American Honda
Former Sr. Vice
President Passes
A
merican Honda announced the passing
of former Motorcycle Division Senior Vice
President Ray Blank last week. "Blank leaves
behind a remarkable legacy, having helped
guide Honda and influence the powersports
industry for nearly three decades before his
retirement in 2012," Honda said. "His tenure
included multiple influential leadership roles
during a period of significant growth for the
motorcycle business."
The following is from Honda: A New
Jersey native, Blank was fascinated early on
by all things mechanical, riding motorcycles
since his teens and earning his private pilot
license. He received his education at Flint,
Michigan's GMI Engineering and Manage
-
ment Institute and did a brief stint with Gen-
eral Motors before returning to New Jersey
to join Volkswagen/Porsche/Audi. He moved
to American Honda's Gardena, California,
campus in a technical role in the Automobile
Division in 1983 before transitioning to the
Motorcycle Division a few years later, initially
overseeing areas such as press relations and
product development. Blank ascended quickly,
taking on the Vice President of Powersports role.
Known for his strong leadership style and un-
wavering confidence in his vision for the market,
Blank coined Honda's "Performance First" tagline
and was a driving force for new-product develop-
ment, championing bold models like the Valkyrie
Rune. A passionate believer in the importance of
racing, he was instrumental in supporting Nicky
Hayden's Honda career in AMA Superbike and
MotoGP, culminating in Hayden's 2006 premier-
class World Championship. He also played a key
role in bringing AMA Supercross and Motocross
Champion Ricky Carmichael to Honda.
In addition to his work guiding Honda, Blank
felt a calling to serve the industry at large, sit-
ting on the American Motorcyclist Association's
Board of Directors for 17 years, as well as a stint
VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P25
on the AMA Pro Racing Board. He
served the Motorcycle Industry
Council for more than 25 years,
including two years on its Board
of Directors.
"Honda is indebted to Ray for his
visionary leadership during a very
important era for the company,"
said Bill Savino, Director and Powersports
Division Lead at American Honda. "His influ-
ence extended far beyond Honda, helping
shape the direction of the entire powersports
industry, and he oversaw many projects
whose impacts are still felt today. Ray ap-
proached his work as a calling, and he had
the confidence to commit to daring projects;
time and time again, he was proven right. Our
thoughts are with his family and friends."
Blank is survived by his sons Cody, Erik
and Justin.
CN
Ray Blank, the
former senior
vice president
of American
Honda's
motorcycle
division, recently
passed away.
