Speed Dating: July 27 – August 2

July 27, 2009 by Matt Coffey
Filed under News, Speed Dating

July 27

SpeedTV announcer Brian Drebber (US) was born on this date in 1950. Drebber’s on-air career dates back to 1978, and he is a longtime fixture of AMA Superbike broadcasts. He continues to serve as an on-air commentator for a variety of racing series broadcast on SpeedTV.

July 28

Craig Vetter (US), the designer of the Windjammer fairing, was born on this date in 1942. His Vetter Corporation developed the Windjammer fairing in the late 1960s, and the fast-selling fairings revolutionized the look of sport touring motorcycles. He also worked with Triumph in designing the X-75 Hurricane. More recently, Vetter has been developing experimental motorcycle fairings similar to the dustbin fairings of 1950s Grand Prix racing, intended to maximize fuel economy and performance.

Dave Sadowski (US) was born on this date in 1963. The 1990 Daytona 200 winner, Sadowski is also a two-time Formula USA champion. After his retirement from riding, Sadowski became a commentator for AMA Superbike broadcasts on Speedvision, but was released soon after the channel was acquired by Fox.

July 30

Nicky Hayden (US) was born on this date in 1981. Hayden, who grew up on the dirt track circuits, quickly became a force in AMA road racing, winning the 1999 AMA Supersport championship and the 2002 AMA Superbike championship for Honda. Hayden moved to MotoGP for the 2003 season, riding for the Repsol Honda factory team. Hayden took two wins in the 2006 season to earn the MotoGP championship. After two more frustrating seasons with the Honda team, Hayden moved to Ducati for the 2009 season. He has struggled with the Ducati Desmosedici GP9, though his results have improved as the season has progressed. Hayden finished fifteenth at this past week’s Donington Park round after he and teammate Casey Stoner gambled and began the race on wet-weather tires.

Nicky Hayden - <i>Andrew Northcott photo</i>

Nicky Hayden - Andrew Northcott photo

Giancarlo Falappa (IT) was born on this date in 1963. Falappa, whose aggressive and ragged style was a staple of the early WSBK scene, was seriously injured in 1994 at the Albacete circuit in Spain while testing his Ducati WSBK machine. After a four-week-long coma and a challenging recovery process, he continued to serve as a Ducati brand representative at motorsports events, though he never raced again.

On this date in 2003, Steve Hislop (UK) was killed in a helicopter crash. A star both in road and circuit racing, the Scotsman won the Isle of Man TT eleven times and was a two-time British Superbike Champion (1995 and 2002). A statue of Hislop was erected in his honor on Onchan Head at the Isle of Man, overlooking the TT course.

August 1

John Britten (NZ) was born on this date in 1950. A mechanical engineer by trade, Britten set about building a racing motorcycle of his own design, the V1000. With a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and an engine of his own design, the V1000 became a dominant force in Battle of the Twins and BEARS racing during the 1990s . Only ten Britten V1000s and V1100s were built, plus one prototype. Britten died in 1995 due to illness attributed to skin cancer.

On this date in 1976, Pat Hennen became the first American to score a Grand Prix victory, during the 500cc Finnish Grand Prix at Imatra, Finland. Hennen, who began his career on the AMA dirt track circuit, rode a factory Suzuki RGB500 to victory over Tepi Lansivouri and Giacomo Agostini.

August 2

Frank Sheene (AUS) passed away on this date in 2008 at the age of ninety-six. A renowned tuner and mechanic, Sheene was the father of two-time world champion Barry Sheene. Frank tuned Barry’s motorcycles throughout his riding career, and was a frequently sight inside the garage even during Barry’s factory grand prix years.