Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

RQ\D RACE . . AHRMA H istoric Cup SerlesIAHRMA SOSIBOTIBEARS Series · Rounds 7·8: Putnam Park (Above) Harley-Davidson KR75G-mounted Rusty Lowrywent three for four during rounds seven and eight of the AHRMA Historic Cup Series at Putnam Park. Lowry's tougest challenge came when he narrowly defeated Andrew Tam ik for the SOOCc Premier win on Saturday. (Above right) The muddy condit ions at Putnam Park didn't stop Darren Emswiler from claiming victory in the Sportsman 125 and 2SOcc classes at round five of the AHRMA Vintage Iron Motocross Ser ies. Conditions forced AHRMA officials to shorten the event to one moto per class. By Matt Benson MOU:-''T MERIDIAJ'J, lCi, MAY 11-12 J! t was li ke s teppi ng b a ck thre e ~ deca des to those cl assic b attles betw een Ame rica n horsepower and ritish hand ling. Here was Rusty Lowry on his GMA All -A merica n Racing 1968 H a r le y Davidson KR750, d o gged by An d rew Tamik on a 1960 BSA Gold Star 500. The side-valve V-twin w ould hammer open a de cen t lead down the str aights, but in Pu tnam 's twisties the thumper w ould erase the m argin. Coming aro und turns nine and 10, lead ing to the long front straight, Tarnik w o uld rid e th e Beezer arou n d the ou tside of Lowry and in to the lea d . Tarnik d id it three lap s in a row during Saturday's 500cc Pre m ier race durin g ro u n d sev en of th e AH RMA Histo ri c C u p Series at Putnam Pa rk , and each time it wasn 't until well pas t w here t h e starter s t oo d th at Lowry co u ld sn a tc h b a ck the le ad . The white flag w aved the next tim e aro und, an d it w as obvious the H arle y rid er w as w o rking to open a bigger mar gin . But then, coming into the last pair of sweep ing turns, Tarn ik ca ugh t up a ga in and looked poised to repeat h is ou tsid e pass. Lowry, however, didn't intend to let it hap pe n. He too k a wider line through the fina l se t of tu rns, denying the BSA rid er a chance at the pass and hold ing the lead to th e checke re d flag . Tarnik d id ge t his tas te of g lory, beatin g Lowry - this time aboard a '60 KR750 - in Saturday's Classic '60s race . Th ou gh he hinted of secret speed tweaks to be perfo rm e d back a t the m o te l, Tarnik fini sh ed second to the Harley rider in bo th events on Sunday. "That's th e most fun raci ng I' ve had in a lon g tim e," Lowry said of hi s Satu rday battles with Tarnik. Heavy weath er m oved through central Ind iana duri n g Friday 's p ra ctice d ay. Wh en it was time to race, Saturday an d Su n da y we re dry but co ol and breezy. A com p lete Nation al p ro gram was run ea ch d ay on the 1.8-mile circuit, w it h 240 v in tage a n d Sound of Si ngles /Battle of Twins /British-EuropeanAmerican Racing Seri es entries on Saturday and 225 on Sunday. An other goo d two-day clash among the vintage riders was the Formul a 750cc battle betw een Norto n-mounted Bob Goodpaster and Will Hard ing on a M o to G uzzi. Each ti me, G ood p a ste r held the early lead, onl y to see Harding finally work h is way past as th e race neared its en d . An d each tim e Goodpaster turned u p the heat on the last lap to regain the