Team Faith
Founder
Passes
B
rian O'Rourke, founder of Team
Faith, passed away on Friday,
January 29.
"It's with a heavy heart that we at
Team Faith are announcing that we
have lost our president and founder,
Brian O'Rourke, this morning to an
apparent heart attack," the team
posted on social media. "He will be
greatly missed by so many. Thirty-
one years of ministry were served
by him. Please keep Team Faith
in prayer as we continue forward.
O'Rourke was in Houston for tomor-
row's Houston Supercross at NRG
Stadium. We will have more details
as they become available."
O'Rourke founded Team Faith in
1994 as a non-profit, multi-faceted
Outreach Ministry impacting those
who are enthusiastic about Action
Sports. According to Team Faith's
website, it got its start in the Pro
Personal Watercraft Racing industry
and later moved into Pro Motocross
Racing and Freestyle Motocross.
The team currently supports sev-
eral riders in Supercross. CN
VOLUME ISSUE FEBRUARY , P27
Team Faith founder Brian O'Rourke
passed away on Friday, January
29, while attending the Houston
Supercross weekend.
Bring Money
F
ew motorcycle events draw
larger crowds or attract
more actual motorcycles than
the annual Mecum Motorcycle
Auction, which ran its course
over five days in Las Vegas,
January 27-31.
The Mecum "Motorcycles
Only" auction attracts thou-
sands of bikes from around
the world for sale. Want a
1915 Cyclone V-Twin in perfect
condition? No problem, bring
$1.2 million. On the other hand,
any day can present serious
bargains. But you're likely to
find almost whatever you're
searching for at the Mecum
auction. Looking for that 1960s
Triumph Bonneville your dad
owned? No fewer than two
dozen Triumphs of various
models and years crossed the
block; some were bargains,
and others were show winners.
In 2004, Honda authorized
and assisted Britain's George
Beale to manufacture 10 exact
copies of Mike Hailwood's
1967 350cc World Champion-
ship six-cylinder RC174. Made
from the actual factory blue-
prints and some original parts,
each one cost $250,000. None
have ever surfaced for resale,
until last Saturday, when num-
ber three crossed the block
at the South Pointe Hotel in
Las Vegas, the venue for the
Mecum auction. And cross the
block it did, at $330,000. The
highest sale of the five-day
event. It was followed closely
by the actual 1968 prototype
of the 1969 Honda CB750 at
$313,500!
Some people are looking
for a bargain, but more of the
buyers were there to find the
Honda CT70 they had as a
kid, or a Mustang they rode to
high school, bringing back old
memories.
You name it, it was at
Mecum's: Ariels, Harleys of all
types, and bikes from Honda,
Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha,
Maico, KTM, Sunbeam, Tri-
umphs, Excelsior, and more.
There were bikes representing
practically every OEM, era and
style, from choppers to trikes,
including a Husqvarna three-
wheeler.
If you are looking for some-
thing, go! You are likely to find
it. If you have something to
sell, it's the place!
Regardless, it is a hoot to
watch, and the auctioneers put
on quite a show.
Richard T. Haight
One of the
motorcycles that
crossed the block
at the 2026 Mecum
Motorcycle Auction
in Las Vegas was
this replica of
Mike Hailwood's
1967 350cc World
Championship racer.
