMA cornerworkers receive.

If this does come to be (Pro Thunder at AHRMA events) I think that the AMA should provide their cornerworking crews as well as Air Fence for the event. Jeff Nash as a former AHRMA competitor I’m sure will have much more on the subject and I look forward to hearing his comments.

Thank you for all you have done to increase safety in motorbike racing and keeping us informed of the many interesting twists the AMA seeks to add to our sport. I hope to see John Ulrich elected to the Board of Trustees (I’ve already sent in my ballot) and all the positive change that will come with it.

Jon Glaefke
AHRMA, MRA, AMA #94

*Trademark of Airfence Safety Systems

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kent and Tracey Soignier, owners of the GMD Computrack franchises in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, are opening a third location January 7 in Mansfield, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“If the initial reaction we’ve had is any indication,” said Kent Soignier via telephone from his Atlanta shop, “then this is going to be a very good location for us. We’re already booking work. When we were first looking for a place in that area, we were just concerned with the size and rent of the places. It was only after we took the place that we realized Mansfield is where Jeff Nash’s (Advanced Motor Sports) and the Race Engine Service (RES) shops are. It’s going to be good.”

The newest member of the GMD Computrack network will be managed by Scott Landry, who comes from a metal-working background. Landry has spent the last 12 months training with Soignier at GMD Computrack-Atlanta. Soignier says that he is currently interviewing a number of other highly-qualified candidates to staff the new franchise. The shop will be located at 1285 North Main Street, Unit 308, Mansfield, Texas. The phone number will be (682) 518-1660, but the phones will not be turned on before early January. Soignier said that people looking for more information or to book work should call him in Atlanta at (404) 297-8464.

From a press release:

MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME MUSEUM CONTRIBUTES TO CANADIAN MUSEUM’s “SALUTE TO AMERICA”

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has loaned a classic Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle to the Canadian Motorcycle Heritage Museum, for inclusion in an upcoming exhibit.

Larry Ketzel’s 1930 Harley-Davidson factory hillclimber, from the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum’s permanent collection, will become part of “Salute to America,” an exhibit focusing on legendary American motorcycles and riders. The exhibit will appear at the 26th North American International Motorcycle Supershow, to be held January 4 – 6 at the Toronto International Centre.

The Canadian Motorcycle Heritage Museum, in return, has loaned a 1920 Indian boardtracker to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. This motorcycle has been added to “A Century of Indian, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance,” which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company. The exhibit features more than 50 motorcycles from Indian’s tumultuous history, and will remain open at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum through December 2002.

The Canadian Motorcycle Heritage Museum created “Salute to America” as a tribute to the United States after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. For more information about the Canadian Motorcycle Heritage Museum and the North American International Motorcycle SuperShow, visit www.supershowevents.com.

From a press release:

Prieto Racing, Inc. has expanded and relocated to 535 SouthDixie Highway East, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060. The phone number is (954) 788-7528.

The new facility includes a fully-stocked showroom and service center. The second annual open house will be held at the new location on January 20, 2002,from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m..

Additional information is available at www.prietoracing.com.

From a press release:

In yet another demonstration of its desire to give its customers “the kind of service they expect and deserve from us”, Arai has announced a special Customer Service Pavilion at all remaining International Motorcycle Shows for the 2001-02 season.

The Pavilion is manned by Arai technical personnel who can provide services like helmet inspections, hard-to-find parts and accessories, answers to questions of fit and features, among other things.

Also available will be officially-licensed Arai casual wear featuring some of Arai’s top racers like Chris Carr, Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards, Eric Bostrom, Kevin Windham and Mick Doohan.

The new Service Pavilion is located across from the main 2002 Arai Helmet Display kiosk in the Show’s “Factory” display area.

Look for it at all of the remaining IMS Shows: New York City, Dec. 28-30; Minneapolis, Jan. 11-13, 2002; Philadelphia, Jan. 18-20; Cleveland, Feb. 1-3; Chicago, Feb. 8-10; Daytona Bike Week, March 6-10.

Arai introduced the on-site helmet-customer service idea in September at the final round of AMA road racing at Virginia International Raceway. For years the company has had an ongoing tech-service presence at pro race events, providing helmet tech service to its many roadrace, dirt track and MX/off-road racers. That weekend, however, the company expanded its effort to include street riders who own Arai helmets. The reaction was “so incredible”, said Arai’s Robert Miller, “we knew we had to keep it going. It’s great for our customers, we get to meet them and help them face-to-face. It’s another little way we can show them how different a company Arai really is.”