Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Education Center Board Trustees Is Appointed

State College To Offer ‘Signature Programs’ Tailored To Needs Of Southside
With a new Board of Trustees named, the new incarnation of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) as a state-sponsored higher education center is beginning to take shape.
Before last year’s legislation creating the state center, the SVHEC was owned by the Halifax Educational Foundation. The property will now be leased to a 15-member Board of Trustees appointed by the General Assembly and Governor Mark Warner.
Board members are expected to include:
• Halifax County Superintendent of Schools Paul Stapleton.
• Former Del. W.W. “Ted" Bennett, president of the Higher Education Foundation.
• Del. Clarke Hogan.
• Sen. Frank Ruff.
• Del. Watkins Abbott Jr., of Farmville.
• Danny LaVista, director of the Virginia Council on Higher Education.
• Danville Community College President Carlyle Ramsey.
• Southside Virginia Community College President John Cavan.
• Dr. Glen DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College system, or his designee.
• Dr. Patricial Cormier, president of Longwood University, and/or Dr. Wayne McWee, vice-president of academic affairs for Longwood.
• Dr. Earl Moore of Chase City.
• Bobby Howard of Charlotte County, president of the Bank of Charlotte.
• William Coleman of the HEF.
• Former HEF Board member Deborah Powell of Powell Realty.
• John Cannon of the HEF.
The Board of Trustees will officially take over governing duties at the center Friday.
Halifax County Delegate Clarke Hogan said shortly after the list was announced that the constitution of the Board will allow more local control than those of other higher education Boards.
“We set this Board up unlike those of other higher education centers,” he said. “The community will have the maximum amount of influence possible. We have a fair number of community members and that was designed specifically to give our community as much input as possible on how the center runs.
“Now we have to move forward with hiring an executive director and getting things lined up,” Hogan added. “There is a lot of work that will be done in the next six months.”
Created when the General Assembly passed legislation to incorporate the South Boston center into the state system on February 26, many in the community hope the center will offer programs tailored to the needs of Southside.
Former Delegate W.W. “Ted” Bennett, who serves as the president of the Higher Education Foundation, said the Board of Trustees will be meeting for their first formal meeting at the center on July 1.
“The Secretary of Education, along with the Deputy Secretary of Education and Suzette Denslow, the governor’s policy advisor on higher education, are going to visit the center for about four hours on Thursday, June 30, to meet with local business people and members of th Board of the HEF,” he said. “On Friday, July 1, the first formal meeting of the governing Board will convene at 7 a.m. to begin setting up the new governing structure for the Center which is now a new agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“All the employees who worked there previously and were Longwood (University) employees are now employees of the new center,” Bennett added. “So we have a seamless transition.”
Last year’s budget compromise in the General Assembly allocated $1.6 million for the SVHEC.
Of that total, $1.2 million will come in the form of a General Fund allcoation with the remainder coming from lease arrangements at the center.
With a former budget of $475,000, Bennett said he hopes the inclusion of the center in the state system will allow more programs to be offered.
“We hope to develop and offer signature programs unique to both the Commonwealth and this area,” he said.
Bennett said that in addition to longstanding relationships with Danville Community College, Mary Baldwin College, Longwood University and the Southside Virginia Community Colleges, trustees are hoping to forge relationships with Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia and Virginia State University.
“We hope they will come join with us to help us evolve into a full-fledged, accredited institution of higher learning that will not only broker courses we have been offering, but will offer degree programs here that up to this point haven’t been offered,” he said.
Bennett said that with a nation-wide search for an executive director already under way, the pieces are falling into place at the South Boston center.
“We’ll have all the higher education establishment on the Board (of Trustees) for the state, but we also have good regional appointments with Charlotte and Mecklenburg counties formally represented in addition to the legislators,” he said, adding that he looks at the new school structure as an “exciting event and moment in the evolution of the center.”

