neck on the line for me person-
ally when I came to Suzuki. I
will forever be grateful to him
for that. Aside from me, he was
always so respectful to everyone
he was around and worked with.
He never singled anyone out and
always made each individual feel
like they were just as important
as the next person, no matter
their position. It takes a special
person to have that approach
in life, and he was that guy! He
loved his family so much and my
deepest condolences go out to
them."
Kevin Schwantz remembers
the anguish he felt after crash-
ing out of the lead of the 1987
Daytona 200 and how Mel did
his best to make him feel better
afterwards.
"I had a huge lead about three-
quarters of the way through the
race when I crashed," Schwantz
said. "I wanted to dig a hole and
bury myself in it. Mel came up
and put his arm around me and
said, 'You showed them what you
had. You were the fastest guy out
there. Don't beat yourself up over
trying to win a race. You'll come
back and get them next year.'
"So, one of my all-time favorite
photos is from the winner's circle
when I won it the next year, and
there's Mel in the picture with
the biggest ear-to-ear grin you've
ever seen."
Harris' son-in-law Ken Faught
echoed what so many people
thought of Mel. "You couldn't
meet a nicer guy," Faught said.
"He was someone who was
always encouraging and looking
on the bright side of things. He
was a great man, and we are go-
ing to miss him."
During his career Harris
served on the Board for Trustees
for the American Motorcyclist
Association (AMA), as well as
serving as Vice Chairman and
Treasurer of the Motorcycle
Industry Council (MIC).
Suzuki acknowledged his
passing: "Perhaps Mel's greatest
strength was his relationship with
Suzuki dealers. He knew many
on a personal level and took pride
in being a strong advocate for
their businesses. Mel was also
a passionate supporter of racing
and was involved in many Suzuki
championships in the past.
"Many will remember the Suzuki
dealer meetings that Mel oversaw.
Determined to entertain dealers at
all costs, Mel loved to try and top
himself year after year. Whether
he came on-stage astride an el-
ephant, by jetpack, or suited up as
'Melvis' (Elvis Presley), Mel loved
to put a smile on dealers' faces
while delivering important product
and sales information.
"Mel was truly one of a kind
and will be sadly missed. Please
join Suzuki in offering our
thoughts and prayers to Mel's wife
Gail and the rest of his family."
A celebration of life has been
announced by Mel's son-in-law
Ken Faught and will be held
April 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. at Pole Position Raceway,
1594 E. Bentley Dr., Corona CA,
92883. The celebration is an
open invitation and flowers can
also be sent in tribute.
CN
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 13 MARCH 29, 2022 P25
Kevin Schwantz celebrates the
victory at the Daytona 200 in 1988,
Harris can be seen behind Schwantz
(to the right) on the podium.
