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Former Supermoto champ Ben Bostrom returns to America
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Bostrom is to partner with Neil Hodgson on the Parts Unlimited
Ducati Austin team that will compete in next year's AMA Superbike
Championship with factory Ducati 999 bikes. Bostrom, 31, will step
onto a factory Ducati Corse machine again after a three-year gap
in which he rode for Honda for two years in AMA Superbike and then
one year in the World Superbike championship. He returns home in
2006 to take the place of his younger brother Eric, who won four
races with the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin 999 in the last two
seasons of AMA racing. "You know, this year was a tough one
on the racetrack," declared Ben. "So I'm real
excited to be back with a factory that I've had so much success
with in the past. We've shared lots of good memories, Ducati
and I, and I'm looking forward to a strong season together,
and to creating new memories with them."
2006 will mark the second season in America's premier racing
category for Neil Hodgson, the 31 year old from Burnley, England.
The former World Superbike champion finished sixth in his debut AMA
Superbike season, winning one race at Road America and stepping onto
the podium an additional five times in the 10 event/17 race series.
Hodgson now has a great opportunity to make use of his learning year
to aim for the title and thus fulfill his ambition to become the
only rider to win the "triple crown" of British, American
and World Superbike titles.
"I'm really looking forward to the challenge in 2006," commented
Neil. "I know the 999 will be improved and now I understand
how to approach AMA. It's going to be tough to beat Mladin
but I've studied everything hard this year and I've
got a plan for how to beat him! I really enjoyed working with Eric
and it will be equally great to work with his brother Ben."
Neil Hodgson takes aim at Superbike title (photo
by Kinney Jones) |
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Pro Racing has announced that it will add a new weekend to the AMA
Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited 2006 schedule
and confirmed the move of two of its previously scheduled mid-season
dates.
The new event will be a unique season-ending shootout at Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The date changes involve moving
the Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA, event from its originally scheduled
date of May 5-7 to May 19-21 and the move of the Virginia International
Raceway, Alton, VA, round up one week to Aug. 18-20. Counting the
double-header weekends, there will be 19 races in the 11-event AMA
Superbike championship. |
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BENNINGER |
GORRELL |
MATTISON |
 con
has announced some new staff additions. Krista
Benninger has joined
the company as a Product Specialist. Krista has over 10 years of
sales and marketing experience. She began her career working with
Ignite Marketing Group in Arizona. Gaining marketing and PR experience
she moved to Moto-Euro magazine where she worked as the associate
publisher for 3 years.
Teri
"Blue" Gorrell will also serve as an Icon Product
Specialist. Teri's career began differently than most. She
entered the United States Marines and became a Staff Sergeant; 9
years of honorable service. She spent 6 years as an Aircraft Engine
Mechanic and 3 as a Naval Instructor, training both Marines and Sailors.
Teri was the only woman to ever reach the rank of Staff Sergeant
in her Military Occupational Specialty and also the only woman to
be qualified as a Quality Assurance Rep on two Aircraft Engines.
As a kid, Teri raced amateur motocross and participated in a lot
of trail and free riding whenever she had time. Currently, she races
a Yamaha R6 in the Novice Super Bike and Super Sport classes in the
WERA West Racing Organization.
Heidi
Mattison has been named the new manager for the ICON Portland
design studio. Heidi graduated from Biola University in Southern
California in May 2005 with a degree in Journalism with an emphasis
in PR. She began working for AK Composite, an aftermarket motorcycle
bodywork company where she was the office and public relations manager.
A road racer at heart, she spends the majority of her free time at
track days on her CBR600.
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In the October/November
issue of Parts Magazine, the AGV story on pages 64 & 65 made
reference to the Ti-Tech helmet being beyond DOT/Snell requirements.
The Ti-Tech is, in fact, a DOT and BSI-rated helmet.
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 arts
Unlimited has announced that Jason Mathis has been hired as a sales
rep for the Southeast region. Jason has been working in the powersports
industry since 1993 including managing two multi-line dealers. His
love of powersports and the industry has been passed down to his
five-year-old son who now races motocross.
Louis Papas has been hired as a sales
rep for the Southeast region. Louis is a long-time Jet Ski racer,
having competed twice in the World Finals. He started in the industry
as a service writer for a Kawasaki dealership. His most recent employment
was a Regional Marketing Specialist for Thor MX where he traveled
to dealers in the region informing them on all the latest products.
