On behalf of the late Merlyn Plumlee's many friends, I'm happy to announce that a scholarship program is being planned that will both honor Merlyn's memory and help a future race mechanic get a quality education in the motorcycle technician field.

This endeavor has the full support of Merlyn's wife, Marta Plumlee.

Presently, Marta and several of Merlyn's friends are in the process of gathering donations for the fund. This money will be used to set up a scholarship with the UTI Foundation. Once the scholarship is set up, a student who shows promise and passion for the motorcycle racing industry will be awarded a scholarship at the Motorcycle Mechanic's Institute. Marta's hope is this will be a scholarship that will be available and awarded for years to come.

Many people, including Nick Hayden and myself, will make a donation to the fund. In addition, Hayden will soon be auctioning off some of his MotoGP gear, with the proceeds going to the Plumlee scholarship fund. Persons who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund can get the forms from UTI Foundation's web site or, if you have questions not answered on the UTI web site e-mail the coordinator here.