lead. Sunday's race saw the Expert M oto r cy cl e Works rider dive under Harding in the last set of turns, hold ing on for a narrow win . Am on g th e m odern bike classes, Les White w as d o mi nant on a Du cat i 900. H e d id it in the BOT Formu la 1 a nd BEARS di visions on Saturd ay, as well as in Sunday's BEARS event. An d it looked as tho ug h he w ould d o it in Sunday's FI race too - until h is bi ke s ud de n ly slow ed near the end of th e eve nt, allowing Pete Johnson and Bill St. John to take ove r th e top tw o spots , White hel d on for thi rd . Behind White in Sat u rday's BEA RS eve nt w as the modem equivalent of the clashes between Lowry and Tarn ik. Thi s time it was Sven Bley u sing a Rotax 600powered NWS to reel in and pass Johnso n's 1200cc Guzzi for second. Bley also rode th e NWS to a pa ir of 50S F-I class wins, and he also was victorious in Sunday's 50S Tw o-Stroke race on a Honda RS1 25 . Johnson a nd h is b ig G uzzi logged a lot of tra ck tim e for the weekend, winning a pair of BOT classes, placing second th ree times and turning in one th ird -pla ce finish . James McGregor was three for four on a ' 69 H o nd a 350 in the Sportsman 350 and 500cc ranks. In Saturday' s SOOcc race, he w as hounded by Tom Anto r on a BSA 500 si ng le . That was the closest anyone would get McGregor until th e sam e event on Sunday, w hen he retired w ith bike problems and James Swartout w ent o n to w in a thriller over H aro ld Page Jr. wi th class champ Tim Sta ncill close behind. In other vintage actio n, Rick Merhar cam e out ahe ad in a back-and -forth F-250 race on Saturd ay against Ch ip Larkby, Merhar took the class win again on Sund ay, a lo ng with Sund ay' s BOT TwoStro ke victo ry . Th e number -one plate hold er fared less well in the F-500 d ivision, running off into the muddy infie ld while dueling for seco nd with Rick Newman on Satu rday and finishing fourth on Sunday, Blaine Bahm took his Yamaha to the F-SOO division win both da ys. Yamaha rider Larrv Kirbv came back from his brief retirement from raci ng to sweep th e Sportsman 750cc class for the weekend, along with 200cc GP class on Saturday. Eri ch Bley and h is '39 BMW 500 were the pai r to beat in Pre-1940 and Class C clashes, a lt ho ugh Carl t o n Pal mer II did it w it h h is ' 50 Vincent Grey Flash in Su nday's C lass C event. Jay Richardson was unbeat ab le in bo th 250cc GP a n d 350cc GP d ivis io n s a ll weekend. f~ Putnam Park Mount Meridian. Indiana Results: May 11-12. 1996 (Round 7-8 of 17) Saturday 200 GP : 1. Lar ry Kirby ( Yam); 2. Ch u ck Da vi s (Ho n); 3. Michael Contesky (Due); 4. Bru ce Clar k (Yam); 5. David Naeg ele (Han). 250 GP: 1. Jay Richa rdso n (Du e); 2. Kemp Arch iba ld (Due); 3. Kenneth Bake r (Due ); 4. Mic hael Go nte sk y (Duc); S. Ch uck Davi s (Ha n). 350 GP: 1. Jay Rich ardson (Due); 2. Kem p Archiba ld (Du e); 3. Johnn y Demotsey (Trij: 4. Craig Breckon (Due); 5. Stuart Ca rter (Duc). 