Ups & Downs
Ups & Downs
UP: To everyone who participated in the John Myers Benefit Auction, for caring. Held last November in conjunction with the NHRA Winston Finals, the event raised $120,000 for Myers' widow Kerry and their 2-year-old daughter, Christina. An additional $80,000 was raised through donations and the sale of memorial T-shirts, miniature helmets, posters and decals. Myers, a six-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion, died last August following a non-racing-related motorcycle accident near his home in Birmingham, Alabama.
DOWN: To Time magazine, for snubbing motorcycles. A recent article on the surge in popularity of so-called “extreme” sports included NASCAR and mountain bike racing but failed to mention Supercross, which just had another record year in terms of attendance. Worse, the article misused the term “dirt biker” in describing a BMX jumper.
UP: To Flemming Pedersen, for knowing how to say goodbye. According to a British tabloid, Pedersen sneaked the body of his dead, 86-year-old father from a hospital and strapped it to the back of his Harley-Davidson. Together, they toured Copenhagen and visited his dad’s favorite spots. At the end of the day, they stopped by a local tavern for beer and cigars. How’s that for a final send-off?
UP: To Mike Corbin, for donating a portion of his profits to a worthy cause. The popular saddlemaker recently presented the Hollister, California, police department with a check for $4000. The funds are earmarked for new computer software that will alert neighboring police departments of abducted children.
