Brandi Latimer readying for her ride at Road America in 2006. (Photo by Bob Wonderling)

Two-up rides are a great promotional tool to give media members and others a fantastic on-track experience at close to full racing speed. Every passenger is precious in these two-up promotional rides, but I have to admit that in 2006, when I was media manager for AMA Superbike, I asked then Jordan Suzuki rider Steve Rapp take special care with his passenger Brandi Latimer.

Brandi Latimer and Steve Rapp set for a two-up ride at Road America in 2006. (Photo by Bob Wonderling)

Brandi was the Face of Champ Car Racing at the time and undoubtedly the cutest passenger of in the history of these rides. I was kind to Brandi and waited until after her ride to tell her that Rapp was the rider who experienced perhaps the most spectacular crash in AMA Superbike history when he crashed in front of the field at Road America in 2000. The crash photo, captured by Henny Ray Abrams, was featured in Sports Illustrated.

Brandi’s doing fine these days. Here’s her website.