Speed Dating: August 24 to 30

August 24

Cook Neilson (US) was born on this date in 1943. A journalist and editor of Cycle magazine from 1967 until 1980, Neilson is often remembered for his 1977 Daytona 200 win aboard a heavily modified, Phil Schilling-tuned Ducati 750SS named “Old Blue.”  His participation in the early years of the AMA Superbike class was followed closely in Cycle, and that coverage helped launch the series into the American motorcycling mainstream.

August 25

Happy birthday to World Supersport rider Kenan Sofuoglu (TR), who was born on this date in 1983. Sofuoglu took eight wins in thirteen races to capture the 2007 World Supersport championship, riding for the Ten Kate Honda team. After an unsuccessful 2008 season in the Superbike class, Sofuoglu has returned to the Ten Kate Supersport effort, and sits third in the current standings, with two wins.

On this date in 2001, Will Davis (US) was killed in a first-lap accident during the AMA Grand National Championship race at Sedalia, Missouri. A five-time winner of the MARS asphalt motorcycle racing series, Davis was ranked seventh on the AMA all-time wins list at the time of the accident. Davis was transported to a local hospital but could not be revived.

August 27

Jake Gagne (US) was born on this date in 1993. Gagne, a successful amateur motocross racer, transitioned to road racing in 2008 to compete in the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, and finished the season with two wins. Gagne moved to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup this season, where he took three podium finishes and ended the season sixth in the standings.

Bill Ivy (UK) was born on this date in 1942. Ivy won the 1967 125cc world championship by sixteen points over Yamaha teammate and rival Phil Read. Read would have his revenge the following year in the 250cc class, beating Ivy in the final race to secure the championship against Yamaha team orders. Ivy was killed in 1969 in a freak accident at the East German Grand Prix, when, while riding down pit-lane without his helmet, the engine of his Jawa seized and he was thrown off and sustained fatal head injuries.

Dale Singleton (US) was born on this date in 1955. A two-time Daytona 200 winner (1979 and 1981), Singleton competed as a privateer in the early days of the AMA Superbike championship, campaigning his self-tuned Yamahas successfully against factory teams. Singleton also competed occasionally in Grand Prix racing, and was a member of the U.S. team in the Anglo-American match races. After retiring from motorcycle racing in 1982 to pursue NASCAR racing, Singleton died in a private plane crash in 1985.

August 29

Former Grand Prix rider Olivier Jacque (FR) was born on this date in 1973. Jacque won the 2000 250cc world championship riding for Tech3 Yamaha, scoring three wins to take the title. After that year, Jacque spent three seasons with the Tech3 team in the premier class, but moved to Kawasaki in 2005. Jacque retired from MotoGP in 2007 after several frustrating seasons, and became a full-time test and development rider for the Kawasaki factory.

Jorge “Aspar” Martinez (ES) was born on this date in 1962. A three-time 80cc world champion (1986-1988) and the 1988 125cc world champion, Martinez enjoyed a sixteen-year Grand Prix career. He retired from riding and formed the Aspar team, campaigning riders in the 125cc and 250cc classes. The team is one of the top teams in Grand Prix racing and is expected to expand to field a Ducati MotoGP effort in 2010.