Tom Raab Resigns Seat On South Boston Council

Councilman Raab Moving To County

South Boston Council adopted its $8,278,779 budget Monday night, and accepted the resignation of Councilman Tom Raab.
Council unanimously agreed to ask former Mayor Glen Abernathy to serve Raab’s remaining year of his term. Abernathy agreed, town officials said yesterday.
Raab’s resignation came during an executive session that also authorized Town Manager Ted Daniel to negotiate for purchase of two small lots, town officials said yesterday.
One parcel is sought to alleviate a storm drainage problem, and the second to address a road safety issue. A town spokesman said the lots are located on Logan Street and on Sutphin Road.
Raab, who has served on Council seven years, said yesterday his resignation will become effective June 30.
“We sold the house (in South Boston) as of June 30 and we have to be out,” he explained. “We are moving to the Banister Lake house. Because of that change of residency, I am forced to resign.
“I do appreciate the confidence the people of South Boston had in electing me twice. I have enjoyed my time on Council and service with what I believe is the best staff in the state, by that I mean our town manager, finance manager, public works, police chief and all of the close to 100 town employees. I regret I can’t finish my term,” he said.
Raab, a South Boston businessman, also served on the town’s planning commission for eight years.
The FY 2005-06 Budget
Real estate tax rates remain unchanged at 19 cents per assessed $100 in the FY 2005-06 budget, and there is a five percent increase in water/sewer rates for in-town and out-of-town residents.
The budget also carries an increase in vehicle decals- from $20 to $25 each for autos.
The overall general fund budget summary reflects a 3.11 percent decrease over last year’s budget.
“Expenses in this year’s budget are well within expected ranges,” said Vandie Saunders, town finance director. “I expect we’ll have a break-even year, if not one with some surplus across all general funds,” the finance director said yesterday.
Council also approved the annual appropriation resolution and the fee and tax listing.
In other business Monday night, the current issues committee, meeting in work session, addressed a request for a special use permit by Carroll Mays, on behalf of McLaughlin Shopping Centers, to construct 60 units of self storage in Halifax Square Shopping Center at the north end of the parking lot.
South Boston Town Planner Lee Pambid told Council the planning commission recommended approval of the request with three conditions, including the interior and exterior of the perimeter be curbed and guttered to address traffic control, delineation and storm water control; exterior lighting be directed away (from) adjacent residential uses; all exterior lighting to direct light downward toward the ground and employ a shield to eliminate “uplight”. A suggestion that a condition which included the planting of trees along the outer perimeters was also raised during the work session.
The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, July 11, in Council Chambers at 502 Yancey Street.
The current issues committee also discussed appointments due July 1. They include the following: South Boston IDA - Hill Felton Jr.; VASAP- Mick Reed; and Southside District Planning District Commission- Town Manager Ted Daniel.

Principals Named To 6 County Schools

6 Principals, An Associate Principal And A New Elementary Supervisor Were Named Monday Night By The Halifax County School Board

