Motorcycle Racing

plus 1, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward joins AMA Pro Racing - American Motorcyclist Association

2010-03-19T23:09:00.001-07:00

plus 1, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward joins AMA Pro Racing - American Motorcyclist Association

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward joins AMA Pro Racing - American Motorcyclist Association

Posted: 19 Mar 2010 12:04 PM PDT

From a press release issued by Daytona Motorsports Group...

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 19, 2010) - Motorcycle racing legend Jeff Ward (right) will bring his considerable amount of racing and career experience to AMA Pro Racing as rider liaison and advisor. Ward has nine AMA Pro Racing Championships in Motocross, Supercross and Supermoto. He also has a number of other significant motorcycle wins and achievements as well as an impressive auto racing resume that includes a Ganassi Indy Car win, Rookie of the Year at the 1997 Indianapolis 500 and a second place finish in that iconic event in 1999. Jeff is also in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Among other responsibilities, Jeff will be the rider liaison and will fully engage with AMA Pro Racing's riders on the many issues that are important to or may cause concern from the rider's standpoint. "Jeff has the perspective of an experienced, champion rider and can understand the concerns and questions that only someone who has experienced it from behind the handlebars would truly understand," said AMA Pro Racing COO David Atlas. "And having Jeff represent that part of our sport and be one of our key advisors will further our efforts to be as available and responsive to our riders and teams as we can. From the time he was a child and was featured doing wheelies in the classic motorcycle movie 'On Any Sunday', Jeff has devoted his entire sports life to winning and he is now cultivating his own children's successful motorcycle competition careers. We felt that the spectrum of Wardy's experience, his down to earth sincerity and unassuming nature could be very helpful to many in our paddock."

Joining AMA Pro Racing Race Director David McGrath, who also has experience as a rider in the sport, Jeff and David McGrath provide AMA Pro Racing with a large baseline of firsthand racer experience that will greatly benefit the riders in AMA Pro Racing.

"I'm delighted to be joining the AMA Pro Racing series," said Ward, "I personally know many of the riders and am looking forward to helping them have a positive influence in the future direction of the sport and the way in which they plan and pursue their training, successful strategies and careers."

Jeff will begin his duties at the upcoming March 26-28th Auto Club Speedway AMA Pro Road Racing event in Fontana, CA and will be a very approachable presence in the pits and paddock at the AMA Pro Road Racing events in 2010. Ward will also advise AMA Pro Racing on motocross and flat track rider matters which it sanctions too, as well as assist AMA Pro Racing with its relations with the motorcycle manufacturers and parts suppliers.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Ward joins AMA Pro ... - American Motorcyclist Association

Posted: 19 Mar 2010 12:04 PM PDT

From a press release issued by Daytona Motorsports Group...

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 2, Summit Point Raceway Announces Six Weekends of ... - Associated Content

2010-03-18T23:02:00.001-07:00

plus 2, Summit Point Raceway Announces Six Weekends of ... - Associated Content

Summit Point Raceway Announces Six Weekends of ... - Associated Content
WERA Collaborates With YRR To Promote Youth Road Racing - RoadracingWorld.com
West Coast Moto Jam coming to Sonoma in May - Napa Valley Register

Summit Point Raceway Announces Six Weekends of ... - Associated Content

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 04:54 PM PDT

175-mph, Two-wheeled Road Racing Rockets Spend Summer in the Valley

Summit Point Raceway has announced a 2010 motorcycle racing schedule that includes six weekends of two-day action for fans of two-wheeled action.

The 10-turn, 2.0-mile Summit Point Raceway will host the WERA Racing organization events, including the annual 6-hour Bridgestone National Endurance Series race, on three weekends. The 26-year-old

Championship Cup Series joins with the American Sportbike Racing Association Pro Racing series to fill out the rest of the summer of high speed action.

The season of motorcycle racing at Summit Point Raceway begins with a Saturday-Sunday weekend of racing for WERA racers on April 10-11. WERA, begun in 1974, features classes for almost all sport bike motorcycles. Saturday's competition starts with warm ups and qualifying. WERA racing features 8- to 10-lap events that are run Saturday afternoon and Sunday all day. Racing usually lasts until 5 p.m. each day.

WERA returns to Summit Point from Friday, July 30 to Sunday, Aug. 1 in an event that will also feature the 6-hour Bridgestone National Endurance Series race. The endurance series features teams of riders who take turns piloting the same bike trying to see which team can run the most laps in a 6-hour time period. WERA rounds out the action with racing from Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19.

Riders in the combined CCS/ASRA Pro Racing series will race on three weekends: the annual Summit Point Festival of Speed, Saturday, May 29 to Monday, May 31; Saturday, July 3 to Sunday, July 4 and the End of Summer Cyclefest, Saturday, Aug. 28 to Sunday, Aug. 29. The Cyclefest includes racing sidecar motorcycles.

WERA and CCS Racing offers a fan-friendly environment not found in most other forms of speed competitions. Motorcycle racing isn't like NASCAR where fans are kept away from the drivers. Motorcycle racing fans are free to roam the pits at Summit Pont Raceway to talk to their favorite riders, ask questions, and check out the motorcycles. Also Summit Point Raceway allows free camping and provides hot showers for fans and competitors.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

WERA Collaborates With YRR To Promote Youth Road Racing - RoadracingWorld.com

Posted: 18 Mar 2010 01:45 PM PDT

From a press release issued by Youth Road Racing:
Long Beach, Calif. (March 18, 2010) — WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc. (WERA) and Youth Road Racing USA (YRR) are proud to announce a collaborative effort to promote and develop youth roadracing in America. As the official sponsor of the WERA Mini Race series, YRR will utilize its StepUp program to provide youngsters a graduated process for developing their racing skills and acquiring a WERA competition license.
The YRR StepUp program cultivates young racers through skill-building exercises and exposing them to the racetrack in a safe and controlled environment. The program has helped the evolution of 2008 U.S. Red Bull Rookie Cup Champion, Benny Solis, Jr., 2009 USGPRU 125GP runner up Ryan Matter and many other up-and-coming competitors. With this WERA collaboration, YRR's StepUp program is now connected to racing through select WERA events nationwide.
"The StepUp program has been a key component of Youth Road Racing USA's progression, and has provided numerous kids a safe environment in which to prepare for professional roadracing," says YRR Founder & President, Josiah Taulbee. "Now, with WERA's support and our sponsorship of its Mini Series, we can enhance the StepUp program and properly prepare kids for the next level of their racing careers by offering WERA licensing through on-track instruction nationwide."
WERA has allowed youngsters to race in its Sportsman series since its inception and recently added 50cc and 80cc minis to select racetracks five years ago. By aligning the efforts of WERA and YRR, the organizations will bridge the gap between youth and professional competition. YRR will head up the effort to promote WERA events to local youth racing programs across the country.
"WERA Motorcycle Roadracing is happy to partner with the Youth Road Racing USA program and give young riders another avenue to craft their skills and give them a way to make their dreams of being a motorcycle roadracer come true," says WERA President, Evelyne Clarke. "Many world-caliber riders have come from the WERA Motorcycle Roadracing community. To now have YRR as a part of that community will only help boost the fortunes of these future roadracing stars."
Catch the WERA Mini Series roadrace events supported by Youth Road Racing USA at all of the five remaining Lucas Oils WERA West rounds as well as regional races east of the Mississippi at Beaver Run, Nashville, Talladega, Jennings GP, Summit Point and Carolina Motorsports Park events. Participating YRR riders and associations will receive a 50 percent discount on WERA's license fee.
About WERA
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc, is one of the oldest and largest national sanctioning bodies conducting motorcycle races at roadcourses across the United States. 1999 marked the 25th Anniversary for WERA Motorcycle Roadracing. There are over 3,000 roadracers holding a competition license and 250 holding a support membership.
About Youth Road Racing USA
Youth Road Racing USA is an organization dedicated to defining, promoting and growing the sport of Youth Road Racing in the US with the support of local and national organizations which provide youth-focused racing environments.

More Breaking Headlines | Next Article | Home

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

West Coast Moto Jam coming to Sonoma in May - Napa Valley Register

Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:02 AM PDT

Infineon Raceway's traditional spring motorcycle weekend will have a new look and feel in 2010, as well as a new name.

The West Coast Moto Jam will take place May 14-16 and boasts a little bit of everything on two wheels, highlighted by the best motorcycle road racers in the country from AMA Pro Road Racing.

But the action won't be limited to the world-famous road course. The weekend will also feature Supermoto, Flat Track and Motocross.

Plus, the raceway will host the first-ever zero-carbon motorcycle race in the United States with the TTXGP U.S. Championships.

It's one of the most comprehensive motorcycle weekends on the West Coast.

"Northern California is home to enthusiasts of every kind of motorcycle racing, and our vision for this event is to offer a unique menu of activity that will satisfy every one of their passions," said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway.

A look at the motorcycle menu:

AMA Pro Road Racing

The road course will be the site for AMA Pro Road Racing with action in three divisions — American SuperBike, Daytona SportBike and Supersport.

Each division will run main events on both Saturday and Sunday of race weekend, making for a jam-packed program on the road course.

TTXGP U.S.Championships

Infineon Raceway will host the first-ever zero-carbon motorcycle race in the United States with the TTXGP U.S. Championships.

Azhar Hussain, founder of TTXGP (Time Trial eXtreme Grand Prix), hopes to build on the success of a similar event hosted in Europe last June.

Supermoto USA

The Infineon Raceway Karting Center will also come alive with Supermoto USA, which will compete for the fifth consecutive year.

Competitors will navigate the three-quarter mile, 16-turn course, which is a combination of dirt and asphalt.

It's one of the most challenging circuits on the series' schedule.

Motocross

Motocross, which was a highly-popular addition to the race weekend in 2008, returns after a one-year hiatus. Racing will be featured in vintage, amateur and endurance divisions.

Legendary rider Brad Lackey, who won the 1982 World Motocross Championship, will team with McAllister Motorsports to host the event. More than 300 riders are expected for this three-day event.

Flat Track

Flat Track will take place on a quarter-mile oval created behind the Turn 9 Terrace with Eddie Mulder's West Coast Dirt Track Series.

This marks the first Flat Track event at Infineon Raceway in more than 20 years. Racing will span all weekend.

May 12-13

Festivities begin on Wednesday, May 12, with a 3J's Motorcycle Track Day (www.3jsmotorcycledays.com), with all proceeds benefitting Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway.

That night, get ready for motorcycle drag racing on the quarter-mile strip.

The 5th annual Leo Vince Grape Crushers Run takes place on Thursday, May 13.

To take part in this day of easy riding through the Sonoma Valley, contact Leo Vince at www.leovinceusa.com.

For ticket information to the West Coast Moto Jam, visit www.infineonraceway.com or call (800) 870-RACE.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 1, Are Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott On The Rocks? - celebritybabyscoop

2010-03-17T23:14:00.001-07:00

plus 1, Are Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott On The Rocks? - celebritybabyscoop

Are Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott On The Rocks? - celebritybabyscoop

Posted: 17 Mar 2010 06:11 PM PDT

Is there trouble in paradise? In footage from the new season of their reality TV show, Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott appear to be on the rocks, Life & Style reports. Scenes from Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood reveal their seemingly perfect relationship is now filled with tears, tension and screaming matches. "What changed with me?" Dean pleads with his wife. "It's like you got more and more unhappy and angry," Tori cries back to her husband. "I just want the old Dean back. I really do. I miss you so much."

By his own admission, Dean isn't the same attentive man Tori married. Recently, he's been consumed by an obsession with motorcycle racing. Dean often leaves Tori with the kids while he speeds off to California's Auto Club Speedway several days every week, for hours at a time.

One of the major plotlines in season five is that Dean is rarely home with the family. Even Dean says, "I'm not present as a father and a husband." Tori is quickly growing tired of supporting their family — which includes son Liam, 3, and daughter Stella, 1 1/2, — in addition to paying for his pricey hobby. "Dean has very little money of his own," an insider says. "He doesn't make a lot of money from his acting career. She has to work and parent and take care of the home all at once."

"Dean's the first to show up for photo ops," the insider adds. "Tori likes when production is going on because at least there are tons of people around, money's coming in and there are things to do." What will Tori do? "She won't leave Dean right now," says the insider. "It would be very embarrassing for her and her family. She's stuck."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

MotoGP Racing - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PST

Fantasy Racing Play Fantasy Superbike and GP – Sign Up Today

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The “Aaron Gobert Racing In Australian Supersport ... - RoadracingWorld.com”

2010-03-16T23:22:00.001-07:00

The “Aaron Gobert Racing In Australian Supersport ... - RoadracingWorld.com”

Aaron Gobert Racing In Australian Supersport ... - RoadracingWorld.com

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 12:29 PM PDT

(This original, copyrighted material may not be copied, cut and pasted, published or otherwise reproduced in any way in any medium, which means, don't post this on another website or BBS. If you want somebody else to see this, send them a link or post a link to this page.)
The economic crisis has been tough on America, and few industries have been hit harder than the motorcycle industry. As a result, motorcycle racing budgets have been cut dramatically, and relatively young former Champions have been left without full-time rides.
One such rider is 29-year-old Aaron Gobert, a former AMA Superstock Champion who won an AMA Formula Xtreme race as recently as 2008.
"It's just screwed out there for everybody, unless you were in the middle of a contract or been tied up with a team or a country for a long time," Gobert told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday, as he prepared his belongings for shipment from his home in Murrieta, California back to Australia. "It was hard to find a ride. I pretty much put my eggs in one basket and was working with KWS Motorsports to hopefully get the Aprilia Superbike deal on the racetrack, but for race teams it is tough. Us riders bitch and moan about not being able to find a ride, but what about these teams that can't find money to go race? It's not that we're not good enough anymore. It's not a matter of that at all. It's just the funds are not there."
So instead of waiting around the U.S. for a ride that may or may not materialize, Gobert said he decided to return to his homeland of Australia, which has been spared the worst of the global economic downturn and run his own race team in the VIC Motorcycle Wreckers Australian Supersport Championship.
"Yamaha is supporting us with factory R6s, and Graves Motorsports is supporting us with parts and equipment," said Gobert, who raced with Graves Motorsports and Yamaha for several of his seasons in America.
Gobert's 2010 Australian campaign did not get off to the best start, however, as he finished ninth and 13th in the first races, which were held February 27-28 in conjunction with the Superbike World Championship event at Phillip Island.
"We kind of struggled at the first round with a bit of drama, but that's what happens when you get a bike built in a week," said Gobert. "I've been doing plenty of riding all during Christmas, but unfortunately I got my YZF-R6 two weeks before the first race and then with getting it built and traveling we didn't quite have the time to have it done 100%. We ran into some electrical problems, fuel mapping and engine management issues that slowed us down, but now we have four or five weeks to build a bike before the next round, so we should be good.
"Obviously, the ultimate goal is that when things turn around in the States is to try to get back here and race full-time. I still stay in touch with the KWS guys. They appreciated everything I brought to the team last year. Everybody with the team got along. I hope that when they get on the racetrack I'm the guy they pick first. That's the plan. But right now I ride for Gobert Motorsports, so I'm free to do things like that, self promote and ride whatever I want."

More Breaking Headlines | Next Article | Home

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

plus 1, Motorcycle Clothing: Clothes and Protective Clothing ... - Associated Content

2010-03-15T23:21:00.001-07:00

plus 1, Motorcycle Clothing: Clothes and Protective Clothing ... - Associated Content

Motorcycle Clothing: Clothes and Protective Clothing ... - Associated Content

Posted: 15 Mar 2010 09:34 PM PDT

Motorcycle clothing, the right protection for every biker. That motorcycling is a hobby that probably only the most popular football is. Man is by nature very closely linked, if one goes with the bike on the road. But who is only two wheels on the road while driving speeds, which should generally exceed that of a car by far, the absolutely sure that he has observed in relation to clothing while riding the bike a couple of points. Because you can quickly during times of motorcycle clothing make a mistake if we forget the essentials.

Motorcycle clothing is designed to provide the institution primarily for protection.

If you should fall with a motorcycle - which I hope never happens - then not only would tear traditional clothing, but skin and bones of the motorcyclist would also be affected. For this not to happen, the special protective clothing for motorcyclists was invented. It consists mostly of leather, because this stuff is just more resistant. Over the years, but these clothes were constantly improved. So there was really only the beginning of leather jackets that were worn while riding motorcycles.

But with the introduction of complete motorcycle racing suits were offered for the first time a complete protection for the entire body. However, these early garments were still kept very thick, and especially in the summer it got very quickly into a sweat. It then has one or the other driver had misled me, give up the protective clothing. Thus one has sought to develop a safe motorcycle clothing always offer the best protection possible and still provide a convenient and comfortable to wear. These were first used in racing, the latest developments, which would then benefit the normal motorcyclist.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Gainsville NHRA Motorcycle Drag Results - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 15 Mar 2010 12:02 PM PDT

Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Eddie Krawiec chalked up his first win at the opening round of the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing season in Gainesville, Florida, after beating out Rum Bum Buell's Shawn Gann in the final round of eliminations.

Krawiec scored his sixth career win with his victory at Gainesville and earned his first Wally trophy of 2010. "Gainesville is very special to me," said the Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson pilot. "Years ago when I first started out, I wanted to win here. To finally get a win here, I can't be any more excited. We ended 2009 with a win in Pomona and to start 2010 with another one is awesome."

Vance & Hines/Screamin' Eagle's Andrew Hines red-lighted in Round 2 against the reigning 2009 NHRA champion Hector Arana, who repeated the mistake in semi-finals against Shawn Gann.

Krawiec dispatched Craig Treble in the semi-finals by posting a 6.903 to Treble's 6.971 second pass.

In the final elimination, Krawiec's faster reaction time blasted him down the quarter-mile .009 seconds quicker than Gann. It was a very fast field with eight of the 16 bikes qualified for the event with a run under 6.9 seconds, and all but three were under 7.00 seconds. "I guess it showed this weekend that all the bikes were pretty close. Everybody did their R&D this winter, and that is great for the class. This time, a Harley-Davidson was fortunate enough to get the win, but it turned into a rider battle, not just a contest to see who had the fastest bike," said Krawiec.

The next Pro Stock Motorcycle event in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series is scheduled for March 25th at the Four-Wide NHRA Nationals in Concord, North Carolina.

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Results
Tire Kingdom Gatornationals - Gainsville, FA

Round Win/Loss Driver R-Time E-Time Speed

Final (W) Eddie Krawiec (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines) 0.045 6.899 195.68
(L) Shawn Gann (Rum Bum Racing Buell) 0.054 6.908 194.21

Round 3 (W) Shawn Gann (Rum Bum Racing Buell) 0.015 6.907 193.18
(L) Hector Arana (Lucas Oil Buell) -0.013(R) 8.316 110.95

(W) Eddie Krawiec (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines) 0.0176 6.903 194.63
(L) Craig Treble (Don Schumacher Racing Suzuki) 0.011 6.971 189.52

Round 2 (W) Shawn Gann (Rum Bum Racing Buell) 0.063 6.945 192.06
(L) Karen Stoffer (GEICO Motorcycle Suzuki) 0.072 6.979 187.52

(W) Hector Arana (Lucas Oil Buell) 0.005 6.916 191.70
(L) Andrew Hines (Vance & Hines/Screamin' Eagle) -0.009(R) 6.891 190.51

(W) Eddie Krawiec (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines) 0.072 6.856 194.63
(L) Steve Johnson (Steve Johnson Racing/WyoTech) -0.033(R) 7.149 159.02

(W) David Hope (Vroom Racing Buell) -0.003(R) 6.939 189.63
(L) Craig Treble (Don Schumacher Racing Suzuki) 0.033 7.038 186.07

Round 1 (W) Karen Stoffer (GEICO Motorcycle Suzuki) 0.072 6.979 187.52
(L) Redell Harris 0.023 6.999 187.08

(W) Junior Pippin (PiranaZ Buell) 0.054 6.941 191.59
(L) Shawn Gann (Rum Bum Racing Buell) 0.057 6.893 193.85

(W) Hector Arana (Lucas Oil Buell) 0.005 6.868 194.41
(L) LE Tonglet 0.064 7.055 192.08

(W) Andrew Hines (Vance & Hines/Screamin' Eagle) 0.007 6.875 195.51
(L) Jim Underdahl -0.104(R) 6.931 195.17

(W) Eddie Krawiec (Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines) 0.030 6.864 195.11
(L) Angie Smith (Coffman Tank Trucks Buell) 0.023 6.976 187.47

(W) Steve Johnson (Steve Johnson Racing/WyoTech) 0.023 6.978 193.18
(L) Matt Smith (Al-Anabi Buell) 0.044 6.982 191.13

(W) David Hope (Vroom Racing Buell) 0.568 6.939 189.76
(L) Mike Berry (MB Precision Machine Suzuki) -9.999(R) BROKE

(W) Craig Treble (Don Schumacher Racing Suzuki) 0.039 6.901 193.49
(L) Michael Phillips (Phillips Racing Suzuki) -0.019(R) 6.932 194.07

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The “MotoGP Racing - Motorcycle USA”

2010-03-15T00:20:00.001-07:00

The “MotoGP Racing - Motorcycle USA”

MotoGP Racing - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PST

Fantasy Racing Play Fantasy Superbike and GP – Sign Up Today

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, Electric Motorcycle Racing Becomes a ‘Race to Own ... - Wired News

2010-03-13T23:07:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Electric Motorcycle Racing Becomes a ‘Race to Own ... - Wired News

Electric Motorcycle Racing Becomes a ‘Race to Own ... - Wired News
TTXGP Trust: own electric motorcycle racing - motorcyclist online
New Jersey Motorsports Park Creates Motorcycle Road ... - Associated Content
MOTOR RACING ROUNDUP: Edwards earns No. 1 qualifying ... - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Electric Motorcycle Racing Becomes a ‘Race to Own ... - Wired News

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 03:30 PM PST

The man who jump-started electric motorcycle racing believes a new form of motor sport requires a new form of governance, so he's created a cooperative where teams racing in the TTXGP help make the rules, settle the disputes and share in the profits.

Azhar Hussain's approach stands in stark contrast to the centralized structure of most motor sports, where a governing body calls the tune the teams dance to. To that end, he announced today the creation of Trust.eGrandPrix.Org, a "co-operative union" where teams share in the ownership and running of the TTXGP electric motorcycle grand prix.

"This is a big Control-Alt-Delete for motorsports," Hussain says. "It's a reboot. We're giving teams control. This binds everyone together on a common trajectory and it gives everyone a piece of the action they're generating."

Hussain argues a nascent sport driven by rapidly changing technology cannot be constrained by rigid rules handed down from on high. He didn't name names, but it's clear he's talking about the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the international sanctioning body of MotoGP and other races. Hussain had been working with the FIM to bring the TTXGP under its umbrella until last fall, when the FIM unilaterally launched its own electric races, the ePower International Series.

"Racing organizations are effectively cartels and empires," Hussain says. "We need to reboot what it is to be a racing organization. It is open, it is transparent and it is democratic."

The TEO, as Trust.eGrandPrix.Org is called, is open to all teams who race in the TTXGP series, which so far includes 12 races in four countries and a grand championship finale slated for Albacete, Spain in October. Teams automatically are a part of the TEO. They earn shares in TTXGP Limited, the commercial rights owner of the race series, based upon how many races they run, how many bikes they enter and how many seasons they compete. The shares cannot be bought or traded, only earned by suiting up.

"We call it race to own," Hussain says.

At this point Hussain and a handful of investors pretty much own TTXGP Limited. Thirty percent of the equity will be transferred to the teams by the end of this year. The teams will slowly earn a majority stake in the operation, which is legally required by the terms of its incorporation to cede at least 70 percent equity to the teams by 2020 — assuming, of course, the TTXGP is still around. We won't bore you with the details, but there's a vesting process and a formula by which teams start losing shares if they stop racing. Go three years without competing and you're out.

Regardless of how much equity the teams hold in TTXGP Limited, they will control three of five seats on the corporation's board of governance. Those seats will be filled by open ballot every two years and no one person could serve more than two terms. In addition to helping draft the rules — based upon the TTXGP Technical Rules Wiki — the governing board will appoint the five members of the board of arbitration, which will settle any disputes that arise between teams.

Beyond giving the teams a say in making the rules and settling the disputes, the TEO entitles them to a share of the profits — if and when there are any.

"We're unlikely to make a profit in 2010," Hussain says. "But the teams are buying in for the long term. Next year we'll see some cash flow coming back."

From what? The same stuff MotoGP, Formula 1 and everyone else makes money on — ticket sales, merchandising and television rights. Yes, television rights. Hussain says some of the races on this year's calendar will be televised, and he expects an audience of 250,000 viewers this year. Not many, no, but Hussain sees big things ahead.

"We think that within 10 years, this can be a multibillion-dollar endeavor," he says. "We are accelerating that quickly."

He's completely serious. It would be easy to discount that as wishful, if not delusional, thinking, but it's worth noting Hussain launched the TTXGP with one race on the Isle of Man last year. Not one year later, he's got 13 motorcycle races and an electric car race on the calendar. Clearly there's no knowing how big, or how fast, this nascent sport will grow.

Although Hussain wants to create a democratic model for governing this new sport, there's a measure of self-preservation involved. The TTXGP is in its infancy, and it's standing against the FIM and the Isle of Man, which recently split with Hussain and announced it would launch its own race, the TT Zero. That's like bringing a a nail file to a gunfight. In an effort to bolster its strength, the TTXGP will award additional shares — and therefore profits — to teams that race only in the TTXGP.

"This year we will beat the FIM," Hussain says. "But the FIM is an incredibly powerful empire."

It remains to be seen how many teams will commit to the TTXGP. Hussain says 55 have registered — most of them from the United States, with the rest from China, India and Europe — but no one's ponied up the registration fee. They've got until March 29 if they're competing in the U.S. races and April 30 if they're running anywhere else.

It's a radical idea, and even Hussain isn't sure it will work.

"I have no idea," he said. "But I think it's more important to give it a go. I think it absolutely will work if people get behind it. Cooperatives are a proven model, and they work."

We'll see.

Photo of electric motorcycles at the TTXGP in June: Pew! Pew! Pew! Lasers!/Flickr

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

TTXGP Trust: own electric motorcycle racing - motorcyclist online

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 10:22 AM PST

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

New Jersey Motorsports Park Creates Motorcycle Road ... - Associated Content

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 10:05 AM PST

Motorcycle Series Caters to Road Racing Fanatics Along the I-95 Cooridor

New Jersey Motorsports park officials and representatives of Championship Cup Series motorcycle racing have announced the formation of a four-event Jersey Road Race Series for motorcycle road racers. The series will run on both of www.njmotorsportspark.com/ race tracks in Millville and allow competitors along the I-95 corridor to compete without having to travel hundreds of miles.

The Tracks

The series will use the fast and daring 1.9-mile Lightning track on the weekends of June 25-27 and Sept. 10-12 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The Jersey Road Race Series riders will also compete twice on the 2.25-mile, twisty Thunderbolt circuit (April 30 and May 2), also at the park. The Lightning Circuit features long, sweeping corners and two, fifth-gear straights and a newly-famous, 180-degree, carousel corner. The Thunderbolt Circuit contains many tight and twisty sections that test a rider's ability to brake with confidence and switch turning directions quickly. The races are part of a 16-event spectator schedule at New Jersey Motorsport Park, a facility that is beginning its third year in operation.

About CCS Racing

www.ccsracing.us/ racing offers a class for nearly every sport bike in production for every skill level from amateur to expert The Jersey Road Race Series will crown a regional champion. However, all of the races will also count toward the CCS Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic regional regular season championships.

The 16-year-old CCS series ran a hugely successful inaugural race weekend on July 24-26, 2009.

CCS organizes a fan-friendly format that features more than two dozen, 8-20 lap races on the Saturday and Sunday of each race weekend. As many as 36 riders may participate in each race and drivers are encouraged to race in as many events that they qualify for.

Typical Race Weekends

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

MOTOR RACING ROUNDUP: Edwards earns No. 1 qualifying ... - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:17 PM PST

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Mike Edwards raced to a Pro Stock victory and the No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The defending NHRA champion powered his Pontiac GXP to a win in the completion of the rain-delayed Arizona Nationals and earned his third No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 25th overall in the Gatornationals.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also topped qualifying in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Edwards raced to his second win of the season and 22nd of his career by outrunning rookie driver Bob Yonke in the final. It was Yonke's first final- round appearance in his first NHRA start. Edwards had a run of 6.552 seconds at 211.16 mph, while Yonke trailed with a 6.601 at 209.36 in his GXP. Edwards took the top qualifying spot for the Gatornationals with a 6.537-second run at 211.56 mph.

In Top Fuel, Brown powered his dragster to a track-record time of 3.803 at 321.04 to earn his first No. 1 of the season and 22nd of his career (11th in Top Fuel).

Hagan claimed his third Funny Car top qualifying effort with a 4.060 at a track-record speed of 313.58 in a Dodge Charger.

Stoffer earned her second career No. 1 position in Pro Stock Motorcycle, speeding to a track-record time of 6.855 at 194.77 on a Suzuki.

Formula One

SAKHIR, Bahrain - Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull will start Formula One's

season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from the pole position, while Michael Schumacher will start in seventh place in his comeback with Mercedes.

Vettel set a fastest time of 1minute, 54.101 seconds on Saturday to edge Ferrari pair Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, who've both won at the desert track.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

plus 3, Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com

2010-03-12T23:19:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com

Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com
TRACK TALK: World of Wheels takes over Hub - Enterprise
Hight fastest in rain-shortened Funny Car qualifying - CBS Sports
Steven Cole Smith, Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor - Orlando Sentinel

Gainesville: Katie Sullivan Friday report - Motorsport.com

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:22 PM PST

SULLIVAN'S BASELINE SETS UP DRAMATIC SATURDAY

Gainesville, Fla. -- NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider "Kalifornia" Katie Sullivan is hoping for better results tomorrow at Gainesville Raceway after a lack-luster 7.459 second elapsed time at 181.84 miles per hour during the first day of qualifying at the 41st NHRA Tire Kingdom Gatornationals contested in Gainesville, Fla.

Driving the Gann Motorsports 'Cream-sickle' orange and white colored Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle, Sullivan's 7.49 E.T. was good enough for the 18th quickest run of the day, which based on NHRA's qualifying rules, places her on the outside looking in of the 16-bike field. During the run, Sullivan had some difficulty shifting the motorcycle, which combined with miss judging the tune-up produced the off-pace elapsed time. The Corning, Calif. based 19-year old college student believes better things are in store for tomorrow's final two qualifying sessions.

"We kind of struck out during our only run of the day," noted Sullivan. "The bike was set up to run a low 7-second E.T., but we spun the tire pretty good, producing a really soft 60-foot time. After the initial hit, things just went down-hill from there. I had some issues with shifting the bike but the Suzuki went very straight. We put a different shifter on the bike which should help me get this great bike into the field tomorrow."

"Making the field tomorrow will be a huge accomplishment for our team," said Sullivan. "We have a great team assembled and we will put forth our best effort to ensure we are racing on Sunday. There have been so many people who are supporting this team, from our fans and friends and people like Ted and Jim at StopSafeUSA.COM (http://www.stopsafeusa.com). My main goal for this weekend is simply to make them proud of us."

The Sullivan Family Racing NHRA Pro Stock team will receive two more attempts tomorrow to qualify for Sunday's final eliminations.

-source: sullivan family racing

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

TRACK TALK: World of Wheels takes over Hub - Enterprise

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 08:09 PM PST

The 36th annual Town Fair Tire World of Wheels custom car show has rolled into Boston's Bayside Expo Center this weekend with its now familiar and popular mix of custom cars, about 300 expected, and special attractions.

The Town Fair Tire World of Wheels represents millions of dollars worth of one-of-a-kind hot rods, customs, street rods, collectibles, race cars, antiques, restorations, tuners and more.

The show also always offers spectators the chance to meet and get free autographs from celebrities, to see specialty vehicle exhibits and to be entertained by many other attractions for the whole family. The show hours are today from 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Modified to award bonus points: NASCAR has announced that its Modified touring divisions will now award bonus points for its races.

NASCAR has instituted lap-leader bonus points for the first time to the Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours. Bonus points will be employed for the first time in a Whelen Modified Tour race for the season-opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on April 11.

'Budweiser Blastoff' draws near: The Bob Valante Modified Series officials are busily preparing for the season opening "Budweiser Blastoff" at the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Conn., for March 26-28. That Friday will be utilized as a practice day with qualifying races on Saturday and the 100-lap green flag feature race on Sunday.

NHMS eyes casino: According to the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, looking to prop up the bottom line at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, GM Gerry Gappens has proposed to the state that the venue wants to build a gambling casino if it can get approval from the state and local authorities. Also part of the expansion is the New England Racing Hall of Fame Museum.

This comes on the heels of the recent announcement that the Kansas Speedway, owned by International Speedway Corp.(ISC), received permission to build a casino on the track property.

The results of which will find the management of ISC petitioning NASCAR for a second NASCAR Cup and support series weekend. That could result could see another transfer of a Cup race from a southeastern U.S. track, which could be one of the events held at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Thompson to celebrate 70th anniversary: Thompson International Speedway will mark the opening of its 70th anniversary year with the running of the traditional Icebreaker on the weekend of April 10-11. The famed, high-banked oval will usher in the 2010 racing season with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Thompson's own "Super 6" NASCAR Whelen All-American series divisions.

Around the track: Seekonk Speedway has finalized the 2010 racing schedule. With 4 weeks until the first Test & Tune, scheduled for Saturday, April 3, the staff is gearing up for a busy season. Opening day has been set for May 2, featuring the Phil's Propane 75 for the ARC Pro Stocks. This is the first of two 75-lap mains for the Pro's in 2010. The second is June 19.

Hillside Speedway in Westport will hold its first awards banquet March 27 at 6 p.m. at the VFW Hall, Route 118, Rehoboth.

The Mini Sprints are still going to race in 2010 as an organized club. Organizers are talking to Pete Giamalvo of Sideway's Promotions who organizes dirt track motorcycle and kart events.

The Redline Diner in Framingham has its year-round cruise tonight at 5. On Sunday The VFW in Lowell offers a military vehicle flea market at 9 a.m.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Hight fastest in rain-shortened Funny Car qualifying - CBS Sports

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:07 PM PST

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Robert Hight raced to the Funny Car lead Friday during a rain-shortened qualifying session in the NHRA Gatornationals.

The defending series champion powered his Ford Mustang to a Gainesville Raceway-record 4.060 seconds at 310.13 mph to move to the top of the 16-car qualifying order.

Tony Schumacher, Mike Edwards and Junior Pippin also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event. NHRA officials were forced to cancel one qualifying round due to persistent rain that lasted until after noon.

Schumacher also posted both ends of the track record in his dragster with a performance of 3.823 at 318.03 to lead Top Fuel qualifying.

Edwards, who will face Greg Anderson tomorrow in the continuation of the weather-delayed Pro Stock eliminations from Phoenix, covered the distance in 6.610 at 208.97 in a Pontiac GXP to lead his category.

Pippin led Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.959 at 190.14 on a Buell.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Steven Cole Smith, Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor - Orlando Sentinel

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 06:22 PM PST

In 1996, Bill Warner, a Jacksonville businessman and car collector, decided to put on a car show, so he and his friends assembled some nice vehicles, drawing a modest crowd of 2,200 and raising some money for charity.

To say the Amelia Island Concours has grown is an understatement. "This show is as good as it gets," says Keith Canouse, an Orlando car collector. "I think it's the best in the country," perhaps even surpassing the Pebble Beach Concours, regarded as the king of all car shows, held each year since 1950 in California. Canouse is part of a contingent from the Orlando area that is displaying at Amelia this weekend — he's bringing his 1914 Renault.

"Amelia is a user-friendly show," Canouse says. Warner goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcome, not just the automotive elite. One reason: Warner and his co-chariman, Tom Cotter, consider themselves just a couple of car guys. Cotter has an important collection of Shelby Cobras and Shelby Ford Mustangs, but his daily drive is a 2004 Mini Cooper.

Given the fact that the show, this weekend celebrating its 15th anniversary on Amelia Island near Jacksonville, is considered on par with Pebble Beach, celebrating its 60th birthday this summer, speaks to the work Warner has done. "It doesn't get easier," Warner says. "Every year has its own set of problems."

Such as: Warner, a motorsports enthusiast, always packs the four-day program with multiple racing seminars that draw fans who may or may not be interested in classic cars. This year, he assembled a trio of race drivers unparallel in their influence: Richard Petty, 72, the winningest NASCAR driver ever; Don Garlits, 78, considered the king of drag racing, and Sir Stirling Moss, who competed from 1948 to 1962, winning an incredible 212 of the 529 races he entered, including 16 Formula 1 races.

But last week, Moss, 80, fell at his home in England, breaking both ankles and multiple other bones. Warner's legendary trio became a duo until another legend, racer and car builder Carroll Shelby, agreed to step in. That Shelby, 87 and with a transplanted heart and kidney, would drop everything and come to Florida on such short notice speaks to the influence of Amelia and Bill Warner.

Sunday, the show will draw more than 10,000 people for the judging of the 250-plus vehicles on display, chosen from thousands entered. It's an invitation-only show, and just being accepted to display at Amelia, much less win your class, adds to a vehicle's cachet and value.

Among those displaying is Dave Brewer of Longwood, bringing his 1953 Buick Skylark hardtop. It is one of a kind — "It's entered in a class called, 'Cars you never even realized were built,'" Brewer says. Buick built some Skylark convertibles, but the company built one hardtop just to gauge the reaction. "Usually, cars like that were destroyed after they were shown, but this one survived," he says, because the wife of a General Motors executive liked the car, and it was customized for her tastes. "Amelia Island is the kind of show you just can't miss," Brewer says. "The quality of cars is amazing."

And it isn't just cars: Each year, Warner selects a few brands to feature, and this year, one of them is Triumph motorcycles. Mike Crone of Mount Dora has a national reputation as a Triumph restorer and collector, and he's bringing four bikes: A 1950, 1951 and 1953 model, plus his favorite: "A 1938 Triumph, an original Speed Twin formerly owned by Bud Ekins," a late and legendary stuntman who was the riding partner of actor Steve McQueen. Crone has never even been to the Amelia Island show, but he's aware of the reputation. "I'm looking forward to being a part of it," he says.

Each year, the Amelia Island Concours raises more than $100,000 for charities that include the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida and the Spina Bifida Association. The show begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday, with judging beginning at 11 a.m. Admission is $50 for adults, $20 for ages 12-18, and free for ages 11 and under.

For more information, including how to get there on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Amelia Island, log onto AmeliaConcours.org

Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith can be reached at scsmith@orlandosentinel.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, BMW S1000RR to Race Isle of Man TT - Motorcycle USA

2010-03-11T23:26:00.001-08:00

plus 3, BMW S1000RR to Race Isle of Man TT - Motorcycle USA

BMW S1000RR to Race Isle of Man TT - Motorcycle USA
Economy isn't biting into this year's Amelia Island ... - Florida Times-Union
Weather halts Gatornationals today - Gainesville Sun
Friends of the earth - Gulf News

BMW S1000RR to Race Isle of Man TT - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 03:17 PM PST

The 2010 Isle of Man TT entry list gets more varied by the day. First it was news that the KTM RC8R and Moto2 would race in the premier Superbike TTs, now BMW Motorrad tosses its new Superbike into the ring with Rico Penzkofer riding the BMW S1000RR Superbike.

Having worked as a development rider for the latest Beemer, Penzkofer has also campaigned for BMW in the World Endurance races aboard the HP2 Sport. The 34-year-old German bolstered his street racing credentials when he piloted the S1000RR to a fifth-place finish at the 2009 Macau Grand Prix last November. Penzkofer also sports experience on the IOM TT mountain course, racing the 2009 Supersport TTs for the Yamaha/Macau Racing Team to 30th and 33rd-place results. This time around, however, Penkofer will have official factory support and, according to a TT press release, a "full Superbike-spec machine at his disposal."

The return of an official BMW team to Isle of Man racing ends a three-decade gap for the Bavarian marque - the last BMW team being the late '70s duo of Helmut Dahne and Hans Otto Butenuth. In spite of the long absence, BMW has 30 TT victories to its credit, many of them in the sidecar class.

"To be representing BMW on their return to the TT is a tremendous honor for me and after my debut last year I can't wait to return to the Mountain Course," said Penzkofer in the accompanying PR. "Riding the Superbike will obviously present a new challenge but the bike is superb and that, combined with my own improved knowledge of the course, should see us able to make a good impression. Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus have proved in World Superbikes that the bike is competitive and we hope to do the same at the TT."

The Isle of Man Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Martyn Qualye, also expressed enthusiasm over the BMW return in 2010 saying: "It's really exciting to see the return of such a prestigious marque to the Isle of Man TT and their involvement in the 2010 races is a great boost to an already strong list of manufacturers – more evidence that the TT is going from strength to strength."

The 2010 Isle of Man festivities will begin May 30th, with the TT race dates stretching into the first two weeks of June.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Economy isn't biting into this year's Amelia Island ... - Florida Times-Union

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 01:22 PM PST

Fifteen years ago, about 2,000 people visited the first Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

When the crystal anniversary of what is now termed one of the nation's top classic car events rolls around this weekend, an estimated 16,000 are expected on a day when stock car legend Richard Petty drives one of his iconic blue race cars onto the field at 9:45 a.m.

Photo gallery: The 2009 Concours d'Elegance

With ticket sales running 35 percent ahead of last year, fans will see 285 classic cars and motorcycles valued together in excess of who knows how many millions. And the island around the event is showing the effect of 15 years of millionaire car collectors and classic car lovers.

"I imagine there's millions of dollars from the bed tax," said show founder and chairman Bill Warner. "I know of at least three people who have moved to the island as a result, and there are probably more. It's brought business into the Ritz-Carlton; Ford and Fed Ex have done events there and it is as a result of having seen the Ritz-Carlton as part of the concours. The show has a year-round impact."

This weekend alone, all local places to stay are filled, with NASCAR's most winning racer as honoree enticing a big audience, said Gil Langley, president and CEO of the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We noticed a lot more interest in tickets, and people making hotel reservations further out once it was announced Petty was coming," he said. "It is a very exciting opportunity, and he has a huge base of fans who will come to the events and be exposed to the island."

The show has also become a draw for car aficionados who escape the winter's lingering chill in the rest of the country, says Mercedes-Benz Classic Center director Mike Kunz, who spearheads the company displays at Amelia.

"It has become very, very popular in terms of the shows as we informally rank them. It is just behind Pebble Beach, which is a juggernaut of events," Kunz said from his California office. "This is more relaxed, and in many ways nicer event because you are all in one location, and a beautiful location on the water."

Concours d'elegance is French for "parade of elegance," and this year's show weekend will see the automotive world descend on the island for seminars, a gala Saturday night dinner, and Sunday's show on fairways next to the Ritz-Carlton. Rare classics will be on the greens, while modern car companies will showcase their newest in front of the Ritz-Carlton, including Mercedes, Maybach, Bugatti and Jaguar. And for only the second time in 15 years, there are two classic car auctions.

"It's a nice endorsement of what we have done here. There is only one other show in the world that has more than one [auction] — Pebble Beach. It kind of tells the automotive world that this is the place you need to be in March," Warner said.

RM Auctions returns for its 12th year, the official auction house for the event with more than $25 million dollars in vehicle sales there over the years. This year, more than 100 are for auction, including two Model J Duesenbergs and a 1962 Dual-Ghia Coupe once owned by Dean Martin.

"So many new people attend annually that the event grows based on their experience," said RM president and COO Ian Kelleher. "I have never met anyone who has had a bad experience. … There is no air of anything that has to be cut through. You are kind of there with all of your friends who enjoy the car hobby."

The show's stature attracted Gooding and Co., the official auction house of the granddaddy of all concours at Pebble Beach. More than 70 cars are expected in its Friday sale, including the 1931 Voisin C20 Demi-Berline that was the 2009 Amelia concours winner. President and founder David Gooding has been going to Amelia as a fan since the beginning and calls it a fantastic event.

"This is a great venue that attracts people from all over the world, so it was pretty obvious to us that it is a place that made sense for us to be," Gooding said. "We feel if we get the correct product and it is priced properly, there will be buyers."

Merchants on and near historic Centre Street in Fernandina Beach feel the impact of the concours this weekend as well as other times of the year. The Addison House owner Bob Tidball had 18 guests on Monday at 614 Ash St..

"People who come, they do come back," he said. "Half of those are return guests."

Concours guests have been returning for years to Craig Nelson's French Market Antiques at 203 Centre St.

"We have actually sold and shipped a lot of things out of state based on sales during the concours. It is one of the weekends we look forward to," Nelson said. "They do come back. …. And they come back and visit even if they don't buy."

Not all island businesses are profiting. The Amelia Island Plantation's owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, a reorganization plan being prepared now. Fernandina Beach's landmark 152-year-old Florida House Inn closed in January. But Langley said tourism is Amelia Island's industry, and the concours seems to feed it year-round.

"You can't even estimate the impact the concours has," he said. "Every year, we get comments back from those who come to the concours and make plans to visit Amelia Island. We see it as a real identifying event."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Weather halts Gatornationals today - Gainesville Sun

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 01:22 PM PST

By Robbie Andreu
Staff writer

Rain was the only winner at the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals on Thursday.

Steady morning rain led the NHRA to postpone Thursday's entire racing schedule — Sportsman qualifying and a Comp eliminations qualifying session. The decision was made at about 10:30 a.m.

The postponement stalled the NHRA drag racing debut of former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, who is competing this weekend in the Super Gas category in the Sporstman class. Qualifying in the Sportsman and Comp classes will begin today at 8 a.m. Busch, who won the Kobalt 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Sunday, will be racing in a 1970 Dodge Challenger that he purchased on eBay for $15,000 in 2008. Busch had the opportunity to come to Gainesville because it is an off week in NASCAR.

The weather forecast for today calls for a chance of scattered thunderstorms.

The good news for racing fans is that none of the four pro classes — Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle — were affected by Thursday's rain. Qualifying in those four classes is expected to start on schedule Friday. There will be two sessions Friday, one beginning at noon, the other at 2:45 p.m. There will be two more qualifying sessions Saturday at the same times.

Gainesville Raceway, which will be overflowing with fans the next three days, was like a ghost town Thursday morning as the rain persisted. The stands were empty and the pit area was pretty much shut down even before races were officially washed out.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Friends of the earth - Gulf News

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 01:01 PM PST

They're like dates initiated on a match-making website. Car shows, you know. You log on, find the profile you like, it's mutual, and then you meet the person in, er, person, at an Italian restaurant. You know what to expect, you've seen the photos…

Car shows today are like that. Point being, all the 'world premieres' and 'debuts' have been seen a thousand times already during the build-up to the show, thanks to the vastness and global reach of the internet. Nothing is a surprise, since the manufacturers whip up hype for weeks with hope of getting extra ink in the press. Come show time, you've seen it all already. Gone are the days of walking up to a booth and being genuinely shocked at what's on display.

Imagine the furore caused when Jaguar took the veil off the E-Type to an unsuspecting public in Geneva 1961? The fastest, most beautiful car of the day (even Enzo Ferrari reportedly admitted it was the most beautiful car ever made), coming at them like a herd of buffaloes, totally unexpected. If I was there in person, I would have probably ran and hid in the toilet from the sheer astonishment. Or maybe just stood there and wept at the gorgeousness of it.

Geneva being Geneva, and Switzerland being the home of oddballs like Rinspeed and Sbarro, you can thankfully always expect at least a couple of semi-surprises, such as Rinspeed's scuba-diving Lotus or Sbarro's four-wheel motorcycle (um, isn't that called a car?). But what actually hit us in Geneva was way above our expectations here at wheels.

Not only has Geneva's expo centre been packed brimful with magnificent supercars, they also made sure that these snuck into the seven halls with the utmost secrecy. And the most secretive of all was a very, very sneaky Porsche.

