Ducati Oklahoma & Pros 4 Vets Teaming Up
Ducati
Oklahoma and Pros 4 Vets teamed up to help promote better riding safety among
our brave men and women in uniform. The
duo assisted in bringing members of the 317th Airlift Group from
Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, TX, to Eagles Canyon Raceway on Monday August
22nd. The focus of this event
was on rider education and safety, and with instruction from Ty Howard of
Typhoon Roadracing Academy, Dyess Airmen were able to take part in a special
one day on-track course teaching rider safety through advanced riding
techniques.
With motorcycles becoming
more and more popular for both recreation and use as daily commuters among
airmen, rider technique is very important. Jeff Hargrave, director of operations at Pros 4 Vets said, “When
the idea was brought up that we could help with educating these men and women
in rider safety and possibly save lives, there was absolutely no question of
whether we would help. This event also
gave us the opportunity to sit down and talk to members of our military on an
individual basis, see how things are going with them and what they believe
needs our work”.
One
of the main principles of the school is learning skills in the controlled
environment of a track, and then put them in use in real world settings. Ducati Oklahoma’s Ryan Tupps took the class
with the airmen, and came away believing this is the way forward in teaching
motorcycle riding skills. “We all
had a great time and the day went off nearly flawless. I believe this is a wonderful program and I
think everyone else here would say the same.
I am very happy to have been able to not only help with the beginning of
this program, but thrilled I was able to be here to enjoy the event. The goal is always to make learning fun, and
it just does not get any more fun than this!” U.S. Air Force Lt Col Keith Green said,
“This is the first time this type of class has been offered for those of
us who ride. I know that I, and all the
Airmen here are taking a good deal of knowledge back to Dyess AFB with us. As a rider, you must have respect for the
capabilities of the machine that you’re on, and the track is the best way to
safely learn where that limit is. And
knowing the limits and capabilities of yourself and your machine is the way to
stay safe when you’re on the streets at home”.
“We’ve shown here today that this type of
training is an important part of rider education. Hopefully, we are paving the way to make
these opportunities available for all motorcycle riders in uniform,” Lt Col
Green concluded. The event has been
judged a resounding success by all parties involved, which means a promising
step forward for keeping our brave men and women in uniform safe here at
home. For information on ways to help
our men and women in uniform please contact Pros4vets.org
