MotoAmerica/Roadracing World Action Fund Raised Close To $150,000 In 2021
“Rainey’s Ride To The Races,” Dunlop ECSTAR 2 Up Rides And More Contributed To Fund That Promotes Motorcycle Racing Safety And Use Of Soft Barriers
IRVINE, CA (January 26, 2022) – MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is proud of its fans and friends who donated nearly $150,000 to the Roadracing World Action Fund over the course of the 2021 racing season.
A lot of the money for the Roadracing World Action Fund, the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes motorcycle racing safety and the use of inflatable soft barriers at racing events, was raised on a single weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round of the MotoAmerica Series last July with three individuals donating the funds after seeing the soft barriers made by Airfence and Alpina brands in use.
A bonus to the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round of the series was “Rainey’s Ride To The Races,” a charity ride through the Monterey Peninsula that culminated at the track with a Q&A bench-racing session with three-time World Champion and MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey and four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson, who also participated in the ride.
The largest of the donations from the weekend came from Medallia’s President and CEO Leslie Stretch, the sponsor of the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Series contributing $100,000 to the cause.
“For me it’s very simple,” Stretch said. “Every track I go to where I know that everything has been done for the safety of the riders, I exponentially enjoy going there. All sponsors should allocate part of their investment to ensure that is the case. It results in happier spectators, more focused competitors, and happier sponsors all around. It’s just the right thing.”
Another who contributed mightily to the fund was Robert Talbott, the founder of Talbott Vineyards and the owner of the Moto Talbott Museum in Carmel Valley, California. Talbott donated $20,000.
“When I realized that the Roadracing World Action Fund was a 501(c)3, I was pretty excited,” Talbott said. “It was something different than our normal donations. I’ve crashed and hurt myself, broken ribs, and various things and I understand how this could be an incredible life saver. I love this, and that there can actually be something to be done to keep riders safe… Riding motorcycles is a defensive hobby, sport, love, profession, and I absolutely am committed to riding. I have a lot of CHP (California Highway Patrol) buddy friends who ride and I’ve also got Hell’s Angels buddy friends. I love people who ride, and their safety is paramount. I want to ride long, but I want to ride safe. I love the fact that we can make a difference to keep riders safe. I’ve seen a lot of races and I’ve seen a lot of crashes and here is something we can be part of, and I’m thrilled. I have such respect for Wayne (Rainey) and if he’s channeling it, pushing it, I want to help him. This is really, really a neat thing. So many of the causes today don’t make the sense that this did to me. This is the right thing to do and my wife, Vivian, and I both believe it in.”
The Roadracing World Action Fund had a successful year in 2021 beyond the Laguna Seca weekend with Chris Ulrich’s Dunlop and ECSTAR-sponsored Two Up rides accounting for an additional $13,000 in donations and the MotoAmerica fines program bringing in $4000.
“I think I speak for everyone in our paddock when I say thank you to all those who contributed donations,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Leslie (Stretch) feels strongly about the fund and what it does to help ensure the safety of our racers and he really stepped up to help financially. Robb (Talbott) and his wife, Vivian, saw first-hand how well the Airfence and Alpina soft barriers work and realized what a lifesaver it is for our racers, and they were the first to donate. All of them liked what they saw and decided to help, and their donations to the Roadracing World Action Fund will certainly help in the effort to purchase more Air Fence.”
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.
About the Roadracing World Action Fund
The Roadracing World Action Fund – a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization – began back in 2001 as a grassroots movement to improve racetrack safety for motorcycle racers and riders. At the time, hay bales or stacks of tires were sometimes placed in front of concrete walls for rider protection in case of a crash. A far better solution for rider safety existed – inflatable soft barriers which absorb the energy of a crash. Soft barriers – made by Airfence or Alpina – can allow racers to often walk away from a crash which in the past might have caused catastrophic injury, or even death.
The Roadracing World Action Fund gained the support of the motorcycle community, as racers, riders, family and friends, motorcycle businesses, and racing organizations and racetracks helped to make use of soft barriers the standard, rather than the exception, for motorcycle races and track days at racetracks across the nation. Now, from Laguna to Daytona, Motorsports Ranch to VIR, Auto Club Speedway to Blackhawk Farms, and many more, soft barriers are deployed more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before, as the Roadracing World Action Fund continues its mission of helping prevent racetrack injuries through motorcycle road racing safety education.
