I just heard about it -- that Andy was involved in a motorcycle crash yesterday and has died. Our sympathies to Erin and to everyone that knew and loved Andy.
if you don't remember him all that well -- he and Erin (his wife) were known best for their attempts to create and set records for the fastest two-rider bike. They ran in the 180-185+ range, as I remember, at the Shootout a couple of times. They rode at the BMST and at some SCTA or USFRA events. One time when they were kind of new Andy wanted to ride the bike he had ridden from home (San Francisco) to the salt -- a brand-new SS1000RR BMW. They didn't plan to ride -- showed up without leathers or crew or anything. Andy was a small guy - didn't mind being called "Shorty", in fact -- so was directed to our pit so he could maybe borrow Nancy's leathers. Those were too big for him (especially in selected areas
), but those of Debbie Dross -- wife of Todd, our crew chief -- did fit. He had us tape them up to be a little less baggy, though, so he'd go down the course wearing her black leathers decorated with bright green duct tape. Quite a sight it was.
And when he did back up a record run Todd and Josh and Debbie -- the whole crew - proceeded to do the teardown. Andy and Eric didn't have tools or the technical wherewithall to do that -- and, for that matter, Todd & Co. had never seen one of the bikes, much less touched one or even read much about 'em. They proceeded to tear it down, get it certified, and put it back together so Erin and Andy could ride back to SF. The story has it that they took the "fast" route on the way home -- playing a kind of tag at a buck seventy and more on the highways.
Andy was a great guy. May he rest in peace.
