Top photo: Another generation of the Andretti family
will race in the Indianapolis 500, as Marco Andretti,
center, will join his father, Michael Andretti, right, in
the field. Mario Andretti, left, and Michael Andretti
raced against each other 10 times at Indy.
Bottom photo: 2005 JPMorgan Chase Indianapolis
500 Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick is back for the
2006 race, again with Rahal Letterman Racing.
Danica Patrick : : Rahal Letterman Racing
Birthday: March 25, 1982 Hometown: Roscoe, Ill.
Residence: Phoenix Height/weight: 5-2/100
Marco Andretti : : Andretti Green Racing
Birthday: March 13, 1987 Hometown: Nazareth, Pa.
Residence: Indianapolis Height/weight: 5-6/135
If you have any questions:
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Motorcycle racing had a large following in South Africa during the late seventies and early eighties due to the increasing vogue of motorcycles following the oil crises of the time. In the mid-eighties, oil got cheaper and motorcycles became less popular. Up to this point, there were strong provincial and national racing programs. Thereafter, motorcycle racing died in Cape Town and diminished around the country.
Early in 1991, a group of enthusiasts led by a local motorcycle shop, got together and held a "riding school" to encourage track racing as opposed to the dangerous "breakfast runs" which take place on the local passes.
From this first school, a three-race series was held to measure rider's enthusiasm for the real thing. This series was very successful, with 30 riders on the grid for the first race. In 1992 a club championship was started. The growth in the Section lead to the formation of a Regional Championship in 1996.
Part of the success of our Section must be attributed to the "run what you brung" formula. Over the years the most astonishing machines have been raced at Killarney. However, the advent of "grey" bikes has seen an upsurge in the popularity of the 400cc class. These wonderful little machines now represent 50% of the grid and they hold a championship within the regional series.
Competitors with more money available to them race 600cc or larger machines. Different motorcycles have different strengths and consequently, the variety at Killarney means lots of overtaking, which is the essence of exciting racing.
Since 1992, we have used the "time-based" formula for deciding the classes (A to D), into which competitors are placed. This method combines the talents of the riders with the capability of their machines to fit the combination into a lap-time slot. As they improve, they are able to move from one class to another. After each race, riders are awarded points for position in their class. At the end of the season, Motorsport South Africa declares the rider with the most points Regional Champion. Individual Class Champions are declared by the Section.
The Motorcycle Section has grown in strength from the early days when we had to telephone each other for encouragement and assist in repairing bikes just to make the minimum requirement for the grid. The smallest number of entrants on the grid in the past year was 32 riders and our average for this season was 37 riders. We now offer exhilarating and colourful racing which is very popular amongst the spectators, as evidenced by the number of telephone calls the WPMC receives requesting motorcycle race times on a race day.
A Brave New World
Honda's New American Sports Alters Motorcycle Reality
The U.S. motorcycle market often defies comparison. American tastes and trends can reside oceans away from the demands of riders in Asia or Europe. That's reason enough to justify the existence of Honda R&D Americas (HRA), but the creative minds toiling away within this top-secret two-wheeler think-tank do far more than merely exist: They fully intend to shape our motorcycling future.
this latest creation from HRA will achieve exactly that goal. Meet the New American Sports, an innovative exercise in sport bike design aimed at the very heart of what drives every mechanically minded motorcyclist across the USA: gorgeous hardware.According to Martin Manchester, executive designer at Honda R&D Americas, "This concept bike takes a new direction in motorcycling, a path that emphasizes the beauty and aesthetics in the execution and creation of a sport bike." Like the many other projects birthed at HRA, the New American Sports began as a concept, advanced though iterations of sketches, then took shape as a full-scale clay mock-up. With the NAS, the scale of the elements in the bike took on great importance. The commitment to such a basic form and theme lead to many challenges, problems that were often solved with elegant engineering solutions. Look at the New American Sports, and see a future fueled by imagination, where an appreciation for the mechanical aesthetic is every bit as cherished as pure performance. We can't help but wonder what else is caroming around in the minds at Honda R&D Americas.