2001 Season

  As Marvin Rosencrans pulled the Colorado Powersports Suzuki GSXR 1000 off the dyno, he smiled. The numbers were quite impressive. This might be the year they aren't down 20 horsepower to the rest of the competition. The bike prep was finished with the addition of a Hindle exhaust, Dunlop tires,  Fox Shox and EBC brakes. It could be Ricky Orlando's year - a shot at a championship that he last won nineteen years ago.

   With a win at the first round of the MRA season at Second Creek under their belts, Pueblo became the first true test of the machine. The long front straight demands horsepower, and the dyno hadn't lied. Nobody was passing Ricky down the front straight - or anywhere else for that matter. The opening rounds had been a very good indication on how the season would turn out. He left Pueblo with 3 first place trophies: Open Supersport, Open Superbike and Race of the Rockies. The winning continued throughout the 2001 race season, with the setting of a new track record at Second Creek, winning 10 out of 10 Open Supersport races, clinching the MRA number 1 plate in Race of the Rockies, and winning both Open Superbike and Open Supersport championships. When not in the championship chase in Colorado, Ricky was off to the AMA Nationals. At Daytona International Speedway, he was running 10th after the long, multi-red flagged race until an unscheduled pit stop dropped him to 16th. With the help of Jon Glaefke and Glenn Conser, he also made it toLaguna Seca during the World Superbike weekend, and represented Colorado when the AMA Superbike round came to PPIR. Aboard his Colorado Powersports GSXR 1000 while running in 10th place during the Formula Xtreeme race, he was closing in on the Team Erion Honda when his shift lever touched down in the tight turn 3, putting the bike in neutral - and on the ground. With his Vanson leathers and Arai Helmet protecting him from harm Ricky picked up his bike and finished 14th. Luckily, that was the only time Ricky took a soil sample that year. Looking back it was truly a fantasy year, with teammates Marvin Rosencrans and Shannon Copeland keeping it all together. But it would not have been possible without the help of Kurt Finley from Colorado Powersports, Mark Newby at Dunlop Tires, Lang Hindle of Hindle Exhaust, Gary Gallagher at EBC, Chuck Gilchrest at Vanson Leathers, Jeff Favorite at Fox Shox, Bruce Porter with Arai Helmets, Paul Delia at AST Research, David Lee at Sharkskin Composites, JJ Hanfield at BelRay Oil, Mark Salvisberg at Factory Pro Tuning Products and Donnie Schmidt at Gearbox International. Also Ricky would like to thank Bob Fier, Roland Manning, Pete Hokenstad of Hokenblock Racing, Pete Fitzsimmons for painting the wonderful color scheme and Steve Temple of Michael Lichter Photography for the photos in the program. As for the coming season you can bet the Ricky will be running the big number 1 on his Colorado Powersports GSXR 1000. By the time you read this Ricky will have hopefully completed another Daytona 200 on Glenn Conser's GSXR 750. Ricky would also like to thank the MRA corner workers, MRA staff and all of  the racers that he raced against. Thank you for the fun and competition.

2000 Season

Colorado's Premier road racer, underdog in Race of the Rockies, riding an underpowered Kawasaki 7-X-9 certainly kept things interesting and his fellow racers honest. Riding his cycle's of Boulder, AST Sports Science, EADS News race team Kawasaki he knew it was going to be a tough year.

The 2000 race season started for Ricky at Daytona International Speedway for AMA round 1, the Daytona 200. Aboard a Jon Glafke sponsored Suzuki TL- 1000. Ricky finished 13th in the Daytona 200. With the MRA season in full swing. Ricky was clawing to make it to the victory circle. With the modifications limited to a Hindle Exhaust System, Factory jet kit and Marvelous Marvin Rosencrans tuning wizardry, the lack of horsepower was apparent. Ricky was becoming a more and more consistent visitor to victory circle. As the top riders of the MRA started to make miscues, Ricky's consistency started to prove invaluable. As Ricky headed for the 2nd to last race of the year this was the story. He was in the points lead, with Dan Turner in 2nd place. If Dan won the last two rounds, Ricky in second place they would be tied in points, with a tie breaker going to Dan, with the most race wins. With a spark in his green eyes Ricky's game plan was to beat Dan. Orlando made the comment, "you either win the Race of the Rockies title or you lose". When the green flag dropped it was Dan and Ricky in that order pulling away from the pack. With Ricky pushing his Dunlop tires to the edge, It happened. A big slide, a rodeo ride and he was down. Not hurt but certainly disappointed. Ricky said he was going for the win, but it did not come together. The last race of the year saw Ricky lead Race of the Rockies for most of the race only to be passed by Dan Turner, leaving Ricky 3rd in points for the year. Ricky, also ran Open Superbike for the entire season, finishing 2nd for the year. He contested two AMA Formula Extreme events.

Without Marvin Rosencrans and help from EBC Brakes, Arai Helmets, Bel-ray Oil, Dunlop Tires and Chuck Gilcrest at Vanson Leathers it would be impossible to have this successful of a season. Fox Shock, Sharkskin Body Work, Red Fish Restaurant, Cycles of Boulder, AST, EADS News, Doc Hannigan, Roland Manning were also instrumental in making Ricky's 2000 season come together. Ricky rode the Daytona 200, 2001 on a Lee Waldman sponsored Suzuki GSXR-750. For the 2001 you can see Ricky aboard a new Suzuki GSXR- 1000. You can bet on Ricky being a contender for the number I plate for Race of the Rockies

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