And it can do that, be sneaky, because this high-performance, mid-engined 918 Spyder prototype with plug-in hybrid technology can run on silent electric power alone. The green accents dotting the body, brakes and interior hint at its environmental serenity, although there's nothing serene about a 9,200rpm 3.4-litre V8 developing over 500bhp. Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed PDK, which also takes care of delivering the extra 218bhp courtesy of the electric motors.

And if you haven't put two and two together yet, let me remind you that 3.4 litres is also the capacity of Porsche's racing engine dropped into the RS Spyder — it's a family affair. And the roots go deep down in the Porsche family tree when it comes to the 918 Spyder; it's just one digit off the legendary 917, a car that dominated Le Mans and CanAm with its turbocharged flat-12 producing up to and over 1,500bhp in qualifying trim, while weighing below 900kg.

The fuel crisis hit hard in the Seventies though and the 917's gulping 12 cavities rendered the racer obsolete. Now the 21st century 918 has similar fuel concerns to tackle, which is why Porsche has designed it with the possibility of emissions levels of just 70gm/km of CO2 with a fuel consumption of up to 94mpg.

Expect the equation that gave them this figure to boggle even Stephen Hawking, but anyway, the undoubtful figures stand at 3.2 seconds to reach 100kph and a top speed of over 320kph. Oh, and put Walter Röhrl in the driver's seat and the 918 Spyder will lap the 'Ring in less than 7:30 — faster than the Porsche Carrera GT and 911 GT2. It's also probably fair to say that it looks pretty amazing. The lightweight body structure of the 918 Spyder is made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, while generous doses of magnesium and aluminium not only reduce weight to less than 1,490kg, but also ensure supreme driving precision.

Now, don't stomp your feet in anger if you feel your petrolhead needs are left out by the green focus here, because if Porsche uses hybrid technology for super speeds and efficiency, then who are we to complain? It's win-win, even though the supercar game is definitely changing. And if you were in Geneva, you only had to take a step away from Porsche's stand to the other side of Hall 6 and commence drooling in front of Citroën's Survolt concept.

This sensational blend of exuberant styling and hints of motorsport points towards the French carmaker's future of coupés. Its environmentally-conscious all-electric drivetrain delivers thrills in complete silence; good or bad, depending on your side of the fence.

Compact dimensions — at 3,850mm, the Survolt is only half a foot longer than a Mini — full of flowing lines focus on aerodynamics, to maximise speed and economy.

And just like the ultra-chic Revolte concept preceding it, the Survolt gets two-tone paintwork as well as a glazed cockpit area. While it may make a much more unlikely production car than Porsche's 918 prototype, the Survolt proves Citroën's direction towards a green sportscar future.

Yet, Swedish hypercar maker Koenigsegg is living the future now. Even its first 2006 CCX models ran on E85 (hey, at least it's a little cleaner) and now the company has launched an ultra-focused 910bhp track car called Agera. While it's not nearly as dramatic in styling as the German and French offerings, the super-Swede is basically an evolution of the CCX, with vortex-generating wheels and tail lamps sporting a hole in the middle to extract air from the mid-mounted engine. Oh, and by the way, when fed some E85, that engine is good for 1,100Nm of twist and is tasked with pushing just 1,285kg of weight — 80kg less than an Enzo.

And that brings us to the Italians, who had everyone green with envy in Geneva. The Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera and a vettura laboratorio, or experimental vehicle, hybrid Ferrari based on the 599 GTB were the greenest cars on display, literally.

Although Sant'Agata's offering is purely performance-orientated, the means of achieving that performance resulted in efficiency gains too.

Despite being more powerful with 562bhp from the 5.2-litre V10, it's also 70kg lighter than the standard Gallardo boasting a total dry weight of 1,340kg. Mostly due to heavy use of carbon fibre components both inside and out. Together with direct fuel injection, contributing to 20.5 per cent lower CO2 emissions, the Superleggera plays a part in Lamborghini's environmental campaign.

The 0-100kph sprint now takes just 3.4 seconds — a match for the equally-powerful Ferrari Italia — and the speedo needle only stops turning at 325kph.

Maranello's experiment on the other hand, produced the first hybrid bearing a prancing horse badge. After the carmaker's 2007 announcement of a five-year plan to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across the range, the figures have already dropped by 30 per cent, thanks to the California and 458 Italia. And while this 599 Hy-Kers isn't a production vehicle, it's an example of what the finished product will host underneath the loud paint job.

Ferrari has banked on its racing expertise to adapt a lightweight hybrid drivetrain, while ensuring that driving dynamics remain world-class.

All the components of the new drive system are positioned below the centre of gravity and the flat lithium-ion batteries actually sit below the floorpan, inside the aerodynamic underbody. Remarkably, this hybrid 599 therefore boasts a lower centre of gravity than the standard GTB Fiorano. Of course, the whole job adds a bit of weight — 40kg — to the final product, but this is more than offset by the additional 100bhp that the compact, tri-phase electric motor brings to the fore.

Even with these advancements, coupled to the photovoltaic installation on the roof of Ferrari's mechanical machining facility, which reduces the factory's power requirements by over 210,000kWh annually, Ferrari isn't satisfied. By the end of 2010, the carmaker wants a 40 per cent CO2 reduction across the board.

If that means that the future for us petrolheads is one in which we can drive fast and burn environmentally-friendly rubber without evil glances from tree-huggers, we're game.

The good and bad

Geneva was a gathering place mostly for the forces of good, or to put it in other words, the environmentally friendly.

Yet, a few devilish supercars decided to poke their necks out of hell and visit Switzerland, and they caused quite a stir, too. They would, naturally, since one is a Pagani and the others are a pair of Bugattis.

Not only did Volkswagen's ultimate brand display a cutaway version of the Veyron at its stand, showing the public the insides of the hypercar for the first time, but also two highly customised Grand Sports. The blue one is covered in dyed carbon fibre, with matching body and wheel treatments. But you're too late already, because it's gone to a buyer for Dh8.25 million. The other one is much more evil looking (with evil intentions too, judging by the outrageous 596g of CO2 per kilometre), sporting a dark carbon fibre upper body and polished aluminium lower section. Just another exercise for Bugatti's personalisation department, this one also found a buyer, a Dh8.75 million buyer.

Over at the Pagani camp, the supercar manufacturer rolled out a special edition Tricolore Zonda to commemorate 50 years of Italy's aerobatic team. The pilots have been going at it for decades fielding the highest number of aircraft in an aerobatic team, and currently zoom around the skies in ten Aermacchi MB-339-As.

While they reach ground speeds of up to 898kph, the Pagani Zonda Tricolore has to settle for a bit short of that; 350kph. It's still pretty insane, down to the fact that underneath, the Tricolore is basically a 670bhp 7.3-litre V12 Cinque. So we can expect suitably insane 0-100kph figures of around 3.4 seconds; which is a number much, much smaller than its stratospheric C02 output.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

plus 2, The Riding Calendar - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

2010-03-10T23:06:00.001-08:00

plus 2, The Riding Calendar - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Riding Calendar - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lose a Tooth Find the Truth - Salon
NHRA Gatornationals at a glance - St. Petersburg Times

The Riding Calendar - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 10:06 PM PST

So, I missed it again this year. The "unofficial" kickoff to the 2010 motorcycle season, 10 days in the fun and sun with hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists living it up while I'm watching the snow melt here in Pennsylvania. My bike is sitting in the garage waiting for a good rain so I can get on the road without having to feel guilty about exposing it to salt.

The 69th Annual Bike Week celebration in Daytona Beach started at the end of February and it just wrapped up last weekend. Bike Week has been a tradition in Daytona Beach since 1937 -- and one of these years I'm going to make it there!

The celebration coincides with the running of the Daytona 200, an American Motorcycling Association sanctioned professional race at the Daytona International Speedway. Over the years, the center of attention has shifted from the race to the activities that surround the weeklong event.

Now Daytona and Bike Week are all about the people, and the fun. Live bands, great food and drink, parties, vendors and having a good time abound all around Volusia County. There's a great, classic Florida motorcycle ride called "The Loop" that traverses coastal drives, river shores, state parks and country lanes, giving a great, relaxed view of the natural beauty of the area.

So if you're like me and you missed Daytona this year, that's OK. There are plenty of other events going on now through October that are still going to offer up a fun time depending on what you're into.

April 14-18: Arizona Bike Week, Mesa, Ariz.

This has turned into a wonderful venue for music, with appearances from major bands planned.

April 21-25: Laughlin River Run, Laughlin, Nev.

This is the perfect time of year to go to Nevada. It's not too hot, the weather is great and it's a party. This is the West Coast's answer to Daytona.

May 30: Rolling Thunder, Washington, D.C.

An annual ride into our nation's capital to bring awareness to POW-MIA issues. We are very fortunate to live as close as we do to our nation's capital. This can be a quick weekend trip without having to take any time off work. This event draws hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists every year.

June 7-12: Americade, Lake George, N.Y.

An all-brands rally with an emphasis on touring riders, rider education and safety.

June 12-20: Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, N.H.

I've had a chance to travel to New Hampshire for my honeymoon -- not on a motorcycle. We borrowed a convertible and enjoyed the sights and smells of everything the New England states have to offer on four wheels. I can only imagine how awesome it would be on two.

July 9-11: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Lexington, Ohio.

A rolling celebration of America's motorcycle heritage, including vintage motorcycle racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Aug. 9-15: Sturgis Rally and Races, Sturgis, S.D.

This is an event that I would like to go to at least once. For some reason it almost feels like it's a right-of-passage for the Harley enthusiast. That's the one place that comes up time and time again when people inquire about where I've ridden.

Sept. 2-5: Milwaukee Rally, Milwaukee.

The biggest motorcycle rally in the Midwest, and a great chance to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum.

Oct. 15-18: Biketoberfest, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Although this can't compete with the festivities at the beginning of the season, don't rule this one out. The weather is absolutely beautiful and you won't have to deal with snow on the way down.

So even though we may have missed the kickoff of the motorcycle season, there is clearly a lot of great riding ahead of us.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Lose a Tooth Find the Truth - Salon

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 09:02 PM PST

Christmas was a truly magical time in my life and is deeply linked to both my Grandmother and memories of my family, before divorce, before death changed things. Every year we alternated between going to my mother's parents in Minneapolis or they came to our house in Lansing, Michigan. There was no precise start date to the festivities, but the entire unfolding of the set up took time: giant boxes filled with decorations that had all sorts of history, from the kissing angels on the mantle, Santa in a balloon that hooked onto a light over the fireplace and I remember touching while sitting on my father's shoulders, miles of colored outdoor lights, which we used inside on the 7' tree because my mother liked the bold colors and another Santa riding around on a little metal motorcycle which the cats would try to bat around. We all participated. Anticipating my Grandparent's arrival was excruciating and then their actual arrival with boatloads of presents was beyond thrilling. This was a time before diets, crazy obsessive exercise, my sister's bulimia and my mom used to let my sister and I help make cookies, rock candy, fudge, peanut brittle. I love it ALL.

Leading up to the date itself there were rules. My mother and Grandmother would disappear into the extra bedroom where my Grandparents stayed and basically deem the room completely off limits at all times. I would walk by, but I never, ever would have tried to come in, nor would I ever have entered if they weren't in there. I didn't actually consider what they were doing other than wrapping, but I loved the exquisite torture of it.

The night of Christmas Eve we were allowed to open one gift from under the tree, usually something I felt was boring, like a nightgown, so we could look cute for pictures/bad quality movies on Christmas morning. Brooke and I usually put on a Christmas show for my parents and Grandparents (my mom is an only child), complete with baby Jesus and lots of carols, usually using the giant stuffed mouse as a sheep or a camel. Bath with Crazy Foam. Then Brooke, my sister, and I would write some kind of note to Santa, not a list, just a hello, put out 2 cookies, a glass of milk and leave a carrot for Rudolph. When we went to bed we were under strict instructions not to come out for any reason, no matter what until 6a. I would be flopping around like a fish, dying for it to be morning. Again, I never tested this, never peeked and once I was asleep, a herd of cattle could have come through my bedroom and I wouldn't have budged.

Brooke and I were at the ready by about 5:40a, talking in excited whispers. As the very loud clock rolled over the next digit, by 5:58a, we were out of our skulls, getting ready to rush the adults, I always woke my Grandparents and Brooke, my parents and then we would all go down together. There was always a "big gift" from Santa and then everything in the stockings was from him, too. All gifts under the tree were to/from each other. I do remember asking my mom why there were price tags from Meijer's, our grocery store that is a veritable middle class Herrods and she said sometimes Santa needed to just go to the store instead of making stuff and that he came after the store was closed. I was in awe of the idea that Santa walked where I had walked. Maybe Rudolph and the other reindeer had been walking beside him, perhaps even pushing their own grocery carts! Wrapping paper the same as some under the tree? Santa must have forgotten a few things and needed to wrap them HERE, RIGHT HERE IN OUR HOUSE!!! No chimney at my Grandparents, problem? He'd find a way. Nothing was beyond comprehension, absolutely nothing. The Santas in the stores were admittedly NOT Santa, but his helpers, because he really was too busy to be everywhere and this helped to explain blue and brown eyes, glasses, no glasses, they were merely representatives doing a good deed for kids by helping their friend Santa.

I never peeked, ever. Didn't go in the extra bedroom, look in closed bags, explore any closets. Anyone who might say he wasn't real just didn't know the truth and I thought it was terribly malicious of them to perpetuate the idea.

What happened, very randomly, was I lost a tooth in the 6th grade and it was a BIG tooth, relative to the others I had shed. I was in the car in my Mom's blue, Chevy Vega and idly said out loud that I foresaw a potential dollar in my future considering this one was such a whopper. My mom then said, "I'll have to see what I can do about that." I remember the moment like time stopping. Staring into the vent of the car, brain reeling, heart racing, shaking my head at what I was in front of me. "Mom, are you the Tooth Fairy?" "Yes, Megan, I am." Bigger pause, but I remember no distinct thoughts. "Mom, does that mean you are the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, too?" "I am, Megan."

I was beyond devastated. This was in the summer and so the next holiday was Christmas and for the first time in my life my mother woke me up on Christmas morning. Earlier that same year my Grandma had died unexpectedly at 69 and my parents divorced. Overnight everything that had been Christmas was erased. My mother did her best and we limped along until eventually based on protests from my mom of not getting any help, we no longer got a tree. Then I took a job in Mexico where I had to work during the holiday season. Christmas is now a shadow. Neither I, nor my sister come home, my father died in '93, we no longer exchange gifts, but my mother insists on sending me something, still.

I just could not in good faith, perhaps because I have no faith, I don't know, but I would not "do this" to a child, no matter how awesome, incredible and wonderful it may have seemed, the crushing blow at the end would not allow me to perpetuate Santa.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

NHRA Gatornationals at a glance - St. Petersburg Times

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 06:17 PM PST

FAST FACTS

NHRA Gatornationals

When: Today through Sunday

Where: Gainesville Raceway, 11211 N. County Road 225

Who: Four pro classes, including the season debut of Pro Stock Motorcycles; several other classes

Schedule: Friday and Saturday — Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying, noon and 2:45; Nitro qualifying (Top Fuel and Funny Car) 12:45 and 3:30; Sunday — Eliminations, 11 a.m. See NHRA.com for full schedule of all classes.

TV: ESPN2; qualifying (taped), midnight Sunday; eliminations (taped), 6 p.m. Sunday

Directions: Take I-5 north to Exit 382, turn left (east) at Williston Road (CR 331), go about 5.5 miles to Waldo Road (SR 24), continue north 4 miles, turn left onto NE 53rd Avenue then an immediate right on CR 225 (NE 39th Street), go 3.5 miles north to the track

Tickets: Today — adults $16, kids 12 and under $10; Friday — adults $46 reserved, $36 general admission; kids 6-12 $20 reserved, $10 general admission; kids 5 and under $10; Saturday and Sunday (each) — adults $65 reserved, $58 general admission; kids 6-12 $24 reserved, $10 general admission; kids 5 and under $14 reserved, $10 general admission. Top eliminator club $360, four-day general admission pass $140. Call toll-free 1-800-884-6472 for availability.

Information: NHRA.com, gainesvilleraceway.com or (352) 377-0046.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, Saratoga Springs City Council looks at possible solutions to $2.2M ... - Saratogian

2010-03-09T23:18:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Saratoga Springs City Council looks at possible solutions to $2.2M ... - Saratogian

Saratoga Springs City Council looks at possible solutions to $2.2M ... - Saratogian
Longtime art teacher inspired for decades - Charleston Daily Mail
Ex-teller gets jail for stealing $286,000 from ATM in Hamburg - Reading Eagle
Michael Martin, 40, Indianola - Daily Freeman Journal

Saratoga Springs City Council looks at possible solutions to $2.2M ... - Saratogian

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 10:36 PM PST

By PATRICK H. DONGES, The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Raising licensing fees, bonding operating costs and increasing sales tax were just a few of the solutions proposed by the City Council at a public hearing Monday night to close the city's $2.2 million budget gap.

The meeting at the Canfield Casino was originally scheduled as the second public workshop on four parking management proposals being considered by the city. Last Tuesday, the council dismissed the plans and discussed several options to close the gap, including renegotiating the city's contract with Time Warner Cable and pursuing parking ticket scofflaws.

"We're going to face this deficit every single year," Mayor Scott Johnson said.

Johnson spoke to about 60 residents assembled for the workshop. He dispelled the previously stated notion that renegotiating the city's contract with Time Warner Cable would produce windfall revenue. By his estimates, a new contract and the addition of non-subscription services would raise less than $20,000 in additional fees.

"(Increasing sales tax) could be a significant source of revenue if the community wants it," he said.

Johnson also said he was in the final stages of reaching an agreement with city unions to avoid up to $500,000 in healthcare costs. He said an announcement would be made as soon as within the next two weeks.

Public Works Commissioner Anthony "Skip" Scirocco suggested raising several city fees including dog licenses and on- street "sandwich board" fees. He also proposed a series of new registry requirements, with fees, for landlords and property owners.

"I know we could raise them by a dollar, two dollars, 10 dollars," he said.

Scirocco also mentioned raising sales tax, early retirement incentives for senior city employees and contracting the use of city-owned buildings for alternative uses.

Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth agreed that the city should consider increasing sales tax with input from residents and merchants. He suggested the council think of "one-time situations" to produce revenue, such as bonding operating costs.

Wirth also suggested charging ticketing companies like LiveNation and Ticketmaster for city services at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, a provision in Gov. David Paterson's executive budget proposal.

"To not come up with cuts or talk about bonding our way out of this is insanity," Accounts Commissioner John Franck said.

Franck outlined the percentages and amounts each department would have to cut to fill the gap and offered to meet with Finance Commissioner Ken Ivins Jr. to discuss cuts in his office. He noted the fiscal peril of the New York State Racing Association and questioned the future of the city's racing season.

"We have to stop talking about revenue and start talking about expenses," he said.

Several residents offered up their ideas as well.

Kyle York, of Railroad Place, came prepared with seven revenue ideas, including increased enforcement of cell phone driving violations and motorcycle exhaust noise.

Former city building inspector Lauritz Rasmussen suggested a series of permit fees for building renovations not currently charged by the city. Resident Phil Diamond asked the Downtown Business Association what they planned on doing to help the city.

Mark Lawton, of the Citizen's Budget Committee, was applauded by the crowd for his plan to decrease expenses by cutting non-essential services and consolidating management.

"You have the tools, you just need the guts," he said to the council.

Further public hearings will be scheduled to discuss budget amendments expected to be proposed by the council.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Longtime art teacher inspired for decades - Charleston Daily Mail

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 09:31 PM PST

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Olivia Turner, a longtime George Washington High School art teacher, died Sunday after a long battle with breast cancer.

Barbara Tinnel, a retired GW math teacher, said Turner lived with the disease for more than 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer in August 1999.

Tinnel said her colleague had a couple of surgeries but doctors mostly used chemotherapy to treat her disease.

Although the treatment left her feeling terrible, Tinnel and other GW staff members said Turner rarely missed work. Near the end of her 30-year teaching career, Tinnel said Turner went to chemotherapy every day after school.

"It was an incredible thing," she said.

Tinnel, who started teaching at GW a semester after Turner, says she considered the art teacher one of her best friends.

The two were hired at the high school in 1977, and both retired in 2007.

"I got to beat her on retirement because I was four months older," Tinnel said, laughing.

Tinnel says Turner was an "extremely strong person" with a wonderful sense of humor she kept all through her illness. She said her friend was a very supportive and loyal person as well.

"As a teacher and as a person, if she believed in something, no matter what the consequences, she stood by her belief," Tinnel said.

Jim Vickers, a former GW principal who now leads the Garnett Career and Technical Center, said Turner inspired such loyalty from students that many spent their mornings, lunch periods, and other free time in her classroom working on projects.

"That's pretty tough, to inspire your students to spend all their extra time in your classroom," he said.

Kathy Casdorph, a former George Washington guidance counselor, said Turner was an "incredible teacher."

"She taught students that excellence expanded to all areas at GW, not just academics," Casdorph said. "We were always amazed at what she could get out of kids."

Josh Banks, who studied art under Turner from 1992-95, said he wasn't even considering college until he took her class.

"She basically was the person who shaped my decision on going to college and pursuing art as a career," he said.

Now Banks is a freelance artist and professional designer. He has worked to design professional motorcycle racing uniforms and toys for Hasbro.

Banks drove from his Rhode Island home through the recent snowstorms to sit by Turner's bed for her last few days. He said he had the opportunity to show his former teacher his post-high school art and it was a moving experience for both of them.

"She helped me find focus in my life, and that focus was art," he said. "When I look back at my career and everything I've accomplished . . . it all started with her."

Pete Corbett, a former GW vice principal, said the art teacher had a unique ability to engage and interact with students to "bring out and develop the best of their artistic skills."

Corbett said Turner organized an annual art show in the school's gym for community members, students, parents and staff.

"It was absolutely phenomenal every year," he said.

Corbett said Turner had a never-ending desire to see her students achieve.

"That was her passion; that was her life," he said.

Turner is survived by her husband, Paul; daughters, Elizabeth of Scott Depot and Meredith of Charlotte, N.C.; father, Bert Ash of St. Albans; and brothers, Bob of Rock, Mercer County, and Bill of Huntington.

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Friday at Cunningham Memorial Parks Upper Mausoleum Chapel, St. Albans. Friends may call one half hour prior to the service at the mausoleum chapel.

Donations may be made to Hubbard Hospice House, 1001 Kennawa Dr., Charleston, WV 25311 or to the CAMC Cancer Center Foundation.

Cooke Funeral Home, Nitro, is in charge of arrangements.

Contact writer Zack Harold at 304-348-7939 or zack.har...@dailymail.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ex-teller gets jail for stealing $286,000 from ATM in Hamburg - Reading Eagle

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 09:03 PM PST

A former teller at a Wachovia bank in Hamburg has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for stealing $286,000 over six years from an automated teller machine that she oversaw, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Tonya Marie Lord, 39, of Hamburg was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky to pay the balance of $284,190 in restitution and serve five years of probation. She already has paid some money back.

A street address for Lord was unavailable.

Lord used the money to live an extravagant lifestyle, federal authorities said.

Lord worked at the Wachovia branch at 26 S. Fourth St. and at a drive-through location at 555 State St.

Slomsky also ordered that while Lord is on probation she not take a job that would give her access to money via a computer; not acquire any new debt; and not liquidate any assets without permission from federal probation authorities.

Lord was indicted in September and pleaded guilty in November to embezzling the money from 2003 to 2009.

Lord carefully plotted and concealed her thefts, U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy said in a memo submitted for a sentencing recommendation.

He said Lord was the only person with oversight of the ATM and had authority to balance the account from which she embezzled.

"Had someone been responsible for checking Ms. Lord's handling of the ATM account at the Hamburg branch, her embezzlement would not have gone undetected for so long, and she would not have been able to steal as many times as she did," Levy said, referring to the more than 100 incidents.

