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VINTAGE VDTRA VINTAGE CLASSICS X NATIONAL DIRT TRACK SERIES Rounds 3&4: Isanti County Fairgrounds &Norsemen Me • Fiscel was continuously hot!nded by Wertz until the checkered flag flew. "At the end of the race, I asked Skip where he was, because I saw what looked like a shadow passing me on the outside during the whole race," Fiscel said. "I didn't know he was that close, and I hoped' I wasn't shutting off too early going into the corners." The 600tc Pro heat offered Fiscel his stiffest competition .in the form of Strome, as he pulled the holeshot and .sped to the checkers in first place, ahead of Fiscel, VDTRA president Johnny Isaacs, defending class champion Fike, Bill Snyder, Dennis Melcher and Robinson. "The groove here is pretty narrow, and getting the holeshot is what really counts," said mild-mannered race winnerStrome. Not unwise to that very fact, Fiscel By Tim McBride CAMBRIDGE, MN, MAR. 31-JUNE 1 ick Fiscel came one race short of a perfect weekend by scoring three out of a possible four victories when the Vintage Dirt Track Racers Association made its upper-Midwest sWing into Cambridge, Minnesota,. for rounds three and four of its ll-round National Championship dirt track series. Fiscel swept the 750cc Pro Twin classes on both days in a convincing manner. However, the Bill Reimensnider Triumph/Dave & Linda/Mom & Dad/Max Leathers-sponsored Des Moines, Iowa, native had his work cut out for him in the 600cc Pro class. Fiscel pulled off a narrow main-event win over 600cc Pro heat-race winner Jim Strome during Saturday's Dirt Track Rider's Association short track event. Strome, however, ended Fiscel's winning streak by racing to victory during Sunday's TT, which was hosted by the Norsemen MC "My father-in-law was released from the hospital last week after having quadruple-bypass heart surgery," Fiscel said. ''I'm dedicating this whole weekend of racing to him." SATURDAY SHORT TRACK 48 The first of the two 750cc Pro Twin heats saw Mark Gibson and Jim Strome out front for three out of the four laps, before the <;Iuo tangled in iurn one on the last lap. Although both riders remained upright, Skip Wertz and John Fike sped by the fracas to finish first and second. The second heat belonged to Fiscel as he' led from start to finish, ahead of Mark Robinson, Steve Boggs and local hotshoe Billy Hoffmiester. Fiscel was the first to drop the ham'mer at the start 'of the main event, and led We'rtz, Fike, Gibson, Strome, Hoffmiester and the rest of the field into the first turn. By mid race, Fiscel and Wertz held a slight margin over Fike, and by that time Strome and Hoffmiester had bumped Gibson down into sixth place. Although the finishing order was set, (Above) Jim Strome (24) leads Rick Flscel (53) in the 600cc Pro class during the VDTRA National Short Track at the Isanti County Fairgrounds In Cambridge, Minnesota. Fiscel passed Strome to take his first of three wins over the weekend. (Right) Fiscel (1) Is the defending VDTRA National Champion In the Open Pro Twins, class. After winning this heet, he went on to win the main on Saturday, and backed It up with another feature win at the IT on Sunday. turned the tables in the final, and led the charge into the first turn, with Strome, Isaacs, Snyder, Fike, and the rest of the pack in tow. But, for all practical purposes, the race for the win was over. "Jim (Strome) got another good start, but I held it on just a little bit longer going in," Fiscel said. "We were pretty much even during the race; in fact, I should have taken a couple more teeth off, because the bike sounded like the ignition' was cutting off going into turns one and three. The track had gotten that much faster since the heat race. I had it wound so, tight that it wouldn't go any further! Snyder performed a last-lap pass in turn one to steal third place from Isaacs at race's end. Fike raced to a fifth-place finish. II • (Left) Strome (24) derailed Fiscel's plans for a perfect four-out-of-four weekend by winning the 600cc Pro class IT feature at the Norsemen MC club grounds on Sunday.