INDUSTRY INFOBITES

Following an exhilarating 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) season, the reigning ve-time Manufacturers Champion, Indian Motorcycle Racing, announced the signing of Shayna Texter-Bauman to its 2022 SuperTwins factory race team. With the signing, Indian Motorcycle will welcome the AFT Singles most winningest rider as the third member of the Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew – joining her husband and two-time SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman and reigning 2021 AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees.

Piloting the Indian FTR750, TexterBauman will pit under the factory trailer as Dave Zanotti will serve as Crew Chief for both riders. Former AFT Champion Jake Johnson will serve as her mechanic. “The entire Indian Motorcycle Racing team and I are beyond excited to welcome Shayna to the Wrecking Crew, as she’s truly a remarkable racer with a relentless drive to succeed,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology. “Shayna has no bounds that she cannot face, and we’re honored to have her join our team and represent our brand.” “This announcement marks a key moment in my journey as a racer. I’m humbled to be joining the Wrecking Crew and cannot wait to get out on the track on the incredible FTR750,” said Texter-Bauman. “I’ve been at this for a while now and have always had the desire to nish my career on a Twin. I’m beyond appreciative of everyone that has supported me along the way. I still have that re to race and have some lofty goals that I would like to accomplish before I’m nished racing. I’m de nitely looking forward to this next chapter racing SuperTwins.”

For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com.

Ducati North America announced it will compete in the new-look MotoAmerica Supersport Championship and the Daytona 200 in 2022, partnering with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York out t and new signing, Josh Herrin. For the rst time in the history of the class, the Supersport regulations will be evolved to allow larger capacity twincylinder and threecylinder machines to compete against the established 600cc four-cylinder machines. With MotoAmerica’s policy of closely replicating the rules set by the WorldSSP Championship, this has opened the door for Ducati to eld a factory-supported entry in national-level Supersport competition and Continued on Next Page

Page 8 once again compete for glory in the Daytona 200, which will come back under the sanctioning of the American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica. Ducati has pedigree on the high 31-degree banking of Dayton International Speedway, with Jason DeSalvo claiming the 200 victory in 2011 on a Ducati 848, when the race was run under the Daytona Sporbike rules. At the helm of the 2022 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York Panigale V2 will be none other than former AMA Superbike, Stock 1000, and 2010 Daytona 200 Champion, Josh Herrin. Herrin is one of the most respected and experienced riders in North America and brings a wealth of knowledge to the Ducati family, as he looks to add the Supersport title to his already stacked trophy cabinet.

An amazing historic nd, discovered and restored by leading vintage Triumph collector Dick Shepherd, the 1901 Prototype rewrites the history books, adding a whole new chapter prior to Triumph’s of cial sales starting in 1902. Long rumored to exist and referenced within advertising and reviews that appeared in 1901, this rst Triumph prototype was developed from a standard Triumph bicycle, with an engine provided by Belgian manufacturer Minerva, in order to generate interest and gauge the public’s demand for a Triumph motorcycle. Dick Shepherd said “Having been approached by a friend of a collector, who had sadly recently passed away, to evaluate an old Triumph, I was incredibly excited to discover that the bike they had featured unique details that were not present on the rst production Triumphs. Along with the bike, the collector had also received a letter from Triumph, dated in 1937, that outlined the bike’s unique origins and provided key details.” “With an engine number that is consistent with references in Minerva’s engine records of a 1901 rst Triumph engagement, the historic signi cance of this motorcycle became incredibly clear.” First unveiled at the UK’s Motorcycle Live show, the 1901 prototype was featured in a dedicated event at Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience on December 14th, where the machine was ridden in public for the very rst time in over 100 years. This incredible, historic motorcycle is now on display, alongside the millionth Hinckley Triumph, in a new, specially created 120-year anniversary exhibit, hosted within Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience. The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience is free to visit and is located at Triumph’s HQ in Hinckley, England and is open daily Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am - 4.30pm. ,

FREE WHEELIN’ Continued from Page 3 swept destruction from Cuba to Canada (where it was welcomed, eh!) on March 12, 1993, a week before spring. The storm was responsible for 310 deaths and $6.6 billion in damage, and it shut down the southern part of the U.S. for three days. The largest snowball ght ever involved 7,681 people. Those wacky Canadians… Ya think? On January 31, 2016, 7,681 people faced off in the largest snowball ght ever on record in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The event was a send-off celebration for the Canadian team bound for Japan to partake in the Showa Shinzan International Yukigassen World Championships for professional snowball ghting. Yes, there is such a thing. Oh, but the Canadians don’t stop. They also have an annual International Hair Freezing Contest in Canada every February.

“The purpose of the contest is to create the most creative frozen hairdos possible; you soak in the hot springs and allow the steam to accumulate on your head while the cold air freezes your hair,” according to the event’s website. The amazing icy hairstyle that competitors have donned over the years since the contest began in Canada’s Yukon territory in 2011 are something to see. What about the Southern hemisphere? The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has less land and a more maritime climate. But winter here means summer there. We have jets, there are bikes to rent, there are places to go and things to see, and roads and trails to explore. Hey, maybe winter can be a good thing. Let’s go ride… ,