500 PREM: 1. Rusty Low r y (H -D) ; 2. And re w Tarnik (BSA); 3. Geo ff Ryan (Trl): 4. Randolph Stoike (Tn ); S. David Rhyn ehart (Hon. PRE-4O: L Erich Bley (BMW~ 2. Doc Batsleer (Ind ). CLASS C: 1. Erich Bley (BM\\I ; 2. Ca rleton Pal mer II (Vin) ; 3. Doc Batsleer (lnd ); 4. Lennie Hannon (Tn). eLSC ' 60s : 1. Andrew Tamik (BS A); 2. Ru st y Lowry (H-D); 3. Randolph Stcik e (Tri ); 4. John Cygnor (H-D). F-25 0: 1. Richard Merha r (Ya m) ; 2. Chip l arkby (Yam ); 3. Geo rge Tavlor (Yam~ 4. John M. Louck OML); 5. Bruce Clark (Yam~ F-SOO: 1. Blaine Bahm (Yam); 2. Rick Newma n (Yam ); 3. Dav e Rosno (Han); 4. Brad Palmer (Ya m); 5. Chi p Larkby (Yam ). F-7S0: 1. Robert Goodpaster (!':or); 2. Will Harding (Gu z ); 3. AI Cha rles (Tri); 4. Ca lv in Le wis (N or ); S. Kenneth Baker (Due ). SPTMN 350: 1. Ja mes McCrps or (H a n); 2. James Swa rto ut (Ho n ); 3. Tim othy Stancill (Han); 4. Har old Page Jr. (Hon ); 5. Donald Rutkowski (Hon) . SPT MN sao 1. Jam es McGre gor (Hon ); 2. To m : Anto r (BSA); 3. Timothy Sta nciU (Hon); 4. Haro ld Page Jr. (Hon); 5. James Swartout (Hon ). SPTMN 750, L Larry Kirby (yam); 2. Tod d w elch (Tri); 3. John Ellis (y am ); 4 . Tom An to r (USA); 5. Steve Staser {Yam]. F-VI~"T: 1. Da ve Rosno (Hon); 2. Ceorge Fitz (Hon) ; 3. Calvin Le....is (:"Ja r); 4. Brett Blacketer (Yam); 5. Robert Iaco bs (Ric). SOS F· I, I. Sven Bley (NWS); 2. AJ Charles (Due); 3. Ti m McCart'YW'y (Due); 4. Co lin Frase r (Hon ); 5. Da ve Kna pp . . 50S F-2: 1. No rm an Lestcvica: 2. Robert Tap scott (Rtx); 3. Co lin Frase r (Ho n ); 4. Steven Ente r; S. Petrick McCabe (Yam). 50S F-3: 1. Stu ar t Ca rter (Due); 2. Erich Bley: 3. Kenn eth Bake r (Due); 4. Mich ael Co ntesky (Ya m); 5. Michael Sch neide r (Hon ). SO S 2·STRK, I. AI Cha rles (Rtx ); 2. Joe Fred rickso n (Hon); 3. Bill Doran (Ho n); 4. Sven Bley (Hon ); 5. Roy Peny (Hon ). BOT F-I , I. Les White (Due); 2. P.t. Johnson (C uz ); 3. Bill St. John (Due); 4. Jonathan Ha rd (Due); 5. David Fine (Guz) . BOT F-2: 1. Jim Lester (Duc); 2. Pete lohman (G uz ); 3. Tom Benedict (Hon ); 4. Will Ha rdi ng (CO2); 5. David Fine (Guzl . BOT F-3, I. Jeff MeKinney (Hon ); 2. Will Harding (Cuz); 3_Matt Goodman (Kaw); 4_BiD We lch (Suz~ BOT OPEN: 1. Bill St. John (D ue); 2. David Fine (G uz ). BOT 2-STRK: 1. Blain e Bah m (Yam ); 2. Rich a rd Merhar (Yam); 3. Rick Newman (Yam); 4. Brad Palme r (Yam~ 5. Creg Howard (Yam) . BEARS , I. Les Whi te (Due~ 2. Sven Bley (NW5); 3. Pete Johns on (Guz); 4. 8m St . Joh n (Duc); 5. Tim McCartne)" (Due). Sunday 200 G P: 1. Butch Sprain (Hon); 2. Chuck Davis (Hon~ 3. Larry Kirby (yam); 4. Michael Contesky (Due ); 5. Bruce Oark (Yam). 250 GP : 1. Jay Richardson (Due); 2. Kemp Archwald (Due ); 3. Charles Sexton (Bul); 4. Butch Sp rain (Hon); 5 . Ch uck Davis (Hon). 35 0 G P: 1. Ja y Richard s on ( Duc); 2. Johnny Oemoisey (T r i) ; 3. Stuart Carter (D u c) ; 4. Kemp Archibald (Du e); 5. Craig Breckon (Duc ). 500 P REM : 1. Ru s ty Lowry (H· D); 2. Andre w Tamik (BSA); 3. Craig Breck on (RSA ); 4. Geoff Ryan (Tri); 5. Scott Stri ckler (USA ). PRE_ I. Erich Bley (BMW); 2. Doc Batslee r [ln d }, CLASS C: 1. Carleton Palmer II (Vin); 2. Erich Bley (BMW); 3. Doc Batste r (lod ); 4. Lonnie Harmon (Tri), e eL se ' 6011: 1. Rust y Lo w ry ( H · D) ; 2. An drew Tarruk (BSA); 3. Rand olph Stoike (Tri ); 4. John Cygnor (H-D). F-250: 1. Richa rd Mcrhar (YilIll); 2. Jonathan He rd (Yam ); 3. John