Following on the heels of the strong pushback from Hall of Famers and Hall of Fame supportors – and detractors – the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame has announced it will conduct a supplemental vote for the possible induction of Nobby Clark into the Hall of Fame. Click here to read the AMA's full announcement.

Since it’s obvious there’s no plan to admit to the Hall’s initial error – allowing Nobby’s supposedly ineligible induction in the first place – we’d say this is the least the Hall should and must do. And yet, as much as we’d like to believe it’s a positive step forward, it feels like an empty gesture designed to satisfy the Hall’s critics, a group that appears to be enlarging daily.

In the wake of the Hall’s decision to “unduct” Nobby from the HoF, several Hall of Famer’s turned in their medals, including motor journalist Dave Despain. Despain’s response to the HoF’s decision was predictably – and understandably – critical. “Is this to be a Nobby-only ballot, an up-or-down vote on his HoF suitability? If so, how many votes does he need? And since the same people will be counting those votes, is there any more reason to believe in this election than the last one? Most important, what happens if Nobby does ‘win’ this election? Will the man who didn’t get his Hall of Fame medal and the seven who sent theirs back all agree to forgive and forget? Will Nobby happily bow to accept his award while his supporters cheer him on? I doubt it,” Despain wrote in a July 22 posting on speedtv.com

Unfortunately for the AMA, the continued arrogant handling of the Nobby Clark fiasco is only increasing critical discussion of the organization. The most recent online flaming of the AMA comes from AMA/Prostar founder and ex-AMA employee Keith Kizer, who refers to the current administration as a “dictatorship” -- Kizer says he was sacked by current AMA CEO Robert Dingman because he failed to profess loyalty to Dingham above the AMA. Kizer also says Dingham was looking into selling off the Hall of Fame. Read Kizer’s article here.

The AMA appears bent on a continued strategy of obfuscation, a strategy sure to win it even more detractors as this utterly unnecessary fiasco continues to erode faith in the organization’s leadership. – Richard Backus 

 

 

Outrage. That one word probably best describes the atmosphere surrounding the embattled American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame and its mishandling of the Nobby Clark fiasco. In an utterly botched series of moves, the Hall of Fame announced Nobby Clark’s induction into the Hall of Fame then abruptly made an about face and said it was all a mistake, stripping Nobby of the announced honor.

This has played out like a bizarre soap opera, with parties left and right of the episode dishing out their opinions of what went wrong and why. Outrage over the affair has prompted a handful of motorcycling’s greatest icons to resign or otherwise remove themselves from the Hall of Fame. The list includes greats like Kenny Roberts, Jeff Smith, Dick Mann, Ed Fisher, Dick Klamfoth, former AMA president Ed Youngblood and motor journalist Dave Despain. That doesn’t include many other important players in this drama, including Hall of Fame committee members Jack Mangus and Charles Falco.

The AMA has done a remarkably poor job of damage control, choosing to obfuscate and otherwise deflect responsibility for a situation for which it is wholly responsible. While opinions flare and vary concerning the nature of the AMA’s sin – was it one of omission or commission? – there is no circumventing the essential issue that the AMA has failed to create a transparent, believable and reliable organization in its stewardship of motorcycling rights, responsibility and culture.

We’d like to think that the powers that be within the AMA are reeling at this series of blunders, how this situation got so out of control so quickly and what they should do to contain it. Unfortunately, the limited response from within the halls suggests a continued strategy of silence, the AMA apparently hoping against hope this will turn into a tempest in a tea pot and go away. Maybe, but I doubt it, because this is about much more than just Nobby Clark and the AMA’s handling of his nomination. It’s about the entire culture of the AMA and its privileged position to represent the community and culture of motorcyclists.

Importantly, we’re only just hearing from the man at the center of this debacle, Derek “Nobby” Clark, who has been understandably quiet on the subject. He didn’t start this fire, and it’s not really his to put out. Be that as it may, in an interview today with Cycle News Nobby condemns the AMA for its handling of the entire affair.

