Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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VOL. 53 ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 6, 2016 P105 But Ferracci had fabricated parts to make the Ducati 888 a world-beater, with things like a slipper clutch, electronic shifter and clever suspension modifications, which allowed the rider to brake much deeper without upsetting the chassis. Ferracci's motorcycles were far ahead of their time and even the factories were playing catch-up to the long-time expertise of Ferracci. Polen broke a chain early in the '91 Daytona 200 and with the three-month break between Daytona and Loudon, Ducati asked Ferracci if he wanted to bring Polen to the opening world superbike race at Doning- ton Park. Polen stunned the WSBK regulars by winning the pole and easily winning the first race. The decision was made to have Polen contest both the AMA and FIM World Superbike Championships. He dominated the '91 world superbike series like no one before, winning a jaw-dropping 16 of 26 races and taking the championship with 432 points to runner-up Raymond Roche's 282 points on the factory Ducati. In 1992 Polen successfully defended his World Superbike title on the Ferracci Ducati. He also finished third in the AMA Superbike Championship and gave Ducati its first AMA Superbike victory since 1979. In 1993 the Ferracci/Polen combo finally scored the coveted AMA Superbike Championship marking the first time the Italian maker took the top prize in America. His motorcycle was so dominant that the AMA made him add 50 pounds to it midseason. Ferracci Ducati had become one of the most successful road racing teams in the world and Eraldo's lasting reputation as a tuner and team owner was complete. After losing Polen to Honda, Ferracci proved he could continue winning by scoring yet another AMA Superbike Championship with Australian Troy Corser in 1994. Even when he wasn't winning championships Fer- racci's teams produced some of the most memorable victories in AMA Superbike. In May of 1995 Freddie Spencer rode a Ferracci Ducati to victory at Laguna Seca, marking the final win for the road racing legend. In '96 a little-known Italian named Alessandro Gramigni shocked the paddock by taking victory on a wet Road America on the Ferracci Ducati. Mat Mladin, after fail- ing to earn a win in his first year in AMA Superbike with Yoshimura Suzuki, scored the first of his many wins on a Ferracci machine. In addition to his phenomenal success on the track, Ferracci became a beloved character in the paddock. He got along well with the other team members and hosted wonderful Italian lunches that became the place to eat during AMA Superbike weekends. Ferracci could also be brutally honest. Once, when one of his riders was not performing up to par, the rider pulled in after a practice session and Fer- racci didn't sugar coat it. He said to him, "I hope you find a good career, because motorcycle racer isn't going to be it." When Ducati was sold to a private equity invest- ment firm in the late 1990s, the new owners split Ferracci's racing resources in half and gave the rest to Vance & Hines. It felt like a slap in the face to Fer- racci, who'd been so instrumental in helping revive Ducati's racing fortunes. In 2000 Ferracci took on a new challenge by run- ning an AMA National Supercross/Motocross team for Husqvarna. He earned success in that arena as well. Ferracci Husqvarna won the 125 supercross main event at the Houston Astrodome in 2001 with Travis Preston. It marked the first non-Japanese brand to get a win in the history of small-bore super- cross class. Today Ferracci is approaching 80 years old and after 60-plus years in the business he still finds the energy to come in every morning at 6 a.m. "I'd come in earlier, but the alarm wouldn't go off," he laughs. The family motorcycle dealership in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania is slated to close soon, but Ferracci won't fully retire. He said he still plans to keep the mail order business going and simply scale back his work schedule to try to enjoy at least some form of part- time retirement. "I have a pass to go to any MotoGP race I want," Ferracci said warily of possible retirement plans. "I don't know. I might travel more and maybe watch some races, but I don't like to fly too much. We'll see how it goes." CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives