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/128325
A HRMA The Classic Motorcycle/Met r o Racing Dirt Track Se r ies By RON W INGET PHOTOS BY SPOT-ON P HOTO -it h an offer to admit racers free of charge. AHRMA hosted round four of the 21 -race The Classic Motorcycle/Metro Racing Dirt Track Series at Hollywood Hills Speedway near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Hollywood Hills Speedway is a new facility, comprising a three-eight hsmile dirt track and a 10,OOO-seat grandstand, complete with sky bo xes and all the necessary amenities. It was built on t he Pueb lo Indian Reservation as an e xtension of the Hollywood Hills Casino complex. It was designed for sprint car and stock car racing, but it is well suited for motorcycle racing as well. One of the first classes to run was Supe r Senior. This class is made up of riders aged 60 or older on any Sportsman-eligible machine . Mickey Alzola won both the heat race and the ma in, but it was not a piece of cake. Bill Burr got the holeshot in the main but lost pos itions to Gary Brennen and Alzola by the third lap. Alzola took the high line, and Brennen took t he low line on this banked track. Alzola was finally victorious, wit h Brennen finishing in second and Burr in third . Spectators are often surprised to learn the age of these very fit gentlemen . While racing , they give little hint of their seniority. But listen to their comments in the pits and they sometimes revea l their age . For e xample. Norm Gruber, age 72, was startled when his Trium ph fired off because "I forgot to turn down my hearing aid." And Gary Brennen, age 62 , W adm itted t hat he had surgery sched uled that com ing Wednesday when "T hey're go nna lay 'er out on my chest where they can work it over." He was talking about his heart as if it were an Ama l Concentric carburetor. The Senior class is similar and is made up of riders aged 50 or older, and this day included Eddie Mulder. a five-time AMA Grand Nat ional race winner. The main event was restarted three times. The first time, Mulder jumped the start and was directed to the pena lty line. During the next start Mickey Alzola's clutch failed , causing his bike to jump the start. The third start was the charm , and Jim Monegan pulled the ho leshot. He worked valiant ly to hold off David Isley and Mulder. By the third lap Mulder go t around them both and was unstoppable. At the finish line it was Mulder in first, Monega n in second, Alzola in third , and Isley in fo urt h. Alzola was out again in Sportsman 600, which is made up of 1974 and earlier machines 251-600cc. In the heat and the main Monegan was into turn one first, followed by Brad Nicks. Alzola fought race- long with Frank Hardman for th ird, elbow to elbow, the two matching skill and horsepower, lap after lap. In the end it was Monegan, Nicks , Alzola and Hardman . Jac Donald earned special mention he re, more for his unique motorcycle than for his fifthplace finishing position. Donald was aboard a Yamaha TA-3S0 twin , and the high RPM wail o f that sweet little twostroke was a crowd pleaser. The '70s Singles class, made up of late 1970s-era 500cc four -stroke singlecylinder mo torcycles , is always one of the more dynamic dirt track classes, and at Ho llywood Hills it was no e xception. Mike Caves pulled the ho leshot in the heat race, holding off the valiant efforts of Monegan . who finished second . In the main, Monegan reached turn one in the lead and pulled away fro m the pack to win. But the real race was behind him, where Caves, Frank Hardman and Paul Covert raced the entire eight laps so close you cou ld have hit t hem all with a fly swatter. There were no position changes, but not due to a lack of effort from any of the three. In the end it was Monega n, Caves, Har dman and Covert, in that order. Hollywood Hills Speedway has asked AHRMA to return in 200S. during t he next Sand ia Classic for a night race under halogen lights. This track an d sta- www.cyclenews.com d ium appear to have great potential for AHRMA vintage dirt track racing. eN HOLLYWOOD HILLS SPEEDWAY ALBUQ UERQUE N EW MEXICO R ESULTS: M AY 2, 20 04 RO UND I 4) DI NO: I . George Wi lls (H-D); 2. Benc Rodi (RoE). SR: I . Eddie Mulder (Tn) ; 2. Jim Monegan (Han ): 3. Mickey Alzola (Tri); 4. David Isley (Tn); 5. Dave Che ney (Tn). $/SR: I. Micke y Alzo la (Tn); 2. Gary Brennen (Tri); 3. William Burr (BSA): 4. Sam Gra y (Yam); 5. Norman Grober (Tri). ' 70 5 2 ·ST RK: I. Jim Monegan (C·A); 2. Donn ie Warf (C·A) . ' 70S SGL: I. Jim Monegan (Ha n); 2. Mike Caves (Han ); 3. Frank Hardman (Y am); 4. Paul Covert (Han ); 5. D onald Ro unds (Yam). ctsc 250: I. Fra nk Hard man (H-D); 2. Kevin De ubach (H· D). ClSC 500: I. Geo rge Wills (H-D); 2. Bene Rod i (SS A). SPTSMN 600: I. Jim Monegan (Ha n); 2. Brad Nicks (He n): 3. Mickel A1zola (BSA); 4 . Frank Hard man (Hon); 5. Jac Donald (Yam). SPTS MN 7 5 0: I. [ac Do nald (Yam); 2. Frank Hard man (Y am); 3. David Isley (Tri); 4. Dave C hen ey (Tri); S. Bill Co bb (Y ). am CYCL E N EW S • MAY 26,2004 61