Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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VINTAGE AHRMA Steamboat Motorcycle Week aon DIRT TRACK By Man Benson STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO, SEPT. 13-16 en Hatch's grin couldn't have been any wider as the Bultaco rider from Fernley, evada, bounded up to stage to receive his award. After a couple of decades away from racing, the 60-something Hatch logged three perfect rides during AHRMA's week of vintage racing in the Rockies, having the time of his life and earning the coveted Ironman award for the best performance in three of the four different types of competition. Hatch started his winning ways during Wednesday's Classic Bike Magazine Dirt Track National at nearby Hayden Speedway, riding a 74 Bultaco Pursang 360 to a convincing victory in the Senior class. The next day, on the .hillsides of Steamboat's Howelsen Park, Hatch turned in a perfect scorecard in the Modern Classic Advanced class in the British Bike Magazine ational Trial. Tied at zero points with six other riders in his class, the decision went to the oldest rider - Hatch. Saturday's Vintage Iron Motocross National saw Hatch score a pair of moto wins on the Pursang in the Over 50 intermediate class to complete his sweep. Tied behind Hatch in the Ironman scoring were Colorado's Bill Anderson with first-, second- and fourth-place finishes, and the sponsor of the new perpetual Steamboat Ironman trophy, Vintage Iron's Rick Doughty. The Californian was sixth in his dirt track class, fourth in the trial and hammered the Sportsman Open Twins Expert class and turned in an excellent second-place ride in the Formula 250 road race category. AHRMA last year began recognizing riders like Doughty who attempt all four types of competition at Steamboat, giving the winner the title of Tungsten Carbide Man (presumably because tungsten carbide is tougher than iron). For that honor, Doughty narrowly edged out New Yorker Rich Baulch, K (Above) Rick Doughty (2Z) leads Scott Dunlavey (96) in the Sportsman Twins Expert class during motocross action at Steamboat Springs. (Above right) Intermediate Rich Baulch (547) flies his Monark en route to winning the Premier UltraLightweight class. (Right) Noted motorsports photographer David Dewhurst ended up sixth In the Modern Classic Expert class 01 the AHRMA Trial event. who bolstered midpack dirt track and road race finishes with a pair of class wins in trials and MX. Other Tungsten Carbide contenders were Blake Wilson, Gary Davis and Mike . Fenner. In all, 20 riders competed for honors as top all-purpose vintage racer over the four days of AHRMA competition in and around this ski-resort town. A few raindrops fell during Thursday's observed trials, there was some dust for the motocross and there were grumblings about entry caps, but otherwise the weather and the racing were fantastic. Steamboat has become a favorite late-season destination for competitors from all across the United States and elsewhere, with the AHRMA races complimented by MRA modern road races, an AMA Dual Sport National, a concours d'elegance and a vintage road ride. The only purpose-built raCing venue is the Hayden short track, while the trial is laid out around a municipal ski-jump hill, the Dick Mann-designed MX ta.kes place in what is usually a horse pasture and the road racers roar around a street course lined by condominiums and hotels. Top dirt tracker was Gary Davis of Woodland Hills, California, who raced in six of the seven classes, skipping th.e Senior class only because he hasn't yet reached his 50th birthday. Riding everything from a BSA Gold Star to a Honda twin, Davis earned four firsts, a second and a third. Eleven ri4ers turned in perfect scores in the trial, with the above-mentioned seven-way tie in Modern Classic Advanced and three tied for first in Modern Classic Beginner. In Premier Lightweight Advanced, BSA C15 rider Chris Makynen carded a zero, while the three riders behind her all turned in twos. With motocross entries Limited to two per person (and a maximum entry of 375), there were a fair number of double winners. One of them was Doughty, who thumped the Sportsman Twins on a Rickman Triumph and did the same to th.e Premier 500 Experts with his immaculate Gold Star. Honda-mounted Randy Kjrschbaum dominated Sportsman 125cc and over 30 Expert, while Danny Davies kept his Tri-BSA at the front in both Over 50 and Premier Open Twins Expert. Despite being on the bumpy little oval for what seemed like every single lap of the day, Davis was clearly enjoying himself. In the Dinosaur class, he grabbed the holeshot on a 1950 rigidframe Triumph twin and held on for the win over David Duvarney on a '37 Indian Scout handshifter. Davis jetted away to the lead in Classic 250cc, leaving behind a good battle between eventual second-place finisher Henry onnenmacher, Bill Anderson and Wayne Rantz. Oassic 500-750cc proved to be Davis' undoing, as he revved the Gold Star like the Honda twin he had ridden the race before and apparently broke a valve while leading. He coasted to a stop and was credHed with third, as Ron Predmore's Matchless inherited the lead. Duvarney, again riding the Indian, overcame a bad start to reel in, but not quite catch, Predmore at the finish. Modern 250cc was another Davis affair, with Nonnenmacher slipping into second by race end. The Modem 600cc event saw former Ascot denizen Tom Horton work his way past Marvin Moore for the lead, only to crash out of the race in turn two. Behind Moore was a tight race for second involving Davis and Blake Wilson, with Davis hanging on t~ the runner-up position. Horton and Davis went at it in the big-bore class, but Davis's Triumph gradually opened an unbeatable gap. Davis' formula for success on the tight oval? "Get a holeshot and stay in the groove, because when you get out of the groove to try to pass, look out!" OBSERVED TRIALS The trials layout crew's mission isn't an envious one. They must devise a series of sections to be safely negotiated by riders of a wide range of skills on machines that span close to five decades. They also must work their magic on the same piece of ground they've used in years past, coming up with traps that look fresh and challenging. Derek Belvoir and his helpers did their job well. There were the familiar obstacles such as the sulfur spring in which John Huegel took a hard, smelly tumble and through which Brid Caveney made it with a dead engine and three well-placed dabs. Sections tended toward either steep, twisting