Jimmy Adamo, 1957-1993

Jimmy Adamo, 1957-1993

JIMMY ADAMO, A 20-YEAR VETERAN racer and Twins specialist, was killed on lap seven of the Daytona 200. As machines swung left to exit the infield at Turn Six, Adamo’s Ducati was seen to go straight at high speed, striking a line of hay bales and the concrete wall that separates this turn from Turn One. Life-saving measures failed to revive him at the scene. Although many theories-most centering around equipment failure-were advanced as to the possible cause of the accident, no official determination has been made public.

Adamo, 36, was a talented racer. The AMA’s winningest Twins competitor, he scored 32 Twins-class victories and was Battle of the Twins National Champion in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Master tuner Reno Leoni once called him, “The best rider I’ve worked with.” Adamo enjoyed the intensity and community of racing, and in recent years also operated a motorcycle specialtyparts import business, Gio.Ca.Moto USA. He and his young family-wife Melanie and daughters Danielle, 3, and Jamie, 6 months-lived in Glen Cove, New York.

After the Daytona 200, people gathered in groups throughout the garage area to talk about this loss. Jerry McHale, the AMA referee, said, “It’s hard to run a race when you’ve got tears in your eyes."

Kevin Cameron