Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128127
Eddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series Round 4: Del Mar Fairgrounds Run_ay: Edeli. Mulder (12) blew....,. the VDTRA Pro M....r cIaa at his own event, round four of Eclclie Mulder's West Coast VIntage Dirt Track SerIes, held on the Del Mar Mile during SIItunIlIr's Concoura and Motorcycle Expo. STORY BY DOUG KARCHER AND ELLIOTT IVERSON PHOTOS BY DOUG KARCHER OU MAR, CA, OCT. 6 I!/! ddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage " " Dirt Track Series came to the Del Mar Motorcycle Fairgrounds as part 34 OCTOBER 24, 2001 • cue • • of the big Del Mar Motorcycle Weekend for round four in a five-race series, bringing not only an impressive stable of vintage and classic racing motorcycles but also some very fast, competitive and close racing. Racing got under way with the Senior class, sponsored by A&A Rac- n • _ s ing and ARD Ignitions, which saw riders age 50 and over competing on a variety of vintage twins. When the flag dropped, Dick Fox led Marty Lewis and David (father of Kevin) Atherton into turn one. Atherton, on a 750cc Norton in a Trackmaster frame, took the high line on turn two around Fox and Lewis to take over the lead and stretched that lead to a full straightaway by the finish. Second was Ron Moore, who had come from the middle of the pack to finish ahead of Marty Lewis. Next was the Senior Novice and Super Senior main, by Barnett Clutches and Dodge Brothers. Racing. After Ron Gold jumped the start and was sent to the back row, Marshall Jennings got the holeshot, with Mel Stoner and Moore following him into the first turn. Moore used the same move on Stoner and Jennings that Atherton had in the Senior main, going around the outside on two, and would also finish with a straightaway lead over the field on Harold Hanvey's 650cc Triumph. Survival was the most important factor in the K&N Filters and Maxima Oil Dinosaur class, which saw only half of the entrants finish the main. Nevertheless, Gordon Menzie turned some impressive laps on his 1939 Triumph 500 to take the class win. Tom Hensley, the only other finisher, claimed second. The Boardtrack Racers attracted more than their share of attention in the Maxxis Tire/Megacycle Camssponsored main. Eddie Castro cruised to the win aboard Jim Lattin's 1924 Boardtracker, followed by Bill Lattin, Michael Lange, Evan Kunes and Fred Lange, all on rare '20s-era Boardtrackers. The Vintage Dirt Track Racing Association (VDTRA) fielded three Pro classes, all sponsored by Digger Helm, Progressive Suspension, Grand Prix Plastics and Diversified Body and Paint. These Premier classes featured some of the fastest racing of the day. In the VDTRA Pro Masters main, Eddie Mulder took the holeshot on his Jim Telly-prepped, C&J-framed '76 XR 750 Harley, followed into turn one by Tom Horton, David Atherton and John Jeffries. Mulder, turning laps a full second and a half faster than the rest of the field, stretched it out for a comfortable lead at the checkers over Horton, whose bike sounded like it was coming apart at the end as he narrowly held off Atherton. Jeffries and Roger Johnson rounded out the top five. In the VDTRA Pro 600 class, Kit Farley got the holeshot over Ricky Henson, Steve Nichols, Jim Steet and Jeffries. Henson, on '74 500cc Yamaha, took over the lead on lap one and held on to the finish, as Nichols took second from Farley, followed by Steet, Hardman and Johnson. Horton and Jeff Johnson got off the line in the VDTRA Open Pro Twin main and ran side by side all the way around on the opening lap. Then Johnson began to pull away, over lead as they started down the front straight, only to have Horton take it