July 18, 2007
Grass Valley, CA - Renowned designer and builder Denis Manning and championship rider Chris Carr have been named Motorcyclist Magazine's 2007 Motorcyclists of the Year. The honorees made headlines last September, after Carr piloted Manning's #7 Streamliner across the Bonneville Salt Flats to set a new motorcycle land speed record. The Motorcyclist of the Year award recognizes individuals who have shaped the industry and sport of motorcycling with their accomplishments.
"Chris and I have been fortunate to have made a passion for motorcycling our careers", said Manning. "Being recognized in the same category as the previous Motorcyclist of the Year winners is an honor." Past Motorcyclist of the Year award winners include Nicky Hayden, Harry Hurt, and Randy Mamola.
Manning has spent the past thirty-seven years pushing the world of land speed racing to the limit. He first gained recognition in 1970, when he worked with Harley-Davidson racing to design a streamliner for Cal Rayborn's successful attempt at a world record. In 2003, Manning and BUB Racing established the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials to further advance the sport of land speed racing. Sanctioned by the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) and AMA (American Motorcyclist Association), the event is the only land speed racing meet solely dedicated to motorcycles, offering the world's top builders and racers the opportunity to break world and national speed records.
Carr entered the world of professional flat track motorcycle racing in 1985.
In his first pro season, he earned a spot on the podium at the San Jose Short Track and Peoria TT Nationals and was named AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year. Still racing today, Carr has won seven AMA Grand National Flat Track Championships and was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2004. Always ready for a new challenge, Carr answered Manning's 2006 call for an experienced rider and joined the BUB Racing Team, adding further dimension to his already illustrious career.
Carr's champion's instincts coupled with the 3000cc, 500-horsepower, V-four streamliner, designed and built by Manning, proved to be a winning combination. On September 5, 2006, Carr and Manning, supported by the BUB Racing team, made back-to-back runs of 354 and 347 mph, for an average of 350.884 mph, setting a new absolute land speed record for motorcycles.
The editors of Motorcyclist Magazine have chosen to recognize their inspiring accomplishment with the 2007 Motorcyclists of the Year award. The trophy will be awarded at the annual Motorcyclist Magazine dinner at Laguna Seca on July 20. Carr and Manning will accept via video, as both will be on the salt in Utah, preparing for another record run at the 2007 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials, scheduled for September 2-6, 2007, at the Bonneville Slat Flats. Fans can read more about Manning, Carr, and the award in the September issue of Motorcyclist, on newsstands the first week of August.