Wachovia spokesman Jim Baum said he could not comment about whether changes had been made.

"Whenever we have a situation of this nature, we conduct an audit of our procedures to see if the system can be improved," Baum said.

Levy said Lord and her family used the funds to live lavishly.

"The defendant's family was living well beyond its means, with money spent on drugs, maintenance expenses on a boat, three automobiles, two motorcycles (one now sold), a go-cart, hunting equipment and three overdrawn credit accounts," Levy said. "Ms. Lord made many extremely irresponsible decisions to steal in a misguided effort to continue chasing a life her family could not afford."

He also said there was an investigation into whether Lord had tried to conceal a 27-foot boat in Maryland as an asset during the federal investigation.

While the title for the boat lists the sole owner as Lord's husband, whom Levy did not name, Levy said the financial transactions regarding the boat's purchase raise more questions than they answer.

A stiff sentence was needed to deter future thefts because embezzlement by bank employees is an all-too-common crime, Levy said.

"In fact, the same branch from which the defendant stole money was again the victim of a theft of tens of thousands of dollars in mid-2009," Levy said. "Although no one has yet been charged in that case, the sentence in this case will no doubt be the subject of discussion in the Hamburg and Wachovia communities."

Baum said he can't comment on ongoing investigations.

Contact Jason Brudereck: 610-371-5044 or jbrudereck@readingeagle.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Michael Martin, 40, Indianola - Daily Freeman Journal

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:20 PM PST

Michael Martin, 40, Indianola

Michael James Martin was born on November 4, 1969, to James and Jean (Hesebeck) Martin at Ellsworth Hospital in Iowa Falls, IA. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Hubbard, IA. and graduated in 1988 from Hubbard High School. After graduation he attended Grandview College in Des Moines, IA and earned an Automotive Tech Degree from DMACC in Ankeny, IA. He was currently working towards a Bachelors Degree in Business from William Penn College in Oskaloosa, IA.

After college Mike was employed by Hemmingway Racing in West Des Moines and had been with Martin Marietta, Inc. since 1993. During his years with Martin Marietta he was night shift maintenance and lead man, Ames Plant; assistant plant manager, Oskaloosa Plant; plant manager of Martin Portable, Southwest Iowa; and currently plant manager of Durham Mine, Harvey, IA.

He married Bobby Jo Vinsant at St. Petri Lutheran Church in Story City, IA on September 11, 1999. They became parents to Colby James in 2001, Reece Hadley in 2005 and Emma Kate in 2009. Mike also had a daughter, Malayna Marie, from a previous marriage.

Mike was a member of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Indianola and a cub scout leader. He loved riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, working on cars and being with family and friends.

Mike died following an accident at home on Monday, March 8, 2010.

He is survived by his wife, Bobby; children, Malayna of Phoenix, AZ, Colby, Reece, and Emma at home; parents, Jim and Jean Martin of New Providence, IA; a brother, Steve (Rachel) Martin of Hubbard, IA; a sister, Rachel (Chris) Isebrand of Story City, IA; three nephews, Hank Martin, Marty Isebrand and Dash Isebrand; in-laws, Abe and Donna Vinsant of Webster City, IA; brother-in-law, Chad (Anne) Vinsant of Omaha, NE; and other relatives.

Preceding him in death were his grandparents, Wallace and Reba (Clampitt) Martin and Henry and Orlyle (Winter) Hesebeck.

Memorials may be directed to the Mike Martin Children Education Fund at Hardin County Savings Bank, Box 402, Union, IA 50258 or Mt. Calvary Lutheran Preschool, Box 174, Indianola, IA 50125.

Services will be held 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 12 at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Indianola with graveside services held 3 p.m. Friday at the Honey Creek Cemetery, New Providence, IA. Visitation will be held 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 11 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola where family will be present to greet friends from 5 to 8 p.m.

Thanks be to God for the life and memory of Michael James Martin.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 2, Strasburg mum about big-league debut - Florida Today

2010-03-08T23:13:00.001-08:00

plus 2, Strasburg mum about big-league debut - Florida Today

Strasburg mum about big-league debut - Florida Today
Petty gets schooled on bikes - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Gainesville: Pre-event notes, schedule - Motorsport.com

Strasburg mum about big-league debut - Florida Today

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 10:08 PM PST

VIERA -- Throughout his tenure in the Washington Nationals spring training camp, Stephen Strasburg has earned kudos for his all-listen, little-talk approach to adjusting to the big leagues.

The No. 1 overall pick in baseball's amateur draft took that a step further on Monday, declining to talk about his debut today, which just happens to be the most anticipated individual starting assignment in the team's five-year history.

Invoking a new "rule" being birthed in baseball that starting pitchers don't want to talk to the media the day before a start, enhancing what was a long-standing edict that pitchers don't talk on the day of a start, Strasburg referred inquires to the team's media relations staff.

That's OK. That's his prerogative. But inquiring minds do want to know what the team's $15-million man is thinking as he prepares to pitch to big league hitters in anger for the first time 29 weeks after waiting until the last possible moment to sign his Nationals deal.

Guess we'll just have to wait until he speaks following his expected two-inning stint against the mostly minor-league roster of the Detroit Tigers at Space Coast Stadium.

For those who want to witness it all with their own two eyes and want to be able to say they were there when, plenty of good seats are available for the 1:05 p.m. start.

All that being said, just because Strasburg pleaded the fifth didn't mean there weren't other opinions.

Drew Storen, the Nationals No. 2 pick in the draft -- 10th overall -- also will pitch today, most likely one inning. He's already thrown two, both perfect, tossing all of 19 pitches, and he naturally is looking forward to his third appearance.

He did speak, addressing Strasburg and his own experiences.

"You expect a guy like that to be loud. You just kind of expect the complete opposite of what he is," Storen said about Strasburg on Monday. "He's a great guy. He's a real low-key guy. He's humble. You really can't ask for much more than that."

Interestingly, while Strasburg is certainly more expressive and at ease in interviews than he was following his Instructional League workout appearance here in August but also still not the overly accommodating type, Storen welcomes the attention.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Petty gets schooled on bikes - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 09:04 PM PST

DAYTONA BEACH -- Kyle Petty has logged thousands of laps at Daytona International Speedway, but there he was Monday, learning the fine points of racing -- on a Supercross motorcycle.

Petty was a student at the Ricky Carmichael University, a one-day, hands-on course using the Daytona Supercross layout as a classroom.

"I fell into the dirt two or three times," said Petty, dressed head-to-toe in standard Superbike gear.

The 49-year-old Petty, a stock-car-driver-turned-television personality, was mixing business and pleasure. Not only did he go to school, but he was filming a piece about Carmichael for the Speed cable network.

Speed broadcasts NASCAR truck series races. Carmichael is now a full-time truck series driver. The Carmichael University looked like a success.

"This is the first time Ricky has done this and look around -- there are 6 year olds and 7 year olds -- on the same racetrack, well almost the same, that the big guys ran a few days after the big race," Petty said.

"Think about if you were able to run a race the day after Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart competed in the Daytona 500, that would be pretty neat."

Petty has been riding motorcycles his entire life. For years he has helped organize a cross-country bike run to raise money for charity, mostly the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Victory Junction was founded by the Petty family.

"I know he's been a huge bike fan," Carmichael said.

But Petty never once raced a motorcycle on dirt or a motocross course.

"I've been riding dirt bikes since I was little kid, but I didn't have the opportunity to go to motocross tracks back then," Petty said. "Motocross wasn't as big.

"I'm learning how today and it's a pretty good deal to have Ricky Carmichael as a teacher. He was going group to group working with us."

Now that he's not a NASCAR competitor, would Petty consider owning a Supercross team?

Coy Gibbs, son of Joe Gibbs, who owns a three-car Sprint Cup team, fields a privateer, AMA Pro Racing Supercross team.

"Doesn't Michael Jordan own a motorcycle team?" Petty said. "I think it would be pretty cool. You know me. I would try anything once, or twice."

It wasn't all about Supercrossing on Monday. Carmichael, who calls Tallahassee home, held a seminar with parents about proper nutrition, training and the importance of kids staying in school.

"I heard him say it's a young man's sport but they had to keep their kids in school because education is so important," Petty said. "This kind of racing is truly a family sport."

On the flip side, Carmichael said Petty was an attentive student.

"It's amazing how good he got during the course of the day," said the five-time Supercross champion. "Athletes are athletes and racing is racing. You could tell the light bulb came on for him during the class."

Petty has now raced stock cars, sportscars and motorcycles at Daytona. In order to complete the Speedway Slam, he must compete in a go-kart race.

"I'll be back for that," he promised.

godwin.kelly @news-jrnl.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Gainesville: Pre-event notes, schedule - Motorsport.com

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 05:44 PM PST

TIRE KINGDOM NHRA GATORNATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 41st Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, the third of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla. The track is located on 11211 North County Road 225 in Gainesville.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, March 11-14

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, March 11
LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at 9 a.m.

FRIDAY, March 12
LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at 7:30 a.m.

GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 1:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at noon and 2:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, March 13
LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 7:30 a.m.

GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 1:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at noon and 2:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, March 14
Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION: Sunday, March 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at midnight (ET).

Sunday, March 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will re-air the two-hour qualifying highlights show at 10 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, March 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at noon (ET).

Sunday, March 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 6 p.m. (ET).

2009 EVENT WINNERS: Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; Bob Tasca, Funny Car; Jason Line, Pro Stock; Hector Arana, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TICKETS: For tickets call NHRA, (800) 884-NHRA (6472); Tickets also available at Ticketmaster.com or at NHRA.com.

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - FULL EVENT: $140. DAILY: Thursday: Adult, $16; Junior (6-12 years), $10; Friday: Adult, $36; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Saturday: Adult, $58; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $58; Junior (6-12 years) $10. Children (5 years-under), free with paying adult in general admission and pit access areas each day.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $46; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years-under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $65; Junior (6-12 years), $24; Child (5 years and under), $14. Sunday: Adult, $65; Junior (6-12 years), $24; Child (5 years and under), $14.

-source: nhra

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

plus 3, Merchants: Business got biker boost - Daytona Beach News-Journal

2010-03-07T23:03:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Merchants: Business got biker boost - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Merchants: Business got biker boost - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Trailers offer eye-catching rides - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Strang Wins Maxxis General GNCC - Cycle News
Leather Jackets Manufacturers in United States Of America - PRLog (free press release)

Merchants: Business got biker boost - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 08:58 PM PST

DAYTONA BEACH -- Cindy Colangelo thinks this year's Bike Week was one of the best she's ever seen.

The manager of the Topaz Motel & Hotel in Flagler Beach said dozens of guests shook off the recession and frigid temperatures to make the annual trek to town.

Thanks to repeat visitors, the Topaz was booked solid for two days of the 10-day event, Colangelo said.

"(Bike Week) was really great," she said. "We could not complain."

Colangelo is among a chorus of retailers, locals and visitors who say this year's event -- which draws thousands to the area for bike riding and watching -- was remarkable.

On Sunday, heavy crowds packed Beach and Main streets in Daytona Beach and at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach where shoppers snapped up discounted riding gear, T-shirts and other goodies before leaving for home. Siri Chikwenhere of St. Augustine spent the day with her brother Robert Seals and nephews Christian, 5, and Dallas, 3, taking in the sights on Main Street.

"I just like to see all the bikes and all the entertainment," she said. "It's nice to see a lot of different people."

Justin "The Bald Guy" Asher, owner of Red Ember Cycles, said this year's Bike Week was "fantastic" for his 3-year-old Beach Street business, which pulled in customers from all over the country and overseas. "For the times we're in, it was phenomenal," he said. "People were in a good mood. It's all about smiling."

Both sales and traffic were brisk at Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley Davidson Daytona Beach and Destination Daytona dealerships, which are on track to surpass last year's event, said manager Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe.

It's welcomed news in what's been a "tough year," she said. "It's a good vibe," Pepe said. "We're fortunate this event is on the map."

The unusually chilly weather was a downer for some, but translated into brisk sales of face masks, gloves and other cold-weather gear for vendors like Nora Myers of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Schampa Racing.

"We did good because it was cold," said Myers, who's come to Bike Week since 2004.

The weather suited Bike Week veteran Sue Conlon of St. Cloud just fine, too.

"You don't get to wear your leather" in warmer weather, she said.

Across the lot from Myers at Destination Daytona, Tony Watson of Paris, Tenn., said he estimates business at his Pitbull Motorcycle Lifts is up 10 percent from last year.

Amid the steady ringing of cash registers, both Watson and Myers say they noticed the crowds at Bike Week venues weren't as large as in year's past.

Longtime Bike Week visitor and vendor Crystal Kistner, of Worchester, Mass., concurred.

"Everywhere you go, it's not wall-to-wall," said Kistner. "You don't have to wait for a drink, you don't have to wait for food."

Tim Stockman, vice president of Ocean Waters Management, said business was "decent" for the area's largest hotel chain.

The company's marquee properties like The Plaza Spa and Resort and Plaza Ocean Club were full, but some guests opted to leave early rather than stay the full length of the event, he said.

Still, "we did well," Stockman said.

More Bike Week coverage

kenya.woodard @news-jrnl.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Trailers offer eye-catching rides - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 08:58 PM PST

HOLLY HILL -- One day about five years ago, the future became clear for Robin Hanger.

"I was talking to some people about a motorcycle show for Serenity House (of Volusia Inc.)," Hanger said. "They wanted to display a custom motorcycle, but they wanted to keep it out of the elements. So, I thought that making a clear trailer could do that."

The experience led Hanger to start building motorcycle trailers with clear sides and selling them at his business -- Car Shop Trailer Sales, 950 Ridgewood Ave. He traveled to bike rallies and car shows to market his idea.

"I was at one car show, and this guy came up to me and said he would like to show his car, but he didn't want people touching it and getting fingerprints all over it," Hanger said. The man owned a vintage vehicle worth more than $100,000, he said.

From that beginning, Hanger drew interest from several industries, including a California company that sells racing-theme office furniture and a company that markets mobile gyms.

The trailers allow companies and individuals to display their vehicles or products without fear of damage from the elements or road debris while keeping them secure from vandalism and theft.

Hanger outfitted his trailers with lighting, air conditioning, security alarms and custom flooring, paint schemes and retractable blinds.

He estimated he sold 70 to 80 in the past five years in various sizes. Lohman Funeral Home in Ormond Beach bought one to house the company's motorcycle hearse.

To meet demand, Hanger approached Pace American, which now manufactures the Lexan-and-steel trailers at its Fitzgerald, Ga., plant.

Lexan is polycarbonate resin thermoplastic. The quarter-inch-thick panels have a 20-year life expectancy, Hanger said.

Pace also is marketing the product as Vue trailers through its nationwide dealership network.

"This Lexan is not the stuff you find at Home Depot," said John "JT" Trzaskus, general manager of Pace American. "This was designed for the locomotive market. It is the highest level. We hit it with a sledge hammer and couldn't break it."

The trailers range in price from a $5,000 5-foot-by-8-foot model to $19,000 for a 19-footer that can haul a car or four motorcycles. Larger sizes are special orders.

David Schumaker, vice president of business development at Luma Brite Technologies LLC in Ormond Beach, is working with Pace and Hanger on custom graphics for the trailers.

"This is a great product to showcase Luma Brite," Schumaker said. "It takes a mobile billboard to a new level. Instead of dragging around signs, you can show the product.

"If you have a great product, I can't think of a better way to display it, because it's not static."

One satisfied customer is Dave Apgar, marketing specialist for RacingFurniture.com. His clear trailer serves as a rolling office and display center, with a desk, chairs and other race-theme amenities. The company also uses clear trailers for deliveries.

"When we deliver products to the public, we pull up with the blinds down," Apgar said. "When we raise the blinds, it has that 'Wow' factor. It just grabs people."

jim.witters @news-jrnl.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Strang Wins Maxxis General GNCC - Cycle News

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 07:18 PM PST

For the second race in a row, Josh Strang put his FMF Makita Suzuki on the top step of the podium, declaring himself the man to beat in this year's Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. The 21-year-old Australian's latest win came at the Maxxis General GNCC, round two of the 13-round series in Washington, Georgia, and gives him a 14-point lead in the series standings.

"I've worked hard for this and it feels good," said Strang. "And to get two wins is great. I got a good start, perhaps the best start I've ever got on the 450, and I rode well. I think I was better prepared for this race than I was in last week's race in the sand and my bike worked awesome, so it was a good day for us."

Early on in the three-hour race, Strang trailed Am-Pro Yamaha's Thad DuVall, who threatened to run away and hide during the first two laps. However, DuVall's day came to an end when he crashed heavily at about the midway point of the race.

"I rode kind of steady on the first lap and then Thad passed me and he simply checked out," said Strang. "But then I came around and DuVall was on the side of the track - I guess he crashed - and I stopped to see if he was okay. He got going again and he passed me and then he crashed again - he just freakin' ate it."

After DuVall dropped out, Strang cruised to an easy victory, crossing the finish line with two minutes to spare over Am-Pro Yamaha's Paul Whibley, who was happy to be on the podium after running out of gas at the opening round in Florida.

"I was actually racing with Josh [Strang] during the middle part of the race, but I tangled with a lapper and stalled my bike and lost maybe half a minute," said Whibley. "After that, Josh got away and I could never catch him. That's pretty much my race."

Chris Bach rebounded from a poor start to finish third, his second-straight podium finish.

"The first lap was chaos," said Bach. "I just stayed safe for a while and then started moving up. I caught up to Whibley and I thought if I latched onto to him we would ended up in the top five, which is where I wanted to be."

Indeed, Bach followed Whibley into the top five, and then when DuVall crashed out and FMF KTM's Nate Kanney got stuck in a rut, Bach inherited third.

"This is great, having back to back rides like this," said Bach. "I want to keep it going all year."

Fourth went to AM-Pro Yamaha's Charlie Mullins, who came from last place, after getting caught up in a first turn crash. Meanwhile, fifth went to FMF KTM's Nate Kanney. Kanney ran as high as second place on the opening lap, but was taken out two different times by lappers, moving him back down the order. During the final hour, Kanney made his way back towards the front but got stuck in one of the many mud holes and dropped back to fifth.

Cory Buttrick finished sixth, ahead of three-time AMA National Enduro Champion Russell Bobbitt, who also claimed the holeshot at the start of the race, collecting the $250 Motorcycle-USA.com Holeshot Award. Bobbitt managed the holeshot on perhaps the only 250 two-stroke in the XC1 class.

Mexican national enduro champ Homero Diaz was eighth on a KTM, while Kawasaki riders Ken Gaffney and Eric Bailey rounded out the top 10.

FMF KTM's Kailub Russell got back to his winning ways, taking a hard-earned win in the XC2 class. The defending XC2 champ battled for most of the race with Monster Energy/FAR Racing/ Andrews Cycles-backed Jason Thomas and Ride PG's KTM-mounted Jesse Robinson, before making his move on the final lap to take the win.

"I felt like I rode horrible today, but I was able to get it done," said Russell. "The first few laps I had arm pump like crazy and I couldn't do anything. But I finally got in a groove and things started clicking."

Thomas earned the $100 Motocycle-USA.com Holeshot Award to kick off the race, and then fell in behind Robinson to check out the lines.

"Jesse had awesome lines so I followed him for a while," said Thomas, who is recovering from a dislocated wrist. "He had smoother lines and I was able to pick up on them. Then I managed to pass him on the last lap to take second."

Robinson was pleased with second, and even more pleased to have led part of the race.

"This is probably the best ride I've ever had here," said Robinson. "I passed Kailub and pulled a little bit of a lead, but then I had to pit for gas and they caught up."

KTM riders Steward Baylor and Dustin Gibson rounded out the top five.

For the second race in a row, Open A rider Jordan Ashburn claimed the Top Amateur Award.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series resumes on March 20-21 with the FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, North Carolina.

XC1 Results:

1. Josh Strang (Suz)

2. Paul Whibley (Yam)

3. Chris Bach (KTM)

4. Charlie Mullins (Yam)

5. Nate Kanney (KTM)

6. Cory Buttrick (KTM)

7. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)

8. Homero Diaz (KTM)

9. Ken Gaffney (Kaw)

10. Eric Bailey (Kaw)

XC1 Standings:

1. Josh Strang (60/2 wins)

2. Chris Bach (46)

3. Charlie Mullins (39)

4. Paul Whibley (36)

5. Cory Buttrick (28)

6. Homero Diaz (25)

7. Glenn Kearney (24)

8. Kenneth Gilbert (22)

9. Eric Bailey (20)

10. Nate Kanney (18)

XC2 Results:

1. Kailub Russell (KTM)

2. Jason Thomas (Yam)

3. Jesse Robinson (KTM)

4. Steward Baylor (KTM)

5. Dustin Gibson (KTM)

6. Scott Watkins (Kaw)

7. Jake Korn (KTM)

8. Brad Bakken (KTM)

9. Josh Weisenfels (Kaw)

10. Robby Norwood (Kaw)

XC2 Standings:

1. Jason Thomas (55/1 win)

2. Kailub Russell (51/1 win)

3. Jesse Robsinson (46)

4. Steward Baylor (32)

5. Dustin Gibson (31)

6. Jake Korn (30)

7. Josh Weisenfels (30)

8. Scott Watkins (28)

9 Robby Norwood (21)

10. David Snyder (17)

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Leather Jackets Manufacturers in United States Of America - PRLog (free press release)

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 08:37 PM PST

PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 07, 2010 – Viking Worldwise Inc. announces the launch of their Business Website.

Viking Worldwise Inc.,Pennsylvania, United States Of America is delighted to announce the launch of its website http://www.yourjacket.com/ that will be of tremendous value to our customers. The company, is one of the most reputed manufacturers and suppliers of Manufacturer and wholesale supplier, has stepped forward to unveil its ultimate goal to make business as simple as a click through its comprehensive website. The new site offers detail product information, contact information, user-friendly product navigation with comprehensive information regarding the company's profile.

Founded under the able guidance of Mr. George Kurien, our company have acquired immense industry experience by actively providing its qualitative products a large number of clients. Our company proudly boast an excellent reputation as international market leader. The company operates a program used to design and develop wide range of Manufacturer and wholesale supplier, which includes: leather jackets, leather bags, leather sports jackets, motorcycle leather jacket, leather biker jackets, bike racing jackets, leather motorbike jackets and leather twill jackets.

The website is designed and developed with IndiaMART.com, India's largest B2B marketplace which helped us in fulfilling our requirements, to meet customer's needs worldwide for immediate information.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, Pruett holds off Donohue for Grand-Am win at Homestead-Miami Speedway - Autoweek.com

2010-03-06T23:12:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Pruett holds off Donohue for Grand-Am win at Homestead-Miami Speedway - Autoweek.com

Pruett holds off Donohue for Grand-Am win at Homestead-Miami Speedway - Autoweek.com
Play ball! - Florida Today
Jordan's business past flops - The Sun News
Census questions reflect history - Gainesville Times

Pruett holds off Donohue for Grand-Am win at Homestead-Miami Speedway - Autoweek.com

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 10:18 PM PST

Scott Pruett held off a late charge by David Donohue to win Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami, round two of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Pruett and Memo Rojas scored their second victory in three years at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Riley-BMW, holding off the No. 59 Brumos Riley-Porsche of Donohue and pole winner Darren Law by 0.255-second.

In GT, Jeff Segal passed SpeedSource teammate Sylvain Tremblay on the race's lone restart with 13 minutes remaining and went on to win in the No. 69 Mazda RX-8. It was the third triumph in the last six races for Segal and Emil Assentato.

"I sure didn't want to see that last caution, but I was happy for the fans," Pruett said after scoring his 23rd Rolex Series overall win. "This is tough competition. You never know what's going to happen until the checkered flag falls. It was pretty exciting in my seat, that's for sure."

Donohue was able to pull up to the back of Pruett several times in the closing laps but was unable to pass. Pruett managed to weave through GT-class traffic in the infield on the final lap, and maintained the lead through the superspeedway banking.