The Halifax County School Board appointed two new elementary school principals and shuffled a handful of current principals to different schools Monday night.
Linda C. Owen, who has served as principal at C.H. Friend Elementary School for nine years, has been named as the school system’s Elementary Supervisor.
Marliss H. Barczak, who has served as an instructional supervisor for the school system for five years, will swap positions with Owen and take over as principal at C.H. Friend Elementary School.
Ann E. Duffer, a guidance counselor, has been named as principal at Turbeville Elementary School and David D. Duffer, an elementary music teacher and principal’s designee at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School, has been named as the new principal at that school.
In addition, Brenda T. Fuller, a former principal at Clays Mill Elementary School, has been named as the new principal at Meadville Elementary School.
Linda C. Maitland, the principal at Meadville Elementary School, will take over as principal at Scottsburg Elementary School with John Courtney, the Scottsburg Elementary School principal, being named as associate principal for the school system’s Alternative Education program.
The personnel shifts will become effective July 1.
Owen, who is completing her ninth year as principal at C.H. Friend Elementary School, will become the school system’s elementary supervisor at central office.
Prior to becoming the principal at C.H. Friend at the start of the 1996-97 school year, she spent a year as an assistant principal at Halifax County Middle School. She also served as the school system’s Chapter I supervisor for three years.
Since July 1, 2002, Barczak has served as the school system’s elementary instructional supervisor. Prior to that, she served two years as the school system’s instructional supervisor for Grades K-12. She also served as assistant principal at Halifax County Middle School from November, 1997 through July, 2000.
Ann Duffer, the new principal at Turbeville Elementary School, has lengthy experience as both an elementary school teacher and guidance counselor and has held positions in both Halifax County and Charlotte County.
Duffer served as an eighth-grade physical science teacher from 1985-1988 and was a fifth-grade math and science teacher from 1988-1992. She served as a sixth-grade teacher in the Halifax County school system from 1998-2000 and has served as guidance counselor since 2000.
In addition, Duffer served as a middle school counselor in the Charlotte County school system, and served as Director of Guidance & Counseling in Charlotte County from 1994-1998.
David Duffer, the new principal at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School, has taught music in the county school system since 1989 and has served as an elementary music teacher at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School since 2002.
He has also been involved with the Project IDEA program, has twice served as site coordinator for the Summer Reading Camp and served as coordinator of the after-school program at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School.
Duffer was named Teacher of the Year at Sydnor Jennings in 2002, was named as a recipient of the Halifax Education Association’s Whole Village Award in 2003 and has served as the principal’s designee at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School for the past three years.
Courtney, who is moving to a post as an associate principal with the school system’s Alternative Education program, has served as principal at Scottsburg Elementary School since the 1991-92 school year. He also served as principal at Virgilina Elementary School for the 1988-89 school year.
Maitland, who has been named as the new principal at Scottsburg Elementary School, is completing her fifth year as principal at Meadville Elementary School. A veteran educator, Maitland has been employed in the school system since the start of the 1986-87 school year.
Fuller will become the principal at Meadville Elementary School after having served as Coordinator of Student Services for the 2004-2005 school year. She had served as principal at Clays Mill Elementary School during the 2002-2003 school year.
Tune, who will take over as principal at Halifax Elementary School, has served as principal at Turbeville Elementary School since the start of the 1991-92 school year. The year prior to that, she served as the school system’s Chapter I Supervisor.
She has been employed in the school system since the start of the 1978-79 school year.

Obituaries

Annie Sims Plenty

Annie Sims Plenty, 75, of 1025 Bethel Road, Halifax died June 25, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Plenty was born in Lunenburg County on November 17, 1929, to the late Pleasant Plenty and Susie Boyd Plenty, and was married to the late William Samuel Plenty Jr. She was a member of Springfield Baptist Church in Meherrin.
Survivors include four daughters, Barbara Sims, Elsie Guy, Deloris Plenty and Annette Cousin, all of Halifax; two sons, Joseph Sims and James Sims, of Halifax; one daughter-in-law, Phoebe Sims; one son-in-law, Edward Cousin; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Mrs. Plenty was also preceded in death by three sisters and five brothers.
Funeral services will be held today, June 29, at 11 a.m. at Banister Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. William F. Carr officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Garland Clay Blanks

