Conkers 67 Posted November 18, 2005 This is a press release from the USA regarding a fundraising event. Quite a good idea really: LONG BEACH, California - An historic gathering of America's past World Champions in the sport of Speedway motorcycle racing will take place here on Sunday, January 29, aboard the historic RMS Queen Mary ocean liner. The Inaugural Team USA Speedway Testimonial will feature a lavish brunch and Honoree Ceremony recognizing the six American Speedway greats who have won Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) individual world championships, followed by a memorabilia auction to benefit Team USA Speedway's 2006 efforts in FIM World Championships. Since the FIM World Speedway Championship was created in 1936, five American riders - the late Jack Milne ('37), Bruce Penhall (1981-82), Sam Ermolenko ('93), Billy Hamill ('96) and Greg Hancock ('97) -- have captured the sport's top prize - and in 1983 Shaun Moran became America's only FIM Long Track Champion. All of the Speedway champions will attend the event, and the machine on which Jack Milne became America's first-ever world motorcycling champion will be displayed in memory of the pioneer of American motorcycle sport who passed away in 1995 at age 88. This is thought to be the first time that all of the surviving American Speedway World Champions will make a joint appearance, and the occasion will be marked by production of a limited-edition group portrait. The champions will pose for the photo with Milne's 1937 championship machine and will autograph 125 numbered prints that will be offered for sale to Speedway enthusiasts and memorabilia collectors. No other prints of the photo will be authorized and all digital images from the photo shoot will be destroyed after the exclusive, one-time run of 125 prints has been produced Jack Milne's historic machine is being provided by Gary and Sandy Hicks of Riverside, California. Mrs. Hicks is Milne's niece and the daughter of the late Cordy Milne, who was also a Speedway racing star and whose racing achievements included four US National Championships. Noted motorsports announcers Terry "Ike" Clanton and Bruce Flanders, both fixtures on the Speedway racing scene, will donate their services for the 2006 Team USA Speedway Testimonial. Flanders will be Master of Ceremonies for the Honoree Ceremony and Clanton will be the lead auctioneer. "We're confident that the Speedway racing community will want to be on hand for this unique gathering of champions and to support Team USA Speedway," said event organizer Bill Amick, who serves as Team USA Speedway Manager. "From our announcers to Jack Milne's family and from our great champions to a cast of special guests that we'll announce soon, people are showing tremendous generosity and commitment to Team USA Speedway. "The signed and numbered portraits are sure to become collector's items," Amick added, "and they represent just a portion of the great items that will be up for bid in the memorabilia auction. American teams have won five FIM Team World Championships and three FIM Best Pairs titles, the most recent in 1998. Those championships have since been consolidated into a single event, the FIM Speedway World Cup, which America has yet to capture. Team USA bowed out of the 2005 competition in the first round, missing a transfer by a single position. Proceeds from the 2006 Team USA Speedway Testimonial will be used to defray the cost of participation in the 2006 FIM Speedway World Cup and also to assist individual American entries in the FIM World Junior Speedway Championships and Speedway Grand Prix Qualifiers. The Team USA Speedway Testimonial event offers a wide range of sponsorship opportunities to companies involved in Speedway racing, and enthusiast sponsorship packages will also be available. A private welcome dinner for the event's honorees and sponsors will be held on Saturday evening, and Sunday's Honoree Brunch and AMA-sanctioned memorabilia auction will be open to the public. "We have a long tradition of success in FIM Track Racing championships and we're pleased to lend support to AMA's Team USA Speedway and join the Speedway community in honoring our past world champions," said American Motorcyclist Association President Robert Rasor, who also serves as Vice President of the FIM. "Enthusiasts can really make a difference for Team USA Speedway by attending the testimonial activities on January 29, donating items for the memorabilia auction and purchasing the limited-edition portraits." Enthusiasts and collectors who are interested in more information about the 2006 Team USA Speedway Testimonial, about providing auction items, or about attending the auction as buyers are asked to contact Heartland Media & Events by phone at (740) 397-1647 or email to teamusaspeedway@yahoo.com. News updates will also be posted at www.HeartlandMedia.info Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Main Man 222 Posted November 19, 2005 Would be nice to also see some of the proceeds used to help fund the Americans of the future --The USA Dream Team who will be heading for the UK again next April for a tour who finance the trip entirely themselves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Addy 1 Posted November 19, 2005 Best wishes for a successful outcome ... Mind you - I've been on that Ship (Queen Mary) and it is well haunted. In particular the First Class Swimming Room, where a number of people have died, has a very opressive atmosphere. Mind you, January (or any month) in California Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,972 Posted November 19, 2005 Well Queen Mary 2 has just left Hamburg after some work on her,part of wich was getting rid of ghosts.Seems as if the US are a bit strapped for cash,doing this sort of thing.Hope it goes well something missing if they don't enter competitions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BertHoven 1 Posted November 19, 2005 Best wishes for a successful outcome ... Mind you - I've been on that Ship (Queen Mary) and it is well haunted. In particular the First Class Swimming Room, where a number of people have died, has a very opressive atmosphere. Mind you, January (or any month) in California <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Addy, I could give you Terry's number. He's looking for someone to complete his team of pushers. He recently described himself as the dope and the man behind him as his pusher. You would need to be a pushy woman though. Question is: are you a pushy woman or a pussycat? Joy to you, Ron. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Addy 1 Posted November 19, 2005 (edited) Addy, I could give you Terry's number. He's looking for someone to complete his team of pushers. He recently described himself as the dope and the man behind him as his pusher. You would need to be a pushy woman though. Question is: are you a pushy woman or a pussycat? Joy to you, Ron. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm a retiring wallflower compared with the Great Terry of Connor. Edited November 19, 2005 by Addy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy from Crossroads 0 Posted November 29, 2005 Ron and Julie, The Queen Mary's banqueting suite is definately haunted. On each occasion I've been in there, the beer was headless. I've moved on from requiring pushers to needing carriers these days. My wheelchair was towed recently and yesterday my walking device was reposessed by the baliffs. However if Kelly and Shooey are going to be at this event, I'll be carrying them home. They make Oliver Reed look like a church going teetotaller nowadays. I saw Kelly a while back and he told me that when pink elephants get rat legged, they see HIM. Julie, most of the deaths in the first class swimming room were due to the fact that the victims in question dived in the deep end blissfully unaware that the water had been drained from the pool when the ship was originally decomissioned. Ron the first time Gaz Hicks introduced me to Jack Milne, I was so in awe of the great man I could hardly get any words out. Eventually He clocked that I was asking if I could take a photo of himself and the motorcycle in question on which he won the 1937 world final at Wembley. It turned out that Jack ended up using my camera to take a picture of me sitting on the bike. We got on like a house on fire and became good friends. Some of the speedway stories Jack used to tell me were absolutely fantastic. I could listen to him all night. He was an absolute gentleman and the signed photograph with the kind words he wrote is, along with my signed picture of Jack Parker, one of my most treasured posessions. Jack Milne was a champion in every sense of the word. TERRY. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
