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Speed & Sport/Pro-Flo National Vintage MX Series Round 2: Budds Creek MX Park f)intage C/{acers J:gve Cf3udds! Maico man Jimmy Jer1es topped the Over 50 Expert class at the second round of the Speed & Sport/Pro-Flo National Vintage MXSeries. By GORDON MCCAFFER PHOTOS BY ETECHPHOTO.COM BUDDS CREEK, MD, APR. 5 rtf HRMA National Pre- ] 975 Vintage eY- ~ MX returned to Budds Creek MX Park in southern Maryland, much to the delight of the racers and spectators in attendance. Budds is one of America's premier MX facilities, and it also hosts an AMA Pro National round. Budds has held Northeast/ Mid-Atlantic Regional Vintage MX events for years now, but for 2003, AHRMA's Dave Boydstun worked with Budds owner Jonathan Beasley to put together a first-class Vintage National event that went off as smoothly as clockwork. It's only fitting that a facility of this caliber be host to a National Vintage event that brings out the finest old iron and the people who love to have "fun on old wheels." It was obvious that a lot of time was spent grooming the track for the maximum enjoyment of the racers and their vintage MX bikes. Vintage racers generally like their tracks to be reminiscent of the racing surfaces for which their machines were designed to be ridden on. Budds fit the bill perfectly. One Maico rider reported that the wide track had no shortage of good lines. Vintage racers are an appreciative bunch, and this top-notch track preparation did not go unnoticed. The assortment of vintage machinery in the pits was a sight to see. Walking around, one could check out just about anything from an AJS to a Rickman/lundapp. One of the older machines on hand was the 1956 AJS ridden by David Murphy of Lima, New York. Murphy won both Premier 500cc Intermediate motos on this old thumper, while Tim Cicora of Jeff Smith was the victor In the Over. 60 Expert class at Budds Creek MX Park. 66 MAY 7, 2003' cue I e neVIl's Gaithersburg, Maryland, went 2-2 on his 1969 BSA. The "Premier" classes represent the oldest bikes in the sport of Vintage MX, which has era-based classes for motorcycles manufactured up to ] 974. The newest machines commonly found at AHRMA pre-1975 Vintage Nationals are entered in the "Sportsman" class. This would include Honda Elsinores, Maicos, Cls, Bultacos and others of the late pre-1975 era. "Classic" is the time period in between Premier and Sportsman. Many brands compete in the Classic era, both two- and fourstroke. Canada's Steve Tucker drove south to win both motos of the Classic 500cc Expert class aboard one of his very competitive BSA thumpers. Tucker is well-known on the AHRMA circuit for riding the old British iron very, very fast. Speaking of fast BSA riders, Jeff Smith was entered at Budds in the Over 60 Expert class, riding his ] 970 BSA. Smith is a two-time World Motocross Champion and former BSA factory rider. Smith went ] -] for the overall in this rider age group, while Ted Grabowski of Whitesboro, New York, went 2-2 for second place on his] 974 Penton, and Corky Root of St. Petersburg, Florida, went 3-3 for third on his] 974 Bultaco. Grabowski managed to keep Smith in his sights right to the checkered flag in moto two; in this class, that is quite an accomplishment! There was certainly no shortage of world-class MX talent at the Budds National. In addition to Smith, Jim "First American" Pomeroy was entered on a Sportsman-class Bultaco Pursang (what else?), courtesy of Bultaco Motorcycles of Craryville, New York. Pomeroy was the first American to win an individual MX Grand Prix event in Europe against the established stars of MX. The event was the ] 973 Spanish Grand Prix. This also happened to be Pomeroy's debut event on the GP circuit, for which he was rightfully proud. Pomeroy won the first Over 50 Expert moto at Budds, looking exceptionally smooth and deceivingly fast. Jimmy Jerles of lanesville, Ohio, was second on his Maico. In the second moto, there was a multibike crash a couple of turns after the start. Pomeroy went down and got going in last place, well behind the next-to-Iast rider. After almost two laps, he had worked his way up to third! He passed one more rider to finish second for the moto. Jerles took a well-deserved moto-two win, giving him the overall. Pomeroy's second overall, however, put him in the Over 50 Expert points lead for the National series. Alex Moroz, on a Rickman-Triumph David Murphy of Lima, New York, won both Premier 500cc Intennedlate motos in Budd's Creek. Maryland.