Garland Clay Blanks, 78, of 4401 Boston Road, Roxboro, N.C. died June 28.
Mr. Blanks was born in Person County, N.C. to the late Bentley Carson Blanks and Lillie Puryear Blanks. He was a member of the Montwood Baptist Church and attended Theresa Baptist Church.
He was an Army Veteran of World War II having served in the 82nd Airborne. He was retired from Sprint with 23 years employment. After retirement he owned and operated Gov’s Phone Service for 20 years. Mr. Blanks was in the Bowler’s Hall of Fame in South Boston and a lifetime member.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Morris Blanks, of the home; his daughter, Angela Blanks Thompson of South Boston; his son, Ted Blanks of Roxboro; three grandchildren, Dusty Dalton and Alyson Thompson, both of South Boston, and Donald Blanks of Roxboro; one brother, Johnny Lawrence Blanks; two sisters, Maxine Long and Betty Jean Clayton, all of Roxboro.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, June 30, at Brooks & White Funeral Home with the Revs. Herbert Brown and Martin Hall officiating. Burial will be in the Person Memorial Cemetery.
The family will receive friends 6:30 to 8:30, this evening, June 29, at Brooks & White Funeral Home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Theresa Baptist Church Building Fund, 3919 Chub Lake Road, Roxboro, 27574.

Kathleen Aurie Sizemore Bowen

Kathleen Aurie Sizemore Bowen, 81, of 1220 Phillips Trail, Virgilina died June 27, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Bowen was born August 11, 1923, in Halifax County the daughter of the late Charles E. and Carrie Smith Sizemore, and was married to Herbert S. Bowen, who survives. She was a member of Aarons Creek Baptist Church.
Graveside services will be held tomorrow, June 30, at 11 a.m. at the Sizemore Family Cemetery, Virgilina, with the Rev. Bill McEntire officiating.
In addition to her husband, survivors of Mrs. Bowen include two daughters, Martha B. Estes of Victoria and Kathleen B. Peter and her husband, Paul, of Virginia Beach; four grandchildren, Abigail Estes, Adam Estes, Michael Peter and his wife, Jill, and Brandon Peter; and one great-grandchild, Caitlyn Peter.
Mrs. Bowen was also preceded in death by four sisters, Susie Stembridge, Carrie Lee Sizemore, Lucille Cole and Sarah Bowen; one brother, William Sizemore; and one son-in-law, Gerald M. Estes.
The family will receive friends this evening, June 29, from 7:00 until 8:30, at Brooks Funeral Home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Midway Volunteer Fire Department.

Janie Haymes Burton

Janie Haymes Burton of Philadelphia, Pa., formerly of Halifax County, died June 22, in Philadelphia.
Funeral services for Mrs. Burton will be held tomorrow, June 30, in Philadelphia at 11 a.m.

Gladys Midkiff Crews

Gladys Midkiff Crews, 78, of 9064 Howard P. Anderson Road, Nathalie died June 27, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Crews was born in Halifax County on April 8, 1927, the daughter of the late William May Midkiff and Mary Guthrie Midkiff and was married to the late Burmah David ‘B.D.’ Crews Jr. She was a member of Ellis Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors of Mrs. Crews include one son, Burmah David Crews III of Nathalie; two daughters, Mary ‘Betsy’ C. Hanmer of Keysville and Mary C. Jones and husband, Wallace L., of Nathalie; one brother, Earl S. Midkiff of Halifax; one sister, Dorothy M. Owen of Scottsburg; two grandchildren, Catherine Lacy Jones and Michael Lee Jones of Nathalie. She was also preceded in death by one brother, Louis D. Midkiff; and two sisters, Lucy M. Midkiff and Elsie L. Midkiff.
Funeral services will be held today, June 29, at 11 a.m. at Ellis Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Bob Watts officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Ellis Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Kenneth Crews, 3115 Clarkton Road, Nathalie, 24577, Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592, or Triangle Fire Department, c/o Betty Ann Glass, 4217 Newbill School Road, Halifax, 24558.

Robert Newton Daniel

Robert Newton Daniel, 62, of 218 Chalmers Street, South Boston died June 27, at Duke Medical Center.
Mr. Daniel was born in South Boston on January 5, 1943, the son of Newton Odell Daniel and Hilda Overstreet Daniel and was married to Paulette Bennett Daniel. He was a member of the Church of God and Dan River Radio Control Flyers.
Survivors include his wife; his mother of Halifax; one son, Lewis Odell Daniel and his wife, Sheri, of Richmond; one granddaughter, Mary Megan Daniel of Richmond; two sisters, Geneva D. Ratliff of South Boston and Ruth D. Simon of Halifax. His father preceded him in death.
Funeral services for Mr. Daniel will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow, June 30, at the Church of God with the Rev. Bruce Hagy officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, June 29, from 7:00 until 8:30, at Powell Funeral Home, and other times at the home.

