Mike Sullivan (44W) leads defending national champ Jay Springsteen (1) and other riders in practice for the 1979 Houston TT in the Astrodome.
Mike Sullivan (44W) leads defending national champ Jay Springsteen (1) and other riders in practice for the 1979 Houston TT in the Astrodome. Sullivan is retiring from racing after 40 years. He’s having a retirement party on February 20th, 2010, starting at 4 PM at the Hotel Washington and Vintage Motorcycle Museum in Chehalis, Wash.
Sullivan’s first ride on a motorcycle as a kid was on the handlebars with his dad’s buddy Evel Knievel.
Mike started his professional career as a flat tracker, later switched to road racing and went on to become one of the leading 250 Grand Prix road racers of the 1980s and ‘90s.
In 1996 Rich Oliver was simply dominating the AMA 250GP field like no other rider had before. He won every race and the margins of victory were ridiculous, often double digits, but Sullivan at least had the distinction of finishing closer to Oliver than any other rider that year when he crossed the line only 7.6-seconds behind Oliver on a real scrappers track at the Pomona Fariplex. Sullivan was 39 at the time.
Mike Sullivan
“Mike was always one of those underrate guys,” said Oliver, a five-time AMA 250 Grand Prix Champion. “I always worried what might happen if Mike ever got a really good bike or picked up a great sponsor. He did all his stuff on his own pretty much and I think given the chance to race for one of the big teams he would have been right there and surprised a lot of people.”
Sullivan will continue to run his Mike Sullivan Roadracing School and Performance Track Days.
Hard Core Racing’s Ray Yoder comes upon a pack of riders at a WERA National Endurance race at Rockingham sometime in the late 1980s. With the cafeteria sign in the background it looks like the riders are jockeying for position in the lunch line.
Ray Yoder attempts to lap fellow riders in a WERA National Endurance race in Rockingham, N.C. (Larry Lawrence photo)
An indoor flat track race packed the house at Madison Sqaure Garden in 1971.
Promoter Don Brymer dreamed up the crazy idea holding a motorcycle race in the middle of a big city, specifically New York City and Madison Square Garden. Brymer could make a tidy little profit with 3000 spectators in his indoor races in Long Beach, Calif., he’d need three, maybe even four times that just to break even in New York. It was a big gamble, but Brymer was confident that the New York area had plenty of motorcycle racing fans.
Terry Tiernan, Vice President of Yamaha America, agreed to give Yamaha’s backing to the Madison Square Garden race at Daytona in March of 1970. Tiernan was hanging out with Malcolm Forbes at the races that year and when the deal was made Forbes invited Brymer to fly with him and Tiernan back to New York so he could finalize plans.
“We flew back to New York on Malcolm’s private jet,” Brymer said. “When we landed there was a limo waiting for me and they drove me straight the Madison Square Garden offices.”
With Yamaha’s sponsorship and the agreement with Madison Square Garden Brymer set up an office in New York City and went to work lining up top riders and getting the word out to potential fans. The build up for the race was incredible. He brought in movie stars and celebrity athletes to help promote the race. The New York Times covered it and a young TV newsman named Geraldo Rivera reported on the scene.
Brymer’s intuition proved correct. There were tons of motorcycle racing fans in New York City and on January 25, 1971 they packed the Garden to the rafters 17,500 strong.
In qualifying Yamaha’s Keith Mashburn bettered 129 other riders and won the pole with a time 8.61 seconds. First-year Expert Al Kenyon went on and led start to finish in the final on a Bultaco. He won $2740.
“People couldn’t get tickets and were lined up outside buying from scalpers at $20 a pop,” Brymer recalls. “The Harley-Davidson folks were among those who thought I was crazy and wouldn’t back me and they were right out there trying to get tickets with the rest of them.”
Michael Martin flying through a sweeper during a WERA Formula USA race at an unidentified track. Martin was another of the ultra-fast riders from the Texas road racing factory. Martin had background in motocross and karting before coming into motorcycle road racing. He won a number of WERA National Sprint titles as well as a being part of a slew of WERA National Endurance Championship with Team Suzuki Endurance. Today Martin is still involved in the sport as an instructor in the Kevin Schwantz School.
Michael Martin flying through a sweeper during a WERA Formula USA race at an unidentified track. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Gene Romero (3) races his day-glo red Don Vesco Yamaha in the 1978 Daytona 200. Romero is followed by Ted Henter (74), Gregg Hansford and Bruce Hammer (52). Note the crowd in the stands. Romero finished eighth that year. Hansford was fifth, Henter 28th and Hammer 38th. The paint scheme on Romero’s Yamaha was similar to that of the famous STP Indy Cars of the era.
Gene Romero (3) races his Don Vesco Yamaha in the 1978 Daytona 200 ahead of Ted Henter (74), Gregg Hansford and Bruce Hammer (52). (AMA Media Kit photo)
Doug Polen
Twenty years ago Doug Polen and tuner Eraldo Ferracci took the racing world by storm, and to celebrate the anniversary of this pairing they are offering a taste of what made them so successful to 20 Ducatisti.
