Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

VINTAGE AHRMA Vintage Weekend LAKE ODESSA, MI, JUNE 14/ GRA11AN; MI, JUNE 15-16 he Grattan weekend is one of the biggest events on the AHRMA calendar, with a vintage dirt track, motocross, trials and a pair of road race Nationals all packed into just two and a half days at two excellent facilities a half hour's drive apart. This year's Grattan event was favored by beautiful weather, a sizable ·number of entries and close racing. Offer this many racing opportunities, and somebody is bound to try to enter everything. AHRMA's Sportsman of the Year Rich Baulch managed to ride all four types of competition, as did motorcycle racing videographer Dan Schmitt. Baulch fared the better of the two, 'riding his Bultaco to a fourth-place finish in the Classic Bike Magazine dirt track, claiming a pair of firsts on his Monark 125 and Yamaha 650 in the Vintage Iron motocross, taking a first on his Wassel in the Speed & Sport trial, and logging an 11th and two 12ths on his Kawasaki H-1 on the pavement. 1-96 Speedway/Grattan Raceway 7 AHRMAlClassic Bike Dirt Track series: Round 8 s he has been all season, George Richtmeyer was the man to beat, and only John Plumb could do it. In Modern Vintage 250cc class, Plumb brought his Yamaha to the checkered flag ahead of Richtmeyer's Montesa. After leading briefly, Plumb found himself second to hard-charging Richtmeyer's Triumph in the Modern Vintage 750cc battle. In the Classic 500/ 750cc clash, Richtmeyer led all the way, chased by fellow Triumph rider David Atherton. Bolstered by a horsepower infusion in the form of a Big D-built Triumph twin, Craig Breckon bested George Wills' Harley WR for third. Breckon did manage to "Triumph" in one class, winning the Modern 600cc feature over Tom Harper and class champ Blake Wilson. In the pre-1952 Dinosaur division, Breckon led defending champ Wills for a time, then hung dose after the Illinois rider put his hand-shifting Harley in the front spot. Bernie Breece surprised Wilson as they headed for the checkered flag, grabbing third place at the line. The Classic 250cc event was a threeway race between Carl Forkey, Mike Hyslop and John Daniels, with Forkey hanging onto the lead the whole way. The Senior (50+) event went to Jack Warren and his Triumph. . ;4 1-96 Speedway Lake Odessa, Michigan Results: June 14, 1996 (Round 8 0116) 34 DINO: 1. George Wills (}i-D); 2. Craig Breckon (Tri); 3. Bern;e Breece (H-D); 4. Blake Wilson (lnd). CLSSC 250, I. Cad Fo,key (H-D); 2. Mike Hyslop (Bul); 3. John Daniels (Bul); 4. Bernie B,eece (H-D); 5. Tom Bake, (H-D). CLSSC soonso, 1. Geo'ge Richtmeyer S,. (Tri); 2. D.vid Atherton (Tri); 3. Craig Breckon (Tri); 4. Gem'ge Wills (H-D); 5. Rusty Lowry (H-D). MORN 250: 1. John Plumb (Yam); 2. George Richtmeyer S,. (Mon); 3. Richie Baulch (BuI); 4. Robert Dempsey (H-D) (left) Dinosaur-class. dirt track champion George Wills took the win In the pre-1952 class on his hand-shift Harley-Davidson. (Above) The always-last Todd Henning (454) took no lewer than eight vic10ries during the course of the AHRMA Historic Cup series at Grattan Raceway. Ralph Auer (467) leads the Sportsman SOOccclass battle that included Tim Stancill (1), though the race would end up being one of Henning's many wins. MURN 600: 1. Craig Breckon (Tn); 2. Thomas Harper (Bul); 3. Blake Wilson (Hon); 4. Daniel Seher (BSA); 5. John M. Louek (Rok). MORN 750: 1. George Richtmeyer Sr. ern); 2. John Plumb (Yam); 3. Dav;d Atherton; 4. J.ck Warren (Tri); 5. Arnie Mahnke or). SR, 1. Jack Warren (Tri); 2. Gary B,ennan (Tri); 3. Jim IGdman (Hon); 4. F,ank Bozek (BSA); 5. Bob Bulmer (Hus). Upcoming Rounds: Round 10- Peoria, IL, June 28 Round 11 - Peoria, IL, June 30 AHRMA Historic Cup series: Rounds 9-10 Ii rattan featured two complete road race Nationals, and it waS also the third of four rounds in e series-witrun-a-series BMW Classic Cup. Cape Cod speedster Todd Henning was impressive over the course of the weekend, winning eight events, and placing second and fourth one time apiece. Saturday's Premier 500cc race lived up to its name, as Henning and Stuart Pilkington, each orr Honda 450-based machines, diced for the lead. About three-quarters of the way through the eight-lap race, Lairy Poons moved up and passed the leaders with his Seeley Condor. From that point on, it was a three-way race. It looked as if Poons and his Matchless-powered thumper' might come home ahead of the twins, but Henning slipped past in the last few turns for the win. Behind the leaders was a good battle for fourth between Rusty Lowry's Harley KR750 and the BSA Gold Star of Andrew Tarnik - until Tarnik ran off the track. Another squeaker for Henning was Sunday's Sportsman 500cc race. Riding a '68 Honda