Leroy Eubanks

Leroy Eubanks of 3060 Clover Road, Clover died June 24 at The Woodview.
Mr. Eubanks was born March 29, 1937, in Drakes Branch the son of the late Hezekiah and Marjorie Eubanks. He was a member of Gethsemane Presbyterian Church and retired from WestPoint Stevens. He was first married to the late Frances Andrews and later married Elnora Mitchell Eubanks, who survives him.
In addition to his wife, survivors include five children, Evern Andrews of Charlotte Courthouse, Leroy Eubanks Jr. and Anthony Eubanks of Richmond, Regina Eubanks of Clover, and Orlando Eubanks of Clarksville; two stepdaughters, Marie Mitchell of Alexandria and Dana Mitchell-Grant of Newport News; 14 grandchildren; four brothers, Roscoe Eubanks Sr., Hezekiah Eubanks Jr. of Drakes Branch, Isaac and Kermit Eubanks of Brooklyn, N.Y.; five sisters, Edwina Eubanks, Mable Scott and Mary E. Brown of Danville, Charlotte Davis and Sylvia Fertig of Brooklyn.
Funeral services for Mr. Eubanks will be held at 2 p.m. today, June 29, at Gethsemane Presbyterian Church in Drakes Branch with the Rev. Michael Hickman officiating.

Serenity Raine Johnson

Serenity Raine Johnson, infant daughter of JoAnna D. and Christopher Todd Johnson of Virgilina, died June 28 in Halifax Regional Hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow, June 30, at Peace Lutheran Church in Clarksville with Pastor Dennis Hahle officiating. Burial will be in Bluestone Cemetery.
In addition to her parents, Infant Johnson is survived by her paternal grandparents, Jerry and Beverly Johnson of Clarksville; maternal grandparents, Roy and Jeneta Dusenbury of Monks Corner, S.C.; her sisters, Patience Alana Burrows, Destany Marie Burrows, and Starr Halee Johnson; and a brother, Raven Phenixx Johnson.
You may express condolences atwww.wclfh.com.

Ralph Shipman Leete

Ralph Shipman Leete, 85, of Mint Hill, died Wednesday, June 15, at Presbyterian Hospital-Matthews.
Mr. Leete was born August 26, 1919, in Coudersport, Pa. the son of the late Bertha Shipman and Thomas U. Leete. He was a graduate of Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. and received his Masters Degree in School Administration in 1952 from the University of Virginia. Mr. Leete was an educator, serving as a teacher, coach and principal in a 41-year career. He served as a high school principal in Halifax County, for 14 years. He was a member of the Pine Lake Country Club and was also a member of the Sportsman’s Club of Charlotte.
Mr. Leete was a member of several education groups, which included the NCEA, NEA and Phi Delta Kappa, and was a member of the Mint Hill Lodge #742 A.F. & A.M. and the Oasis Temple of the Shrine.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 18, at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Charles Williamson and the Rev. Gaye Brown officiating. Interment was in Sunset Memory Gardens.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Dixon Leete; children, Linda Leete Campbell and her husband, Hugh Campbell, Ralph ‘Bud’ Shipman Leete Jr. and his wife, Ginny, of Knoxville, Tenn.; grandchildren, Sheryl Wilson and her husband, Bob, of Charlotte, Scot Campbell and his wife, Sophia, of Woodbine, N.J., David Leete and his wife, Mary Ann, of Greenville, S.C., Joanna Leete Rick and her husband, Captain Oliver Rick, of Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Alaska; eight great-grandchildren, Stephanie Fox, Erin Leete Wilson, Noah Leete, Olivia Leete, Julia Rick, Holly Rick, Alan Shipman Rick, and Amberlyn Disney; a brother, Tom W. Leete and his wife, Shirlee.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Building Restoration and Grounds Beautification Fund, c/o Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, 11501 Bain School Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28227, or to Hospice & Pallative Care Charlotte Region, 1420 E. 7th Street, Charlotte, 28204.

