A Tragic Loss: Minimoto Founder, Pier Franco Zanetti Died

It is with great sadness that I must announce to you that the true godfather of modern Minimoto Racing and the Founder of the ZPF product line, Pier Franco Zanetti passed away last night. It seems to have been a shock to most all who knew him and certainly it is both a shock and a great loss to the entire racing community.

Not only was Pier Franco a pioneer of the sport of modern Minimoto Racing having created some of the most technically advanced Minimotos ever made, but he also contributed to the advancement of the sport through his many innovations, such as the trellis style chassis and the current disc brake systems. Pier Franco's passion, dedication and talents undoubtedly influenced the course and direction of the sport from its inception.

Pier Franco's influence reaches far beyond Minimoto to the entire sport of road racing, as he is credited with influencing the career of none other than the great Valentino Rossi who raced for Pier Franco as a boy, and whose younger brother races for him today.

He also launched the career of young European Champion Alex Gault who is moving on rapidly toward MotoGP.

Pier Franco developed one of the finest bikes on the racing scene, and the proof is in the scores of Championships the world over that his bikes have garnered. His skill as a craftsman can be seen clearly in every one of his products.

He was truly a great man and he will be missed by all of us in the racing community as deeply as he has touched our sport.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Zanetti family today as they search for a way to deal with such a great and tragic loss.

We ask everyone in the community to please observe today, Tuesday, October 4, 2005, as a day of mourning.

Sincerely,

Team Advanced