Speed Dating: October 19 - 25

October 19

Benny Solis (US) was born on this date in 1994. The winner of the 2008 Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup, Solis competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2009. Despite his earlier success, Solis was able to gather only a couple of points-paying finishes in the European series and finished the year twenty-fourth in the standings.

Gary Goodfellow (CA) was born on this date in 1955. Goodfellow competed in AMA and Canadian Superbike races during the 1980s and 1990s and was a member of the North American team during the Trans-Atlantic Match Races in 1987. Goodfellow also competed in the early years of the Superbike World Championship, giving Suzuki their first-ever WSBK win at Sugo in 1987.

October 20

Paulo Ciabatti (IT) was born on this date in 1957. Ciabatti served as race director for Ducati Corse’s World Superbike efforts, overseeing the championship seasons of Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson, Troy Bayliss, and James Toseland. Ciabatti left that role in 2007 to take a position with FGSport, which owns the Superbike World Championship. In his current role, Ciabatti serves as the director of the championship’s day-to-day operation.

Akira Ryo (JP) was born on this date in 1967. Ryo competed as a Suzuki rider in the All-Japan Road Race Championship, winning the title in 2001. Ryo also made occasional MotoGP appearances as a third rider for the Suzuki factory team from 2000 to 2003 and finished second at the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix.

Joseph Conrad Parkhurst (US) was born on this day in 1926. Early in his career, Parkhurst worked as an art director at Road and Track magazine, but he soon recognized a lack of quality publications covering the motorcycle industry. He founded Cycle World in 1962, eventually growing the magazine into the largest motorcycle magazine in the world. Parkhurst succumbed to complications from lung cancer on December 5, 2000.

Rob Muzzy (US) celebrates his birthday on this date. Muzzy is the founder of Muzzy Performance Products and has operated teams in professional superbike racing, drag racing, and motocross competition. Muzzy Kawasakis were a staple of the AMA paddock from the early 1980s until the team pulled out of the series in 1999. The Muzzy team also had success in the World Superbike Championship, winning the 1993 championship with rider Scott Russell. Since exiting AMA road racing, Muzzy Racing has focused its efforts on drag racing, and has won six national titles with riders Ricky Gadson and Ryan Schnitz.

October 21

Michael Barnes (US) was born on this date in 1968. Since turning pro in 1990, Barnes has been a fixture in the AMA paddock, finishing a career-best third in points in the 2006 Supersport championship. This season, Barnes competed for the Richie Morris Racing GEICO Powersports Buell team in the Daytona SportBike Championship and finished fifteenth in the standings. Barnes also competed in last weekend’s MotoGT 8 Hours of Daytona race, and finished fifth with the Crozier Motorsports Ducati team.

On this date in 2006, the inaugural Moto-ST race was held at Daytona International Speedway. The eight-hour event was won by San Jose BMW riders Brian Parriott, Nate Kern, and Stephane Mertens. The series, now known as SunTrust Moto-GT, held their fourth-annual 8 Hours of Daytona race this past weekend. The event was won by Westby Racing Yamaha and riders Josh Hayes, Dane Westby, Dustin Meador, and Jeff Wood.

October 23

Wayne Rainey (US) was born on this date in 1960. Rainey entered the AMA Superbike Championship in 1982 after success in dirt track and 250cc road racing. Riding for the Kawasaki factory team, Rainey won the 1983 Superbike title and promptly moved to the international circuit with the Kenny Roberts Racing 250cc Grand Prix team. A lack of success brought him back to the United States, where he eventually won the AMA Superbike Championship again, this time for Honda, in 1987. He returned to the Kenny Roberts Yamaha team to race in Grand Prix the following season, this time in the 500cc class. Rainey won three 500cc World Championships (1990-1992) and was on his way to a fourth in 1993 when he suffered a horrific crash at the Italian Grand Prix at Misano. The crash left Rainey paralyzed from the waist down and gave his great rival Kevin Schwantz the 1993 title. Rainey has stayed involved in road racing since the accident, first as a Grand Prix team manager and currently as a brand representative for Yamaha. He also continues to compete on the track in SuperKart racing using a specially modified kart.

Johnny Murphree (US) was born on this date in 1978. Murphree competed in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship, finishing second in the Pro Twins standings in 2002 and 2003. Since retiring from full-time competition, Murphree has taken a role with Beta motorcycles in expanding the Italian manufacturer’s presence in American dealerships.

October 25

Bobby Fong (US) was born on this date in 1990. Fong began racing in AMA Pro Road Racing in 2007 for the Safety First Racing Suzuki team in SuperSport and Formula Xtreme at the age of sixteen. Fong rode for Paradigm Racing in 2009 and finished fourteenth in the 2009 AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike Championship with a best race finish of fourth at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Hiroshi Aoyoma (JP) was born on this date in 1981. Aoyoma is enjoying a breakout year in the 250cc World Championship with three wins to date. Riding for Team Scot Honda, Aoyoma is leading the championship with only two rounds remaining. He has competed in the 250cc championship since 2004 and will move up to MotoGP for the 2010 season with the newly formed Emmi Caffe Latte Honda MotoGP team.

Mike Hacker (US) was born on this date in 1975. Hacker began his AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship career in 1994. During his riding career, Hacker secured multiple wins and remained close to the top of the national rankings, though he never scored a GNC championship. Hacker retired from riding in 2007 and now operates the SuperTrapp racing team for rider Jake Johnson.