Copyright 2001 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AHRMA co-founder Rob Iannucci and his associates have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that the AHMRA, the AMA and individual AHRMA trustees, officials and lawyers violated the Sherman Act, the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and the California Business and Professional Code in denying AHRMA membership and race entries to Iannucci and his team.

According to the complaint filed by Iannucci and his associates, “The defendants, both corporately and individually, have systematically attempted to drive plaintiffs Team Obsolete and Robert T. Iannucci from the sport and business by a pattern of collusive, fraudulent and tortious acts specifically designed to deprive Team Obsolete and Iannucci of their ability to participate in, and derive an income from, the construction, maintenance, public display and racing of historic motorcycles….Essentially the entire resources of defendant AHRMA have been committed to drive plaintiffs Iannucci and Team Obsolete out of the organization that they founded.”

Plaintiffs in the suit included Iannucci and three corporations he controls (Team Obsolete Ltd., Team Obsolete Products Ltd. and Team Obsolete Promotions Inc.) as well as Team Obsolete riders Jim Redman, Don Vesco, Dave Roper, Lon McCroskey M.D., Erik Green and John Kain.

Defendants include the AHRMA, the AMA, former AHRMA Trustee Bob Barker, AHRMA Director of Communications Matt Benson, AHRMA attorney Ed Bendelow, AHRMA Trustee John Goodpaster, AHRMA Trustee Matt Hilgenberg, former AHRMA trustee Mike Kirby, AHRMA trustee Rusty Lowry, AHRMA Board of Trustees Chairman Fred Mork, AHRMA Trustee Beno Rodi, AHRMA Tech Inspector Pete Silfven, AHRMA Trustee and Corporate Treasurer and former Executive Director Jeff Smith, AHRMA Trustee Rob Stickler, AHRMA Executive Director Jack Turner and AHRMA Trustee Allen Wenzel. The suit also targets unidentified co-conspirators, stating “Defendants John Does 1-15 are as of yet unidentified members of the AHRMA Board of Trustees and/or AHRMA employees who participated in the course of conduct described herein.”

The complaint details a series of disputes between Iannucci and AHRMA, which, in January 1997, led to Iannucci being denied membership in AHRMA and being informed that AHRMA chose to no longer do business with Iannucci. Subsequently, all Team Obsolete riders were banned from AHRMA events. In January 1999, riders Roper, Erik Green, Yvon Duhamel, Mike Green and Peter Watson were notified by Jeff Smith that their entries for the March 1999 AHRMA event at Daytona were rejected because they listed Team Obsolete as a sponsor. In February, McCrosky and Kain’s entries were rejected by Jeff Smith for the same stated reason. The riders in this case were allowed to compete after intervention by officials of Daytona International Speedway. But the AMA, which sanctioned the Sears Point event, and Sears Point Raceway itself, refused to intercede when Erik Green and Dave Roper had their entries denied for the April, 1999 AHRMA race at Sears Point. Green, Roper, Cal Rayborn, McCroskey and John Kain’s entries were refused for the June 1999 AHRMA race at Mid-Ohio, and again the AMA and the racetrack did not intercede. Don Vesco was refused entry to the September 1999 AHRMA event at Park City, Utah, because he listed Team Obsolete as a sponsor.

The complaint also states that Team Obsolete lost financial sponsorship from Megacycle Cams, Red Line Synthetic Lubricants and Vanson Leathers as a result of the ongoing problems Team Obsolete riders had getting into AHRMA events.

According to the complaint, the Defendants acted “intentionally and maliciously…for the express purpose of destroying the business and good will of Team Obsolete and Iannucci, preventing them from participating in Vintage motorcycle racing and eliminating Team Obsolete as a competitor….The acts of the Defendants constitute unreasonable restraints upon interstate trade and commerce and have crippled Team Obsolete’s and Iannucci’s business by depriving them of a substantial portion of their income.”

The complaint also alleges that “the defendants engaged in an unlawful conspiracy in restraint of previously mentioned interstate commerce in violation of…the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.” The complaint further alleges that “the Defendant AHRMA acting in concert with the AMA and acting through” Trustees “as well as other agents and employees acting outside the scope of their employment, engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of…the RICO Act.”

The complaint asks the court to force the defendants to pay triple damages “for the defendants willful and malicious acts,” order the reinstatement of Iannucci’s AHRMA membership, issue an injunction restraining the defendants from similar conduct in the future, and require the defendants to pay all legal costs and fees incurred by the plaintiffs.

The complaint was filed March 12, 2001 in United States District Court, Eastern District of New York.

Roadracing World was unable to contact AHRMA Executive Director Jack Turner and AMA Chairman of the Board of Trustees Rick Gray prior to post time. Roadracing World was able to contact AHRMA Trustee Matt Hilgenberg, but Hilgenberg said he had not yet been served with the complaint and could not comment.

In a telephone interview, Iannucci said that he had no choice but to file the lawsuit to end his mistreatment by AHRMA officials, and that he remains “willing to meet with responsible people of goodwill from AHRMA and AMA to attempt to bring this litigation to a just, fair and speedy end.”