henever we look back at the end of a year, there is always sadness when we remember the friends we lost and troubles that we wish we hadn’t had to endure. But at the same time there are always new people in the news, and developments and announcements that give us hope and excitement for the year ahead. That’s how life goes and 2007 is no exception.
     Among those friends we lost this year include motorcycle industry veterans John Wyckoff, CJ Ramstad, Marcel Fortney, James Clark, Gene Koch, dealer Andy Kolbe and Honda’s Merlyn Plumlee, who worked with all of the top Honda roadracers the past couple of decades.      And we lost four others with notable careers that impacted the sport greatly through the years in their own ways. Bud Ekins did so much with his own name, but millions have seen him perform without knowing that he doubled for Steve McQueen in the famous jump in “The Great Escape.” We lost Bill France Jr., whose family created not only NASCAR, but also the Daytona 200 and Bill had his hand in motorcycling through that legendary event. The Drag racing community lost NHRA founder Wally Parks and pioneer publisher Robert Petersen passed away as well. In addition to his famous Hot Rod magazine, his group of magazines included Motorcyclist, Dirt Rider and others. We extend our condolences to the friends and families of all these great individuals.
     In addition to those who passed on, Doug Henry, Miguel Duhamel and Chris Blais suffered serious injuries this year and we wish them well in their recoveries. And we also wish Jeff Fox and Ricky Carmichael well in their retirements. They both made their mark on the industry and sport and are beginning new chapters in their lives.
     Living here in Southern California, we had those devastating fires in October and late-November and numerous people who ride and/or work in the powersports industry lost homes and property and they are having to get their lives back in order.
     With this sadness, 2007 also brought us some new developments and new stars in our sport. America gets a 2nd MotoGP event in 2008 with the addition of a Grand Prix at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I always love the atmosphere of the Monterey Peninsula for the MotoGP at Laguna Seca, but this additional event at Indianapolis should really help elevate the United States in the world of Grand Prix racing. Since the Indy event will run all three of the International classes, it will truly have the GP flavor that we see in Europe and could have some influence on racing classes here in the United States.
     After following some other racing names for many years, this was a breakthrough season for new stars like Ryan Villopoto, Ben Townley, Casey Stoner, Matt Smith, David Knight, Mark Burkhart, Brandon Currie, Ben Carlson, Ben Spies, Josh Hayes, Kurt Casselli, Kenny Coolbeth and others. Get used to their names; these will be the newsmakers of 2008 and beyond.
     The AMA announced a new president in 2007, Rob Dingman. Get used to his name too, as what the AMA does affects us all. While it’s too early to know what kind of impact Dingman will have, we are already seeing a different approach and I would say that it does look promising. His new “vision” that he announced in the early days of his new job were followed by an announcement that the AMA would restructure its role in professional racing, followed by some changes with the AMA Board of Directors.
     LeMans Corporation, parent of Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties, THOR, Moose Off-Road, Icon and other brands celebrated it 40th anniversary this year. Having recently updated its two facilities in Canada, the company just opened the doors of a new 400,000+ square foot distribution center near Reno, Nevada. Next on tap is a location in Europe.
     To all those who may have been directly affected by any catastrophes, personal losses, or a business downturn by the economy, our thoughts are with you. We should be inspired by the commitment that Fred Fox and his Lemans Corporation has to our industry. Look no further than his most recent multi-million dollar “upgrade” in Reno and we know he is certainly looking to the future, and it’s looking bright.