In celebration of his long and successful history with Ducati, renowned race manager and tuner Eraldo Ferracci is offering 20 fans a unique and exciting opportunity. The first twenty individuals to purchase a new 2010 Ducati Superbike from Fast By Ferracci from now until March 31, 2010 will not only enjoy a free track day on August 16th at New Jersey Motorsports Park, but will receive VIP treatment including having the legendary tuner and Ducati Hall of Fame member as their personal technician for the day.
During this event, Ferracci will be reunited with three-time Superbike Champion and fellow Ducati Hall of Fame member Doug Polen, who will be the riding coach for the Fast By Ferracci VIP’s. In their time Ferracci and Polen proved to be a virtually unbeatable combination in Superbike racing. Twenty individuals will have the rare opportunity to benefit first-hand from their expertise.
“I’m looking forward to the event and spending time with Doug,” said Ferracci. “With all the memories coming back to me I’m getting pretty excited myself! We are going to have some fun come August!”
The VIP’s will also enjoy dinner with these two legends on the evening before the track day. Those familiar with Ferracci know that the menu will include entertaining stories, bench racing, and technical insight.
To purchase a 2010 Ducati Superbike and take part in this track day of legends, visit Fast by Ferracci in Willow Grove, PA. by March 31st.
Antonio Balbi racing his Team BCT Racing Honda at Mt. Morris in May 2007. He scored 21st overall that weekend at High Point Raceway. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Jorge Antonio Balbi Jr. has to be one of the few riders from Brazil to come to compete in the brutally competitive AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships.
Balbi proved he belonged by turning in strong performances here. He has a solid background being a multi-time Brazilian and Latin America Motocross and Arenacross titles.
Antonio comes from a family of racers. His sister Mariana races against the men and actually raced in a MX1 World Championship round last summer, the first woman to do so.
Last year Antonio finished ranked 18th nationally in the 450cc class in the outdoor nationals.
“First Lap Charge into Gerrards” -- Steve Baker (32) leads Phil Read, Gary Nixon (9), Kenny Roberts, Mick Grant, Barry Sheene, Dave Potter (6), Pat Hennen (40), Barry Ditchburn, Randy Cleek (29), John Williams and Steve Parrish in the 1976 Transatlantic Match Races at Mallory Park. (Jim Greening Collection)
I think one of the reasons I got into photography was first seeing the images of two photographers – Don Morley and Jim Greening. Both Brits, Morley’s Motorcycle Grand Prix photos were just amazing. He used some of the longest telephoto lenses of the day to capture dynamic frame-filling racing action. Greening, who penned the wonderful “Pipeline” column for Cycle, had a way of capturing the atmosphere of a race. He too used long lenses, but at times he would back off, put on a shorter lens and capture stunning racing images.
I met Greening when I went to England for the Match Races in 1991. At the time I was working on a history of the series for a multi-part story in American Roadracing. The story just got so huge it was out of hand (maybe a future book project) so I never completed the feature. Greening graciously sent me some photos for the article. When I told him the projected was canned he told me his system couldn’t handle re-filing the photos so he told me to keep them for future use.
A few years later Jim Greening passed away and I’m honored to be able to share these photos today. I have 16 of the greatest Transatlantic Match Race photos shot by Greening that I will feature over the next year.
This photo is classic Greening. Probably shot with a 135mm or 200mm lens, it shows first-lap action during the 1976 Match races at Mallory Park. American Steve Baker leads the pack. The number of legends in this photograph is simply astounding. Using the smaller focal length instead of a more typical 300-500mm lens this angle might call for, allowed the photo to include the massive crowd watching the race.
In honor of one of the all-time great racing photographers I’m proud to present the first of the Jim Greening Match Race Series.
Only one rider will win the coveted Grand National No. 1 plate in 2010, just like in Springer's day.
In interviewing Chris Carr today he mentioned in passing about having an overall 21-race champion. I didn’t want to stop him mid-thought, but I came back and asked him if he said what I thought he said – that there would be an overall AMA Grand National Champion this season.
“That’s my understanding,” Carr said. “They’re still going to award a Singles and Twins title, but there will be an overall champion at the end of the year.”
Whoa! This was big news!
I immediately called Mike Kidd and he confirmed it. “We haven’t announced it yet,” he said. “We were sort of waiting for the dealer show, but I think a lot of the riders already know about it, so it’s out there.”
“So there’s going to be a No. 1 plate given to just one rider in 2010?” I asked.
“Yes the tradition and link to history is back,” Kidd said.
It was the best news I’d heard in a long time. What we’ll have this year is a full-on 21-race series to determine the overall champion, just like in the old days.
The new DMG management already seems to be producing positive results. I’m sure nearly all fans of Grand National Racing will be glad to hear the traditional Grand National Championship is back for the first time since 2005.
Long live the Grand Nationals.
