Speedway greats gather to support Team USA for 2006

An historic gathering of America’s past World Champions in the sport of Speedway motorcycle racing will take place on Sunday, January 29, aboard the historic RMS Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, California.

The Inaugural Team USA Speedway Testimonial Presented by System Edström will feature a lavish brunch and ceremony recognizing the six American Speedway greats who have won Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) individual world championships, followed by a memorabilia auction to benefit Team USA Speedway’s 2006 efforts in FIM World Championships.

Since the FIM World Speedway Championship was created in 1936, five American riders — the late Jack Milne (’37), Bruce Penhall ('81-'82), Sam Ermolenko (’93), Billy Hamill (’96) and Greg Hancock (’97) — have captured the sport’s top prize — and in 1983 Shaun Moran became America’s only FIM Long Track Champion.

All of the Speedway champions will attend the event, and the machine on which Jack Milne became America’s first-ever world motorcycling champion will be displayed in memory of the pioneer of American motorcycle sport who passed away in 1995 at age 88.

This is thought to be the first time that all of the surviving American Speedway World Champions will make a joint appearance, and the occasion will be marked by production of a limited-edition group portrait.

The champions will pose with Milne’s 1937 championship machine and will autograph 125 numbered prints that will be offered for sale to Speedway enthusiasts and memorabilia collectors. No other prints of the photo will be authorized and all digital images from the photo shoot will be destroyed after the exclusive, one-time run of 125 prints has been produced.

Jack Milne’s historic machine is being provided by Gary and Sandy Hicks of Riverside, California. Mrs. Hicks is Milne’s niece and the daughter of the late Cordy Milne, who was also a Speedway racing star and whose racing achievements included four US National Championships.

Noted motorsports announcers Terry “Ike” Clanton and Bruce Flanders, both fixtures on the Speedway racing scene, will donate their services for the 2006 Team USA Speedway Testimonial. Flanders will be Master of Ceremonies for the Honoree Ceremony and Clanton will be the lead auctioneer.

“We’re confident that the Speedway racing community will want to be on hand for this unique gathering of champions and to support Team USA Speedway,” said event organizer Bill Amick, who serves as Team USA Speedway Manager. “From our announcers to Jack Milne’s family and from our great champions to a cast of special guests that we’ll announce soon, people are showing tremendous generosity and commitment to Team USA Speedway.

Proceeds from the 2006 Team USA Speedway Testimonial will be used to defray the cost of participation in the 2006 FIM Speedway World Cup and also to assist individual American entries in the FIM World Junior Speedway Championships and Speedway Grand Prix Qualifiers.

Event sponsor System Edström of Sweden is a multi-national company with world headquarters in Sweden and American headquarters in El Cajon, California. The company specializes in the design, manufacture and distribution of modular containment systems for trucks and vans.

The company is an avid supporter of motorsports, and in the motorcycle Speedway arena is a primary sponsor of Greg Hancock, who will serve as captain of Team USA Speedway in 2006.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available for the Team USA Speedway Testimonial event.

For more information, contact Heartland Media & Events by phone at (740) 397-1647 or email to teamusaspeedway@yahoo.com. News updates will also be posted at the Heartland Media website.