Ethel Allen Peek

Ethel Allen Peek of 443 Crescent Drive died June 27, at The Woodview.
Mrs. Peek was born in Halifax County on July 11, 1923, the daughter of the late Robert M. Allen and Marion Dunkley Allen, and was married to the late Keith Leon Peek.
Survivors include a number of nieces and nephews.
Graveside services for Mrs. Peek will be held tomorrow, June 30, at 11 a.m. at Oakview Cemetery in Farmville.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider a charity of your choice.

It’s Tournament Time!!

Sub-District And District Softball And Baseball Tournaments Open Friday For Area Softball, Baseball All-Star Teams

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

It’s that time of the summer baseball and softball fans yearn for.
It’s tournament time and the action kicks off here Friday with many of the county’s all-star baseball and softball teams getting their first taste of diamond action.
Action starts Friday in the District 7 Dixie Softball Tournament which will be played at the two fields at the Mary M. Bethune Complex in Halifax.
Halifax County is again hosting the district tournament for three of the four Dixie Softball age divisions with the county’s Angels, Ponytails and Belles teams competing for the right to advance to state tournament play.
Friday’s action at the Bethune Complex begins at 4 p.m. with the first game of the Ponytails tournament. Halifax County American will face Brookneal in the tourney opener with Halifax County National facing Charlotte County at 8 p.m. in what will be the final game of an opening-day tripleheader.
Opening ceremonies for the Ponytails tournament will be held at 5:30 p.m.
County teams in all three age groups will see action on Saturday. The first game of the day will start at 11 a.m. with opening ceremonies for the Angels and Belles set for 4:30 p.m.
There will be a lot excitement in the opening round of the Belles tournament as Halifax County American and Halifax County National will square off at 7 p.m. Saturday on Field 2.
In the opening round of the Angels tournament, Halifax County National will face Altavista at 5 p.m. and Halifax County American will face Charlotte County at 7 p.m.
Six games are slated for Sunday and Monday.
One or more of the tournaments could end next Wednesday night, and, if needed, final games would be scheduled for next Thursday.
There is no district tournament for the Debs division teams this year.
Halifax County and Charlotte County are the only teams in the district. Because Charlotte County is hosting the state tournament and will be in the state tournament as the host team, Halifax County advances to the state tournament as the district champion.
In addition to the softball action, there will also be plenty of action on the table for baseball fans.
The Dixie Youth Baseball AAA (Minor League) sub-district tournament opens Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Halifax County South diamond at Cluster Springs.
That tournament will be a three-team affair with teams from South Boston, Halifax and Scottsburg battling to reach the district tournament playoff series. There will be a single game each night at 6:30 p.m. with the tournament continuing until a winner is crowned.
Halifax County South’s all-star team will not compete as it will be the host team in the state tournament which will be played at Halifax County South starting July 15.
The Day Complex in South Boston will be the site of this year’s district tournaments for the Dixie Boys 13-Year-Old and Dixie Boys 13-14-Year-Old all-star teams.
South Boston’s 14-Year-Old Dixie Boys all-star team will face Prince Edward County Friday night at 6 p.m. with the South Boston 13-Year-Olds facing Nottoway Friday night at 7 p.m.
There are only two teams in the 13-Year-Old tournament which is being contested as a best-of-three game playoff. Game two will be played Saturday at 6 p.m. with the third game, if needed, being played Sunday.
Opening ceremonies for the tournaments will be held Saturday at 4 p.m.
The winner of Friday’s South Boston-Prince Edward County game in the 14-Year-Old tournament will face Charlotte County at 6 p.m. Saturday.

