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December 20
Freddie Spencer, 2009 ? Photo by Andrew Northcott
On this date in 1961, three-time Grand Prix world champion Freddie Spencer (US) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He began racing at the age of 4, and his rise to prominence was signaled when he won the 1978 250cc U.S. National Road Racing Championship. In 1980, ?Fast Freddie? won two legs of the U.S. versus Britain Trans-Atlantic Match by defeating Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheen. He won his first Grand Prix World Championship in 1983 aboard the two-stroke Honda NS500, narrowly beating Kenny Roberts in a closely fought title battle. He was the youngest to win the 500cc title. In 1985, Spencer started the season with victory at the Daytona 200 in both the 250cc and Superbike classes. That same year, he became the only rider to ever win the 500cc and 250cc grand prix titles in the same year, but after his historic year, he never won another GP race. He retired from grand prix racing in 1988 due to wrist injuries, but continued to race intermittently in AMA Superbike, winning three more races. Spencer now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and had operated a racing school until it closed due to financial difficulties.
On this date in 1938, Skip Van Leeuwen (US) was born. Van Leeuwen was one of the most dominant AMA dirt track TT racers in the history of the sport, winning four nationals in the mid-?60s on the small dirt track circuits which feature both left and right hand turns, as well as a jump. He won AMA nationals in Houston, Castle Rock, Washington, and his home track of Ascot Park near Gardena, California, and also won many regional championships during his career, before retiring in the early ?70s to begin what would become a successful motorcycles accessories business.
Check out this video of Van Leeuwen in 1963 TT Steeplechase at Ascot Park.
December 21
On this date in 1962, Grand Prix racer Gary Hocking?born in Wales and raised in Zimbabwe?died in a car-racing accident while contending the South African Natal Grand Prix. Hocking began racing grass track as a teenager and shocked the European road race community by finishing third (behind the factory MV Agustas) in his first Grand Prix. Within two years he had signed as a factory MV rider; a year later (in 1961), he delivered a pair of world championships, in the 350cc and 500cc classes. Hocking announced his retirement from road racing after a close friend died in the 1952 Isle of Man TT. Hocking, who?d just won the Senior TT himself, decided auto racing was a safer career choice. He was 25 at the time of his death.
December 22
Hayden Gillim, 2009 Donington Park ? Photo Credit: GEPA Pictures / Gold and Goose / David Goldman
On this date in 1994, Hayden Gillim (US) was born in Kentucky. A cousin to the famous Hayden racing brothers, Gillim?who runs the #69?made a name for himself as a young flat tracker and was one of the stars of the now-defunct Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, finishing second in the 2008 series and earning pole when the American team traveled to Europe for the Red Bull Riders Cup. In 2009, at age 14, he was one of three Americans chosen to contend the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Gillim returned to the U.S. in 2010, competing in both AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships and winning the 2010 AMA Road Racing Horizon Award in the process.
December 23
Canadian Pascal Picotte?who rose to road race prominence on Canadian circuits in the late ?80s?was born on this date in 1969. The two-time Canadian Superbike champ became a player on the AMA scene in the ?90s as a factory rider and currently serves as team manager for the Suzuki/Blackfoot/Picotte Racing effort.
December 24
Australian Broc Parkes was born on this date in 1981. Parkes began racing dirt track at age 5 and switched to road racing at 16, scoring a pair of championships while still in his teens. After a year in the Japan X Formula series with the Moriwaki squad, he moved to the World Superbike series paddock for 2003, where he contended World Supersport from ?03 through ?08, finishing second in the championship twice, and struggled through ?09 with the Kawasaki R.T. World Superbike squad. For 2010, he signed with the Echo CRS Honda team, a former WSS effort that ran ex-Stiggy Honda machinery in the World Superbike class. After very difficult year, Parkes left Echo CRS with three rounds remaining to ride for the Motocard Kawasaki WSS team, replacing the injured Joan Lascorz and earning one podium from three attempts. Parkes has signed to continue with the Motocard squad in WSS for the next two years.
December 26
Today is the birthday of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ricky Graham (US), born in 1958. Known for his wild riding style?few held the throttle on longer than he did in the turns?Graham won three AMA Grand National Championships, an additional AMA National Championship (in the Harley Davidson Sportster Performance series), was the 1993 AMA Athlete of the year, and contended the Daytona 200 road race three times, finishing fifteenth in 1994 with the Honda factory Superbike team. Graham?one of the most versatile motorcycle racers the U.S. has seen?died in a house fire in 1998, but he remains a favorite among those who follow the sport.
More Feature Articles
Speed Dating: December 20 ? 26 This week in Speed Dating: Happy birthday to Freddie Spencer, Hayden Gillim, Skip Van Leeuwen, Pascal Picotte, Broc Parkes, Ricky Graham, and remembering Gary Hocking.
Yamaha Monday Wake-Up Call: N.Z.?s Suzuki International Tri-Series Superbikes, Supermoto, and Sidecars?oh my! Wake up with results from the weekend?s N.Z. Suzuki International Tri-Series.
Road Racerhead #51 CJ checks in with a collection of photos from the Long Beach IMS show.
Backmarker: Nine more shopping days? ?The Twelve Days of Christmas,? motorcycle-style
SLIDESHOW: Umbrella Girls of the Week ? Fredrickson?s Fiat Foxes They come in ones, twos, and threes, and RRX photo editor Andrew Fredrickson gave the Fiat girls the nod for this week?s UG slideshow.
Between the Races: Riggs Klika AMA Pro American Superbike Champion Josh Hayes has a secret weapon: physiological doctor Riggs Klika
Read More FeaturesSource: http://www.roadracerx.com/features/speed-dating/speed-dating-december-20-%E2%80%93-26/
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