Brian Drebber, longtime broadcaster and current public address/podium announcer for the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing series, was killed this morning while riding his personal motorcycle from his home in Ball Ground, Georgia, to the airport to travel to this weekend’s MotoAmerica event at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. He was 68.
“I started hearing some rumors,” said Britt Lynn, father of former AMA Pro Superbike racer Matt Lynn and neighbor of Drebber, “so I called his cell phone this morning. His granddaughter Kylie answered, and she confirmed that he was killed when he hit a deer.”
Drebber started his broadcasting career while he was racing bicycles in the 1970s. He went on to cover professional cycling and all forms of motorsports for many years and for many different networks. In addition to covering motorcycle road racing for many years, Drebber was also a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and often rode his personal motorcycles to MotoAmerica events close to his home. He was also a professional beekeeper.
Drebber is survived by his fiancee Mara Koeppel Yetter, daughter Robin von Drebber, and granddaughter Kylie von Drebber.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Brian Drebber, 1950-2018
MotoAmerica Announcer Passes In Motorcycle Accident
COSTA MESA, CA (August 23, 2018) – Longtime motorcycle race announcer Brian Drebber passed away today, August 23, from injuries sustained after a collision with a deer. Drebber was en route to the airport on his motorcycle from his home in Georgia to fly to Pittsburgh to commentate on this weekend’s MotoAmerica round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Drebber was 68 years old.
“The entire MotoAmerica family is saddened today by the loss of Brian,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Brian had a passion for our sport that was evident in his announcing. He was a big part of our paddock and he will be missed.”
Drebber was a professional cyclist in the 1970s and that’s where he got his start in announcing. He began announcing and commentating on motorcycle racing in the late 1970s and has been the lead track announcer for MotoAmerica since it took over the AMA Superbike Series in 2015.
Drebber is survived by his fiancée, Mara Yetter, daughter, Robin von Drebber, and granddaughter, Kylie von Drebber.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.