Mann and Despain Resigns HoF
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Mann and Despain Resigns HoF
Dick Mann and Dave Despain Resign AMA Hall of Fame over Nobby Clark Induction/non-Induction.
Ed Youngblood's Motohistory | News | Current
If you haven't been following the whole thing Nobby was first inducted then two weeks had the induction rescinded... over a supposed criminal record.
If you have never heard of Nobby, well here you go:
IMHO Knobby is one of the absolute greatest tuners to ever sweat in a paddoc.
Below is a small list of his history as written in his Hall of Fame induction announcement from the above link
World championship tuner Derek "Nobby" Clark, whose bikes claimed 17 FIM world titles in multiple displacements from the 1960s through 1980, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2012 AMA Legends Weekend at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 16-17.
Don Rosene (Chairman of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Selection Committee and a member of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation) says: "I first saw Nobby Clark in 1967 at the Grand Prix of Canada.
"He was tuning for the Honda factory team and Mike Hailwood and Jim Redmond, a couple of the greatest roadracers of all time. The list of greats Nobby worked with is long, including Kenny Roberts. All great racers need great tuners. Nobby was, and is, the tuner of World Champions. We welcome him into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame."
For 25 years, Clark was one of the world's leading motorcycle race mechanics. In addition to 17 FIM Grand Prix world titles, earned in classes ranging from 50cc to 500cc, he won three Daytona 200s, one Daytona 100, four Imola 200s and eight Italian championships working with some of the greatest motorcycle racers in history.
Nobby Clark says: "This was a great surprise. It's a great honor to be inducted. With many of the guys I worked for already in the Hall of Fame, all I can say is I know I'm in good company."
Clark not only excelled at the highest level, tuning for some of history's greatest racers, but also worked with racing's most memorable personalities, including Hall of Famers Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Roberts.
Nobby Clark says: "Of course they all loved to race. Mike, especially, loved to race and more than Kenny and more than Ago, the money didn't come into it with Mike. He just loved to race. If he could have raced seven days a week, he would have done that. Mike also was the best at racing around problems with the bike. He would still try to win, and think he could win, no matter what.
"Kenny, I respect him for coming in from America and winning. It was different in every way, a different league, a different culture. Even the dogs, when you whistled at them, they would look at you and say, 'I don't understand that kind of whistle.' But Kenny adapted and progressed and he represented the vanguard of American riders coming to Europe."
Clark was born Sept. 29, 1936, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). He studied engineering at Bulawayo Technical High School and did his apprenticeship for Rhodesia Railways. As a vibrant motorcycling counter-culture developed in Zimbabwe, Clark's high-school friend, Gary Hocking, built a reputation first on the streets of Bulawayo then on local racetracks. Hocking's exploits ultimately took him to Europe, and he encouraged Clark to follow.
In 1960, Hocking got a ride with MV Agusta and hired Clark as his tuner. That year, Hocking was runner up in 125, 250 and 350cc FIM World Championships. In 1961, he won the 350 and 500cc titles on bikes tuned by Clark.
Clark went to work for the factory Honda team and Jim Redman following Hocking's death in a Formula One car crash in 1962. He stayed with Honda, where he worked with Hailwood, and then joined a Yamaha satellite team in 1971. The following year, he moved to the Yamaha factory team.
Clark is the third member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2012 to be announced. He joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary, and pioneering female motocrosser Sue Fish. The rest of the 2012 inductees will be announced in random order in the coming weeks.
As indicated by the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s announcement, Mr. Clark’s achievements are extensive, but may best be summarized by the reverse side of his business card, shown at the head of this story.
Ed Youngblood's Motohistory | News | Current
If you haven't been following the whole thing Nobby was first inducted then two weeks had the induction rescinded... over a supposed criminal record.
If you have never heard of Nobby, well here you go:
IMHO Knobby is one of the absolute greatest tuners to ever sweat in a paddoc.
Below is a small list of his history as written in his Hall of Fame induction announcement from the above link
World championship tuner Derek "Nobby" Clark, whose bikes claimed 17 FIM world titles in multiple displacements from the 1960s through 1980, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2012 AMA Legends Weekend at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 16-17.
Don Rosene (Chairman of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Selection Committee and a member of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation) says: "I first saw Nobby Clark in 1967 at the Grand Prix of Canada.
"He was tuning for the Honda factory team and Mike Hailwood and Jim Redmond, a couple of the greatest roadracers of all time. The list of greats Nobby worked with is long, including Kenny Roberts. All great racers need great tuners. Nobby was, and is, the tuner of World Champions. We welcome him into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame."
For 25 years, Clark was one of the world's leading motorcycle race mechanics. In addition to 17 FIM Grand Prix world titles, earned in classes ranging from 50cc to 500cc, he won three Daytona 200s, one Daytona 100, four Imola 200s and eight Italian championships working with some of the greatest motorcycle racers in history.
Nobby Clark says: "This was a great surprise. It's a great honor to be inducted. With many of the guys I worked for already in the Hall of Fame, all I can say is I know I'm in good company."
