MARRC 2001-02 Season Awards

The MARRC annual awards are voted on by the members, consisting of riders, cornerworkers, team members, and enthusiasts. These awards were presented at the MARRC Banquet on January 12, 2002 in Laurel, MD.

All awards are presented based on the votes from MARRC members with two exceptions. The President's Awards are selected by the MARRC President, and the Harry E. Morse Cup is selected by the Judy Morse and the MARRC Board of Directors.

Cornerworker of the Year	Will Astle
Heavyweight Expert	Timothy Bemisderfer
Middleweight Expert	Rick Beggs
Lightweight Expert	Steve Keener
Heavyweight Amateur	Joe Kimble
Middleweight Amateur	Tomas Bauchiero
Lightweight Amateur	Robert Lee
Professional Rider	Timothy Bemisderfer
Endurance Team	Loudon MotorSports
Twins Rider	Stephen Harris
Tuner/Mechanic	Todd Fenton
Best Looking Motorcycle	Thane Stielow
Crash and Burn	Rick Beggs
Hard Luck	Ed Morgan
Sportsmanship	Michael Parr
	The person who has most demonstrated the values of sportsmanship throughout the season as voted by the membership
MARRC Cup	Rick Beggs
	Presented to the person who has contributed the most to MARRC over the past year as voted by the membership
Harry E. Morse Cup	Roger Lyle
	Presented to the person who has demonstrated lifelong achievement and service to motorcycle roadracing and the racing community
President's Awards	Dave Lewis
	Sharon Stringfield
	Karen & Scooter Ball
	Rick Beggs
	Bill and Sandy Powers
	Roger Bacon
	Art Sears
	David Rickman
	Chosen by the MARRC President to those who have contributed to the sport and deserve recognition for their efforts

The name most heard at this year's banquet was that of Rick Beggs. Mr. Beggs was recognized as not only the person who contributed most to MARRC during the past season as the recipient of the MARRC Cup, but also as the top middleweight expert during 2001, and the recipient of the Crash-and-Burn Award.

Rick received the infamous Crash and Burn Award, given to the most spectacular crash of the year, for his highside at Summit Point Raceway that sent his Kawasaki careening into another rider in a monumental fireball.

To top it off, Rick also received a President’s Award from outgoing President Roger Lyle in recognition of his support of the MARRC Roadracing School.

In a similar fashion, Timothy Bemisderfer dominated the racing scene in the Mid-Atlantic region, earning the distinction of the HW Expert of the Year and Professional Rider of the Year.

MARRC's Cornerworker of the Year went to Will Astle, who committed himself to the club all season in many different ways. Will not only has been a trusted corner captain and Safety Crew member, but has become one of the favorite chefs for the weekend meals. Will also proved invaluable at reporting on zoning meetings for Summit Point Raceway, and tracking community events. His leadership, dedication, and initiative have made Will more than worthy of this award.

Other notable winners include Loudoun MotorSports, as the Endurance Team of the Year, for their outstanding season in winning not only the WERA HW Superstock Endurance National Championship, but also for claiming the National CCS and Formula USA endurance championships as well. Team owner Greg Harrison accepted the award, along with well-known team rider David Yaakov. Area native and AMA mechanic Todd Fenton was recognized as Tuner of the Year for his work on the Valvoline Suzuki Team in support of rider Grant Lopez.

Tomas Bauchiero demonstrated his skill on motorcycle, after winning a WERA National Championship in 600 Superbike Novice, and earning numerous podium finishes at both the WERA GNF and at the CCS Race of Champions. Tomas also thrived at Summit Point and won a WERA regional championship after winning many middleweight races.

Roger Lyle received the Harry E. Morse Cup not only for his long career as a leader in roadracing safety, but as an endurance racer and his sportsmanship throughout his life. Suffice to say, Roger's life has been dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle roadracing, and has served not only MARRC but the entire roadracing community.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of a President’s Award to retiring CCS and former AMA Grid Marshall Dave Lewis. A well-known figure to many of the attendees, Mr. Lewis recalled the hundreds of races and thousands of miles he drove during his time in racing. He calculated that he spent the equivalent of over one year just driving to each event, and that 15% of his lifetime has been spent in dedication to motorcycle racing.

During the evening, Roger Lyle and Roger Bacon also announced their resignation and retirement from the board of directors to make way for new leadership in the Club. In recognition of Mr. Lyle’s dedication to MARRC, he was named as President Emeritus, and made a member for life. Wendy Leland and John Capen were introduced as the new President and Vice-President respectively, as elected by the board of directors.

Congratulations to the award winners, and to all riders and cornerworkers, for a great season of motorcycle racing!

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