 ife has been good lately for BUB Enterprises chief Denis Manning. Fresh from the salt of Bonneville , Utah where in September Chris Carr piloted Manning’s purpose-built streamliner to a new ultimate motorcycle land speed record (see page 32), he was also one of nine inductees named to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
The formal induction ceremony was held at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio the weekend of October 7-8. In addition to Manning, on hand to receive their awards were Doug Chandler, Wally Dallenbach, Cook Neilson, Mike Wilson, Heikki Mikola and representatives for Bert Munro, Roger Soderstrom and Rich Child. Also in attendance was dirt track legend Chris Carr, himself a Hall of Fame member, and as mentioned above, Manning’s pilot in the new world speed record.
Denis Manning with the streamliner his refers to as “7” at this year’s International Land Speed Trials by BUB. With Chris Carr at the controls, Manning achieved his long standing goal of regaining the motorcycle world speed record he once held in the 1970s. Michael Lichter photo.
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With other attendees in the background, Denis Manning (left) and Chris Carr pose with the record-setting BUB streamliner at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction event . Todd Cooperider photo. |
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 he S&S Cycle Proven Performance® 160 cubic-inch billet Pro Stock Motorcycle engine has been nominated for the Cooper-Hewitt People’s Choice Award. This first-ever People’s Choice Award is part of an award program by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.
The S&S engine has seen tremendous success this year with several teams competing in the NHRA, the highest level of drag racing competition in the world. Designed and manufactured in the U.S.A. by S&S Cycle, this engine has been the choice of top performing drag racing teams including G2 Motorsports/Drag Specialties/S&S (Chip Ellis) and Torco/Skull Gear (Matt Smith), Hal’s Speed Shop (Tom Bradford) and others. Currently, five of the top ten racers in the NHRA POWERade Championship point standings are powered by the S&S Pro Stock engine.
"I’d like to thank the employees of S&S Cycle, G2 Motorsports, and all the teams who choose to use our Pro Stock engine,” said S&S president, Brett Smith. “The honor of being nominated for this is very rewarding - but most of all it reflects the dedication, talent, and drive of the entire S&S family to produce the highest quality Proven Performance components for track and street applications. My grandfather, who started the company in 1958, would be proud of our success as we continue to carry on his passion for making motorcycles go fast.”
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 he Motorcycle Industry Council has announced that Mr. Fred Fox, Chairman of Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties, has announced that he will not accept the nomination for another term on the MIC Board of Directors for 2007. Fred served on the MIC Board for the past thirteen years, the longest tenure for an aftermarket/allied trades Board member.
The MIC sincerely thanks Fred for the leadership he has provided to the association, including his dedication to strengthening the MIC’s aftermarket membership and his contributions to the MIC’s Discover Today’s Motorcycling media relations efforts.
“I’ve really enjoyed my thirteen years of service to the industry in this capacity,” said Fox. “I’m especially proud of the formation of the American V-Twin Committee and its work with the EPA in securing the future of the smaller volume independent motorcycle manufacturers. I look forward to continuing to support the important work of the MIC.”
Fred’s decision to step off the Board, effective in February 2007, was made this month to encourage other industry leaders to invest their time in the association’s efforts to promote and preserve the motorcycle industry. The MIC 2007 Board of Directors election process is now underway with nominations being developed for three open aftermarket/allied trades Director positions.
The MIC Board of Directors will recognize Fred for his service to the industry next February at the 2007 MIC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
For the first time in 13 years, LeMans Chairman Fred Fox will not contest this year’s MIC Board of Directors election.
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he true mark of excellence and consistency for any drag racer is to win two classes at the same event. Typically, although rare, the feat is accomplished by sportsman racers competing in index classes and ET. However it’s even more so out-of-the-ordinary for a racer to a score a double in the pro ranks, especially in two nitro categories.
Jay “The Bulldog” Turner, rider of the Mancuso Harley Davidson-backed JIMS Pro Fuel and Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel entries, displayed remarkable consistency and took the back-to-back wins at the AHDRA’s recent S&S Jim McClure Nationals presented by Drag Specialties from Virginia Motorsports Park.
Turner defeated Steve Simmons in the final of Pro Fuel with a blast of 6.87 to Simmons’ 8.80, and moments later narrowly defeated former champ and world record holder Doug Vancil with a 6.413 to a 6.417 in the Top Fuel category.
After Turner won in Pro Fuel, the entire event came to a halt, as Turner was escorted back up to the starting line via his team’s scooter. The consecutive laps didn't seem to affect Turner’s concentration at all based on his .035 reaction time against Vancil.
“Running back-to-back can’t hurt you,” Turner said. “I like racing as many times as I can. I wouldn’t mind if Top Fuel was a 32- bike field. We have a great team. Johnny (Mancuso) and the rest of the gang did a great job tuning and I just tried to ride the thing the best I could.”
Even more impressive is the fact that it’s not the first time Turner has accomplished the feat. He scored his first nitro-double less than a year ago in Rockingham, NC. A large part of Turner’s success may lie in the experience and knowledge of Mancuso.
“The track stayed good all day and we just tried to do the best we could interpreting the data we had,”Mancuso said. “We just tweaked away at it and never let anyone else’s performance affect us. We ran our race.” The event was extra special for Mancuso as he was not in attendance for Turner’s first double due to the funeral of his stepfather. “That was one race I was sorry I missed,” Mancuso said. “It means a lot to do it again.”