Alex Gurney finished third in the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Riley-Chevrolet started by Jon Fogarty. Burt Frisselle finished fourth in AIM Autosport's No. 61 Riley-Ford, followed by Ryan Dalziel in the debut of the No. 8 Starworks Riley-BMW started by Mike Forest, the leading Daytona Prototype Pro-Am driver in the event.

A turning point came on Lap 81 of the two-hour, 45-minute race. The cockpit of the No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8 exploded into flames, and Jordan Taylor came to a stop in the middle of pit road. The blaze was quickly extinguished and the race remained under green, but Taylor's car was stopped at the center of the pit lane when Law pitted in the race-leading No. 59 Brumos car.

"There was a car on fire, there were people on pit lane, and I almost came to a stop," Law explained. "I didn't want to hit anybody. It's unfortunate, because I lost all of the gap I had gained. Up until then, I was feeling really, really good."

Taylor was uninjured in the incident, but the Mazda started by Todd Lamb was eliminated after having a strong run.

"It wasn't as big a fire as it looked," Taylor said. "It ended up being some of the insulation in the exhaust catching fire."

Donohue replaced Law on the ensuing pit stop. Pruett took the lead in the exchange and led the rest of the way.

Pruett and Rojas averaged 107.196 mph, completing 129 laps on the 2.3-mile circuit, and took the points lead by six (67-61) over Dalziel. The race remained caution-free until Lap 115, for debris in turns four and eight. Law led a race-high 71 laps, followed by Pruett with 48. Other race leaders included Fogarty, who led the opening six laps, and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who led two laps in the No. 95 Level 5 Motorsports Riley-BMW.

Rolex 24 At Daytona winners Terry Borcheller and Dalziel each led one lap in different cars. Borcheller was running in contention in the Daytona-winning No. 9 Action Express entry. Joao Barbosa, the 2009 Homestead winner seeking his third consecutive Rolex Series victory, went behind the wall early in his shift to replace the heat exchanger.

Tremblay and new regular SpeedSource co-driver Jonathan Bomarito led a GT-class leading 44 laps in the Rolex 24-winning No. 70 Mazda RX-8.

Tremblay, who led 27 laps, fell back to fourth in the closing laps, but he and Bomarito maintained the GT points lead by three (63-60) over Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis, who finished second in the No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group/Vin Solutions Chevrolet Camaro. Finishing third were Leh Keen and James Gue in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8.

Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand finished a solid fifth in GT in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M6. The car ran only three laps in practice prior to the race and did not qualify due to problems with its power steering. Team owner Will Turner installed a power steering unit from a Daytona Prototype prior to the race, and Auberlen and Hand ran in contention throughout the event, with Hand leading four laps.

Paul Edwards started from the GT pole in Banner Racing's No. 07 Chevrolet Corvette and led the opening 31 laps before turning the car over to motorcycle legend Scott Russell. Edwards returned to the car for the closing shift, finishing sixth--one position ahead of Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster in the No. 40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8.

Ted Ballou and Andy Lally had the highest-finishing Porsche, placing eighth in the No. 66 AXA Porsche 911 GT3.

Grand-Am's next Rolex Series race is scheduled for April 10 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

For more Grand-Am racing news and reports, click here.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Play ball! - Florida Today

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 10:11 PM PST

VIERA — And so it begins.

The first baseball was pitched -- and taken for a ball at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday -- by the Washington Nationals' John Lannan. It began a 2010 local season that stretches until September when the Brevard County Manatees' Florida State League campaign wraps up.

As the cliché goes, it was a perfect day for spring baseball, a cloudless blue sky, a breeze and temperatures in the 60s.

And Space Coast Stadium was nearly full despite the overwhelmingly who-are-these-guys roster masquerading as the New York Mets.

The place is expected to be full for Friday's visit from the 27-time World Series champion New York Yankees, although the chances of the Bronx Bombers bringing anyone you might recognize enough to ask for an autograph are slim.

After all, this is spring training when hope springs eternal even for guys bound for the bus leagues and the Mets and the Nationals themselves, two of the worst teams in baseball last season, the Mets finishing 70-92 and the Nationals 59-103.

But for now, the uniforms are crisp and clean and the grass is bright and green. It's time to play ball, to forget ill fortunes of seasons past and look to seasons to come. Can there be a better time of the year? A time before the grind of the 162-game season wears players and teams down much like waves breaking incessantly on the shore? When the daunting, day-in, day-out demands of the game flummox even the most stout? And when fate deals unfairly with all deemed fearless enough to tempt it?

A time when mistakes will be made but won't really matter? A time when score will be kept but no one will really care? And a time when National League teams actually use the despised designated hitter.

A time when fans boo more to see if they still remember how as opposed to booing because they believe a player long despised needs reminding that he is still, well, despised? After all, no one has truly done anything at this point to be subject to discourtesy no matter how traditional.

That's the beauty of this time of year, when games truly are exhibitions with some players exhibiting why they are on the big league roster and others exhibiting why they believe they should be.

And fans sit back in the sun, expressing their own opinions and assessing their own grades as to who they believe is deserving of a trip north with the big club and who needs to stay down on the farm and get more seasoning before seeing old Pariee?

That's what spring is all about. It's a time of year when batting averages, bases on balls, bonehead plays and the bottom line don't matter nearly as much.

Savor the spring. Save all the rest for the regular season when baseball's inner beast will lurk like a looming thunderstorm before bursting forth in all its bluster to soak us all in everything that is America's greatest game.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Jordan's business past flops - The Sun News

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 08:45 PM PST

Yet despite his successes, Jordan's lengthy post-basketballresume is peppered with business plans, from car dealerships to driving ranges to restaurants, that didn't pan out.

Partners rave about his astute business sense, but others say he's not committed enough, dabbles in too much - that the skills that propelled him to six NBA titles, five MVPs and a 1982 NCAA title at UNC don't translate to the business world.

Now, in the days since Jordan agreed to buy the Charlotte Bobcats, mixed opinions have surfaced on how he'll fare.

"He was just ruthless on the court, and he had the ability - he was almost seeing the game and plays in slow motion," said Allen Sanderson, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. "But I just don't see that same dedication off the court."

Jordan, a minority partner and head of basketball operations for the Bobcats since 2006, is expected to be approved as controlling owner in the next two months. He has not revealed the purchase price, though industry sources estimate it was more than $250 million.

Jordan catapulted to success in the NBA and quickly built an endorsement empire, pitching everything from Gatorade to Wheaties to Hanes underwear.

At one point, experts estimated he raked in $40 million a year from his endorsements alone.

Jordan has embarked on other business ventures, too. In 1996, he launched Michael Jordan Cologne, the first licensed product to bear his name and one of the most successful fragrance introductions in history.

He owns a stake in Nike's Jordan Brand, a market leader in shoes and athletic wear, started Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional motorcycle road racing team, and launched a series of restaurants in New York, Chicago, Connecticut and Chapel Hill, N.C.

"Anything he touches, he likes, and it needs to be special," said David Zadikoff, chief executive of Jump Higher LLC, which owns and operates Jordan's restaurants. "Michael's main standards all represent excellence."

The pair have worked together for 12 years, since they opened Chicago's One Sixtyblue. Jordan has helped design the restaurants, though he relies on Jump Higher to market them and handle day-to-day operations, Zadikoff said.

"It was always about, first, do a great concept," he said. "Of course, Michael's name is world-renowned, and of course people will expect something, but then you have to deliver."

Jordan's businesses haven't always done so.

His first dining establishment, Michael Jordan's Restaurant in Chicago, opened with fanfare in 1993 but closed a few years later, his partners claiming Jordan hadn't been there in years. The Chapel Hill restaurant, 23.sportcafe, also closed.

And Jordan's Michael Jordan Golf Centers concept, pitched as a way to make the sport more accessible to minorities, was sold to AMF Bowling in 1997.

In 2005, Jordan announced his involvement in a $600 million condominium-hotel-resort in Las Vegas, but the project was later canceled.

Still, "he's a superior businessman," said Michael Peterson, a close friend and owner of the project's Chicago-based developer, Diversified Real Estate Concepts Inc. "Hopefully, his acquisition [of the Bobcats] will be a success."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Census questions reflect history - Gainesville Times

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 08:52 PM PST

Census officials say this year's survey is one of the shortest in history.

And that's saying a lot; the census is mandated by the Constitution and thus has been around for 220 years.

"(This year), it is all about the number 10. Ten questions that will take 10 minutes or less that will impact the quality of life in your community for the next 10 years," said Manuel Landivar, assistant regional census manager in the Atlanta area.

It asks simple questions about how many people are in the household, what their names are and their sex and race.

In previous years, the short form had as many as 15 questions, and the long form, which was sent to about 15 percent of the houses in the country, had 67 questions.

In 2000, Census Bureau officials stopped using the long form and began collecting socioeconomic information through the American Community Survey. About 250,000 people are surveyed that way each month, Landivar said.

"This way we can have actualized data throughout the decade," Landivar said.

That change is one of a few big changes over the years for the census, according to the Census Bureau Web site, www.census.gov.

When the census began in 1790, questions were basic. How many males in the household are younger than 16 and how many older than 16? White females, other free people and slaves also were counted. Through the 1800s, age breakdowns got more specific.

World events and social changes, such as the abolition of slavery and the Great Depression, were evidenced in the questions.

In 1850, there were two questionnaires — one for free people, one for slaves. By 1870, after the Emancipation Proclamation, forms no longer asked about slaves.

Questions about race got more specific through the years. What began as black, white or mulatto now includes a variety of Asian and Hispanic descents and allows people to mark more than one box.

Toward the beginning of the Great Depression, the 1930 census asked, "Does this person live on a farm NOW?" and "Did this person live on a farm A YEAR AGO?" Later in 1940, it included questions about much people worked, how much they made and whether or not they had a Social Security number. The Social Security Act was enacted in 1935 to provide benefits for the elderly, among others.

The 1940 census also was the first to include a separate questionnaire on the condition of the nation's housing.

"In order to gauge the effect of the Great Depression on the nation's housing stock, a census of occupied dwellings was coupled with the usual demographic questions," according to the census Web site.

Unlike the general population questionnaire, this census form asked questions about the characteristics of housing, such as what material the home was constructed from and whether it needed major repairs. It also asked about running water, toilet facilities, lighting, refrigeration, heating and fuel.

By 1960, the census asked about how people got to work. Answers for that category increased through the years with the addition of transportation modes like motorcycles, trucks, vans and even ferryboats. Now, with the American Community Survey, there no longer is a decennial long census form that asks detailed questions about how we live.

The short form collects information needed to determine whether states and local governments need more representation in legislative bodies or whether they need to redraw their boundaries to more equally represent each district in legislative bodies.

Census officials expect the new 10-question form will garner a better response than previous decennial surveys. Landivar said he expects the response rate to improve in the metro-Atlanta area by at least 2 to 3 percent.

Staff writer Ashley Fielding contributed to this report.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, AMA Pro Racing Adds Five-Round Harley-Davidson XR1200 Spec-Bike Series - RoadracingWorld.com

2010-03-04T23:12:00.001-08:00

plus 3, AMA Pro Racing Adds Five-Round Harley-Davidson XR1200 Spec-Bike Series - RoadracingWorld.com

AMA Pro Racing Adds Five-Round Harley-Davidson XR1200 Spec-Bike Series - RoadracingWorld.com
On Guard: Zemke Wins Daytona Opener - Cycle News
Criss Angel motorcycle collection now on display at Octane - e-Travel Blackboard
2010 Daytona SuperSport Race 1 Results - Motorcycle USA

AMA Pro Racing Adds Five-Round Harley-Davidson XR1200 Spec-Bike Series - RoadracingWorld.com

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 03:11 PM PST

From a press release issued by Vance & Hines:
Daytona Beach, FL – March 4, 2010 – AMA Pro Racing and Vance & Hines are pleased to announce the launch of the new AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, a spec-bike five race championship featuring specially modified Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycles.
This exciting new series will provide loyal Harley-Davidson owners, dealers and enthusiasts a chance to join the action at selected AMA Pro Road Racing weekends throughout the country.
As the presenting sponsor, Vance & Hines will also serve as the official race kit supplier for the class. The kit will consist of a Vance & Hines XR1200 exhaust system, a Fuelpak fuel management system, race bodywork including number plate, single seat tail section and belly pan, 17-inch front wheel with matching front fender, steering damper, oil cooler relocator and race decal package. The cost for the complete kit will be $3500.
"We have racing in our DNA, Harley-Davidson has racing in their DNA and we are truly thrilled to bring Vance & Hines and Harley-Davidson back into AMA Pro Racing," Terry Vance, a prolific champion as both rider and team owner, said of the new series. "The XR1200 has proven to be an exciting platform for spec racing in Europe and this class will be a perfect cost-effective platform to showcase new talent on a national stage. Many of the finest motorcycle racers all over the world got their start in the AMA Supertwins class of the 1990s."
As in all AMA Pro Road Racing series, Dunlop will provide the spec tire for the class and Sunoco will fuel the racers with their Sunoco 260 GTX fuel. In addition to the Vance & Hines supplied kit parts, teams will be allowed to upgrade their suspension, hand and foot controls, brake components and instrumentation.
AMA Pro Racing Chief Operating Officer David Atlas welcomed the new series, "Adding another element to our events with a series of this caliber will be a great benefit to our sport. The specification of the XR1200 package will put the premium on the rider's ability and will provide a great new class of racing that has ties to the past."
Vance & Hines is also pleased to announce that the XR1200 Series will feature a $5,000 purse payout at each of the five rounds, $2,500 going to the race winner, $1,000 to the runner-up and $750 for third. Fourth and fifth place finishers will receive $500 and $250 respectively.
For the 2010 season, the AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will race at five rounds of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship. The first race will be just north of Harley-Davidson's Milwaukee headquarters at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. Next up will be the classic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, moving on to Virginia International Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park. The season finale will be at Barber Motorsports Park.
For more information, please contact Paul Langley, Vance & Hines Motorsports at (317) 852-9057, email to plangley@vhmotorsports.com or www.amaproracing.com

More Breaking Headlines | Next Article | Home

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

On Guard: Zemke Wins Daytona Opener - Cycle News

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 01:45 PM PST

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, MAR. 4 - National Guard Suzuki's Jake Zemke ended an almost four-year winless drought in AMA Superbike racing today at Daytona International Speedway, the Californian starting his first season in the Michael Jordan Motorsports fold with a narrow victory in an ultra-competitive American Superbike final.

With the top five riders finishing within .307 of a second of each other, the post-Mat Mladin era in AMA Superbike got started with the opening round of the 2010 series turning into a thriller - even with three of the expected front runners hitting trouble early in the race.

Still, the five who were there in the beginning were there at the end with Zemke beating Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden by just .238 of a second. Then came Foremost Insurance Ducati's Larry Pegram .259 of a second behind Zemke with Michael Jordan Motorsports' Aaron Yates, the pole sitter, and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Blake Young crossing the line in quick succession. All five took turns at the front of the pack, and when they crossed the line for the final time there was just .307 of a second from Zemke in first to Young in fifth.

Zemke actually led into the chicane on the final lap and got a good enough drive out of it to hold off the pack of drafters behind him. The win was Zemke's first since he won on a factory Honda CBR1000RR at Miller Motorsports Park in June of 2006 and it was the fourth AMA Superbike victory of his career.

"The Suzuki is brand new to me and I didn't really know what feel I was looking for and I still don't; I'm still looking for it," Zemke said. "In the beginning I just wanted to get out there and not let the leaders get away. I've been to Daytona before and you can not let the lead group get away. The number-one job for me was 'Okay, the bike doesn't feel too bad. I just want to hang with this lead pack and make sure I don't get separated from them.' I was there for awhile and about halfway I thought, 'I think I can get to the front of this thing.' The bike was working good and it was really fast and that always helps. The guys have done their homework over the off-season and they build a great motorcycle and the team came together and gave me a bike I could ride in the race. Luckily, it worked out."

Three of the other stars of the series ran into problems early on. M4 Monster Suzuki's John Hopkins pulled his GSX-R1000 behind pit wall on the opening lap and both Graves Motorsports Yamaha's Josh Hayes and Pat Clark Motorsports' Ben Bostrom ran into issues early on. Those two were able to persevere, however, with Hayes finishing 13th with Bostrom 18th.

That left the others to fill the void with M4 Monster Suzuki's Chris Ulrich having his best-ever AMA Superbike effort to finish sixth, the Californian holding off Ridersdiscount.com's Taylor Knapp by .1 of a second at the finish line. Those two were some 27 seconds behind the leading quintet.

Buell-mounted Shawn Higbee ended up eight with Shane Narbone ninth and Barrett Long 10th.

Superbike Race One
1. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)
2. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki)
3. Larry Pegram (Ducati)
4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)
5. Blake Young (Suzuki)
6. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
7. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)
8. Shawn Higbee (Buell)
9. Shane Narbone (Suzuki)
10. Barrett Long (Suzuki)

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Criss Angel motorcycle collection now on display at Octane - e-Travel Blackboard

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 02:21 PM PST

Criss Angel is recognized as one of the most provocative artists in the world today with more hours of magic on prime time television than any magician in history. He can be seen nightly at the Luxor in the world-acclaimed production, Criss Angel BeLIEve by Cirque du Soleil. Angel recently received the coveted MERLIN AWARD for Magician of The Decade by the International Magicians Society honoring his accomplishments for the past 10 years. Angel is the only artist to receive Magician of the Year five times and is one of the most viewed magicians in Internet history.

Angel's mastery is not only limited to the art of mysticism. As an avid motorcycle enthusiast, he has accumulated an extensive collection of custom vehicles. Experience the many sides of Criss Angel through his most recent collection of bikes now on display at Octane at Excalibur, the hottest classic rock bar in Las Vegas. Enjoy specialty cocktails and the Octane dancers while browsing these one-of-a-kind custom bikes including:

"Lane Splitter"
Named by Angel himself, this MF13 motorcycle is the first prototype of the CRISS ANGEL line.

"Loyal Drag Bike"
This model was created for and dedicated to all the "Loyal" CRISS ANGEL fans worldwide for their support, love and inspiration. The art on this drag bike depicts actual tattoos that some of Angel's loyal fans had inked onto their skin.

"Screamin' Demon"
This Old School style Big Bear Chopper is themed after the master magician…Houdini! This motorcycle will be featured in MINDFREAK Season 6, CRISS ANGEL's popular television series on A&E.

The above motorcycles now join Angel's pre-existing collection which can be seen at Liquidity at Luxor and include:

"Believe Charity Motorcycle"
~BELIEVE Anything is Possible - a JDS Foundation~
Angel, who always has been involved in assisting individuals in need, particularly children, started his own charitable foundation to serve this purpose. Fabricated by Big Bear Choppers, the BELIEVE Foundation Chopper captures the essence of this cause as the bike is dedicated to the children who tirelessly and courageously battle life-threatening diseases.

MF2 Chopper - Season 2- 2006
This chopper was featured in an episode of MINDFREAK where Angel had a spectator sign a card, place it back in the deck, and then threw the deck in the air. Angel plucked the signed card from the air while riding the bike at 30 MPH.
MF3 Chopper - Season 3- 2007
This chopper embodies the highlights of the first 2 seasons of MINDFREAK. Angel only rode this chopper once prior to performing a signed card effect that resulted with the signed card becoming encapsulated within the bike.

MF4 Chopper - Season 4- 2009
Big Bear Choppers created this mechanical work of art. Featured on the "Walk on Water" Premier Episode from Season 4, Criss rode the bike to Lake Mead to shoot this demonstration.

Military Tribute - Season 4 - 2009
This bike is dedicated to all the brave men and women past, present, and future that have selflessly served and help protect this great nation of ours.

MF5 Chopper - Season 5- 2009
The highlight of Season 5 was the airing of the 100th half hour episode of MINDFREAK. This loud, radical and in your face bike was created by Big Bear Choppers and has a twin that is one of Criss' favorite bikes to ride.

The following chopper can be seen steps away from the Criss Angel MINDFREAK Store at Luxor:

MF1 Chopper - Season 1- 2005/2006
The first custom bike ever made for Angel was built by Paul Tuetul Senior and Junior of American Chopper (OCC). After many grueling hours of planning and painstaking revisions, the collaboration of Angel and the Tuetul's resulted in the development of this one of a kind masterpiece.

Located in the Luxor lobby:

BeLIEve Show Chopper
This Big Bear Chopper depicts scenes and characters of Criss Angel Believe the live show performing nightly at the Luxor.

T-Rex by Campagna Motors- Season 6 -2010

Angel's T-Rex is a custom made vehicle that's "street legal" and something you won't see on the road every day. It can go from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and the performance of this vehicle is the closest thing to a Formula 1 race car! This chopper will be featured on Season 6 of MINDFREAK.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

2010 Daytona SuperSport Race 1 Results - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 12:33 PM PST

AMA Pro Road Racing kicked off at Daytona with a wild one in SuperSport. Cameron Beaubier took the win by the narrowest of margins, just 0.001 ahead of fellow Yamaha pilot Joey Pascarella and Jake Gagne. The close finish up front highlighted a top five that all finished within 0.3 seconds of the winner, with no less than four different riders claiming at least one lead lap. Suzuki's Elena Myers finished her professional debut with a seventh-place result.

Pascarella jumped up front in the opening laps, followed by Beaubier and J.D. Beach. The front five lapped within a second of the leader, with fellow Yamahas Gagne and Tomas Puerta all keeping the pace. Myers and Huntley Nash kept within striking distance as well, as the rest of the field began to fall behind.

On Lap 4 Beach move up to grab a lead lap, as the front five began bumping around in a position shuffle that would remain disordered until the final lap. Pascarella reasserting himself on Lap 7 until Gagne took the position on L9, only to be usurped by Beaubier the very next lap.

"You could have thrown a blanket over them" was how our track photog described the frantic scene, as the front five vied for the win. None wanted to be in front on the final straightaway, with Daytona's notorious finish line drafting passes. Pascarella hesitated, allowing Beaubier to get in front, then made his move. However, Beaubier managed to re-draft past his opponent at the line, just necking out the victory. Gagne nearly pulling off a last ditch pass to finish third just 0.065 off the winner. The finish was so close that both riders were dismayed, believing they had lost the race.

Myers' finish at 5.796 seconds back in seventh belies the fact that she was hanging with the front runners, within two seconds of the leader for much of the race.
?
Rider Quotes

"Once again it was a crazy finish at Daytona. It seems like every time I come here it's pretty gnarly." ? Joey Pascarella

"The second to last lap I got in a little too deep trying to pass and had to run through the run-out area. So I dropped back a bit. I just kept my head down the last lap. While the guys up front were messing around trying not to be first on the banking, it allowed me to catch up a bit. I got some slipstream on the banking and was able to pass two guys at the end." ? Jake Gagne

"The draft helped so much. I wound up going first going first onto the banking, and he (Pascarella) passed me. He pulled out of the slipstream too early, and I wound up getting by him and barley beat him" Cameron Beaubier

The SuperSport class will open Friday's races with the second 12-lap contest at 3 p.m. EST.

2010 Daytona Supersport Race 1 Results
1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)
2. Joey Pascarella (Yamaha) 0.001
3. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 0.065
4. J. D. Beach (Yamaha) 0.247
5. Tomas Puerta (Yamaha) 0.267
6. Huntley Nash (Yamaha) 4.882
7. Elena Myers (Suzuki) 5.796
8. Daniel Guevara??(Suzuki) 32.209
9. Eric Stump II (Honda) 01:07.5
10. Rick Breen (Yamaha) 01:07.8
11. Ryan Kerr (Kawasaki) 01:08.0
12. Robert Tinagero (Kawasaki) 01:19.4
13. Hunter Propst (Suzuki) 01:20.1
14. Giuseppe Messina (Kawasaki) 01:20.2
15. Charles Burton (Honda) 01:33.7

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, FIFTH GEAR: Last place warrants NASCAR inspection - Long Beach Press-Telegram

2010-03-03T23:15:00.001-08:00

plus 3, FIFTH GEAR: Last place warrants NASCAR inspection - Long Beach Press-Telegram

FIFTH GEAR: Last place warrants NASCAR inspection - Long Beach Press-Telegram
Hopkins, Ulrich reunite - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Michael Jordan's history in business no slam dunk - The State
Nationals will focus on five pressing goals - Florida Today

FIFTH GEAR: Last place warrants NASCAR inspection - Long Beach Press-Telegram

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 10:43 PM PST

1 Is NASCAR really cracking down on the "start-and-park" teams?

When Aric Almirola finished last in last Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas for the second week in a row, he found NASCAR inspectors waiting in the garage area for an inspection that matched those generally reserved for the top five finishers. Under NASCAR's latest edict, the lowest-finishing, non-wrecked car also will be inspected.

