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Ride in Peace

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It is with a heavy heart that we report the death of legendary stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, who passed away this past weekend. Speedweek is reporting that the 51-year-old icon’s body was found after he took his own life, ending a months-long bout of serious depression.

A legend in the stunt-riding community, Pfeiffer won multiple motorcycle stunt world championships and brought the niche extreme sport to mainstream attention with his close links to BMW Motorrad and Red Bull.

His shows pushed the boundaries of what could be done on two wheels, paved the way for a countless number of stunters who are in the sport today, and reached a legion of fans around the world. The man was truly impressive.

Fausto Gresini, double world champion and long-standing Grand Prix team manager, died this morning as a result of complications arising from a COVID-19 infection.

The 60-year-old Italian was being treated for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit of the Carlo Alberto Pizzardi hospital in Bologna, Italy.

Gresini had been diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly before Christmas 2020. His condition worsened sufficiently for him to be admitted to hospital shortly after Christmas.

From there, his condition grew worse, occasionally showing only minor improvements, but the disease caused severe damage to his lungs, meaning he required help breathing for long periods of time.

The toll from the disease mounted up, Gresini eventually succumbing to the complications arising from COVID-19.

It is with a very heavy heart that we have to report the passing of our friend and colleague Carlin Dunne, who died today while racing at the 97th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Carlin was on his way to a record-setting lap with his Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype, and according to eyewitnesses (which we should preface have been very unreliable throughout the day), he had just passed the final turn on the course a small distance from the finish line when his bike encountered a bump, crashed, and went off course.

It is with a heavy heart that we report the first fatality at the 2019 Isle of Man TT, as Daley Mathison died during Monday’s Superbike TT race.

The 27-year-old from Stockton on Tees, Durham passed away from a racing accident that occurred on the third lap of the race, at Snugborough, which is just about two miles into the course.

An experienced rider at the Isle of Man TT, Mathison made his Mountain Course debut in 2013 as a Manx Grand Prix newcomer. Since then, he has been a multi-year competitor, as well as a three-time TT Zero podium-finisher, in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of William Dunlop, who passed away today at the Skerries 100 in Ireland

Crashing near the Sam’s Tunnel section of the road racing course, Dunlop succumb to the injuries he sustained during Saturday’s open practice session. He was 32 years of age.

A veteran racer and a member of road racing’s most storied family, William Dunlop was brother to Michael Dunlop, nephew to the legendary Joey Dunlop, and son to Robert Dunlop – all four Dunlops making their mark at a number of road racing events.

A six-time podium finisher at the Isle of Man TT, and a race-winner at both the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, William Dunlop was a road racing favorite, with many pegging the 2018 season as possibly his last before retiring.

It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Dan Kneen, who died from the injuries he sustained during Wednesday’s Superbike qualifying session for the Isle of Man TT.

The 30-year-old Isle of Man native crashed his Tyco BMW S1000RR at Churchtown, during the first lap of the qualifying session, which was subsequently red-flagged and stopped.

According to a statement by the ACU, which sanctions the TT races, Kneen died at the scene of the incident.

An exhibition of Nicky Hayden photographs, by the Italian photographer Mirco Lazzari, opened during the Imola WorldSBK round, aptly named “A Million Dollar Smile”.

With 69 photographs depicting the American’s international career, it provided a reminder to fans of what made the Kentucky Kid so popular.

For Lazzari, the challenge of finding the correct pictures was a trying time ,with weeks spent to ensure he struck the right chord, as the first anniversary of Hayden’s death approaches.

“I wanted to create an exhibition for Nicky, and it was very emotional because Nicky was a rider that gave all of us a lot of emotions,” said Lazzari. “He meant a lot to so many fans and to the sport, so I wanted to do this exhibition because he is missed by so many people.”

Nicky Hayden’s hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky is gearing up to honor its local hero, with plans to erect a statue of the Kentucky Kid on the front lawn of the Owensboro Convention Center.

The statue will capture one of Hayden’s most memorable moments, and one of the most iconic images of the MotoGP Legend – his race win at Laguna Seca from the 2006 MotoGP Championship season (shown above).

Just like in the photo, the bronze statue of Hayden will include him holding an actual American flag. And in addition to the statue, the City of Owensboro is also declaring June 9th Nicky Hayden, a reference to Nicky’s racing number: 69.