With the victory, Turner is in the No. 2 spot in the To Fuel point series, behind leader Mike Romine.
Jay Turner and his Mancuso-powered AHDRA racer. Sharon Haak photo. |
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 enny Coolbeth won the final round of the 2006 AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship at Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 14, and in the process earned the AMA Grand National Twins Championship. It marked the first national championship for Coolbeth.
Pressure was on Coolbeth coming into the season finale. The 29-year-old factory Harley-Davidson rider from Warren, Conn., needed to finish fourth or better to secure the title, but breathing down his neck was seven-time champion Chris Carr. Coolbeth had been knocking on the door in recent years. He was runner-up to Carr in last year’s championship and twice finished third in the final standings in the last four years. This was Coolbeth’s 13th year in AMA Grand National competition.
 ill Rucker, founder and CEO of Rucker Performance Motorcycle Company and well known custom builder of high performance American muscle, chopper and Pro-Mod motorcycles, has been named as one of the v-twin industry’s top builders in the nation for the 2007 Easyriders Centerfold Tour. The Easyriders Centerfold Tour will start on January 7, 2007 in Pomona, California. Bill Rucker will be featured among a distinguished group of the v-twin industry’s top builders including Kendall Johnson, Paul Yaffe, Ralph Randolph Rockem and Sockem, Austin Weiss and Detroit Bros.
Rucker brings more than 30 years of success in motorcycle manufacturing, drag racing and hot rods to the tour. He will debut his customized pro-mod trike showcasing a ground-shaking, high performance124 cu.in. motor, carbon fiber body, Superform® aluminum gas tank and more. Additional features will be revealed at the debut at the first Easyriders show in January.
Rucker has mastered the art of custom building American muscle bikes that are built with streamlined styling, lots of adrenaline and ultra performance technology. “I continue to mix technological innovation, performance and style – pushing the limits and exceeding the expectations of each custom motorcycle I build,” said Bill Rucker, custom builder and CEO of Rucker Performance. “The 2007 Easyriders Centerfold Tour will define some of the top new styles and trends in the industry with this dynamic group of builders that have come together for the tour.”
The 2007 Easyriders Centerfold Tour will consist of more than 18 shows across the United States; including 12 Easyriders V-Twin Bike Shows, Daytona’s Bike Week and Biketoberfest events, as well as the Cherokee Survivor’s Rally in North Carolina.
"We are proud to have Bill on the Centerfold Tour for 2007. Bill brings a unique style to the high performance sector of the industry,” said John Green, President of Easyriders Events. “It takes a very talented and dedicated individual to create and maintain the level of respect Bill has earned for so many years. Bill will prove once again why he has been referred to as one of the Masters of the Motorcycle industry.”
Easyriders Events is licensed to Action Promotions, Inc., a Florida corporation that specializes in motorcycle entertainment for Easyriders, V-Twin and their related publications exclusively. Log online at www.EasyridersEvents.com.
Tim Pfisterer, builder of the Drag Specialties FatBook bike featured in our September issue, and his wife Shelly, a Parts Unlimited sales rep, live the motorcycle life 24/7. So when baby daughter Sara arrived, one of Tim’s toolboxes was converted to serve as a changing table and place for her to hang out while dad works on bikes. Those slide out drawers are a handy place to store Pampers and other baby essentials. Chad Zulian photo.
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 .B. “Buck” Hendrickson has been selected for the position of Chief Operating Officer at American IronHorse Motorcycle. Hendrickson will oversee corporate operations and will guide its veteran managers on new growth plans for manufacturing, product development, sales, and marketing.
Hendrickson has 15 years of high-level executive positions in production and manufacturing. Before joining American IronHorse, he was CEO for Florida-based Specialty Elastomers Technologies Inc., a large manufacturer of injection molded rubber products.
During his career, Hendrickson has helmed the engineering and product development initiatives for manufacturers serving a number of industries, including automotive, agriculture, construction, firearms, government and law enforcement. His background also includes serving 10 years as plant production manager for Chrysler Corp., where he developed a new tooling design and process for the Dodge Viper® that increased the automotive giant’s market share.
“Buck Hendrickson brings to American IronHorse a well-rounded manufacturing and management background and a unique skill for helping companies reach untapped opportunities in the marketplace,” said Dwayne Moyers, CEO for American IronHorse. “We are very glad to have him on board and we know he'll be a valuable asset to the company.”
Hendrickson received an Industrial Management degree from Central Michigan University. He is a native of Pembroke, Va. and is an avid motorcycle enthusiast. Hendrickson is also a former serviceman in the Vietnam War and remains very active in veteran community activities.
American IronHorse has also announced another shift in its upper management ranks. The company has promoted Brad Van Dyke to Vice President of Quality Compliance. In his new role, Van Dyke will head all quality control processes and several new quality-centered systems for American IronHorse. He will also spearhead all auditing, training, regulatory and reporting programs.
Van Dyke joined American IronHorse in 2004 and has held the former title of Director of Quality. While at AIH, Van Dyke has been responsible for implementing the factory’s ISO 9000/2000 standard and for more than doubling AIH’s quality measurement rating.
Before IronHorse, Van Dyke spent 22 years with the worldwide conglomerate, BF Goodrich Aerospace. There he worked in various departments, including R&D, Engineering, and Quality Control. He received an Electronics degree from Sussex Technical School in New Jersey.
For more details, visit American IronHorse online at www.americanironhorse.com.
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Parts Magazine
Volume 13 #11
Parts Magazine Index
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