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/127720
.DIRT TRACK ." .,A R AClassic B DirtTrack HM ike By Matt BensOn , ~VMWm,G~ ~2 . eorge Will s opened th e AHRMA vintage dirt tr ack se ason with a demonstration o f why h is h andshifting HarleY-DaVidson carries , the number-one p late in th e Dinosaur and Classic Vintage 500 OHV /750 sidevalve classes. The Manhattan, illinois, rid er handily won his heat in both classes, and did the same in th e p re-1952 D in osaur fin al. H owever, in the pre-1968 Classic 500/ 750 final Wills had to wo rk hard to hold off a d etermined Ski p Wertz b ef ore claiming the victory. Th e ni ghttim e ra ce w as AHRMA's firs t Classic Bike d irt tra ck national at Oglethorpe 's h alf-mile, and organizers were pleased wi th th e t urn out of 75 en tries . Although m any riders contended the track was jus t a littl e too we t, m os t g ave th e facility good mar ks. The even t precede d the nex t day's Historic Cup road race opener at nea rby Roeb lin g Road Raceway. Most of th e action in the Din osau r class wen t on behind Wills. In the final, Leo Jovanovich led Wills bri efly, then foun d him self in a goo d duel with George Kelly. Kelly soo n took contro l of the second spot, but near the halfway p oint h e pulled ou t w ith me chanical problems, giving second to Jovanovich. . Wertz gave Will s a ha rd time ' in the Cla ssic 500/750 final, as the dice between the two carried them away from ano the r close r ace for third bet w een Craig Breckon an d Kelly. It was Kelly over Breckon at the finish, but up fro nt Will s hung on for th e win, with Wertz a narrow second. In Classic 250, number-one pl ate h older Chri s Bald win finis he d se co n d to Da nny Ward in the heat, then the pair rene wed their conflict again in the final. This time, Bald win . stayed ou t front, while Ward ran into problems and wo un d up fifth . Ed Ma rsha ll ende d up seco nd af ter a tou gh race with Jack Joyner and Breckon. The pre-'75 Mo dern Vin tage 250 heat was a back-and forth affair between eventua l wi n ner Donnie Warf a n d Ch ris He m phill. In the final, He m ph ill cou ld n't ger close eno ugh to Wa rf to m ak e a serio us challenge for the lead. By the end of the final, Warf h ad a fairly comfortable lead G GeorgeWills ruled the Dinosaur and ClassicVintage 500cc OHVI75Occ Sldevalve classwhen AHRMA's ClassicBike Dirt Track Series opener rolled into Oglethorpe Speedway. Round 1: Oglethorpe Speedway over Hemphill. H ond a-m ounted Blake Wilson narrowly won his Mod em Vintage 600 heat over Dave Valiket, whil e Kenny Parke r had little trouble taking the second 600 hea t. In th e fin al, Parker g rabbe d th e h oleshot, sh ad owed b y Wilson. Eve n though Wilson was able to close the gap somewhat as the y lap ped a ride r late in the race, he never was able to attempt a p ass for the lead. Breckon followe d in third. The big twins in the Mode m Vintage 750 class p ro vid ed the eveni ng's most exciting racing. Heat one saw defend ing class ch amp John Blackstock p u t hi s Yamaha into th e top s po t, b u t was chased closely by Kerry Klug and John Skinner. On the third of six lap s, Klu g worked his way out fro nt and then man aged to open a sma ll ga p on Blackst ock an d Ski nne r, In th e se cond heat , Sk ip Wertz led from the start; but behind him Geo rge Rictmeyer s tea d ily closed the ' gap. As they approached the white flag, however, Rictm eyer got loose com ing ou t of turn four, managing to hold onto second over Arnie Mahnke. The 750 fina l was a fas t race pitting Rictmeyer agains t Wer tz and Mahnke early on. By the halfway point, Rictmeyer was out, and Klug had moved up to battle with Wertz and Mahnke. Tho ugh it looked as if anyone of th e tri o cou ld have crossed the finish line first, the win we nt to Wertz, with Mahnke and Klug close behi nd. D ebuting a t Ogle thor pe was AHRMA's newest dirt track class, Senior, for riders 50 and old er on any Modem Vintage-eligible machine. Charl es Southga te proved the fastest of the old gu ys, easily wi n n ing both hi s h eat a n d th e final. IJII ' Oglethorpe Speedway Savannah, Georgia Results: March 2, 1995 DINO: 1. George Wills; 2. Leo Jovanovich; 3. Craig Brecko 4. Bene Radi; 5. James Liter. n; CLS C 250, 1. Chris Baldwin; 2. Ed Marshall; 3. Jack Joyner; 4. Craig Brecko ru 5. Danny Ward. eLSe 50017 1. George Wills; 2. Skip Wertz; 3. 50: Kelly George; 4. Craig Breckoru S. Rusty Lowry. MORN VIN T 250 : 1. Do nnie Warf; 2. Ch ris Hemp bllf 3. John Plumb; 4. Darrell Bryant. MORN VINT 600: 1. Kenny Parker;2 BL1ke Wilson; 3. Craig Breckon; 4.' Eddie Tumlin; 5. Dave Valiket. MORN VINT 7S&. 1. Skip Wertz; 2. Amie Mahnke; 3. Kerry K1ug; 4. JohnBlackstock;5. JohnGately.