According to friend LD Holland, a fund-raising effort to keep former AMA Pro racing star Gene Church from being evicted from his apartment has raised $2649, enough to cover Church’s back rent and prepay his March rent while his disability claim is processed.

Holland told Roadracingworld.com that Church is unable to work as a mechanic for more than a few hours a day due to complications related to back surgery, which causes his legs to go numb. The surgery was supposed to address problems related to various racing injuries Church suffered in the 1980s. Holland said that Church is now 49 years old.

Holland said he planned to pick up Church, get a bank check and go pay off the rent bill Monday morning.

“We’ve got enough to keep him off the street while the state processes his disability claim,” Holland said.

Church is best known for his AMA Battle Of The Twins (BOTT) wins aboard Lucifer’s Hammer, an XR-based Harley-Davidson built and fielded by Don Tilley. Church’s racing connection to Tilley Harley-Davidson is mentioned on the official Tilley website,

Here: ~http://www.tilleyhd.com/aboutus.asp~

And here: ~http://www.tilleyhd.com/miscpage_008.asp?pg=racing~

More information will be posted as it becomes available.