Much has been written on this unfolding drama, and some of the best information available is on Ed Youngblood’s Motohistory.net site, which contains links and references to almost every important discussion – pro and con – relating to the fiasco. Click here to read more at Motohistory.net – Richard Backus 

 

After days of being pummeled over its handling of the nomination and subsequent de-nomination of Nobby Clark from induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, officials with the AMA and Motorcycle Hall of Fame have finally issued a detailed explanation of their actions. Whether this quells pent up frustration with the organization and its handling of the affair is anybody’s guess, but at least they finally put a foot forward to quiet what rapidly became one of the most embarrassing chapters in the organization’s history. The AMA’s response appears below. A PDF of the release is available at the AMA site by clicking here. – Richard Backus

To: Members of the boards of directors for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)

From: Jeffrey V. Heininger, AMHF Chairman

Re: Statement and review of the 2012 Hall of Fame induction process

Immediately following the disclosure by the AMHF on June 30 that it would not be inducting Derek “Nobby” Clark into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame due to an error in the Hall of Fame balloting process, I asked the AMA Board Chairman and the AMA President to assist the AMHF with a thorough review of our nomination process and its implementation.

That review began immediately. We undertook an investigation into the 2012 Motorcycle Hall of Fame election process, and the sequence of events that led to errors in the 2012 balloting.

I want to reiterate that I spoke to Mr. Clark before our announcement was made on June 30, and that I apologized to him on behalf of the Hall of Fame. The error was tragic and unfortunate but had to be corrected immediately. The process by which we select nominees for the Hall of Fame ballot must stand up to scrutiny, and cannot be the result of incompetence or backroom dealings.

It is also important to note that the decision not to induct Mr. Clark was not in any way a reflection on his accomplishments. Mr. Clark, like dozens of other candidates to the Hall of Fame, remains in the pool of applicants that is considered each year for inclusion on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Understanding how the induction process works is important. Names are submitted to the Hall of Fame for consideration, and applicants are reviewed by one of eight committees focused on specific categories of motorcycle history. Each year, those committees review the sizable pool of potential candidates and offer their recommendations to a balloting committee that is charged with setting that year’s ballot. The path for people who apply to the Hall of Fame is detailed at www.motorcyclemuseum.org/induction.

The balloting committee has complete authority in setting the ballot, including the number of available slots and the selection of nominees that will go on the ballot to fill those slots. The balloting committee considers the recommendations of the eight category committees when setting the ballot.

The ballot is then voted on by existing Hall of Fame members along with members of the AMHF and AMA boards of directors, and votes are tabulated. This year, for the first time, the names of the nominees listed on the ballot were released to the public on April 6.

Many people have made statements suggesting that we ignore the serious breakdown of our process and induct Mr. Clark as we had originally announced. When I became chairman, I did so with the understanding that the AMHF needed to become more transparent in its dealings and move away from the “good old boy” reputation we had been tagged with. Our error was one of procedure, and it had very serious implications. Had we ignored this error, not only would the democratic process that our committees follow have been undermined, the nominees whose names are rightfully on the ballot would not have received fair consideration in the voting process.

Below are the results of our investigation, details of actions taken thus far, and recommendations for further action. It is also my intention to establish a task force of individuals highly respected for their integrity so that we can develop the necessary checks and balances needed to ensure that the Hall of Fame induction process is adhered to going forward.

Findings, Actions Taken and Recommendations From An Internal Investigation Of The 2012 Motorcycle Hall of Fame Balloting

A thorough review of the circumstances that led to Derek “Nobby” Clark being included on the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame ballot has been conducted. The following represent the findings of that review and recommendations. The Hall of Fame is overseen by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF), which is wholly owned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).

Findings
• The Hall of Fame Road Race Committee met Jan. 17 and recommended two names for the ballot as a result of their deliberations and voting on the pool of qualified candidates that came before them. Derek “Nobby” Clark was not one of the names submitted by the committee for the ballot. Clark’s name appeared in a summary email, sent Jan. 18, reporting the voting for all the candidates’ names considered by the committee, which showed that Clark received two votes out of a possible 14 from the seven-member committee (each member having cast two votes).

• Staff consolidated the recommendations of all committees and forwarded them to the Hall of Fame Balloting Committee in advance of its Feb. 23 meeting. Due to a clerical error by staff, the materials presented to the balloting committee for consideration for the 2012 ballot included all six names voted upon by the road race committee—four more than the two officially submitted by the road race committee. The ballot error was not caught or corrected during a staff review process.

• Subsequent to the committee deliberations and voting, two members of the road race committee sent emails on Jan. 18 to committee members suggesting that it would be “brilliant if we could squeeze Nobby Clark in somewhere.”

