hor Motocross has named Brandon Beightol as the new South East Regional Marketing Specialist. After graduating from Washington State University, Brandon raced local events while living in Washington State. He then moved to Florida where he began working at Greater Yamaha in West Palm Beach as a Parts Salesman. Brandon enjoys riding and spending as much time as possible with his wife and newborn daughter, Mia. Parts Unlimited has announced the addition of David Bennet as the new Brand Manager for Slippery. Bennet, who graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara in 1992, began working as a Marketing Manager with Inka Sportswear, a mountain bike apparel company located in San Diego. Recently, David was a Territory Sales Manager for Dolch Computer Systems, Inc. in Fremont, California selling computer systems to the military. David has been riding since 1998. Parts Unlimited has named Kevin Bland as the Suomy Product Specialist. He comes to Parts after working 5 years at Twin Peaks Powersports in Longmont, Colorado. For the past year, Kevin was the Parts Manager position there where he focused mainly in merchandising and inventory level control. He has been riding motorcycles since he was 9 and has been involved with the local motocross racing in Colorado for the past 13 years. Parts Unlimited has announced that Andrea Brink has been hired as the new Alpinestars Product Specialist. Andrea studied Marketing and Advertising at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, then worked in retail sales for Nordstrom for 4 years where she was involved with designing visual displays and merchandising. Andrea has been a dirt bike enthusiast since she was little. Randy “Ransom” Creel has joined Memphis Shades as the new Brand Manager. Ransom is no stranger to Memphis Shades as he was the Webmaster/Product Specialist before acquiring his new title. Ransom maintained the website, wrote installation instructions and worked closely with the R&D Department. He has been riding mostly street bikes for 35 years. In his down time, Ransom enjoys spending time with family, water skiing and camping. Parts Unlimited has named Dan Fitch as the Account Manager for Alpinestars. Dan began as a National Sales Manager/Product Designer for Mercury Marine. His most recent employer was Achilles Marine where he was the National Sales Manager/Product Designer for them as well. He has raced motocross for 30 years, was the CMC Pac West Champion two years in a row and held a national number for 9 years. His other involvement with the industry came when he worked at UFO Plastic for 3 years and he has designed plastic with Suzuki and the Pro Vent System. Dan has two sons who are involved in freestyle BMX.

     Jon Geving has been hired by Parts Unlimited as the Nolan Helmet Brand Manager. Jon graduated from Stoughton High in Stoughton, WI. and began working for Fast Forward LLC. He managed the Pro Shop and Mail Ordering along with running a Hockey League. After 10 years, Jon switched careers and joined the powersports industry where he became a salesman at Engelhart for 3 years. Since childhood, Jon has been an off-road enthusiast. His first memory of riding was on his Kawasaki KX 80. Since then Jon has moved from two wheels to four and bought a ’05 Yamaha Grizzly. Parts Unlimited has announced the addition of Troy Mackaman as the new Sales Rep for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Straight out of high school, Troy began working at a Powersports Distributor. He worked there for the past 16 years, 13 years as a salesman. Outside of work, Troy enjoys working around the house and watching his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Steve Matthes has joined Parts Unlimited as the new FMF Brand Manager. Steve has had a career many dream of. His previous employer was Yamaha in Cypress California where he was a Factory Race Team mechanic for Tim Ferry. While keeping Ferry’s bike in perfect condition, Steve coordinated with industry reps, track personnel and fans. Steve has been racing for 27 years, 3 as a Pro.

e regret to announce the passing in January of Lamar Williams, founder of the American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was 62.
Williams was an enduring figure in the motorcycle industry as the chief executive of the American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach. During Daytona Bike Week, Williams and his staff at AMI opened their doors to the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association crowd, offering hospitality, workspace, tools and whatever else was needed by the vintage racers. He also served on the AMA Board of Directors for a decade.
     “Lamar was a true enthusiast,” said AMA President Robert Rasor. “He loved being around motorcycles and motorcycle people. But he also made great contributions to the AMA and the entire motorcycling community with his hard work and dedication.”
     Williams sold AMI in 2004 to a national chain of vocational schools and lived in Wilbur-by-the-Sea, Florida, at the time of his death. Parts Magazine extends its condolences to Lamar's family.

Lamar Williams (right) extends his warm hospitality to Lee Chapin of Mikuni during a visit to AMI during Bike Week 2005. Photo courtesy of Lee Chapin.

