WarBikes

Just who do we think we are? Well, let us introduce ourselves:

The Builder

The Host

Ralph Randolph

Ralph is a captain with US Airways, a former Marine, and the hands-on master craftsman behind Knockout Motorcycle Co. Ralph has appeared as a Centerfold Builder on the Easy Rider Centerfold Tour and as a featured celebrity builder on the 2007 Hard Rock Roadhouse Tour. His resume also includes builds for such companies as Snap-on Tools, Jim Beam, Patron Tequila, and the Commemorative Air Force. He has also built for such celebrities as Lorenzo Lamas and Matthew McConaughey. Ralph’s resume doesn’t stop there; he has also appeared on Steel Dreams TV, National Geographic Channel, and CMT’s Chopper Challenge.

For the small-town kid from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, his journey is proof that the American dream can and does come true. According to Ralph Randolph, it all comes down to a simple philosophy: Teamwork, a can-do attitude and hard-work will always pay off.

Chief Tech

Kenny Lucas

Kenny keeps the Knockout Motorcycle Company humming when Ralph’s away. He’s been working professionally on motorcycles since 1990 when he started with Harley Davidson and achieved 13 diplomas with their programs. He’s been the Chief Tech in every shop he’s worked in.

Two things about Kenny he wan’t you to know: He hates tomatoes and he plays with Poop, one of the pit bulls who hangs out at the shop.

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Operations Manager

Dan Mercier

Dan makes sure all the parts needed for the build are on hand, or nearby, or at least close enough to go pick up. He manages the Knockout Motorcycle Company inventory and tries to make Ralph laugh, which is really hard to do.

Dan started riding when he was 13 years old and has chalked up 48 states on his ride list.

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The Brains

Executive Producer

Duncan Kennedy

Duncan Kennedy is a resident of Midland, Texas and citizen of the world. His interests range from macaroni and cheese to fine art.

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The Rocket

Executive Producer

Bill Dingus

Bill Dingus is a small time oil man, life long Texan, pilot and motorcycle advocate; although his normal mode of travel is either his pickup or his Cessna 182.

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The Director

Producer

Mike Garner

Mike Garner launched his career in 1998 as a project coordinator for the acclaimed ESPN SportsCentury documentary series.  A year later he moved on to become associate producer and then producer of the ESPN Outdoors series Cabela’s Sportsman’s Quest, before being named producer of Natural Gear’s Wildlife Quest in 2002.

In 2004, he became co-producer of ESPN’s highly anticipated series The New American Sportsman and the following year began serving as producer for a variety of commercial projects for clients like BASF, Tractor Supply Company, SemMaterial, and Pure Fishing.

As producer, director, writer, and videographer Garner continues to oversee the design and development of numerous series and commercial projects, supervising the entire creative process from concept to final delivery.

His contributions have been seen on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, Kawasaki’s Under Wild Skies and Under Wild Skies Africa, Citgo’s In Search of Flywater, Get Wild with Cindy Garrison, and NASCAR’s Driven to Hunt.

He attributes his success afield to lessons learned as a youth in the Boy Scouts of America and to the outdoor fundamentals acquired in the woods and on many a gun range with his father, retired Tulsa Police Sergeant Michael Jerome Garner.

Mike lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife Kathy and sons Will and Ben.

The Slicer

Editor

Doug Orr

Doug loves a nice grilled steak, South American red wine, hitting a knockdown sand wedge stiff from 75 yards to a tucked pin with cash on the line, anything by Pearl Jam, oh, and he can produce, shoot, and edit his a– off! Doug’s capabilities mean he can handle  anything from golf on ABC Sports to bull riding on GAC to tons of programing for ESPN and Versus!

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Marketect

Marketing

Barry Raskin

Barry brings over 25 years of experience in high-tech marketing, business management, and product development. His career includes executive and senior management marketing roles at Creative Labs, Intel, Tektronix and several VC-funded early-stage start-ups. As VP of Worldwide Internet Marketing at Creative Labs, Barry directed strategy, operations, and business results for the company’s global B2C internet services encompassing 28 web properties, online demand generation programs, and a high-margin e-commerce channel. As VP, he also led Creative’s in-house ‘agency’ that designed and produced all advertising, packaging, and channel collateral driving the business unit. Barry has a B.A. in Mathematics/Computer Science from Colorado University and an MBA from University of Phoenix.

The Communicator

Writer

Erik J. Davidek

Working out of San Clemente, CA, Erik has had some interesting jobs along the way to becoming part of the Warbikes outreach and marketing team. He was a test driver for Car and Driver Magazine, served five years as a high school history teacher, and helped build foreign websites while living overseas. In between, he’s managed to travel all over Europe, ridden a bobber across America, restored a ‘67 Dodge Dart, become addicted to whitewater kayaking, and had two of the greatest kids on the planet. Right now he’s just hoping to snag the keys to Gunfighter for a couple of days.

The Wrist Twister

Writer

Heather Francell

Heather grew up working the CAF Airsho with her dad and granddad. There’s something beautiful about seeing these warbirds on the ramp at sunrise, imagining the stories these planes could tell. She thinks that riding a motorcycle down the highway is as close to flying on the ground that you can get. Yes, this chick rides her own.

She’s a big fan of open skies and open roads, so most of the time she calls Texas home. Having traveled all over and written for many entertainment magazines, Heather enjoys spinning her words as much as her wheels.