CB450, Henning repeatedly swapped the lead from the second lap onward with BMW-mounted Ralph Auer. Class champ Tim Stancill shadowed the lead pair on his Honda CB350. Henning seemed to have a bit more drive heading up the front straight at the beginning of the last lap, and he stayed out front the rest of the way around. Among the two-stroke contingent, Yamaha riders Rick Merhar and Blain Bahm traded the lead iJ;l Saturday's Formula 500cc event, with Merhar leading when it counted most. Jonathon Hord leo Saturday's Formula 250cc pack on his Yamaha RD~ until about halfway, when Chip Larkby moved his Yamaha TD3 to the front and inched his way to a comfortable lead. Saturday's Sound of Singles TwoStroke race saw class champ AJ Charles lead for about two-thirds of the race on his Rotax-Honda hybrid until Roy Perry moved to the front with his Honda RS125. Try as he might, Charles couldn't quite make up the ground necessary to get back around Perry. After having a good race in the 200cc Grand Prix finale on Saturday, Butch Sprain and Larry Kirby were back at it on Sunday. Kirby, on a Yamaha CT-1, and Honda 175-mounted Sprain went back and forth, with Sprain finally keeping the lead after the halfway point. In the same combined-class race, Auer and Blake Wilson renewed a battle they waged all weekend in Class C and Pre-1940. This time it was Pre-'40, and the pair traded the lead numerous times. Auer stayed out front for the last lap and collected another of his four wins for the weekend. The two best races on Sunday involved journalist Mitch Boehm, racing a '69 Dresda Honda 750 that only barely made it to the starting line after running into major mechanical problems on Saturday. In the Formula 750cc division, Boehm moved from a last-row start to first place ahead of veteran Kurt liebmann, who was on a Honda CR750, on lap one. Liebmann took up the challenge, and the lead changed time and again, with the pair never separated by more than two or three bike lengths. On the final lap, Boehm held the point and app!!ared to get through some traffic better than Liebmann, who was never quite able to come close enough to attempt a pass. The Formula Vintage class was an even closer contest, this time between Boehm and Dave Rosno on a Honda CB400F. Whatever advantage the bigger machine had going down the front straight, Rosno would erase it by braking later and diving underneath Boehm into turn one. From that point, Boehm would have to spend another lap trying to get back into the lead. Again lapped traffic played a part, with Boehm managing to .open a bit of a margin as the race neared the end. He hung on for a close win over Rosno, with Liebmann not far behind in third. Among AHRMA's alternative modern classes, Les White and his Ducati were unbeatable in Battle of Twins F-1 and in BEARS. Sven Bley won the SOS F-1 events on both days on his Rotaxpowered NWS, and he rode the wheels off the thumper to take two seconds in the BEARS race. Several top.-three finishers on Sunday - including runaway 350cc GP winner David Roper and Blake Wilson - were docked a lap on Sunday when ther went back to their pits instead of heading to AHRMA tech to provide a fuel sample. Grattan International Raceway Grattan, Michigan Results: June 15-16, 1996 (Rounds 9-10 of 17) Saturday 200 GP: 1. Butch Sprain (Hon); 2. Larry Kirby (Yam); 3. M;chael Gontesky (Due); 4. Mllce IGroy (Bri~ 5. Dav;d N.egele (Hon). 250 GP, 1. Jay Richardson (Due); 2. Kemp Arclubald (Due); 3. Jonathan W1Ute (Due); 4. Chades Sexton (BuI~ 5. Larry Poons (Due). 350 GP, 1. D.v;d Rope' (AjS); 2. Erik Green (AJS);'. Kemp Archibald (Due); 4. .j'y Richacdson (Due); 5. Joe Lochniet (Yam). 500 PREM, 1. Todd Henrung (Hon); 2. Larry POO\lS (See); 3. Stuart Pillcington (Hon); 4. Rusty Lowry (H-D~ 5. Stuart Cartee (Hon). PRE-40, 1. R.lph Auee (BMW); 2. BI.ke WHs n (lnd); 3. Doc Batsl.., (Ind); 4. Al Kn.pp (H-D); 5. Erich Bley(BMW). CLASS C: 1. Ralph Auer (BMW); 2. Blake Wilson (Ind); 3. Erich Bley (BMW); 4. Codeton Palmer n (Yin); 5. Doc Batsleer (lnd). CLSSC 60s: 1. Rusty Lowry (H-D); 2. Andrew T.mil< (BSA); 3. Bob Bulmee (BSA); 4. R.ndolph Stoike (Tn); 5. John Cygno, (H-D). F-250, 1. Chip LOIkby (Y.m); 2. Jon.than Ho'd (Yam); 3. John M. Louck UML); 4. BNte Ol1l'k (Yam); 5. Charles Lundy (Hon);). F~SOO: 1. Richard Merhar (Yam); 2. Blaine Bahm (Yam); 3. Rick Newman (Yam); 4. Troy Stoney (Suz); 5. GeOl'ge Fitz (Hon). F-7S0: 1. Mitch Boehm (Hon); 2. Kurt LiebmanQ. (Hon); 3. Will Harding (M-G); 4. Robert Goodpaster (No,); 5. Al Charles (Tri). SPTSMN 350, 1. Todd Henning (Hon); 2. James McGregor (Hon); 3. Donald Rutkowski (Hon); 4. Tun Stancill (Hon); 5. James Swartout (Hon). SPTSMN 500, 1. Todd Henning (Hon); 2. Raiph

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