FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I thought that everybody might like to know some super hot news about a Northwest racer. I ran into Rich Holden today, Jake Holden’s dad, and he told me that Jake just signed a contract to ride with Jason Pridmore and Jordon Motorsports for 2006. Jake is only 23 and has alot of years of riding ahead of him. He has come along way. He started riding a little RS125 with WMRRA back in ’96. He has been in the top ten all year long and even made the podium. Watch for number 59 next year! Rob Burns WMRRA #241 Editor’s Note: According to Holden’s agent, Dave Lewis, the fine points of Holden’s contract are currently being negotiated with American Suzuki and may be finalized next week. Update: “I haven’t signed the contract yet, but everything seems for sure that I’ll ride with them next year in Superstock and on the Superstock bike in Superbike,” Jake Holden told Roadracingworld.com Thursday. “I’m totally excited. This is a step up for me. I did alright last year, made some good finishes, but this is gonna be a bigger step, to be on Dunlop tires, to have a crew chief and to actually meet Michael Jordan. I’ve been a fan. I’ve played basketball for years. To finally meet this guy”¦it hasn’t really hit me yet, but when I meet Michael Jordan, it’ll hit me.” Holden said that he has fully recovered from the injuries he sustained in a high-speed crash at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in August. Riding a Pirelli-shod Suzuki GSX-R1000 for Lion Racing in 2004, Holden finished sixth in the AMA Superstock Championship (in spite of crashing out at VIR and missing the Road Atlanta race), with eight top-10 finishes and a best finish of fourth, which he did twice, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio. Holden also earned four top-10 finishes in Superbike on his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000, with a best finish of seventh at Infineon Speedway.