Clark not only excelled at the highest level, tuning for some of history's greatest racers, but also worked with racing's most memorable personalities, including Hall of Famers Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Roberts.
Nobby Clark says: "Of course they all loved to race. Mike, especially, loved to race and more than Kenny and more than Ago, the money didn't come into it with Mike. He just loved to race. If he could have raced seven days a week, he would have done that. Mike also was the best at racing around problems with the bike. He would still try to win, and think he could win, no matter what.
"Kenny, I respect him for coming in from America and winning. It was different in every way, a different league, a different culture. Even the dogs, when you whistled at them, they would look at you and say, 'I don't understand that kind of whistle.' But Kenny adapted and progressed and he represented the vanguard of American riders coming to Europe."
Clark was born Sept. 29, 1936, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). He studied engineering at Bulawayo Technical High School and did his apprenticeship for Rhodesia Railways. As a vibrant motorcycling counter-culture developed in Zimbabwe, Clark's high-school friend, Gary Hocking, built a reputation first on the streets of Bulawayo then on local racetracks. Hocking's exploits ultimately took him to Europe, and he encouraged Clark to follow.
In 1960, Hocking got a ride with MV Agusta and hired Clark as his tuner. That year, Hocking was runner up in 125, 250 and 350cc FIM World Championships. In 1961, he won the 350 and 500cc titles on bikes tuned by Clark.
Clark went to work for the factory Honda team and Jim Redman following Hocking's death in a Formula One car crash in 1962. He stayed with Honda, where he worked with Hailwood, and then joined a Yamaha satellite team in 1971. The following year, he moved to the Yamaha factory team.
Clark is the third member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2012 to be announced. He joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary, and pioneering female motocrosser Sue Fish. The rest of the 2012 inductees will be announced in random order in the coming weeks.
As indicated by the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s announcement, Mr. Clark’s achievements are extensive, but may best be summarized by the reverse side of his business card, shown at the head of this story.
Thread Starter
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MotoGP
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From: Lake View Terrace, CA
And yes Kobby did pull some stuff but his crimes were against a very powerful member of the AMA that has a history of throwing his weight around. Knobby's crimes are tame in direct comparison with many HOF members and even of many former officers of the AMA as well as the AMA HOF staff.
link to what he plead guilty to.
Criminal Case Played A Role In AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Decision To Rescind Nobby Clark's Pending Induction News Article // RoadracingWorld.com
But as stated in the first link:
link to what he plead guilty to.
Criminal Case Played A Role In AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Decision To Rescind Nobby Clark's Pending Induction News Article // RoadracingWorld.com
But as stated in the first link:
But, for the sake of argument, let’s explore the ramifications of zeroing in on Mr. Clark for his “character,” as evidenced by prior legal problems. What do we do about multi-time Grand National Champion in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame who spent time in the slammer for drug trafficking? What about the Hall of Famer who went to jail for beating the hell out of a business associate with a baseball bat? What about the two guys—one a Grand National Champion—who had their AMA licenses suspended for fraud and forgery? Or the publisher and entrepreneur who went to Leavenworth for federal mail fraud? And the high AMA official who was convicted of embezzlement?
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 807
From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
If people of the stature of Dick Mann and Kenny Roberts leave, who will want to stay? It's people like them who give legitimacy to the concept of a racing Hall of Fame. It's a tainted institution now and the AMA has another public relations disaster to deal with.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 344
And yes Kobby did pull some stuff but his crimes were against a very powerful member of the AMA that has a history of throwing his weight around. Knobby's crimes are tame in direct comparison with many HOF members and even of many former officers of the AMA as well as the AMA HOF staff.
link to what he plead guilty to.
Criminal Case Played A Role In AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Decision To Rescind Nobby Clark's Pending Induction News Article // RoadracingWorld.com
But as stated in the first link:
link to what he plead guilty to.
Criminal Case Played A Role In AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Decision To Rescind Nobby Clark's Pending Induction News Article // RoadracingWorld.com
But as stated in the first link:
Stealing bikes or bike parts is worse than drug trafficking or beating someone with a bat IMO...I agree with his hall of fame exclusion.
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,082
From: Menifee, CA
I cancelled my AMA Membership years ago as a result of some of their foolishness in the 80's and 90's (particularly but not exclusively selected enforcement of the racing rule book). I stopped going to or watching AMA Racing when they sold out to DMG. I hope anyone holding an AMA Membership cancels in protest. The late Gary Nixon had a very dubious distinction and he's still and should be in the Hall of Fame.
Thread Starter
Banned
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Lake View Terrace, CA
If that is the extent of his crimes, that is pretty paltry in my view but I also don't like thieves so I can see some merit in the exclusion.
That said, I would lean to favor him based on King Kenny and Dick Mann's endorsement. Its a rare person that is hailed by persons of such achievement.
To paraphrase my DI in basic training, AMA done stepped on their dicks on this one.
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