Speed Dating: May 18 – May 24, 2009

May 18

Tohru Ukawa (JP) was born on this date in 1973. The longtime Honda rider participated in both Grand Prix and endurance racing. While racing in the 250cc world championship, Ukawa finished runner-up to Valentino Rossi in 1999. Ukawa also rode for the factory Repsol Honda MotoGP team in 2003, where he finished third in that championship. Ukawa is a five-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner, his most recent victory having come in 2005 with current WSBK rider Ryuichi Kiyonari.

May 19

T.E. Lawrence (U.K) died as a result of a motorcycle accident on this date in 1935. “Lawrence of Arabia” succumbed to his injuries six days after being thrown from his Brough Superior SS100 near his home in Dorset, England. Lawrence gained fame for his adventures as a British liaison to the Arabian Peninsula during World War I, where he participated in the Arab revolt of 1916-1918. These adventures were immortalized in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, as well as in his own written account, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Lawrence, an avid motorcyclist, was a fan of George Brough’s Superior motorcycles, of which he had seven during his lifetime.

May 20

Dave Despain (US) was born on this date in 1946. Host of Speed’s Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, Despain has had a long career in motorsports broadcasting. He raced motorcycles early in life, and his on-camera break came during CBS’s coverage of the Daytona 200 in the 1970s. Despain has since worked for ESPN and Speed, and the Wind Tunnel program can be seen on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on Speed.

Dietrich Mateschitz (AT) was born on this date in 1944. Mateschitz founded the Red Bull energy drink company in 1984 and turned it into the largest manufacturer of energy drinks in the world. Red Bull has become a massive sponsor in motorcycle racing, and their branding has appeared on riders’ helmets, as title sponsor for the WCM Yamaha team, and as the title sponsors of the two U.S. rounds of the MotoGP world championship. Though the billionaire generally avoids the spotlight, Mateschitz can occasionally be seen at Formula 1 and MotoGP races.

On this date in 1973, Jarno Saarinen (FI) and Renzo Pasolini (IT) were killed during the 500cc Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The crash collected a total of fourteen riders and led to the banning of motorcycle racing at Monza until 1981. Pasolini, who was leading, is said to have fallen in oil left over from the 350cc race earlier that day and fell directly in Saarinen’s path, though the cause of the accident is still debated. Saarinen, the 1972 250cc world champion and the only Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix world champion, was leading the 500cc championship at the time.

May 22

Gene Romero (US) was born on this date in 1947. Romero won the 1970 AMA Grand National Championship and collected twelve Grand National wins in his sixteen-year career. Romero was also a leading road racer, and he won the 1975 Daytona 200 aboard a factory Yamaha, beating Giacomo Agostini and Steve Baker to the line.

Kevin Curtain (AU) was born on this date in 1966. The former World Supersport rider is currently riding for the Kawasaki factory effort in the Australian Superbike Championship. Curtain was the World Supersport Championship runner-up twice, in 2005 and 2006. He is also a three-time Australian Supersport champion.

John Hopkins (US) was born on this date in 1983. “Hopper” spent eight years in the MotoGP world championship, beginning his MotoGP career with WCM Yamaha and then spending five seasons with Suzuki before moving to Kawasaki in 2008. His best season came in 2007, where he finished fourth overall. His move to Kawasaki proved fateful, as Kawasaki withdrew before the beginning of the 2009 season and left Hopkins without a ride. Hopkins found a home at Stiggy Racing Honda in the World Superbike Championship, and though currently sidelined with a hip injury incurred at Assen, he’s working to return in time for the American WSBK round at Miller Motorsports Park.

May 23

Josh Herrin (US) was born on this date in 1990. Herrin won the 2004 125cc USGPRU championship and quickly rose through the ranks to the Graves Motorsports Yamaha team. Herrin is currently in his third season with the team and is racing in the Daytona SportBike category. During this past weekend’s Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown at Infineon Raceway, Herrin recovered from a poor finish in Race 1 to place third in Race 2. He currently sits fifth in the standings

Hugo van den Berg (NL) was also born on this date in 1990. Van den Berg competed in the 125cc world championship from 2005 through 2008. Though he rode for the competitive Blusens Aprilia team, van den Berg scored only one point during the 2008 season, a fifteenth-place showing at Assen. Van den Berg is currently riding for the Wolf Racing Honda team in the IDM German Supersport championship.

May 24

Happy birthday to Tommy Aquino (US), who was born on this date in 1992. Aquino currently rides for the Graves Motorsports Yamaha team in the Daytona SportBike Championship alongside Josh Herrin. The 2008 AMA Rookie of the Year, Aquino currently sits ninth in the Daytona SportBike standings after five rounds.