Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

allowed the use of the infield section, not the banking. There were 33 bikes in the field, 15 of which had Team Obsolete parts on them just to get them running. This year there were 500 bikes and the full track, including the banking, was used, atld Daytona expanded it to a twoday affair which drew record crowds. In 1985 Iannucci was the driving force in forming the American Historic Motorcycle Racing Association (AHRMA), which currently runs vintage racing, though he's involved in a long-running feud with AHRMA's Executive Director Jeff Smith. At Iannucci's urging, AHRMA has gotten into dirt track racing, and he expects it to move into IT and drag racing. There is more to come, and it will likely come out of his shop. To get to the Team Obsolete shop by public transport, you can take the D or Q.subway to the DeKalb Avenue station. Cross Flatbush Avenue, a short jaunt down Prjnce Street past the long shadows of the R.V. Ingersoll Houses, an urban housing project, tum left at "Frank's Sandwhich (sic) Shop," and around the corner you'll come to the Team Obsolete compound. Within the walls of this Brooklyn shop are many of the most valuable and historic pieces of racing equipment ever to grace the asphalt. And Iannucci has devoted his life and all of his resources to acquire, restore, and race them. "The team has never broken even," Iannucci says. "The team always runs at a loss, so I have to make it up elsewhere - through legal work .and I have some real estate investments." The biggest chunk of sponsorship comes from Vanson Leathers and Spectro Oils, and the team also gets help from Air Tech, Avon Tires, Bell Helmets, Works Performance, Autolite Spark Plugs, and Renold Chain. 'There's no way that I can complain that I'm a pauper. I'm surrounded by all this stuff. But I really don't have the bucks that people attribute to me. If I cashed out I would. I still struggle to pay my phone bill every month." . Not long ago, the struggle was to keep. his Matchless G-50 from being impounded by city marshals. Iannucci had become a scofflaw, accumulating a number of parking tickets, which he was contesting. But during the process, the marshals came to collect his Matchless, after which ensued a 90-minute standoff during which he tried to plea bargain with the marshals and the police. EventUally they struck a deal where he could transport the bike to the impound in the Team Obsolete van, with a marshal riding along to keep them honest. The bike has since been recovered. It's been that way ever since Iannucci got interested in motorcycles in the late '60s. He paid for his first Matchless G-SO with the proceeds from his junior-year law school loan - "which created a little problem at law school," he admits. "I never let not having the money hold me back. I always figured that if you do something, one way or another you fig- (Above) A trip through iannucci's gallery Is a trip through the history of fOlId racing. . *-e.yIiIIder .... AguIla" iIId bJr.cyJinders, Raper an't l!IIC3p! tile IDle of lhe. . . . .....s hanlto t-t a 7R 01' G-5O. It seems odd, having a cIIm:le to ride lIII this exotica. You set

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