• At the balloting committee meeting Feb. 23, both the road race committee chairman and the balloting committee chairman were aware that the road race committee had voted to recommend two names, not six. At no time in that meeting was it pointed out that the road race committee had voted to recommend only two names. The full slate of six names was discussed only briefly during the balloting committee meeting and subsequently approved for the 2012 ballot. No action was taken to correct the error, or inform the balloting committee of the road race committee’s vote or recommendations. Therefore, the balloting committee acted without a full understanding of the road race committee’s intentions.

• Once the ballot was announced, a member of the road race committee inquired as to how it was possible that Mr. Clark was on the ballot when the road race committee had not recommend that his name be on the ballot.

• After Mr. Clark’s name appeared on the ballot in error, Mr. Clark received the third most votes of those appearing on the competition ballot, and it was therefore announced that he would be inducted with the 2012 class.

Actions Already Taken
• Once it was determined that a serious balloting error had occurred in the committee process, the chairman of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) Board of Directors, the chairman of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Board of Directors and the AMA President & CEO met to determine the appropriate course of action. Given the egregiousness of the error, it was determined that, to maintain the integrity of the Hall of Fame induction process and the Hall of Fame itself, Mr. Clark would not be inducted with the 2012 class.

• Mr. Heininger contacted Mr. Clark and explained the circumstances, and apologized for the mistake. A release was issued noting the balloting error, and announcing the start of this investigation.

Recommendations
• The inclusion of the additional names on the draft ballot presented to the balloting committee was the result of carelessness on the part of staff. Given that the balloting materials presented to the balloting committee would be used to set the ballot, there should have been greater scrutiny and review by the supervisors involved. Given the enormity of the error and the negative impact on both the Hall of Fame and the AMA, not to mention the anguish to which Mr. Clark has been subjected, the staff involved must be subject to disciplinary action.

• Both the road race committee chairman and the balloting committee chairman were aware of the results of the deliberations and voting of the road race committee and the subsequent submission by the road race committee of the two names for inclusion on the ballot. Neither took any action during the balloting committee deliberations to correct the error. Both therefore demonstrated a dereliction of their duties as committee chairmen to ensure that the balloting committee knew of the true recommendation of the road race committee. Given that this situation involves the balloting committee chairman, to whom the committee chairs look to for leadership and guidance, it is clear that the entire induction process must be thoroughly reviewed and scrutinized before resuming.

• All actions and activities of all of the Hall of Fame committees should be suspended immediately, and a task force should be convened to review the committees’ structure and membership, and recommend procedures to ensure the adherence to, and checks and balances within, the induction process.

• The task force should work quickly to complete its review in order to restore faith in the process and the institution. It should make recommendations to the AMHF and AMA Boards of Directors for their consideration and approval.

Clarifications• There was no evidence to suggest any irregularity or breach of process for any of the other individuals slated for induction as part of the 2012 class. 

• Although Derek “Nobby” Clark did not garner enough support from the road race committee this year, he remains on the list of names eligible for consideration for future nomination to the Hall of Fame.

 

 

The mess created by the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame over its nomination and subsequent about-face concerning the induction of Nobby Clark in the Hall of Fame keeps growing. Noted motojournalist and Hall of Famer Dave Despain has returned his HoF medal in protest, as has Hall of Famer legend Dick Mann. Hall of Fame committee member Charles Falco sent us the following email expressing his concern over the affair and his interpretation of matters. Charles Falco’s email follows:

Dear Fellow Motorcyclists,

Following are emails I sent over the past two days to Jeffrey Heininger, Chair of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF). In light of continued silence from the AMHF/AMA, I felt it important that as many interested people as possible were made aware of their disgraceful action in the matter of Nobby Clark's induction into the Hall of Fame in the hopes additional pressure is applied on them to reverse it. In case you are unaware, within the last 18 hours both Dick Mann and Dave Despain have returned their Hall of Fame medallions and insisted on having their names removed from the rolls.

If you want to express your opinion to the Chairs of the AMHF (Jeff Heininger) and the AMA (Stan Simpson), you can reach them at:

jeffh@heininger.biz
stan@stansimpson.net 

Charles Falco

From: Falco, Charles M - (falco) [falco@email.arizona.edu]
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 11:24 AM
Subject: RE: The Hall of Fame election process

Dear Mr. Heininger,
Although I have yet to hear back from you, I have carefully reviewed the official process for selecting inductees, which I have copied below for your convenience.  As far as I am aware, all of these steps were followed this year, and in previous years.  If these steps were not followed, the entire process is in question, and all inductions should be postponed until the Balloting Committee can thoroughly investigate and affirm the integrity of the process.

