WERA MOTORCYCLE ROADRACING FORMS THE 2020 WERA VINTAGE ADVISORY BOARD
“With growth in the vintage racing community and Ron Raven’s success with the Concourse de Competition and Concourse D’Elegance at the July WERA Barber Event we wanted to have advice with regard to our WERA Vintage Program for 2020 and beyond. With this team of dedicated vintage riders we feel that WERA will offer the best it can for its vintage racers,” said Evelyne Clarke, CEO and Owner of WERA Motorcycle Roadracing.
Ron Raven comes to us as a Lifetime Member of both WERA Motorcycle Roadracing and the AMA. He first ran with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing in 1975 in the “Thumper/Vintage” Class. He raced in various small bore and vintage classes 1975 to 2006 and ran in the national endurance race series from 1980-1983. Since retiring from competition he has sponsored several vintage class awards. He created a series of vintage handicap races which paid cash prizes at selected WERA and AMA VMD events. He came up with and helped organize the first Concours de Competition in 2019 which included a Concourse d’Elegance as well with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing at their July event. The 2nd annual Concours de Competition is set for the July 4-5 WERA Motorcycle Roadracing event at Barber. Raven was just published with an article on the Concourse in the January/February 2020 edition of Motorcycle Classics Magazine.
Jim Hinshaw comes to us as the President of Fast from the Past, Inc. He has a long vintage racing history which includes 12 National Championships with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing and AHRMA. In 1970 through 1980 he served as General Secretary of Southeastern Enduro and Trailriders Association for 3 years. Fast from the Past, Inc. restores and collects vintage motorcycles, and Hinshaw has won the Grand Marshal’s Award at AMA Vintage Days, three Best in Show awards at Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club, and Best in Show in the “Show” category at the Concourse d’Elegance inaugural event in 2019.
Mitch Cato is the third member of the 2020 WERA Vintage Advisory Board. He started riding motorcycles at age 8. He has had a great passion for riding vintage motorcycles his entire life. He began racing in the early 70’s and had to take a break for “life.” In 2013 he started helping in the Historic Moto Gran Prix organization which was founded by Bill Brown, who passed in 2019. He started racing again with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing in 2015 in the Sportsman Series vintage classes. 2015 found him in the top 10 and in 2016 he finished in the top 5 in two classes. 2017 proved to be a great season when he clinched his National #1 Plate in the V6 Mediumweight Class. He defended and kept that National and was 2nd in the V6 Lightweight class in 2018. He participated in the 2019 inaugural Concourse de Competition and took 1st place in the “on Track” race and 3rd in the Concourse d’Elegance. Mitch’s desire is to keep vintage motorcycle road racing going and he gives back by his tireless efforts to accomplish this both on and off the track.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am series with the WERA National Challenge Series. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing also offer vintage racing and limited endurance racing with track day partners N2 and Sportbike Track Time. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the Year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com
