Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Eddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series Round 2: Tulare Cycle Park I • Donnie Harrell won the Pro 600cc main event at round two of Eddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series in Tulare, California. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMEY BLUNT TULARE, CA, MAY 11 nl J hat better way to spend MothVV er's Day than with the family at the racetrack! To celebrate, all the moms in attendance at round two of Eddie Mulder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series received a beautiful, long-stemmed rose, courtesy of promoters Eddie and Jodi Mulder. The skies were clear, with temperatures in the upper 70s. A new Maxxis Tires/A&A Racing EZ-Up in the infield shaded the scorers facing the front straightaway of the wellgroomed quarter-mile of Tulare Cycle Park. The first of 17 heat races staged at high noon, and immediately following an intermission for track grooming, the main events got under way. The Vet class gets larger at every race, so A and B mains had to be run, with the highest-placing heatrace finishers transferring to the A main. Running in the Maxima Oils B main, Craig Haas jumped out front, followed by Jim Ottele and Robert Hansen. Rod Lake started on the third row, but by the completion of one lap he was already in fifth and charging. On lap two, Lake moved all the way up to second. Haas, meanwhile, was trying to get away at the front, but almost a full straight over Wilburn, with Firanzi third and Frank Aragaki fourth. Chris Rudy, on a 1957 HarleyDavidson, pulled the holeshot in the Barnett Classic 500cc main, followed by David Brown, on a 1962 BSA Goldstar, and Jeff Lessley, on the only two-stroke in the race, a 1967 Bultaco. On the second lap, Lessley got by Brown for second. Meanwhile, 500cc Triumph rider Jeff Apple was charging from back in the pack, and by the fifth lap he'd taken the lead. Rudy's high line was going away as the track dried out, and he was now bein9 pressured by Brown. Down the back chute, Brown pulled alongside Rudy and took over second. Rudy bobbled the next time through turn two and let Jeff Apple move up to The Motion Pro Modern 750cc class is always a war. Round one's main winner, Greg Wilburn, was set to battle Paul Herman once more. Wilburn led the pack into turn one, but Herman put a wheel underneath him and took the lead away exiting turn two. Donnie Harrell, riding a beautiful 750cc Yamaha belonging to Derek McCowan, ran third, with Robert Hansen fourth. After two laps, Herman was ahead of Wilburn by three bikelengths. Six lengths behind Wilburn was Harrell. The front three were already gapping the rest of the pack. Bob Scally took fourth, and that's how they finished. Both Herman and Wilburn leave tied for the series' lead, with one victory each. After a fierce heat- race battle between Ian Foulds and Josh Ritchie, the stage was set in the K&N Filters/Saddlemen Open Amateur main. Foulds, riding Richard Pollock's Honda, burst to the front, followed by Ritchie and Lake. Two laps in, Foulds had stretched out a seven-bikelength (Left) Frankie Garcia (24G) goes under Lauren Wallace (64W) coming out of Tulare Cycle Park's tum four en route to the Youth aocc main-event victory. (Below) Paul Herman rides his Triumph to the Modem 750cc main-event win. Lake was way too fast, and he shot third. At the finish the order was past Haas exiting turn two on the Lessley, Brown, Apple, and early third lap. Lake put in 20.48-second lap times en route to the victory. leader Rudy fourth. Manuel Jimenez took a tumble at In the Vet A main, presented by the start of the Kawasaki of Simi Val- Yamaha Motor Corporation, Honda rider Mike Vital get the jump on Greg ley 60cc main, but he was okay and ready for a full restart. Jess Garcia, who'd finished second to Jimenez at Wilburn and Richard Pollock. Vital ran lap times of 20 seconds flat, while the rest gave chase. By the second lap, series sponsor KLH Racing's Rusty round one, had an answer for Jimenez this time. Garcia jumped out front and never looked back. At the finish, it was Garcia, Jiminez and Firanzi had worked his way into third. At the checkered flag, it was Vital by 66 JUNE 11, 2003' ... U ... I Pauly Herman. e neVlrs cushion. Lake took second from Ritchie on lap four. Foulds, turning a best lap of 19.8 seconds, held on for the victory, with Lake closing to within two bikelengths for second. The Digger Helm Pro 600cc event had 13 riders staged for the 15-lap main. Donnie Harrell shot off the line and established a six-bikelength lead by the end of the back straight. Herman ran second. Round-one winner Jimmy Wood was fifth. By lap two, Wood, on the C&J Honda, was third, but getting past Herman would be another matter. Meanwhile, Harrell kept pulling away. Twelve laps in, Wood finally passed Herman and set his sights on Harrell, but with 2 1/2 laps remaining, Wood needed to make up a full straight. By the checkers, Wood had closed to within two bikelengths, but Harrell did just what he needed to do to win. Wood took second, with Herman third. CN Tulare Cycle P8Itl Tulare, California Results: May 11, 2003 [Round 21 VTH 60: 1. Jess Garcia; 2. Manuel Jimenez III; 3. Pauly Herman. YTH 80: I. Frankie Garcia; 2. Devon Booher; 3. Lauren Wallace. DINO: 1. Marsh Runyon; 2. Terry Salsman. eLse 250: 1. Ron Lessley; 2. Todd Vaughn; 3. John Frank. elSe 500: J. Jeff Lessley; 2. David Brown; 3. Jeff Apple. M.ORN 250: 1. John Lundgren; 2. Steve Ferguson: 3. Malcolm Roe. M.ORN 500: I. Jeff Lessley; 2. Derek McCowan: 3. Gary Swan. M.ORN 750: 1. Paul Herman; 2. Greg Wilburn; 3. Donnie Harrell. 250 OPEN: I. Manuel Jimenez Jr.: 2. Ian Foulds; 3. Frankie Garcia. 500 sap: I. David Brown; 2. Rod Lake; 3. Jeff Gonzales. OPEN AM.: I. Ian Foulds; 2. Rod Lake; 3. Josh Ritchie. PRO 600: I. Donnie Harrell: 2. Jimmy Wood; 3. Paul Herman. VET A: 1. Mike Vital; 2. Greg Wilbum; 3. Rusty Firanzi. VET B: 1. Rod Lake; 2. Crllig Haas: 3. Jim Ottele. SR: I. Marty Lewis; 2. Bob Scally; 3. Bill Flett. SR NOV/ S/SR: 1. Sam Gray; 2. AI Ludwigsen: 3. Clark Edgington.

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