Importantly, the last paragraph clearly states the _final_ selection is made by ballot.  There is no provision for anyone to be deselected -- especially by one or more anonymous people behind closed doors -- after balloting has democratically determined they should be included.  Because of this, my reading of the official procedure is that if you were to deselect Nobby Clark, as you claim you have done in the press release issued two weeks ago, it would be in violation of the official process, and thus this attempted action is void.   

Again, if there is a question about this year's process, then there is a question about _all_ years' processes.  If this is the case, an outside investigation by disinterested parties must be initiated to look into all aspects, down to the level of how the ballots are counted, and by whom.

I urge you to immediately contact Nobby Clark to apologize for this entire matter, and to at the same time issue a press release reinstating his selection and taking responsibility for this grievous mistake.  The damage to the HoF's reputation will only continue to grow until this is done.  Again, I am bcc'ing this to a number of interested people.

Respectfully,
Charles Falco

http://motorcyclemuseum.org/induction
ProcessMotorcyclists are submitted for consideration for election to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and become Applicants.

Applicants who meet the minimum criteria for consideration, as determined by the appropriate Hall of Fame committee, become Candidates. The committees include more than 70 industry experts who represent the eight categories in which people can be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Every year, each Hall of Fame Category Committee considers the pool of candidates and chooses which names should be forwarded to the balloting committee. The number of candidates forwarded is up to the Category Committee.

Candidates are forwarded to the Balloting Committee (made up of the chairs of each committee, the chairmen of the AMHF and AMA boards and the President/CEO of the AMA).

Candidates selected by the Balloting Committee become the year's Nominees, which are announced publicly. The Balloting Committee also determines the number of nominees and the number of slots on the ballot available each year.

The final Hall of Fame Inductee Class is determined by ballot voting by current living Hall of Fame members, members of the AMA and AMHF Boards, members of the Category Committees, and selected other invited persons. The total number of voters is more than 250.

 

 

 
Nobby Clark , date and place unknown. (Photo: Winnie Schiebe) 

More than a few people have been watching the unfolding drama as the American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame announced the impending induction into the Hall of Fame of Derek “Nobby” Clark, race mechanic to stars like Mike Hailwood, Jim Redman and Giacomo Agostini, then inexplicably reversed course weeks later, announcing Clark’s removal from consideration. Among the strong voices demanding an explanation are former AMA president Ed Youngblood and Hall of Fame committee member Charles Falco.

Unfortunately for the AMA, its handling of the so far unexplained decision to remove Nobby Clark from Hall of Fame consideration is casting a dark shadow on the organization, justifiably raising questions concerning the Hall of Fame's selection and vetting process. With no response forthcoming from the AMA, it would appear the officers of the largest, most important motorcycle rights organization in the U.S. feel justified in acting alone and without regard to any sort of open process.

The following is from Dr. Charles Falco, co-curator of the Guggenheim's "The Art of the Motorcycle" and Hall of Fame committee member, who kindly gave permission to repost his email to the AMA, first posted by Ed Youngblood on his excellent Motohistory site. Immediately following Charles Falco’s email is Ed Youngblood’s commentary on the issue, posted here with Ed Youngblood’s kind permission. -- Richard Backus 

Charles Falco’s email as posted on Ed Youngblood’s Motohistory.net: The following email was sent by Hall of Fame committee member Dr. Charles Falco to Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Chairman Jeff Heininger today. It raises the troubling issue of whether the prescribed committee process has been overruled by outside parties in the matter of Nobby Clark's removal from the 2012 list of inductees.” 

From: Falco, Charles M.
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 12:55 PM
Subject: The Hall of Fame election process

Dear Mr. Heininger,

I just learned that after Nobby Clark having been elected to the HoF and a press release issued to this effect, a subsequent press release issued by you two weeks later stripped him of this honor. Were the people on the HoF selection committees made aware of this latter action before it was taken? Did I miss an email asking for my input? My question isn't about whether or not Nobby Clark deserves the honor, but about the HoF election process that all of us spend time taking part in.

Are the various HoF committees actually selecting (or de-selecting) the people being inducted, or are the actual decisions being made by you alone, without consulting with us? We go through a rather elaborate and time-consuming nomination, winnowing, and final selection process to arrive at the people put forward for induction. If this is all just a façade, and the actual decisions are made by someone else, I'd rather spend my time on other activities.

