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Speed Dating: August 17 to 23
August 18, 2009 by Matt Coffey
Filed under Speed Dating
August 17
Shawn Higbee (US) was born on this date in 1970. Higbee currently races as a Buell privateer in AMA Pro American Superbike and Daytona SportBike. Higbee has had a long career racing Buell and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and he has served as a development and test rider for the Buell factory. He also raced at the Macau GP in 1997, finishing third. This year, Higbee is nineteenth in both the American Superbike and Daytona SportBike points standings.
Bruce Penhall (US) was born on this date in 1960. Penhall won the World Speedway championship in 1981 and 1982. One of the most successful Americans to ever compete on the World Speedway circuit, Penhall retired after his 1982 championship. He went on to a moderately successful acting career, including regular appearances on the TV series CHiPs.
August 18
On this date in 1996, Valentino Rossi (IT) won his first world championship race, the 125cc Grand Prix at Brno, Czech Republic. Rossi would finish his rookie season ninth in points, the only time he has ever finished a Grand Prix season outside the top three.
Rossi won his first race 13 years ago - Andrew Northcott photo
Paolo Casoli (IT) was born on this date in 1965. Casoli, who competed in 125 and 250cc Grand Prix racing throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, only scored one Grand Prix win, at the 1987 Portuguese 125cc round. He went on to success in the World Superbike Open championship, the predecessor to the World Supersport series, taking the title in 1997. He continued to compete in the World Supersport series until his retirement in 2002.
On this date in 2008, Toriano Wilson died after sustaining severe injuries in a Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup event at Virginia International Raceway. Wilson, from Bermuda, was struck by another racer after falling during the first lap. Wilson was airlifted to UNC Medical Center but succumbed to his injuries early the following day.
August 19
Tom Sykes (UK) was born on this date in 1985. Sykes currently rides for the Yamaha Motor Italia team in the World Superbike championship alongside teammate Ben Spies. Prior to this season, Sykes competed in the British Superbike series for Rizla Suzuki, finishing the 2008 season fourth in points. Sykes is currently seventh in WSBK points.
Tom Sykes - Matteo Cavadini/Alex Photo
Malcolm Forbes (US) was born on this date in 1919. The publisher of Forbes magazine, Forbes was a vigorous motorcycle-rights activist and a collector of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Forbes was a key advocate in passing legislation to allow motorcycles on the restricted Garden State Parkway, and his international motorcycle trips brought extensive positive media coverage to the motorcycling community. Forbes died in 1990.
Bart Markel (US) was born on this date in 1935. A three-time AMA Grand National Champion, Markel was a dominant force in AMA flat track during the 1960s. Markel won twenty-eight Grand National races, including six in his 1962 championship season. He would win the title again in 1965 and 1966. Despite his flat track successes, Markel never won an AMA road racing event. Markel died in 2007.
Luigi Taveri (CH) was born on this date in 1929. From his rookie season in 1954 until his retirement in 1966, Taveri won thirty Grand Prix races as a factory rider for MV Agusta, MZ, Kreidler, and Honda. Taveri was a three-time world champion (1962, 1964, 1966) in the 125cc class, all with Honda. Taveri was also a three-time Isle of Man winner.
Happy birthday to Wilco Zeelenberg (NL), who was born on this date in 1966. Zeelenberg began his Grand Prix career in 1986 in the 80cc class, competing in the class until the end of the 1987 season. Zeelenberg then raced in the 250cc class until 1995, but only scored one win, at the 1990 German 250cc Grand Prix.
August 22
Gianluca Nannelli (IT) was born on this date in 1973. Nannelli competes for the BE1 Triumph team in the World Supersport championship. He has competed in World Supersport and World Superbike since 2003, and was the 2003 Italian Supersport champion. Nannelli is currently fifteenth in the World Supersport standings.
August 23
Cory West (US) was born on this date in 1984. After performing well in the AMA Supersport class last year with the M4 EMGO Suzuki team, West has spent the 2009 season contesting WERA Endurance and National Challenge Series events with the Vesrah Suzuki team. West is third in National Challenge Formula 1 points and first in Superstock, and his Vesrah Suzuki team sits first in the Endurance series.
Luca Scassa (IT) was born on this date in 1983. Introduced to American fans as a member of the Fast by Ferracci MV Agusta AMA Superbike team in 2007, Scassa has since migrated to the World Superbike Championship, where he rides for Team Pedercini Kawasaki. Scassa has only scored three points this season, with a best finish of fourteenth at Monza.
Happy birthday to Charley Boorman (UK), who was born on this date in 1966. The British actor of Excalibur fame appeared alongside Ewan McGregor in Long Way Round and Long Way Down, documenting their multi-continent motorcycle journeys. Boorman also appeared in a documentary series of his own, Race to Dakar, which followed his preparations and exploits in the 2006 Dakar Rally. Boorman was injured and retired from the rally on the fifth day.
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