Six inductees for Hall of Fame

From Brandware Public Relations

PICKERINGTON, OH – The Motorcycle Hall of Fame, home to the stories and legends of American motorcycling heritage, is pleased to announce the selection of six individuals for induction. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2008 includes Vaughn Beals, Rod Coates, Scot Harden, Larry “Supermouth” Huffman, Terry Poovey and Rolf Tibblin. The annual induction ceremony will take place Saturday evening, Oct. 11, at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus, OH.

Held during Hall of Fame Weekend, the formal induction ceremony brings together hundreds of industry leaders, friends and family to celebrate the honorees’ lives. In addition to receiving the distinguished gold Motorcycle Hall of Fame Medal signaling a lifetime of achievement, each inductee will be permanently featured in the Museum’s Hall of Fame gallery.

An insightful executive, Beals was instrumental in paving the way for The Motor Company to prosper. He led the leveraged buyout of the company from former owner AMF, then served as Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson from 1981–1989 and as Chairman from 1981–1996. Since 1996, he has served as Chairman Emeritus.

A racer and businessman, Coates was a pioneer throughout his career. Following World War II, he sold Ariel, BMW, Triumph and Vincent motorcycles before the companies established official U.S. distributors. In racing, Coates won the 1950 Daytona 100-mile race on a Triumph Grand Prix 500cc Twin and went on to serve on various AMA racing committees. As Service Manager of The Triumph Corporation, Triumph’s Eastern U.S. distributor from 1951-1970, Coates created the company’s Service Schools for dealer technician training, later emulated by other bike importers and organized and led the company’s Competition Department.

One of off-road racing’s most influential champions, Harden has achieved victory across the United States, Europe and South America during a career that has spanned nearly 35 years. Harden has two overall wins at the prestigious Baja 1000 and is a three-time ISDE medalist. Additionally, he was the winner of the 1987 Djerba 500 Rally – Tunisia and winner of the 1987 Rallye de Atlas – Morocco. Harden has worked in sales, marketing, and race management roles at Husqvarna, Cagiva, KTM, and at the helm of his own company, Harden Off-Road.

Known as the “Voice of Supercross,” Huffman’s inimitable commentary has informed countless race fans. Often imitated but never duplicated, the thoroughly unique Huffman has announced motor sports events in Japan, Canada, and nearly every major stadium in the United States. He has also served as colour commentator for virtually every major network. Huffman earned his “Supermouth” nickname for his ability to speak at over 300 words per minute.

A consistent winner throughout his career, Poovey earned his first taste of victory as a sophomore in high school. Having traveled to Daytona to compete in the short track races held during Bike Week, Poovey placed second in the Expert race on Junior/Expert night and launched a career of podium finishes. In over 350 National final starts, Poovey finished in the top 10 over 200 times and the top five 80 times. Poovey earned 11 AMA National wins.

An intense competitor, Tibblin won the 250cc European Motocross Championship in 1958 and 1959. He went on to become the 500cc World Champion in 1962 and 1963. As a member of several Swedish Motocross des Nations teams, Tibblin was renowned for his serious training regimen. Tibblin shared his intense training methods, and helped shaped future motocross champions, through his U.S. training school.

The weekend kicks off with “An Evening of Stars and Legends,” a reception honouring the Class of 2008, set for the evening of Friday, Oct. 10, at the Museum. All activities are open to the public. For more information, call the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum at (614) 856-2222, or visit http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/