Updated: Former HRRA/CMRA/WERA Racer Andre Espaillat, R.I.P.

Jul 31, 2009, ©Copyright 2009, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Former HRRA/CMRA/WERA racer Andre Espaillat died July 25 after a long battle with cancer, according to an obituary appearing at www.dallasvoice.com.




More, from Ed Sorbo

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Andre was living in Hawaii in the early 1980s racing a GPz750 Turbo and was an officer in the Hawaii Road Race Association. Andre became my first sponsor when he let me race that bike, which he later gave to me.

My first race on Andre's bike was a 100-mile solo endurance, I won by a mile even after pitting to tell Andre that the engine was making bad noises. Andre didn't care, he was loving seeing his bike out front and yelled “Go!” It turned out the noise was serious detonation caused by the turbo's wastegate being adjusted so that it didn't open till way past it should have. Good fun was had by many because of that bike!

It was HRRA's loss but CMRA's and WERA's gain when Andre moved to the mainland. Now we have all lost another friend who in large and small ways made the world better.

Fair well my friend, and thank you.

Ed Sorbo
Redlands, California