     AGV has announced the hiring of A.J. Herrera, 27, of Santa Barbara, California, as AGV’s Western Regional Sales Manager. Herrera was formerly an Expert-ranked rider in both the AMA Grand National Flat Track and Supermoto series. In his new position, A.J. will be working with Parts Unlimited reps on the west coast.

ridgestone celebrated a landmark in March at the Jerez circuit in Spain with a clean sweep of a MotoGP front row for the first time in its history. The Japanese tire manufacturer dominated the front row of the grid, with Loris Capirossi producing a dynamic display to claim pole position at the end of a session packed with high drama. Joining him on the front row for the Spanish Grand Prix were Ducati teammate Sete Gibernau and Kawasaki ZX-RR rider Shinya Nakano. The 32-year-old Italian, who won the Japanese and Malaysian MotoGP races last season, instantly reaped the rewards of an exhausting winter testing schedule with Bridgestone and came back the following day to win the opening round of the 2006 MotoGP championship series.

Sete Gibernau (left) congratulates his Ducati teammate Loris Capirossi after Capirossi set the fastest qualifying time at Jerez. Fellow Bridgestone riders Gibernau and Shinya Nakano were 2nd and 3rd fastest, giving Bridgestone its first-ever sweep of a MotoGP front row. Studiozac photo courtesy of Ducati.

ki-Doo-mounted Matt Boron of Leverett, Massachusetts claimed the $5,000 winner’s prize in January in the 15th annual Woody’s Challenge snocross race held for the first time in Malone, New York. Since its inaugural event in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1991, the Woody’s Challenge has been a snowmobile drag race event. Following a cancellation due to rain in 2005, the event resumed this year as a snocross.

Matt Boron (left) receives congratulations and the $5,000 “big check” following his victory of the 2006 Woody’s Challenge.

he field of top snocross racers from the U.S. and Canada put on a spectacular show in front of the jam-packed Malone grandstands. With $5,000 on the line, the Americans not only had each other to contend with, but some of the best “Top Guns” of the Canadian circuits. Leading that charge was C.S.R.A. star Iain Hayden piloting the Royal Distributing Ski-Doo, who scored the top qualifying position. Rock Maple regulars Matt Boron, Danny Poirier, Jason Boron and C.W. Sirjane rounded out the top 5 qualifiers.
     Once introductions were made and the crowd’s enthusiasm peaked, the racers lined up for the start of the 12-lap dash for cash! At the start, it was Cycle Worx Racing’s Danny “the Canadian Blast” Poirier crossing the tabletop stripe first, ahead of Hayden and Matt Boron until Hayden took over the lead in the back stretch. Hayden would hold the lead for the next six circuits before both Poirier and Boron took over on lap 8. Now the familiar battle between the two RMR Pros was again being played out on center stage and had the fans on their feet. The smoothness of Poirier’s flight was overshadowed only by Matt Boron’s steady and persistent chase for the $5,000 checkered flag.
     With the white flag displayed and one final circuit from the 5G Holy Grail, Poirier had two minor bobbles, but it was enough for D&Z Racing’s Boron to square up next to Poirier in the final turn and win the drag race to the checkered flag by a half a sled length! Rounding out the Top 5 finishers were Jason Boron, Karl Allard and Iain Hayden.

The top 16 qualifiers of the Woody’s Challenge known as the “Sweet 16.”

OTO-ST (Moto Sport Twins), a new professional motorcycle road racing series specializing in long-distance team racing—sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and organized by Professional Motorsports Productions of Toronto, Ontario, Canada—was announced during Bike Week at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona Beach-based Grand American Road Racing Association will assist the series with administrative and commercial support.
     Negotiations are currently underway for the inaugural MOTO-ST race to be held on the traditional road course at Daytona International Speedway this fall during Biketoberfest. Plans call for an eight-hour event featuring a substantial awards program.
     “This is an exciting day for our sport,” said MOTO-ST Director of Competition Colin Fraser. “While there are several different forms and classes of motorcycle ‘sprint’ racing, long distance team racing and competition for twin cylinder machines have been under-served. We feel strongly that—through a logical and well-managed rules package—MOTO-ST will establish itself quickly with participants and spectators alike.”
     The 2007 National Championship schedule for MOTO-ST will consist of up to six points-paying endurance races. Event purses will be substantial and will feature lap prizes for the class leaders. Pirelli has been named as the sole supplier of MOTO-ST tires for the 2006 inaugural event as well as the first full season of competition in 2007. All competitors will use Sunoco GT unleaded fuel and horsepower limits will be enforced by a Dynojet chassis dynamometer.
MOTO-ST will consist of two classes, Grand Sport Twins (GST) and Sport Twins (ST), and all motorcycles homologated for competition will be powered by twin-cylinder, four-stroke engines. Each machine will have its own list of specifications, including maximum horsepower and minimum weight.      The MOTO-ST rules package will be completed and contingency and industry support will be finalized over the next 90 days, as will the full 2007 schedule.
     Due to the long-distance nature of the events, each team will be allowed to use as many as three riders per race. Timed practice will determine the starting grid, which will be set up in rows of two with separate rolling starts for each class.
     Safety car procedures will be in place for full-course caution periods, and the highest-placed lapped motorcycles in both classes will be allowed to make up one lap during any full-course caution. Scoring will be handled by transponders, giving teams on pit road instant and complete information on their status. Two-way radio communication between riders and their crews will be allowed and encouraged.
     MOTO-ST management will have the benefit of an advisory board with extensive motor sports experience, both in motorcycle racing and other disciplines, and the board will guide the series rules and policies. The advisory board includes Fraser, AMA Hall of Fame members Steve McLaughlin and Don Emde, Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondson, Brumos Porsche President and General Manager Bob Snodgrass, Grand American Road Racing Association Director of Competition Mark Raffauf, experienced motorcycle tuner and road racing journalist Kevin Cameron, Roadracing World founder and editor John Ulrich and Grand American Road Racing Association Deputy Director of Competition Scott Spencer.

ridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC has signed an agreement with the Western Eastern Road Racing Association (WERA) as the title sponsor of the 2006 National Endurance Series.
According to WERA, since its establishment in 1973, the organization has grown to be the largest motorcycle road racing organization in the United States in terms of members and has established road racing in many parts of the country where no viable program previously existed.
     The Bridgestone WERA Endurance Series is a high profile racing series consisting of 10 rounds at various racetracks across the country. Each race varies in length from four to eight hours and places a strong emphasis on pit stops, rider changes and consistent performance.
     “We are enthusiastic about forging this new relationship with WERA,” said Bob Graham, motorcycle product manager, BFNT. “The Bridgestone brand has a long history of road racing involvement, where we utilize results from the race track for the testing and design of our performance tire products. We are especially pleased to partner with an organization that will enable us to promote Bridgestone technology and support the racing community across the country.”

he American Motorcyclist Association has announced the members of two standing committees of the AMA Board of Directors. This is part of a previously announced restructuring designed to increase the Association's effectiveness in its core mission of promoting “Rights. Riding. Racing.”
The Racing Committee will be Carl Reynolds (chair), Don Emde, Art More, Jeff Nash, and John Ulrich. Emde is president of Don Emde Productions and a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and Nash is owner and founder of Advanced Motorsports. More, Reynolds, and Ulrich serve on the AMA Board of Directors.
     The Rights Committee will be Stan Simpson (chair), Jon-Erik Burleson, Russ Ehnes, Andy Goldfine, Rick Gray, and Charles Umbenhauer. Ehnes is Executive Director of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, and Umbenhauer is founder of ABATE of Pennsylvania’s BIKEPAC. Burleson, Goldfine, Gray, and Simpson serve on the AMA Board of Directors.
     “This is an exciting step in creating a more effective and responsive Association,” said Patricia DiPietro, AMA Chief Executive Officer. “We’re confident in these individuals’ expertise and experience, and we’re grateful for their commitment to the AMA, its members, and the American motorcycling community.”
     Each committee will manage strategic planning and direction within its area of the AMA’s mission, with the goal of responding to the interests of the AMA’s 270,000 members.

Horsepower makes all the difference. Colombero (aboard a built RMZ450) was able to get the holeshot against Ryno when Hughes was on the RM85 or the DR125.

ur own Joe Colombero recently went mano y mano against Ryan Hughes in a day-long series of match races. Colombero was doing a story for Dirt Rider Magazine to test the theory that “an average Joe could beat a National Pro if he could only get him on a slow enough machine.” Colombero raced an enhanced RMZ450 while Ryno rode a succession of bikes beginning with a stock RMZ450, RM125, RM85, and finally a DR125.

Joe Colombero is a freelance writer/producer and a regular contributor to Parts Magazine, Drag Specialties Magazine, Dirt Rider, Racer X, and Motorcycle Escape magazines. He is also a front-runner on the vet motocross scene as well as a GNCC and WORCS amateur racer. For the full story on the “Joe vs. Pro” experiment, check out the May issue of Dirt Rider Magazine.

In the “Pro vs. Joe” experiment, Ryno’s ability to maintain momentum through the corners proved decisive over Colombero’s horsepower advantage. Hughes won this match race riding the RM85.

Never look back; Colombero eventually beat Hughes, but it took putting Ryno on a DR125 to make it happen. Here we see Joe looking back as Hughes closes in. “I couldn’t believe Ryno was that fast on a no-horsepower, heavy, unsuspended kid’s trail bike,” said Joe. “He basically kept it pinned around the entire track.”

How did it ever come to this? Actually, we took this photo just for grins. Team Suzuki Off-Road Manager Mike Webb actually meant to signal “Let Joe buy dinner.”