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.

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.

"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, has 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. The company dissolved its partnership with Jordan a few years later, closing golf centers around the country, including one in Charlotte that has since reopened under a different name.

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.

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."

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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