Again, this isn't about the merits of Nobby Clark, it's about the HoF election process itself. Given that there were two weeks between the press releases, it appears there wasn't so much urgency in this specific matter that, say, 24 hours couldn't have been found to conduct an email poll of the voting members. Even if not everyone was able to respond in those 24 hours, at least there would have been the semblance of democracy.

I think everyone serving on all of the committees deserves a full explanation from you of what went on, who made the various decisions, and why you felt it necessary to overturn our votes without consulting us in advance. Thank you.
Charles Falco

p.s. I don't have email addresses of everyone on all of the committees, but am cc'ing it to the ones whose email addresses I do have.

Ed Youngblood’s commentary on Motohistory.net:
Just two weeks after sending out a press release that gave Nobby Clark one of the most laudatory introductions any Motorcycle Hall of Fame nominee has ever received, the AMA sent out another release saying, “Oops, sorry, check that, we’re not going to induct him after all.”

This second release claimed Mr. Clark should have never been on the ballot. It raised more questions than it answered, and turned downright ominous when Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Chairman Jeff Heininger said that Clark’s removal was necessary to protect the integrity of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame (see our original story at Motohistory News & Views 7/2/2012).

Did this imply that the process had been so fouled up that Mr. Clark had to be sacrificed so the Hall of Fame could get its integrity back? Or did it suggest that something so awful was discovered about Mr. Clark that the powers at the AMA and the Hall of Fame could not possibly honor him? As I said, more questions than answers.

But something like an answer came shortly (July 2) at Road Racing World under the bold red headline, “Criminal Case Played a Role in AMA Hall of Fame Decision to Rescind Nobby Clark’s Impending Induction.” But wait, this may just be speculation, because in finer type were the words “First Person/Opinion.” This “opinion” was penned by Michael Goughis, not by web site publisher John Ulrich, who is also a member of the AMA Board of Directors.

We’ll take this editorial at face value, as one man’s opinion. Some might conclude that Mr. Ulrich chose to use his site to turn a negative spotlight on Mr. Clark and away from the AMA. I wouldn’t, because I trust there is an impervious firewall between Mr. Ulrich journalist and Mr. Ulrich AMA official, and that he would never use his web site as a junkyard dog on behalf of the AMA. I believe he has too much integrity for that.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s explore the ramifications of zeroing in on Mr. Clark for his “character,” as evidenced by prior legal problems. What do we do about multi-time Grand National Champion in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame who spent time in the slammer for drug trafficking? What about the Hall of Famer who went to jail for beating the hell out of a business associate with a baseball bat? What about the two guys—one a Grand National Champion—who had their AMA licenses suspended for fraud and forgery? Or the publisher and entrepreneur who went to Leavenworth for federal mail fraud? And the high AMA official who was convicted of embezzlement?

Since the Motorcycle Hall of Fame has traditionally focused on an individual’s contribution to the sport and industry, and always been forgiving of “off-track” behavior, surely “character” cannot suddenly be the issue with Mr. Clark. In fact, there are rumors afloat that a third party may have bullied AMA officials into reversing the decision of the Hall of Fame, which, flawed or not, was carried out through due and democratic process.

Surely not. Would the AMA’s CEO Rob Dingman and Chairman Stan Simpson punish an individual or even a group of members because some vindictive guy threatened them? I doubt it. I believe they have too much integrity, not to mention courage.

Some members of the Hall of Fame committees I have spoken to have been very critical of the reversal of the decision involving Mr. Clark, and some have begun to demand answers from Mr. Heininger as to who was involved and why and how (see Motohistory News & Views 7/11/2012). When the very experts entrusted with evaluating nominees and maintaining the integrity of the Hall of Fame don’t know what is going on, something really smells.

One committee member told me that he did not even receive notice of the reversal on Mr. Clark, and that if he had not read it at Motohistory he would not have known about it. Surely Mr. Heininger is not running roughshod over his own team of respected and knowledgeable volunteers, some of which are themselves members of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He places too much value on integrity to do something like that. He's just told us so.

I hope a reasonable explanation is forthcoming, and that Mr. Clark has not been the victim of either outside coercion or a sudden urge by the powers within the AMA to define the moral high ground in protection of their own “integrity.”

One thing I can tell you about people who define moral high ground then stand on it (whether they are moral or not). They are apt to find it a very slippery, lonely, and unpopular place.

My unsolicited advice? Stop this nonsense now. Give Mr. Clark his medal and climb out of this hole before you dig it deeper.  That's the other thing about standing on self-declared moral high ground. You look around and discover you're really standing in a hole, and that everyone else is standing above you.