Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1019648
IN THE WIND P38 VALE BRIAN DREBBER L ongtime motorcycle race an- nouncer Brian Drebber passed away Thursday, August 23, from injuries sustained after a collision with a deer. Dreb- ber was en-route to the airport on his motorcycle from his home in Georgia to fly to Pittsburgh to commentate on this weekend's MotoAmerica round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Drebber was 68 years old. "The entire MotoAmerica family is saddened today by the loss of Brian," said MotoAmerica Presi- dent Wayne Rainey. "Brian had a passion for our sport that was evident in his announcing. He was a big part of our paddock and he will be missed." Drebber was a professional cyclist in the 1970s and that's where he got his start in announcing. He began announcing and commentating on motorcy- cle racing in the late 1970s and has been the lead track announcer for MotoAmerica since it took over the AMA Superbike Series in 2015. He was former- ly a TV sportscaster for the old Speed Channel. "It breaks my heart to learn that Brian Drebber passed away this morning," said beIN motorcycle sportscaster Greg White. "Brian had one of the biggest hearts in all the world. His passion and voice will be missed around the motorcycle-racing paddock and beyond." Drebber is survived by his fiancée, Mara Yetter, daughter, Robin von Drebber, and granddaughter, Kylie von Drebber. CN Brian Drebber interviews Toni Elias. Drebber was the voice of MotoAmerica and will be sorely missed. FENATI SIGNS FOR MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING M V Agusta has confirmed Romano Fenati as the first of two riders to spearhead its return to grand prix racing in 2019. Fenati, a 10-time Moto3 race winner and runner-up in the 2017 title, will move from the Marinelli Snipers team with which he is currently competing in the Moto2 championship. "I am very happy and honored to take part in this prestigious project and to join such a cohesive and competent group as the Forward Racing Team is," said Fenati in a press release. MV Agusta's return to grand prix racing, 42 years after it last raced in the FIM 500cc World Championship with its four-stroke racers against the horde of 500cc two-strokes, will also coincide with Triumph's entry in the middleweight category as the control-engine supplier with their Street Triple 765, which takes over from Honda and the CBR600RR motor. The Italian manufacturer has 75 GP world titles to its name (38 rider and 37 manu- facturer), over 1952-1974, and has recently competed in the WorldSSP Championship with riders such as PJ Jacobsen, Jules Cluzel and Raffaele De Rosa. There has been no word yet on who Fenati's teammate will be in 2019 on the MV Agusta. CN Romano Fenati gets one of the peach jobs in Moto2, teaming up with MV Agusta.