Motorcycle enthusiasts or racers founding motorcycle companies isn't uncommon, just look to Soichiro Honda and Erik Buell. But, as the passionate founding teams behind brands retire, their roles are often replaced with suits, and not the ones made of leather. There are still members of the motorcycling C-suite that ride and even race, and Ducati is a, maybe the, prime example.
Ducati's CEO, Claudio Domenicali, is a high-level rider and often takes part in testing and development, and there aren't many in the motorcycle business who can claim they keep the business and performance aspects in check. But it turns out Ducati's North American CEO is also a total badass who doesn't shy away from a race.
Jason Chinnock, Ducati's North American CEO, recently took part in the Biltwell 100 aboard a 1971 R/T Desmo. Usually, I'd be impressed but somewhat snide and think, "Yeah, I'd do that too if I had Ducati's support and endless selection of Bologna bullets to choose from." But that wasn't the case for Chinnock.
The North American CEO personally restored the '71 Ducati 450 R/T Desmo after only taking on the project in January. But instead of restoring the iconic bike to factory fresh condition, he created a competitive modern retromod. The bike features classic styling with performance upgrades from partners including Dubya USA, Race Tech, FMF Racing, Pirelli, and Pro-Bolt. For the engine refresh, he leaned on a trusted friend and expert on vintage Ducati bevel-drive engines, Rich Lambrechts of DesmoPro, to sort out the 54-year-old motor.
“It will take more than winning races for Ducati to be taken seriously in the off-road category in the U.S.,” said Chinnock. “My interest in motorcycles started with the fascination of Evel Knievel, like many kids of the '70s, but it wasn't until I witnessed desert racing in Nevada that I knew it would be a part of my life forever. I understand that, in representing Ducati, we need to be authentic and show up on the starting line to be part of the community and be accepted, and I couldn't think of a better way than to do it myself. The Biltwell 100 was a perfect entry point for me, and I had an incredible time – I expect to come back next year.”
Chinnock competed aboard the 1971 Ducati 450 R/T Desmo in the Biltwell 100 Dual Shock (1971-1990) class with the goal of finishing. Despite fouling a plug on the first lap and changing it on the trail and later running into a rain ditch on lap three, twisting the forks in the triple clamps, he rode the final 17 miles with crooked bars to complete the race. But that's not where the CEO's Biltwell race ended.
The following day, Chinnok returned and piloted the Desmo450 EDX to compete in the Modern Class, bridging Ducati's early off-road heritage with its current product evolution. He improved his position from 9th to 6th in lap two and planned to close the gap in lap three, but a crash forced him to retire. Serious riding, racing, fun, and passion from a motorcycle company CEO need to be praised in 2026, so this is my hat tip to Chinnock.
