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Autographed Collectables: “They Are DEDICATED Fans...” By Michael Gougis I was always a big Michael Jordan fan, and I wanted to meet Michael t was Michael Jordan the bas- and get an autograph, and I quickly ketball superstar, not Michael found out that was going to be very Jordan the motorcycle road rac- difficult. ing entrepreneur, who got Miguel “But a friend took me to this IRamos interested in the business of memorabilia show, and it hit me autographed sports memorabilia a that this would be great to do back little more than a decade ago. in Australia, because everyone’s Today, Autographed Collec- sports fanatical.” tables has offices in Sydney, Aus- Today, Autographed Collec-

Autographed Collectables: Miguel Ramos, managing director of Autographed Collectables, with a framed, signed print of 2006 World Champion Nicky Hay- den and a baggie of Ducati GP bike chain links. Photo by Michael Gougis.

tralia and in Anaheim, California, tables offers memorabilia from a and has agents and clients world- wide variety of sports, from cricket wide for its sports memorabilia. It to Formula 1. In the world of motor- is a sheer coincidence that the bas- cycle , Ramos has signed ketball star would wind up involved souvenirs from the best in the world: in U.S. motorcycle road racing, , , Dani just as it is coincidence that Ramos Pedrosa, Ben Spies, — wound up in the business of sports the list goes on. and motorsports collectables. A tour of the company’s Ana- “I literally bumped into the heim facility is fascinating, not just industry. I really didn’t know it for the finished pieces, but the unfin- existed,” says Ramos, managing ished stuff. A pair of Spies’ used knee director of the company. “I was in Michigan, visiting relatives, and continued on page 88

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Autographed Collectables inside ...... club racing...... continued from page 81 info sliders, autographed by Ben, sits By David Swarts under a bench. A pile of chain links in a plastic baggie seems like scrap continued from page 14 metal, until Ramos tells you that ClintRussell Roadracing World is sponsor- they are links from the chain on ing a new award in the 2013 GEICO By Michael Gougis a MotoGP race- Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing bike ridden by Nicky Hayden. series—the Roadracing World Young Things like that make the Gun Of The Year. The award is “based memorabilia sold by Autographed on Roadracing World’s 17 consecu- lint Russell grew up watch- from the streets, and he was going Collectables so fascinating. In the tive years of recognizing the best young ing his brothers ride motor- to the track with his brother and world of sports memorabilia, there road racers in North America” via cycles, but the riding bug did- father. Track days appealed to him, are two key challenges: Making the its annual Young Guns feature, accord- n’t bite him until he was well so he started saving money and look- collectable unique, and verifying intoC his teens. And they were rid- ing for a good track-day bike. ing to a press release issued by AMA its authenticity. Framed posters of Pro Racing. To be eligible for the award, ing on the dirt, which also didn’t “I started doing track days first,” Hayden, signed by Hayden, are riders must have been no older than appeal to him much. Russell says. “I got myself a cheap made even more unique by the 18 at the start of the 2013 AMA Pro But Russell is making up for lost track bike—a 2000 GSX- inclusion of a part from one of season. The award will go to the rider time—rapidly. The 25-year-old from R750—because the price was right, the rarest motorcycles on the planet. who earns the most overall points in West Palm Beach is dominating the and started doing it about mid-2010. Verifying the authenticity of a either the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Amateur ranks in CCS Florida, lead- I’ve been going to races with my father collectable piece is an important SuperSport or GoPro Daytona Sport- ing the overall Amateur Championship and my brother forever, and I finally part of this world. Collectables of Bike classes. For more information, with nearly four times the points of got enough money together to try it.” dubious origin are a constant fear go to www.amaproracing.com/com his closest competitor, taking multi- After doing that for a couple (“Dilbert” comic fans might recall petition. ple race wins every weekend—and of years, Russell got a Suzuki GSX- the ever-scheming Dogbert try- even beating his brother on the track. R600 and entered his first race in ing to sell a football signed by Jesus Milestones “I like to ride and see how I can June of last year with CCS Florida. and a baseball signed by Moses.) get faster. That’s what I’ve been get- He did not get off to an encourag- Autographed Collectables has ting out of it,” Russell says. ing start. licensing agreements with the ath- letes and the companies they rep- resent. The date and location of the signing of each run of posters or other memorabilia is documented and presented to the purchaser, along with a picture of the ath- lete with the memorabilia that has been signed. If, say, Hayden has agreed to sign 50 posters, he poses with the stack of posters and a pho- tograph is taken. Each purchaser gets a copy of that photo. And each piece is marked with Racer Dave Stanton (53) at a numbered holographic tag, detail- . ing the number of pieces of the signing run and exactly which of Racer Dave Stanton suffered those pieces it is. Bobblehead dolls spinal and other internal injuries (licensed but unsigned) start at $25 when he crashed during an AFM Australian (about $25.42 U.S.), Series race June 2 at Thunderhill framed, signed prints are in the Raceway Park, in Willows, Califor- $300 range, and the rarer the piece, nia. Stanton, a former overall AFM (Above) Clint Russell (157) at Jennings GP. (Opposite Page) Clint Russell (right) with brother the dearer the price. Champion, multi-time overall WERA Kyle on a CCS podium at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Photos by Lisa Theobald. It’s fascinating stuff. Ramos National Endurance Champion, AMA says the typical buyer is in their Pro and Formula USA racer, was rid- mid-30s and male (but he says ing his RCR Performance Yamaha Russell started riding late in “What was my first race like? an increasing number of women YZF-R1 on the first lap of the AFM life for a motorcycle road racer. “My Not good,” Russell says. “Practice are buying pieces for their signif- Open Superbike race when he high- brothers were into motocross and dirt went good, but in the first race of the sided near the front of the field. Another icant others). The customers are bikes, but I never was into that. One day, I got about three or four laps rider was unable to take avoiding motorsports nuts, and the collec- day, I told my dad that I want to ride into it and I wound up putting it action, hit Stanton and also crashed. tables are tactile ways those fans on the street. I was probably about down and injured my shoulder. That A website has been established at can remember their favorite ath- 17. He went out and got me one of put me out for a few months.” www.stanton53support.com, to receive letes or favorite moments. Life is a donations to go toward Stanton’s med- those Suzuki DR650s to learn on,” Actually, Russell was out of process of collecting stories, and ical care, recovery and rehabilitation. Russell says. commission only for about a month, this is one way a fan makes sure MOB Racing Team Co-Owner Ironically, even though a dual- but he wasn’t up to full condition they never forget those moments Dennis Espinosa and wife Lauren had sport bike is ideal for a new rider and he knew that his results didn’t that move them deeply. a son, Ryder Jaxson Espinosa, June 8 who’s likely to tip over as they learn, reflect his capabilities. “I was on the “They are dedicated fans, the in Denville, New Jersey. “I never fell on the street,” Russell bike four weeks after that, and when real motorsports enthusiasts,” Ramos AHRMA road racer Mike Prof- says. “I enjoyed it more than I ever we rode again, we were at Palm Beach, says. “These pieces are something fitt, age 61, died as the result of thought I would.” and we managed to get some top 10s, the average person never will have injuries sustained in a single-bike After a few years, though, Rus- but the shoulder wasn’t where it a chance to get on their own.” RW crash on June 9 during an AHRMA sell says that he started to shy away needed to be,” Russell says. Vintage event at Road America. RW 88——Roadracing World, August 2013