Road racer John Kocinski, former Harley-Davidson executive Richard Teerlink elected to AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Class of 2015 to be inducted Oct. 17 in Orlando, Fla.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Motorcycle road racer John Kocinski and former Harley-Davidson Motor Co. President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Richard Teerlink have been elected to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
“These two men represent the best of motorcycling — John through his performance on the track and Richard through his performance in the executive suite,” said Ken Ford, a member of the Hall of Fame executive committee and treasurer of the AMA board of directors. “It will be my honor to welcome both of them into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame this October.”
The Class of 2015 includes three competition category inductees and three non-competition category inductees. Others in the Class of 2015 include racer Rodney Smith, entrepreneur and patron John Parham, racer Alex Jorgensen and Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. Racing Division Manager Keith McCarty.
Kocinski and Teerlink are the final inductees to be announced for 2015.
Kocinski, who began racing as a teenager, won the AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and took the 1989 600 Supersport win at Daytona International Speedway. In 1990, in his first full season with Team Roberts, he won the 250cc World Championship in Europe, claiming eight pole positions and notching seven wins on tracks he had never seen before. In 1997, he won the World Superbike championship, scoring 10 wins on a Honda RC45, the bike’s crowning world title.
Kocinski went on to record 18 AMA 250 GP wins. During his career, he raced on teams that included AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame members David Aldana, Erv Kanemoto, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey, including Team Roberts assembled by Kenny Roberts. He officially retired from racing in 2002. Kocinski will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Road Racing category.
Teerlink was part of the executive team responsible for Harley-Davidson’s financial turnaround in the late 1980s. As president and CEO, Teerlink helped establish the company’s new mission, values, objectives and strategies. His approach included working closely with employees at all levels of the organization, as well as with union leaders. In addition, he believed a participative approach with dealers, suppliers and riders would lead to the development of mutually beneficial relationships.
Teerlink joined Harley-Davidson in 1981 as chief financial officer. That year, the company posted an operating loss of $15.5 million on revenue of $210 million. When Teerlink retired as chairman and CEO in 1999, Harley posted operating profits of $416 million on revenue of $2.45 billion and held nearly 50 percent of the U.S. market for 650cc and larger motorcycles. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Ambassadors and Industry category.
Kocinski and Teerlink will be inducted at the 2015 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 17, in Orlando, Fla. The ceremony is open to the public and, for the second consecutive year, takes place in conjunction with the AIMExpo — the fast-growing and high-impact event that brings together consumers, dealers, manufacturers, and the world press in one location for global product launches, demo rides, motorcycling seminars, and much more.
Tickets to the 2015 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are available now at www.motorcyclemuseum.org. Regular entry is $25 per person. VIP tickets that include an exclusive reception, reserved seating and the AIMExpo show admission are $90 per person.
For updates on the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, keep an eye on MotorcycleMuseum.org, as well as the AMA’s social media channels, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/AmericanMotorcyclist and www.facebook.com/AMAHallofFame) and Twitter: @AMA_Riding.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers are selected through a nomination and voting procedure that includes ballots cast by living Hall of Fame members, members of the American Motorcyclist Association and AMHF boards of directors, and members of, and advisers to, the Hall of Fame category committees.
To nominate a future Hall of Famer, visit: www.motorcyclemuseum.org/induction.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join