Speed Dating: June 8 to 14, 2009

June 8

Roberto Pietri (VE) celebrates his birthday on this date. An AMA Superbike racer during the 1980s, Pietri rode for the Yoshimura team and later for American Honda. He is the father of current AMA Daytona Sportbike rider Robertino Pietri.

June 9

World Supersport rider Robbin Harms (DK) was born on this date in 1981. Harms rides for the Veidec Racing Res Software Honda team. Harms is currently fifteenth in the championship standings.

Pol Espargaro (ES) was born on this date in 1991. Espargaro has ridden in the 125cc world championship since 2006. He currently rides for the Bainet Derbi Racing team and sits fourth in the championship.

June 10

Michael Dowson (AU) was born on this date in 1960. The former Australian Superbike Champion competed in a variety of endurance events during his career, taking a podium finish at the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1986 and a victory in the Arai 500 in 1988. He currently owns and operates a motorcycle dealership in Bunbury, Australia.

Fritz Kling (US) was born on this date in 1967. Kling was a staple of the AMA road racing scene during the 1990s. In 1994, Kling rode for the factory Harley-Davidson team in AMA Superbike, and later had success with the Dutchman’s Yamaha team in AMA Formula USA. Kling had a tumor removed from his brain in 1995, but continued racing after the operation. However, the brain cancer would return and Kling succumbed to the disease on November 7, 2008, at the age of 41.

June 11

On this date in 1989, the World Superbike Championship visited the United States for the first time, racing at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota. Raymond Roche won both races on his factory Ducati.

June 12

Chris Burns (UK) was born on this date in 1980. Burns raced for the Harris WCM team in the MotoGP championship in 2003 and 2004 but left the team during the 2004 season after suffering injuries. More recently, Burns raced for the STP MV Agusta team in the British Superstock Championship.

On this date in 1953, Les Graham (UK) was killed during the Isle of Man TT. Graham began his racing on the British speedway circuit in the 1920s, flew Lancaster bombers for the RAF during World War II, and won the first 500cc world championship on an AJS in 1949 at the age of 38. Graham earned himself a place on the MV Agusta team, giving the factory its first ever 500cc Grand Prix win in 1952 at Monza. At the 1953 TT, Graham won the 125cc Lightweight Grand Prix. But the next day, during the Senior TT, Graham was killed in a crash at Bray Hill.

June 13

Dakar Rally founder Thierry Sabine (FR) was born on this date in 1949. Sabine was inspired to create the desert rally after getting lost in the Libyan desert in 1977. The first Dakar Rally was held in December of that year and stretched from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. Sabine was killed in a helicopter crash in 1986 while coordinating the rally.

Dick Mann (US) was born on this date in 1934. The two-time AMA Grand National champion competed in many forms of motorcycle racing, from motocross to flat track to road racing. Mann took twenty-four Grand National wins in a twenty-year professional career. Mann was the first man to win an AMA career grand slam, taking at least one win on half-mile, mile, TT, and road course circuits.

June 14

Tetsuya Harada (JP) was born on this date in 1970. Harada entered the 250cc world championship in 1993 after taking strong results in he Japanese Grand Prix racing championships. Racing for Yamaha, Harada won the 250cc world championship in his rookie season, defeating Loris Capirossi for the title. Harada scored seventeen victories in the 250cc class. Harada also spent three seasons in the premier class, but never found the same level of success. He retired after the 2002 season.