"We're just expanding our inspection process and making sure that everybody feels like everybody is on the same playing field, that's all," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said Sunday.

"It's all about making sure that the guys who get beat that don't make the race understand that the guys who get in the race, for the most part, are doing everything right."

That process included taking the engine back to the NASCAR research and development center in Concord, N.C., to be broken down.

According to SceneDaily.com, Pemberton said there's a possibility not all engines will be torn down but did acknowledge it could cost teams $30,000 for a rebuild.

Such teams already are strapped for cash and $30,000 is a big hit. Almirola made $79,000 for car owner James Finch on Sunday and $80,300 the week before at Fontana.

The solution? Run longer in the races and finish higher, not dropping out with a "vibration" or "rear gear," which has knocked out Boris Said two consecutive

weeks.

2 In less than a second, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season literally turned upside down for the Upland-based Mountain View Racing Pro Stock team.

Vinnie Deceglie lost control of his 2010 Dodge Avenger during qualifying for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, escaping injury but destroying the car.

"It was like having black ice out there," said Deceglie, who knew the feeling from his days as a Long Island resident. Deceglie made a slight correction after hitting the transition from concrete to asphalt, flipping the car and sending it into the wall.

"I've driven cars faster than a Pro Stock car and been way out of shape, much more than I was in that run, but the car just flipped," said Deceglie, who also saw Gordie Rivera experience the same thing earlier in the day.

The Mountain View team will pull out last year's '09 Dodge Stratus for the March 12-14 event in Gainesville, Fla. The car, updated to meet safety standards, will be tested next Wednesday in Valdosta, Ga., before heading to Florida.

Car owner Nick Mitsos has ordered a new race car from Rick Jones, who will be able to salvage some parts. It will be about three months, however, before the new car will be ready, meaning Deceglie will have to drive the old car in Gainesville, Charlotte, N.C., and Las Vegas.

Because of the track issues at Firebird, NHRA will complete the Pro Stock class at Gainesville during Gatornationals qualifying.

3 Want to go fast? Real fast? Then the first Mojave Mile Shootout is the place to be Saturday.

Long a popular event in the Midwest and on the East Coast, the Mojave Mile Shootout is a speed competition based on the highest possible trap speed in one mile from a standing start. No need to worry about salt flats such as Bonneville or El Mirage, the event will be conducted on the 12,000-foot runway at Mojave Air and Space Port, a private airfield in Mojave.

Yes, the same airfield made famous by Burt Ruttan (for his 1986 around-the-world trip in Voyager) and Scaled Composites, the company building a spaceship for commercial purposes.

Two-wheeled motorcycles and 4-wheeled vehicles are eligible to compete in various classes, provided they meet stringent safety regulations. The first run is scheduled for 8 a.m.

As a result of the rules, no rental cars will be allowed to compete.

Only one car will run at any one time, with laser beams triggering the electronic timing. The "speed trap" used to measure speed will consist of the last 132 feet of the one-mile track. Each car will use a semi-standing start (20-foot prestart box) and no elapsed time will be kept.

4 Willow Springs Speedway will close out its Sunday afternoon winter series this week with the Hooper 100 late-model race and six other classes.

It's the late model race, though, that's attracting attention and entries. For openers, the winner's check will be $1,000 if there are at least 18 entries. Event organizers received 26 pre-race entries, with the possibility of more showing up on race day.

The field is limited to 22 cars, creating excitement for qualifying. It also will generate another level of intensity in the `B' main as drivers try to transfer into the final starting positions.

There's also bonus money to be claimed. The top qualifying time is worth a $100 bonus, and another $150 bonus is available for any late-model driver who breaks the division track record during qualifying. The fastest group of qualifiers in the trophy dash eye another $100 bonus.

And if that wasn't enough, there's posted lap money for the Hooper 100. Nearly 40 sponsors, many of them racing families, have put up $10 per lap, and that has added an additional $1,000.

Money is a factor, but many of the competitors are showing their respect for the late Richard Hooper.

"When it comes to stock car racing in the southwestern United States, Hooper remains a genuine icon," noted racing journalist Dave Grayson said. "He was the personification of the term `hard racing' and anyone who competed against him quickly learned that fact.

"Off the track, he was a true friend to every racer; Hooper truly cared about his fellow racers. It's not surprising at all that a special race held in his honor has generated so much interest."

Presented by Beyond Willow Springs Promotions, the weekend starts Saturday with a swap meet, followed by a test-and-tune session beginning at 10 a.m. Racing action begins at noon on Sunday.

5 In its 16 seasons of competition, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series has produced plenty of talent for the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, the West Coast's premier series.

On Saturday, season No. 17 begins at Perris Auto Speedway. It'll be the first of 20 races at the track, unusual to the series in that the Lightning cars run the half-mile and the inner quarter-mile clay oval with and without wings. For the opener, the series will run on the big track with wings.

In addition to the speedway, the series will compete four times in Bakersfield and three times in Ventura, along with one stop at Santa Maria Speedway.

Defending USAC/CRA champion Mike Spencer is a CLS alum, as is points runner-up David Cardey and fifth-place finisher Greg Bragg, a three-time Lightning Sprint Car titlist.

The reigning series champion is Stuart Hielshier Sr., winner of two main events in 2009. Among other main-event winners returning are Bobby Bender (4), Stuart Hielschier Jr. (3), past series champion Brent Sexton (2) and Johnny Bluntach (2).

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Hopkins, Ulrich reunite - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 10:29 PM PST

DIS GLANCE

WHAT: Daytona 200 Week

WHERE: Daytona International Speedway

EVENTS: AMA Pro Racing — road racing, Daytona Flat Track

TICKETS: Separate events — road racing, $20; Flat Track, $20 to $25

WEB SITES: amaproracing.com, daytonainternationalspeedway.com

MORE INFO: Call the Speedway at 800-748-7467

SCHEDULE

Today

AMA Pro Racing

At 3.51 (LC) and 2.9-mile (SC) road courses

9 a.m.: Daytona SportBike Group A practice (LC)

10:15a.m.: American SuperBike qualifying(SC)

11:00 a.m.: SuperSport qualifying (SC)

11:45 a.m.: American SuperBike qualifying (SC)

12:45p.m.: American SuperBike, Daytona SportBike, SuperSport rider autograph session

2:00 p.m.:Start of 12-lap SuperSport race (SC)

3:30 p.m. : Start of 15-lap American SuperBike race (SC)

6:30 p.m.: Start of SportBike/Daytona 200 qualifying (LC)

At Daytona Flat Track

AMA Grand National

6 p.m.: Rider autographs, paddock open

8 p.m.: Start of racing heats

9:40 p.m.: Pro Main event

10:10 p.m.: Expert Main final

Friday

AMA Pro Racing

At 3.51 (LC) and 2.9-mile (SC) road courses

11:30 a.m: Start of warm-up sessions by class

3 p.m.: Start of 12-lap SuperSport race (SC)

4 p.m.: Start of 15-lap American SuperBike race (SC)

7:15 p.m.: Opening ceremonies for Daytona 200 by Honda

8 p.m.: Start of 57-lap Daytona 200 (LC)

Saturday

Daytona Supercross by Honda

12:30 p.m.: Start of practice for Lites and SX

6:45 p.m.: Opening ceremonies

8:40 p.m.: Supercross Lites Main Event - 15 Laps, 20 Riders

9:20p.m.: Supercross Main Event - 20 Laps, 20 Riders

Sunday

9 a.m.: Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Championship

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Michael Jordan's history in business no slam dunk - The State

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:46 PM PST

Yet despite his successes, Jordan's lengthy post-basketball resume is peppered with business plans, from car dealerships to driving ranges to restaurants, that didn't pan out.

Now, in the days since Jordan agreed to buy the Charlotte Bobcats, mixed opinions have surfaced on how he'll fare.

Jordan catapulted to success in the NBA and quickly built an endorsement empire, pitching everything from Gatorade to Wheaties to Hanes underwear. At one point, experts estimated he raked in $40 million a year from his endorsements alone.

Jordan's businesses haven't always worked out.

And Jordan's Michael Jordan Golf Centers concept, pitched as a way to make the sport more accessible to minorities, was sold to AMF Bowling in 1997. The company dissolved its partnership with Jordan a few years later, closing golf centers around the country.

Pascarella, the former Michael Jordan Nissan partner, acknowledged that some ventures haven't worked, such as a dealership in Maryland that Jordan bought and sold soon after.

Bu, "If MJ called me today and told me to get him a car or walk off a plank, I'd do it for him," said Pascarella, 60, who accepted a buyout in 1998 and now lives in Oak Island, south of Wilmington. "He builds that sort of loyalty."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Nationals will focus on five pressing goals - Florida Today

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 10:14 PM PST

VIERA — The Washington Nationals' 31-game spring training schedule begins today with split-squad games at Kissimmee and Jupiter. Here is my big-picture take on the five things the Nationals and the other 29 teams will be looking to accomplish:

1. Get at-bats for hitters. Batters taking pitches during spring training games is just that. A batter who might look at more than the normal amount of pitches is trying to accomplish several things: timing, position of his hands, position of his feet, tracking pitches and re-adjusting to pitches thrown by a big league hurler other than batting practice.

Hitters don't have that luxury once the regular season starts and everything begins to count. So, spring training is just that, training. Also, managers will huddle with their veteran hitters asking them how many at-bats they need to prepare physically and mentally and then make sure they get them. It can be a balancing act, making sure the hitter gets enough and not too much.

2. Get innings for pitchers. Starting pitchers start the spring slowly, usually throwing a couple of innings. But as the schedule wears on, their innings increase, so they are ready to pitch at least five in their initial regular-season starts.

Also, pitchers might use those spring innings to tinker with a pitch or two or try different pitches in different situations with a batter in the box and an umpire behind the plate.

Equally important is the need to evaluate all the pitchers vying for spots in the starting rotation and naturally having the rotation set before heading north. The only way to accomplish that is by giving those pitchers as many innings as possible.

That's one reason teams will send peripheral pitchers to minor league camp fairly early -- to both open up innings on the big-league side and ensure those sent down get the work they need to prepare for their seasons, which are equally as important.

3. Get a good look at prospects, even those who will not make the big league roster. There are 61 players in Nationals camp and only 25 will make the big league club. But the players, especially position players, are in camp for a reason. The organization wants to get a good look to determine if they are ready for the bigs on Opening Day, capable of moving up if another player is injured or deciding where they should be placed in the farm system based partially on what they show in spring games.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, Jordan's businesses draw mixed reviews - Raleigh News & Observer

2010-03-02T23:02:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Jordan's businesses draw mixed reviews - Raleigh News & Observer

Jordan's businesses draw mixed reviews - Raleigh News & Observer
Have a passion for motorcycles and ATVs? Learn how to repair them - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Kulwicki among inductees for Motorsports Hall of Fame - WBIR
Class 1400 - Off-Road.com

Jordan's businesses draw mixed reviews - Raleigh News & Observer

Posted: 02 Mar 2010 02:45 PM PST

Yet despite his successes, Jordan's lengthy post-basketball resume is peppered with business plans, from car dealerships to driving ranges to restaurants, that didn't pan out.

Now, in the days since Jordan agreed to buy the Charlotte Bobcats, mixed opinions have surfaced on how he'll fare.

Jordan catapulted to success in the NBA and quickly built an endorsement empire, pitching everything from Gatorade to Wheaties to Hanes underwear.

At one point, experts estimated he raked in $40 million a year from his endorsements alone.

"It was always about, first, do a great concept," he said. "Of course, Michael's name is world-renowned, and of course people will expect something, but then you have to deliver."

Jordan's businesses haven't always done so.

In 2005, Jordan announced his involvement in a $600 million condominium-hotel-resort in Las Vegas, where he planned to build an athletic center, steakhouse and café, but the project was later cancelled.

Jordan's first off-court basketball effort, as part-owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards, drew a mixed response. He was fired from the role in May 2003.

Pascarella, the former Michael Jordan Nissan partner, acknowledged that some ventures haven't worked, such as a dealership in Maryland that Jordan bought and sold soon after.

But Pascarella said he's a bright, careful businessman. A quick study. A nice guy with solid roots. And an owner who stopped by the dealership when he came to town, whether it was to discuss sales or pick up a car, load his golf clubs and drive off to play a round.

"If MJ called me today and told me to get him a car or walk off a plank, I'd do it for him," said Pascarella, 60, who accepted a buyout in 1998 and now lives in Oak Island, south of Wilmington. "He builds that sort of loyalty." Staff researcher Maria David contributed.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Have a passion for motorcycles and ATVs? Learn how to repair them - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Posted: 02 Mar 2010 01:19 PM PST

By By Laura Raines

For AJC Jobs

If you have mechanical aptitude and a passion for motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles, Chattahoochee Technical College has a program for you.

The power-sports equipment repair technology diploma prepares students to become motorcycle or ATV technicians. The 62-hour diploma takes about a year to complete, but there are also five shorter certificates that provide entry-level skills to advance or begin changing your career.

"We started this program in 2005 to coincide with the rise in demand for motorcycles in this country," said Mark Jones, an instructor at Chattahoochee Tech. "Take a ride in the North Georgia mountains on any nice day and you can see that motorcycle sales have been booming.

"Atlanta is back door to one of the best riding areas in the nation. Many riders of all ages spend their weekends traveling the scenic back roads of North Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. We knew that there would be a need for people who could maintain and repair those vehicles."

Industry growth has slowed with the recession, but Jones expects sales to pick up again as the economy improves. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for motorcycle technicians is expected to remain steady through 2018.

"Our classes also train people to work on motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-side utility vehicles, because most dealers and manufacturers now sell a wider range of products to keep sales steady," Jones said. "Motorcycle sales peak in the spring and summer, but hunters, farmers and industrial companies buy ATVs and utility vehicles year round."

Students, who can take classes in the evening or the daytime, begin by learning about the history and basic maintenance of motorcycles before delving into their various systems.

"Our method is teaching the theory in the classroom; then demonstrate the technique and let the students do it in the lab," he said.

Students eventually learn how to troubleshoot and repair engines, electrical systems, chassis and suspension systems, brakes, steering mechanisms and fuel systems.

"Many owners want a bike that is customized, and we teach students how to do modifications and test their effectiveness," Jones said.

Internal or external internships cap the program and often lead to job offers with local dealerships or shops. Graduates find entry-level employment with motorcycle and ATV dealerships, independent repair facilities, custom shops or race teams.

"Some students have plans to open their own shops, but we suggest that they take business courses first, because repairing motorcycles and running your own shop requires two different skill sets," Jones said.

Jones believes that repairing motorcycles is more than just a job.

"Motorcycle repair is as much as lifestyle as it is a career," he said. "You're working for and with enthusiasts, so if you don't have a passion for motorcycles, you're better off doing something else.

"Besides passion, it takes someone who is patient, detail-oriented and willing to persevere until a problem is solved. You'll need some math skills and good oral and written communication skills, because you'll be dealing with customers and filling out paperwork."

Jones tells students that earning a good reputation is their most valuable asset. By having good work ethics and satisfying one customer at a time, they can build trust and a loyal client base.

"If you're known for doing a good job, it will pay you in the long run," he said.

Starting salaries range from about $10 to $12 an hour in most shops, but technicians with experience can work faster and make twice that, or more. "The better you are, the more money you can make," Jones said.

For more information, call 770-528-4425 or visit www.chattahoocheetech.edu.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Kulwicki among inductees for Motorsports Hall of Fame - WBIR

Posted: 02 Mar 2010 12:21 PM PST

Racing luminaries Dale Armstrong, Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwicki, Jeremy McGrath, Ken Squier, Jerry Titus and Rich Vogler will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction ceremony on Aug. 25, 2010 at The Fillmore Detroit.

"The Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2010 features champion drivers who doubled as an innovative crew chief, a showman and stunt man, a race team owner and a magazine editor. Joining them are an all-time win leader in sprint cars and midgets, a ground breaking broadcaster and a legendary Supercross rider whose nickname was ... Showtime. Their exploits on and around the race tracks of America make them true hall of famers," said Ron Watson, president of the Hall of Fame.

Alan Kulwicki -- Hard working and fiercely independent, he worked his way up from the short tracks of the Midwest to become the first owner/driver since Richard Petty in 1979 to win the NASCAR Cup championship when he dramatically captured the title in 1992. The NASCAR rookie of the year in 1986, Kulwicki inaugurated the "Polish Victory Lap" when he celebrated by circling the track clockwise after he won for the first time at Phoenix in 1988. Kulwicki died in April 1993, during his reign as NASCAR champion, when his plane crashed en route to a race in Bristol, Tenn.

Dale Armstrong -- Credited with numerous innovations in drag racing technology, Armstrong was the first crew chief to use wind tunnels for improved aerodynamics. This mechanical genius tuned Kenny Bernstein to four consecutive Funny Car championships in 1985-1988, plus a total of 28 national event wins. Later, with Bernstein in the Top Fuel division, he became the first crew chief to break the 300 mph barrier. The 1996 Top Fuel title placed Armstrong among the elite crew chiefs to have won championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Armstrong had an outstanding driving career himself, winning 12 NHRA National events in the 1970s.

Joie Chitwood -- Known as "the Chief," Chitwood had two successful careers -- one as a racer and another as a world-renowned stuntman. He was the AAA East Coast Sprint Car champion in 1939 and 1940. He was the CSRA Sprint Car champion in 1942. He raced at Indianapolis seven times, placing fifth on three occasions. He was the first driver to wear a seat belt at the Brickyard. His popular and long-running Joie Chitwood Thrill Show led to stunt work in motion pictures and television. Chitwood died in 1988.

Jeremy McGrath -- This native Californian became the most popular motorcycle racer of the 1990s and perhaps all time. From 1993 until his retirement in 2002, McGrath obliterated every record in AMA Supercross racing en route to eight national championships. His unique crowd pleasing riding maneuvers, while leaping the high-flying jumps of Supercross, helped launch the sport of freestyle motocross. His tremendous fan appeal gave impetus to the rapid growth of Supercross, but his popularity transcended the sport. McGrath appeared regularly on national television shows and commercials, along with starring in video games that topped the sales charts during his reign as the "King of Supercross."

Ken Squier -- The owner of the voice that introduced millions to stock car racing began his career as a track announcer in the 1950s. While owning radio stations that formed the Radio Vermont Group, he acquired the Thunder Road track in Barre, Vt., and later became the lead voice of the Motor Racing Network providing NASCAR coverage on national radio. He was an ABC motorsports announcer in 1964 before moving to CBS for the first flag-to-flag live coverage of the Daytona 500 in 1979. His call of that historic event is credited by many to have been a major contributor to a significant growth spurt for the phenomenal popularity of NASCAR. He still applies his trade as a commentator on FOX.

Jerry Titus -- During the 1960s, the glory days of Trans Am racing, Titus was one of the series' dominant drivers. His five wins in 1967 won the championship and the manufacturer's trophy for Ford. He placed third in points in 1968 and 1969. An accomplished writer and editor of Sports Car Graphic Magazine, Titus was killed in a racing crash at Road America in 1970. Titus' name is remembered annually by the America Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association when it presents its choice for driver of the year with the "Jerry Titus Memorial Award."

Rich Vogler -- In 1980, Vogler became the first driver to capture both the USAC sprint and midget titles in the same season. He also won the midget crown in 1978, 1983, 1986 and 1988. He won additional sprint car titles in 1980 and 1989. A five-time Indy 500 qualifier, Vogler's best showing was an eighth-place finish in 1989. His record of 134 national event wins in various divisions of United States Auto Club competition ranks second behind only Inaugural Hall of Fame inductee A.J. Foyt. Vogler's last victory came when, at age 39, he lost his life in an accident on the final lap while in the lead of a sprint car race at Salem Speedway in his home state of Indiana.

Tickets for the induction ceremony can be purchased online at www.mshf.com or by calling 248-349-RACE (7223).

NASCAR

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Class 1400 - Off-Road.com

Posted: 02 Mar 2010 11:53 AM PST

LOS ANGELES—As pre-running over the rugged race course heats up for next week's 24th Annual MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon leads 25 defending SCORE Desert Series season point champions among a veteran field that includes many of the world's best desert racers who have entered this popular spring race.

Attracting entries from 24 states and eight countries, the lineup includes a race-record 34 entries in SCORE Trophy-Truck, the marquee racing division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks. Round 2 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held next weekend in Mexico's picturesque fishing village of San Felipe, located 120 miles south of the U.S. border on the East side of the Baja California peninsula along the azure waters of the tranquil Sea of Cortez.

With nearly 275 entries expected, which would be among the top five totals in race history, competition will be held in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the 248-mile race. The green flag will drop at 6 a.m. Pacific time next Saturday, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. local time. The start and finish line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with an 11-hour time limit to become an official finisher.

Following January's season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series will visit Mexico for the first of three races in 2010.

An added attraction this year during the pre-running window is this weekend's San Felipe Tequila Festival.

Gordon, 41, Charlotte, N.C., who won the 2009 SCORE Trophy-Truck and SCORE Overall season point title in his No. 1 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500, is one of eight 2009 SCORE class season crown winners who did not win their respective classes in this race. Gordon finished second in his class and overall in San Felipe last year. Originally from Orange, Calif., Gordon had two firsts, one second, one fifth and one seventh to earn his second career SCORE Trophy-Truck point championship in 2009. He has nine career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins in the 16-plus year history of the marquee racing division.

The seven other 2009 SCORE season champs entered who didn't win their respective classes in last year's Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 are Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif. (Class 1, Jimco-Chevy), Eric Duran, Tecate, Calif. (Class 1-2/1600, Neth-VW), Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Moulton-VW), Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (Class 6 Ford Ranger), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va. (Class 8, Chevy Silverado) and his RPM Off-Road teammate Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. (Stock Full, Dodge Ram2500).

The defending SCORE season point titlists entered this year who did win their respective classes include four in SCORE Pro four-wheel vehicle classes and eight more in Pro motorcycle and ATV classes.

Returning four-wheel class drivers of record are: Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug), Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 11, VW Sedan) and Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (England) (Stock Mini, Honda Ridgeline).

At the top of the defending 2009 SCORE Pro motorcycle and ATV class point champions entered this year in San Felipe who also won their classes in this race last year are the Overall motorcycle and Overall ATV race winners. Last year's overall motorcycle champion was the Johnny Campbell Racing Honda team of Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif./Tim Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif. on the No. 1x Honda CRF450X and the Overall ATV winners were the team of Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., on the No. 1a Honda TRX700X.

The four other defending 2009 SCORE motorcycle season point champions entered this year are: Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas/Rex Cameron, Albuquerque, N.M., last year's SCORE Overall motorcycle point champions (Class 30, Honda CRF450X), Carlos Casas, Chula Vista, Calif. (Class 21, KTM 450XCF), Brian Campbell, Bakersfield, Calif. (Class 40, KTM 450XCF) and Jim O'Neal, Simi Valley, Calif. (Class 50, Honda CRF450X).

Casas and Campbell are both listed as second riders this year while O'Neal is the only racer who has competed in all 23 previous SCORE San Felipe races and has the most all-time class wins in this race with 10 entering this year, all consecutive class wins since 2001 with two wins in 2005 (Classes 30 and 40 for riders over 30 and 40 years old).

Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif., is the defending SCORE Overall ATV and Class 24 season point champion including a San Felipe win on a Honda TRX450R. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Calif., won the Class 26 season crown last year and the San Felipe race on an Arctic Cat but has switched to a trucks this year and is entered in Class 7-2 in a BajaLite-Chevy.

