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/128181
WMN NOV: 1. Carolyn Kaub'. (Hon). 40. NOV: I. Q@()rge Kutskel (HuI). 40. If'O': 1. Kim Kline (Mal); 2. Bryon Dalley (Han); 3. BlII Eyler (C-A); 4. Scott Campbell (Mal). 40. EX: 1. Benny Durrough (Mal); 2. Ed Shaefer (Mal): 3. Tom Shaefer (Maj). SO. NOV: 1. George Wilenskl (Maj). so. lNT; 1. Ron Meshurel (Yem); 2. Joe Lennert (Yam); 3. Fred Kostenbader (Mal); 4. Theron Warren (Mal). so. EX: 1. Alex Mol'Ol (Mal); 2. Ted Grabowski (Mal): 3. Corky Root (Bul). OPEN AGE NOV: 1. A1ex Carrillo (Hen): 2. fo'tlke Heath (HUI). OPEN AGE lNT: 1. Dave Kutskel (Yam): 2. Thor Lawson (Han). International Old-Timers Series Round 11: Las Vegas Motor Speedway A Fleet Armada Sails to Victory By GENE HIGGINBOTHAM Evansville Raceway: Kim Kline crests one of Berwick's large uphills en route to the Over 40 Intermediate class at round nine of the Northwest Maico/CZ Post-Vlntage MX National Series In Berwick, Pennsylvania. Northwest Maico/CI Post-Vintage MX National Series: Round 9of 11: Evansville Raceway The Battle for Ber1ft1ick By GORDON MCCAFFER BERWICK, PA, OCT. 6 The Northwest Maico & CZ Post-Vintage MX Series had its Northeast round in Berwick, Pennsylvania; the day also included a Northeast Regional points event for the pre-1975 machines. A variety of classes from the different eras brought out some awesome machinery. Berwick's Evansville Raceway has been the site of Vintage Nationals for several years, and 2002 was the second year that the PostVintage National riders have had the opportunity to tackle this hilly patch of countryside. Competitors traveled from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, Georgia and Canada to garner points in their championship quests. One such rider was Ben Wanke of White Lake, Michigan. Wanke raced an AHRMA event in his home region the day before, then traveled some 16 hours to make it to Berwick! He managed second place in the Gran Prix 250cc Intermediate class, aboard his 1978 YZ250, with 2-3 moto finishes. Steve Isenhour of Baltimore won both motos of this division for first overall. Virginian Thor Lawson was a very close third, with 4-2 finishes. Isenhour and Lawson both ride Honda CRF250Rs, a popular bike in this class. Some Team Honda riders actually raced production-based 250Rs back then, a testament to the competitiveness of this model! Every big race has a bad-luck story. Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, things just don't go your way. Such was the case for Tom Schaefer of Cranbury, New Jersey. Schaefer rides a Maico in the Gran Prix 500cc class. He's one of the best in the Northeast. In practice, he noticed his clutch was slipping. He had a spare clutch packed in with his supplies but, due to the race order, he didn't have time to do the swap. In the first moto, he nursed the bike around the track and was able to finish. Due to the large number of entries, the pace of the day was a little hectic and a little confusing at times. Schaefer got to the line a little late for his second moto; the gate had already dropped. However, Tom's cousin and fellow Majco man Ed Schaefer took the overall with consistent 2-2 finishes. The first-mota winner was Maico·mounted David Percarpio, who went 1-5 for third overall, and the second·moto winner was KTM pilot Joe Brillo, who went 5-1 for second overall. The racing was especially intense in the Over 40 class. Kim Kline of Middlebury, Penn- 32 NOVEMBER 20, 2002' s: Us:. sylvania, won the first moto. Honda rider Bryon Dailey of Hungry Hill Vintage MX Racing (a Northeast Series sponsor) was second. Third went to Bill Eyler of Westminster, Maryland. Dailey, knowing he could still win the overall, was ready for the second moto; he timed the gate drop perfectly and pulled off what turned out to be the most convincing holeshot of the day - halfway down the chute, Dailey knew it was his! He later commented that as he was entering the first tum, there was an eerie silence; he couldn't hear the rest of the pack behind him - and that, my friends, is a holeshot. However, Kim Kline was in hot pursuit, pushing his Maico hard. He eventually passed the Honda rider and took the overall. The quality of the racing iron at Berwick was impressive. Eric Betzenberger (D.k.a. "The Couchburner of Unadilla" - don't ask) raced an all-white Suzuki RM370 in Historic 500cc Expert competition. Betzenberger hails from Slatington, Pennsylvania, not far from Boyesen Engineering. His RM was purchased from Eyvind Boyesen and was a former test subject for new product development - very cool indeed! One of the main sponsors of AHRMA motocross in the Northeast, Pro-Flo Motorcycle Performance Products, supplied a pair of Thor T -20 MX boots and an AFX helmet. These, along with more goodies, were raffled off to racers at the awards presentation. Ron Meshurel won the boots, and Lawson took home the helmet. Post-Vintage motocross is rapidly gaining in popularity. Those who have one of these bikes sitting in the shed or in the basement at Mom's house should come on out and join in the fun. Parts are available, and the fun-perdollar factor is very good! See you all at the Northeast Post-Vintage