Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/100342
AHRMA Historic Cup_Se ri_es_:R_O_UD_d_2 _ _ Overall winner Yvon DuHamel (17) leads overall runner-up Jay Sp ri ngstee n (9), Roger Reim an (55), Gary Nixon (behind Reiman) and Reg Primore (163). Canadian Yvon DuHamel (17) topped Todd Henning (454) in th e Formula Grand Prix Heavyweight class. DuHamel tastes sweet victory By Donn Maeda 2 DAYTONABEACH, FL. MAR. 2 von DuHamel may not ha ve stood a to p th e podium after an y of his 14 Daytona 200 starts between 1964-1984, but th e 51-year-old French Y Canadian showed a sta r-studde d field th e fast wa y a ro und the race way in the specia l BMW-sponsor ed Bat tle of the Legends race, held in conj u nct io n with th e Am eri ca n H isto ric Mo tor cycle Association 's Class ics Day a t Daytona Int ern at ional Speedway. DuH am el , fa th er o f la st yea r's Da yton a 200 wi n ne r Migu el DuHam el, added two o ther trophies to hi s vast collectio n by topping th e Formu la 750 and Formula Gr and Prix Heavyweig ht classes aboa rd the T eam Ob sol ete 1972 BSA Rock et 3. "Th is is grea t, wi n n ing t h ree classes," said a h um ble DuH am el. " Bu t even thi s can't com pare to the feeling I go t when my son wo n last year's Dayton a 200." In the Baule of th e Legends race, 10 identicall y pr epared BMW R IOOR mo to rcycles were p rovided for the racers to co m pete o n. Alo ng with DuHa mel, the field included threetim e G ra nd Natio na l Champio ns Bart Ma rkel a nd J a y Springsteen , two -time Gra nd National Champion and twice Dayton a 200 winner Dick Mann, twotime Grand Nati on al Champion and 1967 Daytona 200 win ner Gary Nixon , a nd Roger Reima n , the 1964 Gra nd Nati ona l Championship and th reeti me Da yto na 200 win ner. Three-time AMA Superbike C hampion Reg Pridmor e a nd 1972 Daytona 200 wi n ner Don Emde were also included, as well as Geor ge Roeder, who twi ce fini shed second in the Da ytona 200 a nd came within a point of winning th e Grand National Cham pionship in 1963 a nd aga in fin ished seco nd in the tit le chase in '67, a nd Don Vesco, wh o is best kno wn fo r h is tw o-wh eeled speed records. Two five-lap Legends races highlighted the day's raci ng tha t saw a recor d tu rn ou t of over 500 entr ies. The first AH RMA Class ics Day in 1982 dre w o nlv 35 entra nts in two classes, but th is year's event fea tured 13 classes. For th e first time, the classic a nd a nt iq ue bike rid ers were com peting on a length y co urse tha t u tiliz ed all but a portion of the regular infield roa d co urse and th e west ba nks o f th e speed way, ra ther tha n the short in field co ur se tha t took them on to 'the fa med tr i-o val o nly o n the west banks in the past. T he first leg of the Battle of th e Legends sa w a five-man battle develop up front betw een Nixon , DuHamel , Springsteen, Reiman a nd Pridmore, as the other com pe ti to rs seemed to be sim p ly enjoying a da y o n the track. " I' m a lillie ru sti er than I thought I'd be," said Roed er, who finished a n event ua l sevent h in race o ne. " Before I got o n th e bike I th ou ght I'd have a cha nce a t winning, but I gu ess I