AMA Superbike Stars Test At VIR, Look Forward To Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals

By John Gardner
VIR Public Relations

All of the top teams in the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited were on hand at VIRginia International Raceway last week for a two-day test in advance of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, scheduled for the weekend of August 26-28.
Topping the time sheets was five-time and defending Superbike champ Mat Mladin of Team Yoshimura Suzuki with a reported track-record lap of 1:24.1. Mladin’s time eclipsed the lap record set by Honda’s Miguel Duhamel in qualifying last year at 1:24.404.
Mladin is having another great year, having won seven of the 10 races held to date, putting him in position to break his own record of 10 wins in a single season and further his unprecedented string of championships, as no other rider in series history has won more than three.
“Obviously most of that’s got to do with the new bike, the GSX-R1000,” he said, “so it’s all gone pretty well so far. We first threw a leg over this bike in February of this year, and it’s still very young in its development process. We’re certainly looking at developing it more and more as the year goes on.”
Much of the talk in the VIR paddock during the test was the fact that the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals was a late addition to the 2005 schedule for the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, and that it will now be promoted by the Colorado-based Race Promotion Management (RPM) group, who have had huge success in their past promotions at Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca.
“I know that they do a good job,” said Mladin of RPM, “so I’m sure with them here at VIR, and Suzuki on board as the major sponsor, it will be a really good event again.”
Austin Ducati’s Eric Bostrom echoed Mladin’s comments, saying, “It’s always nice to come to VIR; it’s one of the best tracks the circuit goes to. It should be fun. A big thanks to Parts Unlimited and RPM for getting things worked out. (Having the VIR race off the schedule) was a big blow to the entire paddock. It seems like the crowd’s been pretty good here, and there are a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts in the area.”
Bostrom had high praise for RPM, saying, “Those guys just put on a good show. Typically things run smoother, and there is more excitement because they bring in extra attractions. I think overall that they just create this kind of catalyst that makes the race weekend more fun and entertaining.”
Roger Lee Hayden, on hand to test his Superstock and Supersport machines for Team Kawasaki, said fans can expect a big weekend for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. They can expect the best, that’s all I can say,” he said.
“They used to do Road Atlanta and they used to do Laguna Seca, and everything was run professionally. They do their job, and I think they’re the best. I wish they’d put every one of our races on.
I’m glad to see VIR back on the schedule, because this is a good event and we get a lot of fans. It’s a good track, and a safe track,” he added.
“It would’ve been a real shame if it wasn’t on the schedule, so I want to thank the guys at RPM for stepping up and bringing us back to this great facility.”
The event schedule for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will include three days of racing action, including two feature races for the headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited as well as feature races for the supporting classes including the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series.
There are a number of advance ticket packages available for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR.
Advance packages include the Flag Room (three-day admission, paddock access, car parking pass, official event program and hospitality on Saturday and Sunday), for $140 and Youth Flag Room (5-12 years of age) for $50.
Also available is the Big Kahuna Super Ticket (three-day admission, paddock and pit walk pass, lap of track, car parking pass and official 2005 Big Kahuna t-shirt) for $99; three-day general admission with paddock access for $55; and pit walk passes (limited availability, good for all practice and qualifying sessions, (requires closed-toe shoes) for $30.
At the gate, ticket availability will be limited to three-day passes for $60, single-day tickets (Friday only) for $10 and pit walk passes for $40.
Currently, RPM is offering a Tiki Man Promotion to fans who purchase their tickets early. While supplies last, each fan that purchases an admission ticket prior to July 8 can choose from one of four free items: free parking (cars only), a free official event t-shirt, a free official event program or a free parade lap of the VIR circuit.
To purchase advance tickets, fans should visit www.virclub.com or www.rpmcolorado.com.