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AHRMAlThe Classic Motor CyclelMetro Racing Dirt Track Series Round 1 : Cross Roads Motorplex STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT BENSON JASPER,FL, FEB. 28 ike Week brings together talent from all corners of the country, and AHRMA's 2003 national dirt track season opener was no different as Jim Monegan came all the way from Twisp, Washington, and Lewis Woods fled the Glenmore, Pennsylvania, snow to win a pair of classes each on the Cross Roads Motorplex short track. Monegan's wins came in a superclose Sportsman 250 final as well as in Sportsman 600. Lewis, meanwhile, did his work in Veteran and then in Sportsman 750, wrestling a big twin around the tight oval. Some 150 entries turned out for the first of AHRMA's three scheduled Bike Week Nationals. The facility new to the vintage racing group this year - was immaculately maintained, but the banked red-clay go-kart track was quite narrow. As a result, the heats had a maximum of six bikes, forcing 28 qualifiers to get down to 10 finals plus a "B" main in the large Seventies Singles class. Fortunately, the red flag was thrown very few times through the night, and the program ran smoothly. Unfortunately. the narrow track made passing difficult, to say the least unless someone made a mistake and bobbled or ran too deep in a corner. Up to 12 riders were on the grid in the finals, making for little personal space out on the track. Sportsman 250 defined close racing in more than one way. John Lewis and Ron Bertrand shot to the front of the pack at the start of the six-lap final, only to see Bertrand drop off the groove and lose a place or two as Monegan and Leland Prewitt joined the front group. The four swapped positions continuously, with Monegan and Lewis crossing the line in a near photo finish. The scorers put Monegan first, with the Yamaha-mounted Lewis second, followed by the Bultacos of Bertrand and Tim Swain in third and fourth, respectively. Prewitt and his Triumph ended the race in fifth. B (Above) Jim Monegan (31M) leads John Lewis (11U) in the Sportsman 250 class, which Monegan won. Monegan won two races. (Below) Mike Metzler (51M), Tim Swain (26V), Wade O'Connor (27Z) and David Barr (18C) get ready to start the Classic 5001750 event. Metzler won, while Swain was the runner-up. Lewis Woods (76A) also doubled up. He won the Veteran and Sportsman 750 classes. It took three red flags before the Sportsman 600 race finally got going, and this one was Monegan's nearly from the green flag. Ohio rider Tom Morgan was there to keep Monegan from getting too comfortable, while Albert McRoberts finished third. The Over-35 Veteran class was a battle for the lead between Pennsylvanians Woods and Mike Scott, and Bertrand maintained a close third. Woods managed to keep the Yamaha-mounted Scott at bay, backing his Triumph as deep into the corners as anyone else this night. In Sportsman 750, it was Scott again chasing Woods to the finish. California's Martin Lewis put his Yamaha in third. Next to Sportsman 250, the closest final was Super Senior, where Coloradan William Burr rode a good deal of the race virtually side by side with lllinois rider Gary Brennan. Staying close enough to capitalize on an error by either of the leaders were Charles Pickren, Melvin Brown and Duwayne Montgomery. Unfortunately for those three, the mistake never came, and it was Burr grabbing the win over Brennan and Pickren among the 60-and-over set. In the other rider-age class, the 50plus Seniors, Martin Lewis and Monegan battled to the checkered flag, where Lewis picked up the win. A close third went to the event starter, Steve Nace, on a Honda single. The brakeless classes saw Mark Hawk keep his Harley Sprint out front from start to finish, pressured by Bultaco rider John Bova. Working his way up to third was Barry Baker, also on a Bultaco. Classic 500/750 saw Mike Metzler out front the entire race, while Craig Breckon brought his Triumph up to apply pressure to secondplace finisher Tim Swain. Breckon, meanwhile, got his win easily in Dinosaur over Beno Rodi's Enfield Indian. Mike Caves from Galesburg, illinois, led the Seventies Singles main cue I e the whole way, with pressure from Bertrand, Tommy Sisson and Guy Warner. All four were on Hondas. Due to the size of the class, a "B" main was also run, won by Yamaha-mounted Richard Reynolds. CN Cross Roads MotDrplex Jasper, Florida Results; February 28, 2003 (Round 11151 CLSC 250: I. Mark Hawk (H-D): 2. John Bova (Bul): 3. Barry Baker (Bul); 4. Mike Metzler (BSA); 5. Leland Prewitt (Tri). SR: 1. Mcrtin Lewis (Tri): 2. Jim Monegan (C-A): 3. Stephen Nace (Hon); 4. Melvin Brown (Tri): 5. Beno Rodi Clnd) VET: 1. Lewis Woods (Tri); 2. Mike Scott (Yam): 3. Ron Bertrand (Bul): 4. Walt Beute (Yam); 5. Albert McRoberts (Hon). DINO: 1. Craig Breckon (Tri); 2. Beno Rodi (lneI); 3. Bruce Argetsinger (Enf); 4. Charles Goman (Tri). SPTSMN 250: 1. Jim Monegan (C·A); 2. John Lewis (Yam); 3. Ron Bertrand (Bul); 4. Tim Swain (Bul): 5. Leland Prewitt (Tri). ClSC 500/750: I. Mike MeUler (BSA); 2. Tim Swain (Bul): 3. Craig Breckon (Tri); 4. Scott Fluck (TrI); 5. Wade O'Connor (BSA). SPTMN 600: 1. Jim Monegan (Cam): 2. Tom Morgan (Han); 3. Albert McRoberts (Han); 4. Ed Vtlilret (BSA); 5. Dennis Rich (Yam). S/SR: I. Willillm Burr (BSA); 2. Gary Brennan (Han); 3. Charles Pickren (Hon); 4. Melvin Brown (Tri); 5. Duwllyne Montgomery (Yam). SPTSMN 750: 1. Lewis Woods (Tri); 2. Mike Scott (Yam): 3. Martin Lewis (Trl); 4. Nick Taylor (Yam); 5. William Reynolds (Yern). '70S SGLS: 1. Mike Caves (Han); 2. Ron Bertrand (Hon); 3. Tommy Sisson (Han); 4. Guy Warner (Han); 5. Mark Hawk (Yam). n e _ s • MARCH 19, 2003 61