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December 13
Michelle Duff (CA) was born on this date in 1939. Born Michael Duff, the Canadian finished second in the 1965 250cc World Championship behind Phil Read. Duff was also a frequent competitor in the Isle of Man TT. Duff has since undergone sexual reassignment surgery and is a published author. In 2007, Duff participated in the Lap of Honor at the Isle of Man TT 100th Anniversary celebration.
Aaron Yates, 2010 ? Photo by Nelson/Riles
Happy birthday to Aaron Yates (US), who was born on this date in 1973. Yates holds AMA Championships in the Superstock, 600 Supersport, 750 Supersport, and Superteams classes. In 2008, Yates took five wins on the way to his second AMA Superstock championship, riding for the Jordan Suzuki outfit. The next season he moved up to the American Superbike championship and finished seventh in his first season with MJM. Yates? 2010 season was cut short after he broke his tibia and fibula, and he spent the remainder of the season recovering from his injuries.
On this date in 1927, Hugh Harrison ?Harry? Hurt Jr. was born. As a professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Hurt conducted one of the more extensive studies of motorcycle crashes in the United States and authored the Hurt Report in 1981. His research pointed out the importance of wearing motorcycle helmets.
December 14
Son of Alpinestars founder Sante Mazarolo, Gabriele Mazarolo (IT) was born on this date. Mazarolo currently serves as the owner and CEO of the Italian brand, which provides protective motorsports gear for auto and motorcycle racing.
Alex Vieira (PO) was born on this date in 1956. Vieira won the Endurance World Championship in 1989, ?90, and ?91 (at the time, the title went to the single rider with the highest points total; it now goes to the entire winning team). The Portuguese native rode Hondas to his first and second crowns, and a Kawasaki to his third.
Jake Zemke, 2010 ? Photo by Nelson/Riles
Mike Hale (US) was born on this date in 1972. In 1995, Hale was the runner-up in both the AMA 600cc Supersport and AMA Superbike championships. Hale moved to the 500cc World Championship in 1999, riding the Modenas KR3 to little success for Team Roberts. Hale has since competed in auto racing and in the AMA Formula Xtreme and Supermoto Championships.
Happy birthday to Fabrizio Lai (IT), who was born on this date in 1978. The Italian competed in the 125cc World Championship between 2001 and 2006, finishing fifth in points in 2005 aboard a Honda. Lai has since moved to the 250cc class, and in 2007 won the FIM?s prize for best privateer. He has since moved to the CIV Supersport series and in 2010 made an appearance in World Superbike on the Echo CRS Honda team.
December 15
Happy birthday to Jake Zemke (US), who was born on this date in 1975. Zemke got his start racing speedway as a youngster before switching to road racing. A native and resident of California?s Central Coast, Zemke has ridden for several squads in AMA Pro Road Racing, including Erion Honda, Bruce Transportation Honda, and the factory Honda outfit. Known for his happy, laid-back attitude, he earned the 2008 AMA Formula Xtreme crown after having finished second on no fewer than four occasions (he also took second in AMA Supersport the same year he earned his FX crown). In 2010 Zemke raced for Jordan Suzuki, winning the first two rounds at Daytona and finishing the year third in points. His 2011 plans have not yet been announced.
Sete Gibernau, 2009 ? Photo by Andrew Northcott
Happy 38th birthday to Sete Gibernau (ES), who twice finished runner-up to Valentino Rossi in year-end MotoGP points, in 2003 and ?04. Grandson of Bultaco founder Don ?Paco? Bulto, Gibernau got started in trials and motocross, and he did the occasional 250cc wildcard appearance after starting in road racing. He tried dirt track and entered the ?96 Ducados Open, where Wayne Rainey saw him and signed him to his 250cc Grand Prix squad. After just a single season in that class, Sete switched to the premier division in ?97 and rode for Rainey?s Yamaha team, a Honda outfit, Suzuki?s factory effort, Telefonica Movistar (Gresini Racing), and Ducati Marlboro. Having scored nine Grand Prix wins (all but one with Gresini), Gibernau retired after the 2006 season, though he made a brief return for the Grupo Francisco Hernando satellite Ducati squad last year (the team folded partway through the season).
December 16
On this date in 2002, Don Vesco (US) died from prostate cancer. A true renaissance man, the Californian was successful in dirt track, road racing, drag racing, land-speed record-chasing, and even dealer ownership. His scrappy dirt track experience happened in the late-?50s and early-?60s, after which he did factory road racing for Honda, Yamaha, BSA, and Bridgestone. He also owned a Yamaha dealership in the San Diego area, sponsoring the likes of Kel Carruthers and Cal Rayborn, among many others. In 1970, he piloted a streamliner to the then motorcycle land-speed record of 251.66 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, broke 300 mph five years later, and went 318.598 mph in ?78. Vesco even set the land-speed record for cars in ?99 with a pass in excess of 427 mph, then went 458 mph in 2001?at the age of 60.
Happy 41st birthday to AMA Pro flat tracker Willie McCoy (US). Racing as a part-timer with Harley-Davidson of Wassau this season, McCoy finished twenty-first in the Grand National Twins series? final standings, with a tenth-place finish at the Indy Mile and a fourth-place result at the September Springfield Mile. He has also had success in professional motorcycle drag racing.
December 17
On this date in 1960, Kurt Hall (US) was born. A racer in the WERA and AMA series, Hall was WERA?s 1989 Formula USA Champion and 1992 Formula II and Superstock 600cc Champion.
December 18
On this date in 1968, Marty Craggill (AU) was born. A journeyman racer, Craggill was the Australian Superbike Champion in 1997 and ?98, then went on to race in AMA Superbike with a variety of teams, including Mat Mladin?s Suzuki satellite squad and Boulder Motor Sports Ducati. His sole AMA win came in the ?02 Formula X-treme class, at Brainerd.
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Speed Dating: December 13 ? 19 This week in Speed Dating, happy birthday to Aaron Yates, Mike Hale, Jake Zemke, Sete Gibernau, Don Vesco, and more!
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Read More FeaturesSource: http://www.roadracerx.com/features/speed-dating/speed-dating-december-13-19/
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