Speed Dating: June 22 – June 28

June 22

Longtime AMA motocross and Supermoto competitor Jeff Ward (US) was born on this date in 1961. During his motocross career, Ward won every major AMA National Motocross championship, taking 125, 250, and 500cc championships. Ward is also a two-time AMA Supermoto champion, and last year won the X-Games Supermoto race at the age of 47. Not limited to two-wheel racing, Ward also made a successful foray into the Indy Racing League, where he took second-, third-, and fourth-place finishes at the Indianapolis 500.

Ron Haslam (UK) was born on this date in 1956. Haslam enjoyed a three-decade racing career in the British championships, and spent eight seasons in the 500cc World Championship. As a real-roads racer, Haslam is a six-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix, and he won the Isle of Man F1 TT in 1982. Today, Haslam owns and operates the Ron Haslam Riding School at Donington Park. His son Leon rides for the Stiggy Honda WSBK team and is sixth in the points standings.

June 23

Sylvain Guintoli (FR) was born on this date in 1982. Guintoli rose from the 250cc Grand Prix ranks to the Tech3 Yamaha team in 2007, where he finished the MotoGP season sixteenth. He secured a ride with Alice Ducati in 2008, but was not retained after finishing the season thirteenth in points. For 2009, Guintoli moved to the British Superbike championship and the Worx Crescent Suzuki team. Guintoli is currently sidelined with leg injuries after a collision with Josh Brookes at Donington Park in May.

June 24

Happy birthday to Bryan Smith (US), who was born on this date in 1983. The dirt track racer has competed in the AMA Pro Grand National Championship since 2001, and currently rides for the Screaming Eagle Wrecking Crew team in Pro Twins and the Kawasaki team in Pro Singles. Smith is tenth in the GNC Pro Twins Championship and nineteenth in Pro Singles. Smith crossed the line first at the Pro Twins race at the Springfield Mile in May, but was disqualified when a trace of pump gas was found in his fuel tank. He finished fourth at last weekend’s Bull’s Gap Pro Twins race.

On this date in 1995, Donald Jacks (US) was killed in a street bike accident in St. Cloud, Florida. Considered by many at the time to be a future star of American superbike racing, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider was a master of wet-weather riding. To take his place, the Yoshimura team brought in a young Australian named Mat Mladin.

June 26

Max Biaggi (IT) was born on this date in 1971. Biaggi is a four-time 250cc world champion and twice a runner-up in the premier Grand Prix class. He began his 250cc Grand Prix career in 1992 and won four consecutive titles from 1994 to 1997, the first three with Aprilia and his last with Honda. Biaggi then moved to the premier class, where he raced from 1998 until he lost his ride with the Repsol Honda team after the 2005 season. After a year off, Biaggi made the switch to the Alstare Suzuki team in World Superbike racing. Biaggi is currently riding for the factory Aprilia team in the WSBK championship. He sits fifth in the championship after tenth- and thirteenth-place race finishes at the Misano Adriatico round this past weekend.

Former 500cc world champion Marco Lucchinelli (IT) was born on this date in 1954. Lucchinelli took five wins on his way to earning the 1981 championship riding for the Gallina Suzuki team. After mediocre seasons spent with Honda and Cagiva, Lucchinelli retired from Grand Prix racing after the 1985 season. He raced for Ducati during the inaugural season of the World Superbike Championship, taking the manufacturer’s first win in the series, at Donington Park. Since his retirement from riding, Lucchinelli has served as a team manager and as a commentator for Eurosport Television.

On this date in 1992, Mick Doohan (AU) fractured his hip in a practice crash at Assen. The right leg was so damaged in the accident and injured further by medical complications that amputation was considered. Doohan, who was leading the championship entering the Assen round, missed four Grand Prix races recovering from his injuries, but came back in time to participate in the last two races of the season. He finished second in the championship to Wayne Rainey. Using a handlebar-mounted rear-brake lever (his leg injuries made using a foot lever difficult), Doohan would go onto win five 500cc world championships.

June 27

John Reynolds (UK) was born on this date in 1965. Reynolds won the 1992 British Superbike championship and moved quickly to the international stage, where he spent two years in 500cc Grand Prix racing and two years in World Superbike. Returning to his domestic championship in 1997, Reynolds took two more BSB championships in 2001 and 2004, his last coming with the Rizla Suzuki team. Reynolds retired from racing after sustaining serious injuries in the final round of the 2005 season.

June 28

Wes Cooley Jr. (US) was born on this date in 1956. Cooley is the 1979 and 1980 AMA Superbike champion and a two-time winner (1978 and 1980) of the Suzuka 8 Hours. His AMA Superbike titles were the first for Suzuki and the Yoshimura team. Though he did not win another championship, Cooley was a major factor in AMA road racing throughout the early 1980s. But Cooley’s career was cut short when he crashed heavily at Sears Point in 1985. Though he recovered from his injuries, he only participated in a handful of races afterward before retiring.

Peter Goddard (AU) was born on this date in 1964. Goddard began his racing on Australia’s dirt tracks, then moved to the Australian Superbike championship in 1989. Goddard later participated in the Japanese 500cc championship and spent one year in the 500cc world championship in 1992. Goddard would later return to the Japanese series and to Australian Superbike. In 1997, Goddard won the Endurance World Championship with Doug Polen and Suzuki.