Five of the 2009 SCORE Sportsman class season point champions are also entered in this year's San Felipe race as well although Manuel Jimenez of San Felipe, who won last season's SPT ATV point title, has moved up this year to the Pro Class 24. Returning to race in Sportsman classes are 2009 season point champions Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif. (SPT Car, Homebuilt-Chevy), Joe Aguayo, San Jacinto, Calif. (SPT Truck, Ford F-150), Thomas Graves, El Cajon, Calif. (SPT UTV, Yamaha Rhino) and Jeff Leonard, Bakersfield, Calif. (SPT M/C>250cc, Honda CRF450X).

Lang and Leonard both won their classes in last year's San Felipe race.

SCORE Trophy-Trucks have won 14 overalls in San Felipe in their 16-plus-year history.

In the first 23 years of this race, Honda has earned 14 overall motorcycle victories (including the last four years), Kawasaki has six, KTM has two and Husqvarna has one.

This year's race will use a 248-mile race course that is very similar to the past two years with a few modifications beyond those caused by normal weather conditions. Running in a counter clockwise direction out of San Felipe up to and then parallel to Highway 3 (south side). It then south back down through three of the most picturesque, challenging washes and magnificent canyons in all of Baja.

As of today, SCORE Trophy-Truck had the most entries with 34, followed by the unlimited Class 1 with 19 and Class 1-2/1600 with 14. While 231 entries have been received to date, late registration will be accepted up until race morning. Among the motorcycle classes, the open Class 22 has the most vehicles entered to date with 12. Class 24 has the most ATVs entered so far with 16.

The pre-race Manufacturer's Midway and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday (March 14), the awards celebration will be held in front of The Beachcomber Night Club on the Malecon.

At the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, MasterCraft Racing has entered not only company owner Robbie Pierce's No. 30 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck, but also the No. 20 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck to be driven by eight-time SCORE season class point champion Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas and the No. 42 Chevy Silverado driven by Will Staats, Valencia, Calif. All three trucks were built by prominent chassis builder Mike Julson's Jimco Racing Products of Santee, Calif. Julson is listed as a co-driver for both Pierce and MacCachren for this race, if needed.

The MasterCraft racers will not be eligible to win any part of the special $10,000 MasterCraft Safety cash contingency bonus purse MasterCraft Safety has offered for this year's San Felipe race.

In San Felipe, Pierce will start fourth, MacCachren 21st and Staats 25th in the massive SCORE Trophy-Truck field.

In addition to season class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings as well as earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 25th consecutive year, a total of 59 drivers remain eligible after Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series. Racers are also competing for the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards, including the MasterCraft Safety SCORE Rookie of the Year award.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull-official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, MasterCraft Safety, Blue C Advertising, Off-Road, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

Associate sponsors for the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 are the Tourism and Convention Bureau of Mexicali/San Felipe and Cotuco. Additional sponsors in Baja are the Office of the Secretary of Tourism of Baja California and ProTurismo de Ensenada.

The race annually provides a greater economic impact to San Felipe than the popular month-long 'Spring Break'.

For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

plus 3, Carmichael Makes Appearance at Atlanta SX - Motorcycle USA

2010-03-01T23:19:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Carmichael Makes Appearance at Atlanta SX - Motorcycle USA

Carmichael Makes Appearance at Atlanta SX - Motorcycle USA
2010 Atlanta AMA Supercross Insider - Motorcycle USA
Wealth Management executive to pay $1.4 million to settle case - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wolfe has a fervor for racing - Carroll County Online

Carmichael Makes Appearance at Atlanta SX - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 05:09 PM PST

The fans at the Atlanta Supercross were excited to see some great racing on Saturday night. But, they got more than they bargained for when a living Suzuki legend took to the track for one of the most exciting parade laps the series has ever seen.

Ricky Carmichael's iconic #4 Suzuki sat in the pits on Saturday, right next to series points leader Ryan Dungey's. A constant crowd was around the pits, asking questions about what RC had planned for the night. While speculation and rumors of a one-race comeback ran rampant, Ricky had a little surprise planned for the crowd.

As opening ceremonies started, the crowd erupted. As the parade lap was about to begin with the three top racers in the series, including Dungey on his RM-Z450, another rider was added to the roster. Ricky Carmichael led the three points leaders around the track for a fast-paced, high-flying, tail-whipping parade lap.

Carmichael is one of the greatest racers ever to take to the dirt, and his popularity is as strong as ever. The fans were treated to great racing throughout the 450 and 250 main events, and the glimpse of the legendary riding style of Ricky Carmichael was icing on the cake. Suzuki is proud to have such a longstanding relationship with Ricky.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

2010 Atlanta AMA Supercross Insider - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 05:09 PM PST

Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives…

For the second weekend in a row, on track skirmishes during practice got the drama started well before the singing of the National Anthem. This time however, stiffer penalties for the parties involved were handed down from the AMA.

In Episode 1, DNA/Shredstix Yamaha's Martin Davalos let his temper get the best of him when GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia made a rough pass during one of his fast qualifying laps causing Davalos to see red, literally. The Ecuadorian flipped his wig and stepped-up on Barcia like a pissed-off pimp on an ATL street corner. Davalos slapped him up-side the helmet several times as they rolled off the track. A shouting match ensued. After grabbing the mouthpiece of Barcia's skidlid, AMA staff had to pull the DNA/Shred Stix racer away from the wild and crazy rookie.

While Davalos' pimp hand might be been strong, the AMA's was stronger. The Number 577 rider was disqualified from the Atlanta round for his actions against Barcia. The AMA has a strict "hands off" policy, and had no other recourse but to boot the Yamaha rider from the evenings racing. Barcia was not penalized, as he did not retaliate or escalate during the confrontation.

The strange part about Davalos' actions is that he and the Honda rookie are friends. They both train at the Millsaps Training Ranch. It will be interesting to see if they are still training buddies after this incident. How will the foreign rider apologize? Does FTD have a "Sorry I punched your helmet" bouquet?

Barcia is already earning a reputation for being a hard-charging rider that is not afraid to get close and bump his way to the front. In the first heat he made an aggressive block pass on Dean Wilson, and in the main even he went for broke, although he came up empty-handed. A failed attempt to hit a triple while battling for a podium spot left him in the 18th spot. The crowd applauded the GEICO rider's effort but its little consolation as he slips to eighth in the championship. Whether or not it is his intention, he is already getting in the other front-runners' heads. Even in practice the rookie has been making aggressive passes on his competitors just to show he's willing if the need arises. This is what got probably got Davalos

all riled up: He simply can't turn it off. Whether it's good or bad, this rookie is going to be talked about quite a bit this season,

Brett Metcalfe benefited from his GEICO Honda teammate's late-race crash. When Barcia went down, Metcalfe was in position to earn the third-place finish Saturday night., despite having crashed hard in practice. So hard, in fact, that he was forced to sit out the remainder of the session. The Australian was banged up pretty good and there was even some doubt whether or not he would return to the track for the night program. Good thing he did as he claimed his first podium of the 2010 AMA East Coast Lites Season. Metcalfe is a tough customer as he also has been racing with a sore ankle from an earlier injury.

Episode 2 was a smashing good time, held under the lights of the main event. It all started when Monster Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto had his night come to a crashing halt. While chasing Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey he cased the final jump of a rhythm section and went for a painful looking trip over the bars. Luckily the bike missed landing square in his back, but the aftermath surely caused him agony. Unluckily, the bike smashed muffler-first into the red Georgia clay. Unbeknownst to RV the muffler tip was packed solid with terra firma as he kicked and kicked in an unsuccessful attempt to get the bike fired back up. Once the offending chunk of dirt was removed by his mechanic, Mike Williamson, he was able to remount his KX450F. The 22 year-old finished a disappointing 19th.

Villopoto's teammate, Chad Reed is said to be ready for Daytona. The buzz around the pits is that Dungey, Josh Hill, and RV's job is about to get tougher. The Australian racer is choosing the toughest race of the year to return from his hand injury. A decision like that sends a message that the Number 22 rider is prepared to do battle with the current point leaders. Meanwhile, all was quiet on the J-law front this weekend, but it's doubtful that will last too long.

Sunday, after the Atlanta Supercross, was a charity ride day was put on by the organization Ride4AT at Bremen Race Park just an hour east of the Georgia Dome. A large number of the AMA Supercross racers donated gear to an auction benefiting Ride4AT. Visit www.Ride4AT.com to learn about this debilitating disease and how you can help. Some notable items that fetched high prices were $500 for a Ricky Carmichael glove, $500 for a Villopoto jersey and $1500 for a set of Dungey's gear. After the auction, Red Bull staged an invitational relay race called the Re-MX which we participated in. Look for a full rundown of that crazy race coming soon.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Wealth Management executive to pay $1.4 million to settle case - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 02:46 PM PST

March 1, 2010 11:12 a.m. | After raising hopes by dropping in January, foreclosure filings increased again in February - another sign that foreclosures aren't likely to go down steadily until the unemployment rate does the same.

There were 2,543 foreclosure filings in courts around Wisconsin in February, up about 8.2% from 2,351 in February 2009, preliminary figures from ForeclosureAlarm.com in Madison snow.

"The decline in January was an anomaly," said Philip Crawford, founder of ForeclosureAlarm.com, which tracks new filings in the state.

The foreclosure situation was slightly worse in southeastern Wisconsin, where filings jumped about 13% from February 2009. There were 1,046 foreclosure filings in circuit courts in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties last month. That compares with 923 in February 2009.

On a month-to-month basis, foreclosure filings increased 4.9% from January, when there were 997 in southeastern Wisconsin. »Read Full Article

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Wolfe has a fervor for racing - Carroll County Online

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 04:33 PM PST

About Us

Photo Reprints

Send Us Your News

Subscribe to The Times

Newspapers in Education

News Staff

Holiday Hope (85 KB PDF)

Reader's Guide (6 MB PDF)

Tour The Times

Where to Buy The Times

Carroll County Home Show

Contests

Join Our Team

Journalism Scholarship

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, 2010 River Ranch ATV GNCC Results - Motorcycle USA

2010-02-28T23:14:00.001-08:00

plus 3, 2010 River Ranch ATV GNCC Results - Motorcycle USA

2010 River Ranch ATV GNCC Results - Motorcycle USA
Teen takes title from cycling vet - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Fast and loud for success - Daytona Beach News-Journal
Wolfe has a fervor for racing - Carroll County Online

2010 River Ranch ATV GNCC Results - Motorcycle USA

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 10:11 PM PST

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series kicked off its 2010 schedule in grand style as riders from nearly 25 states attended the opening round at the beautiful Westgate River Ranch in Lake Wales, Florida. Chris Borich came into the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC as the heavy favorite after dominating last year's series, and the Yoshimura Suzuki rider backed it up by coming from behind to take a thrilling win in the XC1 final. Meanwhile, Honda-mounted Brian Wolf took the win in the highly competitive XC2 division, also turning in a come-from-behind performance of his own.

Yamaha's Don Ockerman grabbed the $250 Motorcycle-USA.com Holeshot award, leading fellow Yamaha riders Taylor Kiser and Bill Ballance through the first turn to start the four-lap XC1 race. Warnert Can-Am's Adam McGill and Borich were not far behind, with McGill taking the lead when the front-runners ducked into the woods for the first time. Kiser, Borich, and Warnert Can Am's Chris Bithell followed McGill, running second, third and fourth at the two-mile mark.

With a little over a lap to go, Borich picked up the pace and moved around Kiser to take second. A lap later, he passed McGill to take the lead. Kiser was also on the move, and picked off McGill in the mud.

"We were all running nose-to-tail and Adam took a bad line in a mud hole and I passed him," said Kiser. "I wanted to challenge Chris in the end, but there just weren't any good lines to get by."

At the finish, the top three riders were separated by less than two seconds, with Borich taking the win with 1.4 seconds to spare over Kiser. McGill followed another 0.4 seconds back.

"It feels good to get the first one out of the way," said Borich. "I knew it was going to be a rough track and I just paced myself and then made my move. I just let the track come to me and everyone made little mistakes and I was able to take advantage of it. I pretty much made my moves around the mud holes and anywhere else I could find."

Kiser, a native of Florida, was happy to make the podium in front of a hometown crowd, but he was disappointed at not getting the win.

"I kind of laid back a bit and just tried to pace myself and once I pitted I dropped the hammer and just tried to move to the front," said Kiser. "I guess I should have put the hammer down a little sooner. There was just nowhere to get by Chris on that last lap."

After leading much of the first part of the race, McGill was pleased with putting the Can-Am on the podium.

"The fuel-injection worked really well and I was able to get the start," said McGill. "I've been working with [the bike] for a while and I'm happy with it. I heard somebody when I was running out front and I looked back and it was Chris [Bithell, McGill's teammate] and I was like, 'Yes!'"

"I ran strong at the beginning and then they go strong at the end," added McGill. "I don't know if they are playing me or what, but we are going to get it figured out."

Bithell ended up finishing fourth with nine-time champ Bill Ballance getting fifth on the Yamaha.

In the XC2 race, Brian Wolf took advantage of first-lap mistake by KTM's Josh Kirkland. Kirkland got hung up when Parker Jones hit a tree, allowing Wolf to take a lead he would never relinquish. Kirkland, who earned the $100 MotorcycleUSA.com Holeshot award at the start, ended up with second place in the class, with Yamaha-mounted Kevin Yoho finishing third.

"I snuck around Kirkland when he got hung up and I just held on to the lead to the checkers," said Wolf. "My team has been working really hard and we spent all day Thursday working on suspension and I think that was the key to getting this win."

Women's class Lexie Coulter put her Can-Am on top of the podium for her first national win, also winning the GT Thunder ATV Amateur Overall award. Yamaha rider Jennifer Albright finished second ahead of defending Women's champion FRE KTM's Angel Atwell in third.

Can-Am riders dominated the podium in the 4x4 Open division, with Bryan Buckhannon, Rick Cecco and Zac Zakowski going 1-2-3.

Kevin Trantham topped the 4x4 Lites class on a Can-Am, beating out Kawasaki rider Andrew Stuckey and Honda-mounted Rob Herbert to get the win. Meanwhile, in the 4x4 Limited division, Can-Am factory rider Michael Swift topped fellow Can-Am riders Andrew Langston and Ken Robey.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with bike racing on Tuesday, March 2nd.

XC1 Results:
1. Chris Borich (Suz)
2. Taylor Kiser (Yam)
3. Adam McGill (CAN)
4. Chris Bithell (CAN)
5. Bill Ballance (Yam)
6. Jerrod McClure (Pol)
7. Jeffrey Pickens (Yam)
8. Johnny Gallagher (Yam)
9. Don Ockerman (Yam)
10. Bryan Cook (KTM)

XC1 Overall Standings:
1. Chris Borich, 30
2. Taylor Kiser, 25
3. Adam McGill, 21
4. Chris Bithell, 18
5. Bill Ballance, 16

XC2 Results:
1. Brian Wolfe (Hon)
2. Josh Kirkland (KTM)
3. Kevin Yoho (Yam)
4. Dustin Canipe (Kaw)
5. Parker Jones (Hon)
6. Josh Beavers (KTM)
7. Gabe Phillips (Yam)
8. Eric Hoyland (Yam)
9. Blake Kramer (Suz)
10. Corbin Knox (Hon)

XC2 Overall Standings:
1. Brian Wolf, 30
2. Josh Kirkland, 25
3. Kevin Yoho, 21
4. Dustin Canipe, 18
5. Parker Jones, 16

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Teen takes title from cycling vet - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 10:04 PM PST

DAYTONA BEACH -- Russell Wikle and Michael Barnes played the classic game of cat-and-mouse on the final lap of the Michelin Pro SportBike race at Daytona International Speedway.

Wikle, 18, nipped the veteran Barnes, 41, at the line for the victory Sunday over the 3.51-mile motorcycle long course.

The two riders quickly broke away from the field and turned the eight-lap run into a two-man battle.

"I knew it was going to be all about strategy because we were evenly matched," Wikle said. "I just tried to play my cards right and I ended up on top."

Neither rider wanted to be the leader exiting the chicane.

Why?

Because these SportBikes, which will be featured in Friday night's Daytona 200, produce a tremendous draft effect made famous by NASCAR stock cars.

Once the motorcycles get back to speed through the East Banking, the bike running second has a distinct advantage.

"Michael was sitting up looking around, hoping I would pass him, and I was doing the same thing," Wikle said.

As the two leaders slowed to play their game of strategy, Geoff May was closing fast from his third-place position.

Wikle picked up the pace, passed Barnes. When the two got to the chicane, Wikle said he "chopped his throttle," which sent Barnes back to the lead.

"I put my head down and drafted Michael to the line," said Wikle, from Huntsville, Ala.

"I got him to get back by me, but he was just as smart," said Barnes, making his 44th appearance at Daytona. "He wanted me to come back by him.

"We did that a couple of times. If I had 50 more feet, I would have had him, but it worked for him today."

May finished third followed by Eric Wood and Patrick Jacobsen.

Barnes said he used the American SportBike Motorcycle Road Racing as a practice session for the Daytona 200, sanctioned by the AMA Pro Series.

"We still have teething pains with our bike," Barnes of his Yamaha. "I have a total of 20 laps on this bike with Dunlop tires and we're trying to figure out how to set up the bike for these tires."

Despite their age difference, Barnes and Wikle, who was Suzuki mounted, have battled many times before.

"I have a ton of respect for the man," Wikle said.

"I've raced against Russ in some other races and he's on his way up," said Barnes, from Boca Raton. "A lot of times these kids show up at Daytona real hungry and ready to do the job. He's prepared. He's done his homework. He's got some good bikes and good support."

Wikle is pulling double duty. He will compete in the 200 and will run the new Daytona Flat Track on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

"Not the big show, but the Pro event, which kind of like amateurs," he said sheepishly. "I started dirt tracking to hone my road-racing skills."

SUNDAY

CCS/ASRA

· EXPERT MIDDLEWEIGHT GRAND PRIX: Fernando Amantini, Kawasaki 600.

· AMATEUR MIDDLEWEIGHT GRAND PRIX: Justin Drake, Kawasaki 600.

· EXTRA ULTRA LIGHT SUPERBIKE: Joe Cotterino, Suzuki 600.

· AMATEUR ULTRA LIGHT SUPERBIKE: Steve Grujic, Suzuki 650.

· 125 GRAND PRIX: Scott Coccoli, Honda 125.

· EXPERT HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT: Geoff May, Suzuki 600.

· AMATEUR HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT: Eric Stump, Honda 600.

· EXPERT LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT: Eric Helmbach, Suzuki 650.

· PIRELLI DIABLO CHALLENGE: Nate Kern, BMW 1200.

· MICHELIN PRO SUPERSTOCK: Shane Marbonne, Suzuki 1000.

· MICHELIN PRO SUPERBIKE: Martin Cardenas, Suzuki 600.

· MICHELIN PRO THUNDERBIKE: Joel Spalding, Ducati 749.

· MICHELIN PRO SPORTBIKE: Russell Wikle, Suzuki 600.

· EXPERT UNLIMITED GP: Chris Ulrich, Suzuki 1000.

· AMATEUR UNLIMITED GP: Eric Stump, Honda 600.

· EXPERT LIGHTWEIGHT GRAND PRIX: Robert Buroker Jr., Ducati 1000.

· AMATEUR LIGHTWEIGHT GRAND PRIX: Katharin Zimpel, BIM 1000.

· EXPERT HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: Danny Eslick, Suzuki 600.

· AMATEUR HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: Eric Stump, Honda 600.

· EXPERT LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: Robert Buroker Jr., Ducati 1000.

· AMATEUR LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: Chris Dodd, Ducati 1000.

· EXPERT MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: J.D. Reach, Yamaha 600.

· AMATEUR MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE: Sean Cassell, Honda 600.

· EXPERT UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE: Christopher Clark, Yamaha 1000.

· AMATEUR UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE: Matt Brown, Kawasaki 1000.

· EXPERT SUPERTWINS: Eric Wood, Ducati 1000.

· AMATEUR SUPERTWINS: Waldis Veras, Ducati 749.

· EXPERT LIGHTWEIGHT F40: Jon Glaefke, PIE 1100.

· AMATEUR LIGHTWEIGHT F40: Steve Johnston, Ducati 1000.

· EXPERT FORMULA 40: Anthony Fania, Suzuki 750.

· AMATEUR FORMULA 40: 1. Chuck Morris, Suzuki 750.

godwin.kelly @news-jrnl.com

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Fast and loud for success - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 08:59 PM PST

In response to the Feb. 22 letter "City of fast and loud" by Bob Niro:

Finally, in his backward way, someone has come up with a really good solution to some of the money problems in Volusia County and Daytona Beach. In reality, if you take away the NASCAR events and the motorcycle events and continue to limit access to "The World's Most Famous Beach," why else would anyone want to visit Daytona Beach? No major league ball teams, no real promoted historical sights, nothing really to lure the almighty tourist dollars away from Orlando except NASCAR, motorcycles and the beach.

These three items should be exploited to their fullest by our elected officials. They should have fought harder for the racing hall of fame or even started our own. Get the beachfront arcade and amusements back and promote the beach to families as a place to go instead of Disney. Spend some police money on getting the derelicts away from the pier area.

We can still have the musicals, festivals and art shows. Maybe some day we might even be able to have a really nice event at the taxpayer-subsidized Ocean Center. People wouldn't support arena football, but there must be something out there that they would. I have been to a lot of events at the wonderful Peabody Auditorium that were nowhere near full.

Evidently NASCAR and Bike weeks are the only things that will sell out here. Thanks, Mr. Niro, we need more people like you in Daytona Beach.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Wolfe has a fervor for racing - Carroll County Online

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 08:52 PM PST

About Us

Photo Reprints

Send Us Your News

Subscribe to The Times

Newspapers in Education

News Staff

Holiday Hope (85 KB PDF)

Reader's Guide (6 MB PDF)

Tour The Times

Where to Buy The Times

Carroll County Home Show

Contests

Join Our Team

Journalism Scholarship

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

plus 3, Johnston: Ned Ward benefit ropes around $22,000 - Abilene Reporter-News

2010-02-27T23:13:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Johnston: Ned Ward benefit ropes around $22,000 - Abilene Reporter-News

Johnston: Ned Ward benefit ropes around $22,000 - Abilene Reporter-News
Happenings across West Michigan: Week of Feb. 28 - MLive.com
Asheville-area motorcycle enthusiast left legacy of caring - Asheville Citizen-Times
Tampering with motorcycle noise control systems is illegal - Sun-Journal

Johnston: Ned Ward benefit ropes around $22,000 - Abilene Reporter-News

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 09:36 PM PST

More than $20,000 was raised in the Ned Ward benefit team roping held last weekend at the Taylor County Expo Center.

Christie Martin said the auction brought in more than $16,000 and another $6,000 was made from the roping.

Ned, 77, and his brother, Jim, 71, started the Senior Team Ropers Association more than 15 years ago. They have their finals in Abilene toward the end of September. Ned has been battling cancer for nearly a year.

Benny Kilpatrick of Abilene and James Allen of Santa Anna handled the auctioneering chores. At one point they had a father and his adult son bidding against each other from their seats at opposite ends of the stands.

Winners in the No. 10 Class that ended late Saturday evening were:

Fastback — 1. Bruce Vinson of Hawley and Bucky Cooper of Hamlin, 5.93 seconds, $564 each; 2. Bruce Vinson and Jeff Bacon of Cisco, 6.82 seconds, $225 each.

Overall — 1. Vinson and son Twister had 35.58, $551 each; 2. Clay Koenig, Cross Plains-Cooper, 35.90, 456 each; 3. T. Vinson-Johnny Northcutt, Eastland, 39.91, $361 each; 4. B. Vinson-Cooper, 41.64, $285 each.

Twister adds to motor pool

Twister Vinson, the eighth-grade son of Bruce Vinson of Hawley, added a half-ton Dodge pickup to the motorcycle and four-wheeler that he won in the previous two Original Team Roping Association Finals held in Abilene.

The lastest win was in the World Series of Roping Tuley Productions event in Glen Rose Feb. 20. He and partner Jim Bynum of Waxahachie had a 5.42 second No. 11 class short go-round time. Twister paid Bynum for his interest in the pickup.