Brian Weber has been hired as a sales
rep for the Mid-Atlantic region. A veteran of the powersports industry,
he has prepared marketing presentations and public relations for
NASCAR organizations. Brian was involved in engine research and development
for BMW Motorsports. He received additional experience in marketing
with AGV and has most recently been involved in a variety of different
aspects with Moose Racing. |
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SUBER |
LOCKETT |
WOODWARD |
ZULIAN |
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arts
Unlimited has announced the addition of Jarrod
"Boo" Suber as the new Pro Circuit/Renthal Brand Manager. Directly out of school,
Boo dove into medical sales and marketing. After seven years, Boo
went on the road with Ricky Carmichael. His duties included driving
Ricky's personal tour coach, coordinating with industry
reps, fans and event personnel.
Jayson Lockett has been hired to become the new Thor Marketing Specialist
in the South Central Region. Jayson began working in motorcycle dealerships
while in high school, eventually becoming General Manager at Aurora
Suzuki in Seattle Washington. Jayson began racing motocross in 1986
and became a local pro rider in 1989.
Mark Woodward joins the company as the Cobra Brand Manager. An industry
veteran and race enthusiast, Mark has worked with motorcycles for
32 years and as a professional race announcer for 21 years. His greatest
racing moment was placing third in the 500 Pro class at the 83rd
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2005. In his spare time, he
is a trail guide for the Rocky Mountain 400 and Colorado 500.
Lastly, Parts Unlimited has announced the addition of Chad
Zulian as the new Media Development/ Marketing Assistant. Over 30 years
ago, his family built a motocross track that has developed into one
of ColoradoÕs top motocross tracks and Chad himself has raced
motocross for the past 17 years. |
At
season finale of the 2005 AMA GNCC series at Crawfordsville, Indiana,
Moose Off-Road showed its appreciation to the many riders, crews
and other support people of the series when they served them all
dinner at the Moose semi. And what better opportunity to show off
the 2006 Moose product line? Dick Burleson, Rodney Smith and the
rest of the Moose crew were outfitted in the new gear. Photo by Kinney
Jones
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Late
in the season Moose Off-Road-sponsored Bill Ballance suffered a broken
leg that needed 11 screws and 2 plates to put it back together. But
with his 5-year title streak on the line, the Yamaha rider showed
some old-fashioned true grit with podium finishes at the last three
events to wrap up his 6th straight GNCC ATV championship. Bill had
to keep his crutches close by as he celebrated after the final race. |
 
One of the more grueling off-road events of the year in Southern
California is the annual "24 Hours of Glen Helen" endurance
team race. This year the Moose-outfitted Zip Ty Racing/Montclair
Yamaha racing team took their 4th-straight victory. Team owner Ty
Davis was joined in victory by 2005 WORCS Champion Nathan Woods,
Bobby Garrison and Andy Bakken. Our photographer Kinney Jones captured
the night action photo seen here, as well as the winning machine
after the races. Other than a little dirt and mud, the machine looks
amazingly fresh after 24 straight hours of racing. |
LABOULIERE
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BAYERL |
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 1R
has announced the addition of two new Product Specialists: Amy
LaBouliere and Joel Bayerl. LaBouliere comes to Z1R after managing
the parts, accessories and motor clothes department in a successful
Colorado dealership for the past 5 years. She is an off-road enthusiast
and has raced in motocross as well as hare scrambles.
Before joining Z1R, Bayerl worked in sales at a Honda/Kawasaki/Bombardier
dealership in central Wisconsin. Joel has raced in motocross and
ice racing for the past 12 years. When not on the track, Joel can
be found tearing it up in the woods. Besides participating, Joel
has promoted ice races in Wisconsin. |
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Last September a group of
Parts Unlimited sales reps won a Motorex sales contest earning each
a trip for two to Switzerland. The four-day stay included some of
the finest Alpine experiences available, capped off with a trip through
the Motorex factory.
(From left) Jennifer Horton and Max Martin; Rick
Pence and Renay Bevins-Pence; Dave and Debra Coupe; Kent and Barbara
Mallon; Steve Dickinson and Lu Ann Elford Anderson; Lou and Sheri
Lopez; Zak Blazek and Megan Moore; Mark Johnson and Thelma Sass.
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Parts Magazine
Volume 12 #12
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