M. Lo uck OML); 4. Bruce Clark (Yam ); S. Geo rge Taylor (Yam ). F-500 : 1. Bla in e Bahm (Yam); 2 . Rick Ne w ma n (Yam) ; 3. Brad Palmer (y am ); 4 . Richa rd Merhar (Yam); 5. Oeo rge Fitz (Ho n). F-750: 1. Robert Goodpaster (No r ); 2. Will Harding (G u z ); 3. AI Charles (Tri); 4. C alvi n Le wi s (Nor); 5. Elme r Massey (yam). SPTSMN 350: 1. james McGrt:'gor (Hon); 2. Harold Page Jr. (H a n) ; 3. Jam es Sw art o u t (H an ); 4. Timoth y Stan cill (Hon); 5. Paul Nesse (Hon ). SPTSMN. SOo: 1. James Swarto ut (Hon); 2. Harold Page Jr. (Hon); 3. Timothy Stancill C Hon ); 4. Tom Anto r (BSA); 5. Roger Spe rling (BSA). SPTSM N 750 : 1. Larry Kirby (Yam); 2. John Ellis (Yam~ 3. Todd Welch (Tri); 4. Roger Sperling (BSA); 5. Steve Steser (Yam). F-VIr-."T: 1. John Ellis (Yam ); 2. Ceo rge Fitz (Hon ); 3. Brett Blacket er (Yam); 4. Charle-s Lon go (Yam); 5. Calvin Lewis (Nor). 5 0 S F-l : 1. Sven Bley; 2. Cra ig W ri ght ; 3. Jay Richardson ); 4. Al Ch a rles (Due); 5. Tim McCartney (Du e). SOS F-2: 1. Norm an Lastovica. 2. Robe rt Tapscott (Rtx ); 3. Co lin Fraser (H on); 4. St even Enter (Hon ). S O S F-3: 1. Eri ch Ble v (N WS); 2. Stuart Ca r te r (Due ); 3. Michael Schneider'(Hon); 4. Mich del Contesky (Yam); 5. Kenneth Baker (Due), SOS 2-STR K: 1. Sven Bley (Hon); 2. Al Charles (Rtx ); 3. Joe Fred rickson (Hon); 4. Roy Perry (H en ). BOT F-l : 1. Pe te Jo hnson (Guz); 2. Bill St. John (Du e); 3. Lee \\-'bite (Due ); 4. Jonat han Hord (Due); 5. Davi d Fine (Guz ). BOT F-2: 1. Pete Johnson (Guz ); 2. Tom Benedict (Han ); 3. Da vid Fine (Gm); 4. Will Harding (Guz) ; 5. Kirk Maxfield (Ha n ). BOT f..3: 1. Tom Bened ict (Hon ); 2. Jeff McKinn ey (Hon); 3. Will Harding (Guz); 4. Matt Goodman (Ke w ). BOT OPE N , I. BlII Sl. John (D ue) ; 2. David Fin e (Cuz), BOT 2-S T RK: 1. Richard (Yam); 2. Blaine Bahm (Yam); 3. Rick Ne wm an (y am); 4, Brad Palmer (Yam ); S. Greg: Howard (Yam. BEARS : 1. us White (Du e); 2. Pete Johnson (G02 ); 3. Sven Bley (N WS) ; 4. Bill St . John (D ue ); 5. T im McCartney (Due). Upcoming Rounds : Rounds 9-10 - Grattan, MI, June 15-16 Rounds 11-12 - Lexington. OH, July 19-21 AHRMA Vintage Iron National MX Series Round 5: Putnam Park m4~ mllf4~r of all muhhers By Matt Benson MOUNT MERIDIAN, IN, MAY II Jl t w as to be an old-fashioned, natu r- ~ aI-terrain course, laid ou t be low th e pi t a rea a t P utna m Park road urse, using woods an d grassy areas. Bu t a serious deluge the da y before th e event forced orga nizers and a crew of riders to do some last -minu te stake-and. ribbo n work to confine th e track mostly to hi gh ground. It was a real m udd e r, a n ywa y . M et icu lou s ly res t o re d m a chin e s became all-b u t-u nrecogni zable ro lling mu d ca kes . Th e tra ck got w id e r a n d w ider as rid e rs m o ved to the ve rges lookin g for tra ct ion . Ste am billowed from motorcycl es that tipped o ve r or got stuck. After the first set of motes, when it became apparent that th ings were sti ll deteriorating rather than drying up, o ffi ci a ls ca lled it a race , Aside from two or three diehards, no one com plained. Everyone had worked. hard

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