San Antonio Rodeo champions

Trevor Brazile of Decatur continues his hot streak in tie-down with a championship and $16,593 in the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo.

Other event champions were bareback rider Micky Downare of Hartsel, Colo., with $18,408; steer wrestler Luke Branquiinho of Los Alamos, Calif., with $17,112, and team ropers Colby Siddoway of Hooper, Utah, and Matt Zancanella of Aurora, S.D., with $18,159 each.

J.J. Elshere of Quinn, S.D., won the saddle bronc riding and $17,630 while barrel racing champion was Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, with $17,112. Bull riding champion was Ardie Maier of Timber Lake, S.D., with $19,964.

SHOT clinic, competition

Collegiate individuals will compete within various classes of the Stock Horse of Texas Association with their scores added together for a college championship. Texas Tech won the title last year with nine schools competing.

The clinic will run Friday through Sunday. Individual clinics will be held Friday.

Bozo Rogers, formerly of Lipan and now living in Watrous, N.M., will conduct the cow work class and Chance O'Neal of Guthrie will present the reining clinic.

Jimbo Humphreys will handle the trail class. He works on the Guitar Ranch in Spur.

Laurie Shelton of Brenham will work the pleasure clinic.

The Limited Non-Pro, Novice and Youth Class competition will be held Saturday. The Open Non-Pro and Green Class are set for Sunday.

Murray continues non-traditional appearances

After his successful run for eight weeks on "Dancing With The Stars," Ty Murray has followed up with a Sports Illustrated appearance with his dancing partner, Chelsie Hightower. She is in a bikini and Ty — who is not — is admiring the view.

Murray and his, wife Jewel, recently participated in an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and Monday night, they appeared as co-hosts on the World Wrestling Enterprise telecast with something called WWE Diva Bull Riding.

He has said it all part of his efforts to take the message of the Professional Bull Riders organization to new audiences.

Incidentally, Jewel wrote the theme song "Stay Here Forever" for the recent movie "Valentine's Day." She said it was written with Ty in mind because they travel so much.

Brazile moves outside the arena

During the recent NBA Celebrity All-Star Game in Dallas, reigning PRCA All-Around Champion Trevor Brazile gave roping lessons to Carmelo Anthony of the Denver, Rajon Rondo of Boston and New Orleans player Chris Paul. The quick lessons came during timeouts, breaks between quarters and at halftime.

Schedule update

Send information about your event to Horse Column, P.O. Box 30, Abilene, TX 79604, fax to 325-670-5242 or send an e-mail to sports@reporternews.com.

n Today Dist. 9, National Barrel Horse Association, Taylor County Expo Center Horse

Barn, Abilene

n Wednesday-March 20 Houston Stock Show Rodeo

n Friday-Sunday Stock Horse of Texas Clinic, Taylor County Expo Center Horse Barn, Abilene

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Happenings across West Michigan: Week of Feb. 28 - MLive.com

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 10:05 PM PST

By The Grand Rapids Press staff

February 28, 2010, 1:05AM

IN CONCERT

Gregory Crowell, Paul Austin, 2 p.m. today: Suzanna Bratton, 2 p.m. March 7, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, adults $8, seniors $7, college students $7, ages 6-17 $5, free to age 5 and younger, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.

Indie Rock Matinee, 5 p.m. today, $8; Attack Attack!, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, $15-$17; Heavyweight Hangover, 8 p.m. Friday, $5; Monte Montgomery, 7 p.m. March 7, front lounge, $10; Halestorm, 7:30 p.m. March 7, $9.79-$12, The Intersection, 133 Grandville Ave. SW, (800) 745-3000 or 451-8232, ticketmaster.com or sectionlive.com.

John Mayer with Michael Franti & Spearhead, 7:30 tonight, Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St., $46-$66, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or vanandelarena.com.

Extra Life with The Bangups and Camarie, 8 tonight, Mixtape Cafe & Music Venue, 133 S. Division Ave., $7, mixtapecafe.com.

"Castalia ... Focus on Women Composers," 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aquinas College, Kretschmer Recital Hall, 1607 Robinson Road SE, free, 632-2413, aquinas.edu/music.

Hope College: "Musical Showcase," 8 p.m. Monday, DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, $10, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or hope.edu/arts.

Music at Mid-Day: David Troiano, piano, 12:15-12:45 p.m. Tuesday, First (Park) Congregational Church, 10 E. Park Place NE, free, 459-3203, parkchurchgr.org.

Traditional Irish Music Session, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Fenian's Irish Pub, 19683 Main St., Conklin, free, 899-2640, feniansirishpub.com.

Chris Botti, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, $39.50-$59.50, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

Martina McBride and Trace Adkins with Sarah Buxton, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St., $30.25-$62.25, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or vanandelarena.com.

Grand Rapids Symphony Rising Stars Series with Aviram Reichert: "Latin Rhythms," 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, $26-$34; 8 p.m. Saturday, Greenville Performing Arts Center, 111 N. Hillcrest St., Greenville, adults $22, students $5, 225-6108, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or grsymphony.org.

Acoustic Stew: Wind & the Wood, 8 p.m. Thursday; The Lazy Blue Tunas, 8 p.m. Saturday, One Trick Pony, 136 E. Fulton St., 235-7669, onetrick.biz.

Grand Rapids Symphony Coffee Classics: "Latin Flavor," 10 a.m. Friday, St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, $12, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or grsymphony.org.

Friday Nights at GRAM: DJ SuperDre and Clifford Music String Quartet, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, $5, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.

"Friday Night Fun" Open Jam, 7 p.m. Friday, Zellie's Opry House, 230 Edgerton, Howard City, $5, 260-3032, zelliesopryhouse.com.

Pepsi Stadium Club Concert Series: Yancyy, sponsored by WYCE, 7:30 p.m. Friday, $20; Richard Shindell and Antje Duvekot, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, $16, Fifth Third Ballpark, Pepsi Stadium Club, 4500 West River Drive NE, Comstock Park, 459-4788, whitecapsbaseball.com or grcmc.org/radio.

Tim Pepper, 10 a.m. Saturday, Frenz Coffee House, 10 E. Bridge St., in the Rockford Promenade, Rockford, free, frenzcoffeehouse.com.

Grand Rapids Symphony's Lollipops Series: "Ferdinand the Bull," 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sunshine Community Church, 3300 East Beltline Ave. NE, $5, (800) 745-3000 or 454-9451, ticketmaster.com or grsymphony.org.

Afternoon with the Arts: "A Celtic Lore," 1 p.m. Saturday, Franciscan Life Process Center, $20, 897-7842, lifeprocesscenter.org.

Greensky Bluegrass, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, $15, 459-4788, grcmc.org.

Bob Marley Birthday Bash with Zion Lion, 8 p.m. Saturday, Billy's, 1437 Wealthy St. SE, $7, 459-5757, billyslounge.com.

Dead Again, Grateful Dead cover band, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Founders Brewing Co., 235 Grandville Ave. SW, $5, 776-1195, foundersbrewing.com.

Sundays at 2 Concert Series, 2 p.m. March 7, Hope College, Dimnent Memorial Chapel, 277 College Ave., Holland, free, 395-7890, hope.edu/arts.

Interlochen Arts Academy: Jazz Combo, Percussion Ensemble, String Quartet, 3 p.m. March 7, St. Cecilia Music Center, Royce Auditorium, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, free, 459-2224, scmc-online.org or interlochen.org.

Elizabeth Claar: Harpsichord Recital, 3 p.m. March 7, Trinity Lutheran Church, 2700 E. Fulton St., free, www.tlcgr.org.

needs www

"Radisson Idol" finals with John Brown, Janine Decker, Kevin Foley, Amy Hobbie, Luciana LaBoze, Rich Little, Laura Ringler, Cassie Soto, Greg Stankus, Maurice Townsend, 7 p.m. March 7, following 6 p.m. dinner, Radisson Riverfront Grand Rapids, ballroom, 270 Ann St. NW, show only $20, dinner and show $50, 363-9001,

SPECIALS

Gun and Knife Show, 9 a.m. today; Arena Racing, 2 p.m. March 7, adults $8.50-$19, ages 6-12 $4, free to children younger than 6, DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center, 2500 Turner Ave. NW, Walker, (800) 745-3000 or 364-9000, ticketmaster.com or deltaplex.com.

Downtown Rail Jam, 10 a.m. today, outside The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Ave. NW, free to spectators, $40 to compete, 356-2000, thebob.com

West Michigan Motorcycle & ORV Show, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today, DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, adults $9, children $5, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com or westmichiganmotorcycleshow.com.

John Ball Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., re-opening Monday. Spring hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily; "Welcome Back" grand re-opening event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Spring admission through May 7 is $3.50 for adults, $3 for children 13 and younger, free to children 2 and younger; 336-4301, johnballzoosociety.org.

Ice skating, noon-9:30 p.m. today, 6-9:30 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, noon-9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Rosa Parks Circle, Monroe Avenue NW at Monroe Center, $1, free skate rental with ID, grand-rapids.mi.us or artmuseumgr.org.

"Butterflies Are Blooming," 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 7, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, ages 14-64 $12, age 65 and older $9, students with ID $9, ages 5-13 $6, ages 3-4 $4, free to children 2 and younger, 957-1580 or (888) 957-1580, meijergardens.org or sculpturesitesgr.org.

Red Barn Film Studies Series: "The Informer," 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Saugatuck Brewery, Bier Hall, 2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, $5, (269) 857-5300, redbarnsaugatuck.com or saugatuckbrewing.com.

Meanwhile Film Series: "Space Balls," 8 p.m. Tuesday, Koning Micro-Cinema, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, $5, 459-4788, grcmc.org.

Betty Van Andel Opera Center Community Open House, 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, 1320 E. Fulton St., free, reservations requested, 451-2741, operagr.com.

West Michigan Home & Garden Show, 3-9:30 p.m. Thursday, noon-9:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. March 7, DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, adults $9, ages 6-14 $4, free to age 5 and younger, 447-2860, grhomeshow.com, showspan.com or devosplace.org.

Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Manitoba Moose, 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St., $5-$30, (800) 585-3737 or 774-4585, startickets.com or griffinshockey.com.

Sports Card and Collectibles Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, West Side Christian School, 955 Westend Ave. NW, 453-3925.

All Day with the Arts, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, adults $8, seniors $7, college students $7, ages 6-17 $5, free to age 5 and younger, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.

ONGOING

Averill Historical Museum of Ada, 1-4 p.m. today-Saturday, 7144 Headley St., Ada, free, 676-9346, adahistoricalsociety.org.

Blandford Nature Center trails dawn-dusk daily; visitor center 1-5 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, 1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, free, 735-6240, blandfordnaturecenter.org.

Coopersville Farm Museum, featuring "Dolls of our Lives," 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 375 Main St., Coopersville, $4, seniors $3, students $2, free to children younger than 3, 997-8555, coopersvillefarmmuseum.org.

DeGraaf Nature Center, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; trails dawn-dusk daily, 600 Graafschap Road, Holland, free, 355-1057, degraaf.org.

Dekker Huis Museum, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, 37 E. Main St., Zeeland, free, 772-4079, zeelandmuseum.org.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, featuring "America and the Cold War," 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 303 Pearl St. NW, adults $7, seniors $6, college students with ID $5, ages 6-18 $3, free to age 5 and younger, 254-0400, www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.

Grand Rapids Art Museum, featuring "Selections from the Museum Photography Collection," and "Calder Jewelry," 101 Monroe Center NW, noon-5 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, adults $8, seniors $7, college students $7, ages 6-17 $5, free to age 5 and younger, after 5 p.m. Friday $5, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.

Grand Rapids Children's Museum, featuring "Happy Animal Clinic," noon-5 p.m. today, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 22 Sheldon Ave. NE, $6.50, 5-8 p.m. Thursday $1.50, free to children younger than 2, 235-4726, grcm.org.

Grand Rapids Public Museum, featuring "Big, Big Bugs," 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, noon-5 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, adults $8, age 62 and older $7, ages 3-17 $3, free to children younger than 3, special exhibits may have additional fees; Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium Sky Theater, museum admission plus $3, 272 Pearl St. NW, 456-3977 or 456-3663, grmuseum.org.

Hackley and Hume Historic Site, noon-4 p.m. today, Wednesday-Saturday, Sixth Street at West Webster Avenue, Muskegon, age 13 and older $3, free to age 12 and younger, (231) 722-0278, muskegonmuseum.org.

Holland Museum, featuring "Archipelago: Indigenous Art of Indonesia and Melanesia," 2-5 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, 31 W. 10th St., Holland, $7, seniors $6, students $4, free to children younger than 6, families $14, 392-9084 or (888) 200-9123, hollandmuseum.org.

Ice Skating, various hours, Edge Ice Arena, 4444 N. Holland Ave., Holland, adults $5, children 11 and younger $4, 738-0733.

Ice Skating, various hours, Georgetown Ice Center, 8500 48th Ave., Hudsonville, 662-2800, gtwp.com.

Ice Skating, various hours, Griff's IceHouse in Belknap Park, 30 Coldbrook St. NE, $3-$3.50, 235-9940.

Ice Skating, various hours, Kentwood Ice Arena, 6178 Campus Park SE, $3, 698-0100.

Ice Skating, various hours, Southside Community Ice Center, 500 100th St. SW, Byron Center, $4, 878-4567.

Ice Skating, various hours, Walker Ice and Fitness Center, 4151 Remembrance Road NW, Walker, adults $4, teens $3, children 12 and younger $2, 735-6286.

Lowell Area Arts Council, noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 149 S. Hudson St., Lowell, 897-8545, lowellartscouncil.org.

Lowell Area Historical Museum, 1-4 p.m. today and Tuesday, 1-8 p.m. Thursday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, 325 W. Main St., Lowell, adults $3, ages 5-17 $1.50, free to age 4 and younger, families $10, 897-7688, lowellmuseum.org.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, featuring "Spirit and Form: Michele Oka Doner and the Natural World," and, opening Monday, "Butterflies are Blooming," noon-5 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, ages 14-64 $12, age 65 and older $9, students with ID $9, ages 5-13 $6, ages 3-4 $4, free to age 2 and younger, 957-1580 or (888) 957-1580, meijergardens.org or sculpturesitesgr.org.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, noon-5 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo, free, (269) 349-7775, kiarts.org.

Meyer May House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1-4 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 450 Madison Ave. SE, free, 246-4821.

Muskegon County Museum, noon-4 p.m. today, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, 430 W. Clay Ave., Muskegon, free, (231) 722-0278, muskegonmuseum.org.

Muskegon County Museum of African American History, 2:30-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 7 E. Center St., Muskegon Heights, free, (231) 739-9500.

Muskegon Museum of Art, noon-4:30 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, 10-8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon, $5, free to students with ID and age 17 and younger, Thursdays free, (231) 720-2570, muskegonartmuseum.org.

Tri-Cities Historical Museum, 12:30-5 p.m. today, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 12:30-5 p.m. Saturday, Akeley Building, 200 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, free, 842-0700, tri-citiesmuseum.org.

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, noon-7 p.m. today, noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE, free, 454-7000, uica.org.

Zeeland Historical Society Museum, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, 37 E. Main St., Zeeland, free, 772-4079.

FOR KIDS

"Happy Animal Clinic," noon-5 p.m. today, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday; Family Night, 5-8 p.m. Thursday; Make a Mini-Book, 10 a.m.- noon Friday; Create a Collage, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, 22 Sheldon Ave. NE, $6.50, 5-8 p.m. Thursday $1.50, free to children younger than 2, 235-4726, grcm.org.

Playhouse Disney Live!, 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. March 7, DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, $15-$42, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

ON STAGE

Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival, 11 a.m. today, Wellspring Theater, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, $10-$18, (269) 342-4354, midwestradfest.org.

"Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," 2 p.m. today, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Saturday, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Meijer Majestic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave., $16-$30, (800) 585-3737 or 222-6650, startickets.com or grct.org.

"Anne of Green Gables," by Cornerstone University students, 2:30 p.m. today, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Matthews Auditorium, 3000 Leonard St. NE, adults $10, seniors $8, students $8, 254-1661, cornerstone.edu.

"Seussical the Musical," by Byron Center High School Theatre, 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Van Singel Fine Arts Center, 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW, Byron Center, adults $9, students $6, family of four $24, 878-6800, www.vsfac.com.

needs www

"Grand Rapids' Got Talent" finals, sponsored by Creative Edge Productions, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Bobarino's, in The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Ave. NW, free, $1 per vote, 356-2000, etix.com or thebob.com.

Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, Mexican folk dance concert, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Michigan State University, Wharton Center, Cobb Great Hall, East Lansing, $15-$28, (800) WHARTON, whartoncenter.com.

"Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles," 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, sponsored by Broadway Grand Rapids, DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, $25-$55, (800) 745-3000 or 235-6285, ticketmaster.com or bwaygr.org.

"Much Ado About Nothing," 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Hope College, DeWitt Center, 141 E. 12th St., Holland, $7, seniors $4, students $4, 395-7890, hope.edu/arts.

"Dance 36," 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Knickerbocker Theatre, 86 E. Eighth St., Holland, $7, seniors $5, students $5, 395-7890, hope.edu/arts.

River City Improv, 7:33 p.m. Saturday, Ladies Literary Club, 61 Sheldon Blvd. SE, $8, 752-8570 or 526-6282, rivercityimprov.com.

Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, Mexican folk dance concert, 3 p.m. March 7, Western Michigan University, Miller Auditorium, 2200 Auditorium Drive, Kalamazoo, $15-$35, (269) 387-2300, millerauditorium.com.

IN A WORD

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Lecture Series with William Harrop, former Ambassador to Israel: "Special Envoys for Diplomacy: Effective Tool or Stumbling Block?," sponsored by World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Aquinas College, Performing Arts Center, 1701 Robinson Road SE, $7-$15, 776-172, worldmichigan.org.

GRAM Conversation with Sheri-Beth Dusek, Lynn Serulla: "History of Jewelry: An Interpretation," 7 p.m. Friday, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, free with admission of $5, 831-1000, artmuseumgr.org.

For information on entertainment events in the area, call the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 678-9859, visitgrandrapids.org.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Asheville-area motorcycle enthusiast left legacy of caring - Asheville Citizen-Times

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 09:58 PM PST

SWANNANOA — Gene Lummus, one of the driving forces behind an annual motorcycle run that collected thousands of toys for needy children at Christmas, died Friday after a battle with cancer. He was 64.

Lummus and his wife, Brenda, moved to Swannanoa in 1987 and opened a Harley-Davidson dealership. He soon became active in a variety of civic activities and charities benefitting children and veterans.

"He was a wonderful human being," said his close friend Carroll Hipps. "He was a very civic-minded man. He loved to help people in the community."

During the annual Smoky Mountain Toy Run in December, in which more than a thousand riders ferried some 5,000 toys from downtown Asheville to Lummus' dealership in Swannanoa, Lummus said the charity event brought him great joy.

"This is my spiritual healing," he said.

Lummus grew up in small towns in Texas before moving to Fayetteville at the age of 16 and getting a job at a motorcycle shop, Hipps said. Over the years he became an expert at building custom motorcycles and won trophies racing bikes.

He was president of the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association and a sponsor of Smoky Mountain Harley Owners Group.

"His life revolved around all aspects of motorcycles," Hipps said. "He just loved the motorcycle community. He loved the camaraderie that comes with riding a Harley-Davidson."

Lummus was still going to work at Parkway Harley-Davidson until just before he checked into Solace Center in Asheville on Feb. 15, said Debbie Brigman, a longtime friend of Gene and Brenda Lummus who worked as office manager at the dealership.

"On the outside he had this hard shell," Brigman said. "On the inside was the biggest heart of gold you've ever seen. He was always thinking of other people.

"He was very giving and caring. That's why he loved doing the toy run every Christmas. He's going to be terribly missed."

Hipps said Lummus also had a terrific sense of humor.

"He never heard a joke he forgot," he said. "He could tell a joke 30 times, and it was funnier the 30th time than it was the first time."

In addition to his wife, Lummus leaves behind a daughter, Taylor Lummus Ledford; a son, Travis Lummus; and two grandchildren.

"He was just a good man, a good husband, a good father, a good grandfather," Brenda Lummus said. "He was very compassionate."

A service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Swannanoa. Burial will be in Green Hills Cemetery. Harwood Home for Funerals in Black Mountain is in charge of the arrangements.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Tampering with motorcycle noise control systems is illegal - Sun-Journal

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 09:58 PM PST

The only way for a motorcycle to be loud is to violate laws, and loud motorcycles are often in violation of at least four laws.

All motorcycles made after 1982 must have an Environmental Protection Agency noise compliance label attached to the chassis and a matching label stamped into the muffler. It's a violation of federal law to replace the noise-certified exhaust with one that isn't certified, or to tamper with the muffler in order to produce more noise. Under federal law, this information must be included in every owner's manual under the title, Tampering with Noise Control System Prohibited.

This section is very detailed and is very clearly worded as follows: "Federal law prohibits the following acts or the causing thereof; (1) the removal or rendering inoperative by any person other than for purposes of maintenance, repairs, of replacement of any device or element of design incorporated into any new vehicle for the purpose of noise control prior to its sale or delivery to the ultimate purchaser or while it is in use, or (2) the use of the vehicle after such device or element of design has been removed or rendered inoperative by any person.

So there's no excuse for not knowing about it.

You may have heard the silly myth, Loud Pipes Save Lives. There is no credible study that shows that riding a quiet motorcycle is any less safe than riding a loud one. In fact, many thousands of bikers ride their whisper-quiet Honda Gold Wings safely every day. There are many proven ways to improve motorcycle safety; they include attending a safety class taught by a qualified instructor, installing daytime running lights, wearing highly visible, bright colored clothing, not riding when tired and not riding after consuming alcohol.

The Harley Davidson Co. asks its customers to ride quietly, and the two largest motorcycle organizations, the American Motorcyclists Association and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, also urge its members to ride quietly and respectfully.

In 2008, about 50,000 motorcycles were registered in Maine and the required annual safety inspection sticker was issued to only about 32,000. All other motor vehicles are required to display the inspection sticker and Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles believes that motorcycles should also display the sticker. At this time, Maine bikers are only required to have the sticker with them.

All motor vehicles, including motorcycles, operated on public roads, are required to have a muffler. It's illegal to issue an inspection sticker to any vehicle that lacks a muffler or doesn't have an adequate muffler. Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles (MECALM) believes that most of the bikes that aren't inspected couldn't pass because the machines don't have mufflers or have inadequate mufflers.

When the certified exhaust is replaced by an open pipe exhaust which has no muffler, such as drag pipes (which are legal only for off-road use such as racing and must be labeled as such), the air pollution equipment is disabled. This can result in one loud motorcycle emitting as much toxins into the air per mile of travel as 200 or more of today's cars. It's a violation of federal law to disable the air pollution equipment and is a Class E crime in Maine.

MECALM believes that police should consistently stop all loud motorcycles and check for the inspection sticker and the muffler, and write tickets for violations.

It would be even better for Maine to adopt the EPA matching label system, which is what the federal law is designed for. In 2007, Denver adopted the EPA label law despite the vocal opposition by many loud bikers. Thanks to consistent enforcement and substantial penalties, city officials now receive very few complaints about loud motorcycles. Since the police target only the loud bikes, this has resulted in no inconvenience to the quiet bikers.

Denver was in part motivated to enact the EPA label into law because a loud biker died after crashing into the side of a fire truck that was on an emergency call with lights flashing and the siren on. Officials, who investigated the accident, concluded that the motorcycle was so loud, the biker couldn't hear the fire truck!

The city of Green Bay, Wis., also has adopted the EPA label law, where the police like it because it's very easy to enforce.

The problem of loud bikes has spread to most areas of the state and there are now thousands of Mainers who are fed up with loud motorcycles and want something done about it.

This anger will only increase when the loud bikes begin blasting our homes, neighborhoods and communities in May.

Andy Ford is a founder of Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles and is a lifelong resident of Portland; www.mecalm.org.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now