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Cal-Expo Vintage Mile National Eddie Mulder West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series Round 3: Cal-Expo Fairgrounds STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMEY BLUNT SACRAMENTO, CA, SEPT. 16 ne of the most highly anticipated Vintage extravaganzas of the year took place at Cal-Expo. Sacramento's answer to Del Mar had a concours d'elegance, a swap meet; and Vintage Mile racing, thanks to Chris Agajanian and SFX. What a difference a year makes. This year's track was "freeway perfect," due in no small part to the hard work of Terry Romero. Some 132 Vintage warriors pulled through the gates to find possibly the best mile track of the season, and this round of Eddie Mulder's Vintage Dirt Track Series began. This day saw only two repeat winners: White Pigeon, Michigan's David Atherton (Kevin's dad), and Greg Wilburn. In the eight-lap Barnett/C&J Racing Frames/Maxima Oil Senior main event, Atherton shot into the lead. Mountain View, California's Bob Scally and Redding, California's Charlie Higdon gave chase, though they never really posed any threat. At the completion of eight miles, Atherton took the first of his two wins. The Dodge Brothers/Saddleman/ Motion Pro Classic 500cc main was Atherton's second victory. This time, Harley-Davidson rider Chris Rudy followed Atherton home for second, while San Diego's own Gordon Menzie, on the sweet-sounding Royal Enfield, was third. The Vet class, which consists of riders 35 years of age or older on machines of their choosing, had so many entries that A and B mains were run. Wilburn, former National number 32, started his wins off in the Maxxis Tires/Megacycle Cam's Vet A main. Wilburn shot into the lead on a tricked-out 750cc Yamaha by Shell and never looked back. The only fight left on the track was between Bob "Crazy" Cobb, on another Shell Yamaha, and Pinon Hill's Jeff "Budweiser" Johnson. At the checkers, Wilburn was way out front, while Cobb held off Johnson for second. It was a Yamaha sweep. O 46 OCTOBER 17, 2001 • cue (Above) Greg Wilburn won the Vet A and Modem 750cc A contests at the Cal-Expo Vintage Mile National in Sacramento, California. (Above) Junta Kono (215) and John Lundgren (45E) do battle In the Open Amateur main event at the Cal-Expo Fairgrounds. Kono was victorious, over runner-up Eddie Mulder (12, left). In the Shelly Ward/Nesbit Insurance Vet B main, Scott Dunlavey of Lafayette, California, bested Donnie Darrah and Livermore, California's Terry Graham. The Modern 750cc class also had A and B mains, with riders earning their transfers via three heat races. The K&N Filters/Progressive Suspension 750cc A main saw leads changed, paint swapped, tires rubbed and dirt thrown. The very tired, sleepdeprived, overworked Mulder put The Shop's Harley-Davidson at the front from the get-go. Wilburn shot past Mulder and tried to check out, but Mulder and Paul Herman put up a fight. By halfway, Herman had taken over second, dropping Mulder back to third. Herman gave a valiant chase, (Right) Jeff Johnson (35) and Jeff Lessley (12E) went one-two in the Modem 750cc B main. and lapped traffic came into play, but Wilburn never relinquished the front spot, taking his second win. Herman and Mulder followed across the stripe. Northern California's Marshall Jennings was up to his old tricks in the Works Performance Super Senior main, getting the holeshot and the victory. After a spark-plug wire fell off in his 750cc heat race, Jeff Johnson was on a mission - to destroy the 750cc Bartels' Harley-Davidson/Oregon Cascade H20 Modern 750cc B main. Johnson put his 750cc Yam.aha at the front and pinned it, with Delano, California's Jeff Lessley chasing all the way. Dick Slusher was third. The JRC Engineering 500cc Support A main had the closest contest, all the way to the stripe, with a mere 18 inches deciding first from second. Bob Grant used the draft and took top honors over a close Shawn Raggio, with Matthew McCoy third. Junta Kono, Mulder and Jim Kesler swapped the lead throughout the first five laps of the ARD Igni- tions/ A&A Racing Open Amateur main. Kono finally made one of several passes on Mulder stick, but he still couldn't break free. Meanwhile, right behind Mulder was the persistent Kesler, who was riding smooth and smart, but he just couldn't get past Mulder. In the end it was Kono, Mulder and Kesler. Ray Hensley Jr. fought long and hard aU day, and despite many problems, it all paid off as he put his Yamaha on top of the box over Mike Riddell ~nd Mike Kibby in the Berkeley Yamaha 500cc Support B main. Dante D'Ambruoso won over John Lundgren in the Rod Lake Racing Modern 250cc Twins main. A&A Racing's Jim Abrams picked up the laurels in the Modern 250cc contest. DeWayne Jones showed everyone that (with a little help) a modern motocross bike can flat track as he bested Hurshel Myers and Abrams in the Brown's Cycles Open 250cc main. Gordon Menzie bested Rick Gill's AJS in the Dodge Brothers Dinosaur main. Immediately following the races there was the trophy presentation. Maxxis Tires sponsors the Eddie Mul- . der West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series, donating two or three dirt track tires per round to be given away at the trophy presentations (to those whose circumstances Mulder feels warrants it most). Products from the likes of A&A Racing, K&N Filters, Motion Pro, Progressive Suspension, and Oregon Cascade H20 were also given away; all participants came away winners. aI c.l-Exps Fsirgnunds SscrnasntII, c.lifomia Results: September 16, 2001 VET A: 1. Greg Wilburn; 2. Bob Cobb; 3. Jeff Johnson; 4. Keith Bradford; 5. Robert Hansen. VET B: 1. Scott Dunlavey; 2. Donnie Darrllh; 3. Terry Graham; 4. David Harness; 5. Mike Riddell. SR: I. David Atherton; 2. Bob Scally; 3. Cherlie Higdon; 4. Jim Manegan; 5. Marty Lewis. SR NOV/S/SR: 1. Marshall Jennings; 2. Elmer Riddle: 3. Sam Gray; 4. Doug Phelps; 5. Bob Gerberich. DINO: I. Gordon Menzie; 2. Rick Gill. CLSC 250; I. Tom Howes. CLSC 500: i. David Atherton; 2. Chris Rudy; 3. Gordon Menzie; 4. Bob Smith; 5. John Kent Jr. ft\DRN 250 lW: I. Dante D'Ambruo50; 2. John Lundgren. ft\DRN 250: 1. Jim Abrams; 2. Chris Geilruss; 3. Jim GoteJli. MORN 500: 1. John Lundgren; 2. Jim Monegan; 3. Tom Howes; 4. Bob Gerberich; 5. Henry Rivero. MDRN 750 A: 1. Greg Wilburn; 2. Paul Herman; 3. Eddie Mulder; 4. Bob Cobb; 5. Ken Thiebaud. MDRN 750 B: 1. Jeff Johnson; 2. Jeff Lessley; 3. Dick Slusher; 4. Carl DUores; 5. Robert Hansen. 250 OPEN: 1. DeWayne Jones; 2. Hurshel Myers; 3. Jim Abrams. 500 SOP A: 1. Bob Gran~ 2. Shawn Raggio; 3. Matthew McCoy; 4. Keith Bradford; 5. Jim Abrams. 500 saP B: 1. Ray Hensley Jr.; 2. Mike Riddell; 3. Mike Kibby; 4. Tyce Heebner; 5. Richard Harrington. OPEN AM: 1. Juntll Kono; 2. Eddie Mulder; 3. Jim Kesler, 4. Casey Yarrow; 5. Dante O'Ambruoso.