National next year! LAS VEGAS, NV, OCT. 12-13 The Southem Nevada chapter hosted a great event in the huge speedway complex just north of Las Vegas. Chapter president Bert Minchow and sidekick Rick Polson, together with BeTt's hard-working, attractive wife, Wendy, made sign-up and all other event activity go smoothly, as usual. The track was long and fast, with plenty of challenging but safe jumps. The points chasers looking for the championship in their respective classes were out in force to do battle during the two-day, five-mota event. Cool but windy weather on Saturday created a challenge for the trackprep team. Sunday dawned with absolutely perfect conditions, allowing the track to remain tacky (rather than muddy) and fast. All the Old-Timers appreciated the efforts of finish-line flagger Annie Goodwin, who cheered everyone on, every lap. Jerry Winkelbauer from the Sierra chapter needed a few more points in the Over 50 Amateur class to wrap up the championship and earn the honor of running the numberplate next season. Oregonian John Meusling came to either take the championship himself or at least keep Winkel bauer honest. However, it was Jimmy Lavorci of Riverside who pushed Winkelbauer the most, though Winkel bauer won four of the five motos and placed second in the other one. Lavorci was consistent with overall points but a distant second. Meusling had difficulties with the track at times and ended up third overall for the weekend. Winkelbauer clinched the championship with one race remaining, and he will be number one next year. The Reno chapter's Bill Heller continued his domination of the Over 60 Amateur class by taking the wins in all four of his motos, while Dennis Tooman from the L.A. chapter and Leroy "Goofy" Francard of the Idaho chapter were in a tight race for second overall. Tooman just nipped Francard for the secondplace honors. The Sierra chapter's Don McKenzie, on his brand-new RM125 Suzuki, clinched the championship in the Over 70 Amateurs and the number-one plate for next season by winning four for four, over Riverside's Bob Alloy, who had consistent second-place finishes. Washington's Dan McCarthy and the Sierra chapter's Norm Armstrong kept them both honest. In the Over 60 Experts class, L.A.'s Gary Willison and Riverside's George Spearing found the Las Vegas track to be similar to the L.A.-area-style tracks (lots of jumps and some doubles) and very much to their liking. Willison made scoring him simple with four out of four mota wins. Spearing and Sierra's Carl Bowling dueled to a tie through the third moto, with Spearing taking the final moto, over Bowling, for the overall second position. The Over 70 Expert class was rejoined this race by Sierra's Gene "Higgi" Higginbotham, who had some sore ribs, a pulled hamstring, etc., from earlier events. Suspension problems were also part of the diagnosis for hjs fajlure to beat Sierra's Tony Armada since the Marysville series last May. Now that he is healed from his injuries and has also gotten a fantastic suspension job on his DRZ400 by MSR's Steve Machado, Higgi expected to come back and clean house. It made no difference in the results. Armada had his serious face on and rode like the champion he is. In spite of holeshots on Saturday by Sierra's Johnnie Hall and holeshots on Sunday by Higgi, Armada just blasted through them both and ended the motos with commanding leads. Higgi was able to hold him off, but not for long, when it came to the double jumps. Armada mentally measured them and cleared them, while Higgi measured them and singled them (apparently thinking about his recent ribs issue). In the final moto on Sunday. Armada said he was determined not to let Higgi get the holeshot again - and promptly got stuck in the starting gate. It nearly cost him the overall, but he managed to take second, behind Higgi, who was riding as though the hounds of hell were after him, expecting to be passed at any moment. Finally looking back, Higgi saw that he could relax some and Evansville Raceway Berwick, Pennsylvania Results: October 6, 2002 (Round 9 of 1 n HSTRC 125 NOV: 1. Alex Carrillo (Hon). HSTRC 125 INT: I. Bruce ROU!I.llvUle (Sw.). HSTRC 250 EX: 1. Pete PlleskJ (Hus): 2. Corky Root (Bul). HSTRC!SOO EX: 1. ErIc: Betzenberger (Suz). HSTRC 4-STRK INT: I. Joe Kelly (Hon). GP 125 If'O': 1. Bob Geiser (KTM); 2. Bob Whitworth (Kaw). CiP 125 EX: 1. Terry McDonnell (Hus). CiP 250 1l"lT: I. Steve Isenhour (Hon); 2. Ben Wanke (Yem); 3. Thor Lalllson (Hon): 4. BUI Eyler (C·AI:!i. Bob Whitworth (Kalil). CiP !SOO NOV: 1. fo'tlke HOlIth (Hus); 2. Theron Warren (Mai); 3. George Kutskel (Hus). CiP sao INT; I. Ron Meshurel (Yam); 2. David Kutskel (Vam); 3. Fred Kostenb6der (Mai): 4. Scott Campbell (Mal). CiP!SOO EX: 1. Ed Shaefer (Mal); 2. Joe Brillo (KTM); 3. David Percarpio (Mai): 4. David Hurley (KT"'); 5. Benny Dunou;h (Mai). e neVIl's Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Jerry Wlnkelbauer of the Sierra chapter Is on his way to the overall victory In the Over 50 Amateur class at the penultimate round of the International Old-Timers Series, In Las Vegas, Nevada. Wlnkelbauer clinched the class championship for the season.