Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AHRMA Speed & Sport Vintage Motocross Series STORY AND PHOTOS BY BoBBY sley Poole obviously liked the varied terrain of the Vintage circuit des igned by Lincoln Trail Motosports' Jean Ramsay. He tore up the track and the competition and left Casey, Illinois, with multiple class victories to his credit. Poole made the long trek from California a successful one , as he swept all six motos in the three classes he entered , capturing the Premier SOOcc Expert, Classic SOOcc Expert and Open Age Expert victories. The Classic SOOcc Expert class featured an epic battle between Poole and Minnesota rider Mark Skarpohl. The two riders were rarely more than a bikelength apart throughout the two motos. There were numerous occasions when Skarpohl pulled his CZ alongside Poole's rumbling Triumph, but he was unable to make a pass stick in either mota. Skarpohl's runner-up performance was even more impressive conside ring he had just competed in the Ove r 40 Expert class; he earned back-to-back runner-up overall finishes in his back-to -back classes. Skarpohl took the lead in the first Over 40 Expert mota, with Oscar Green, Tom Benolkin, Robert Green and Jeffrey Clark in tow. The running order remained the same until the third lap, when Skarpohl slid out , relinquishingthe lead - and, even tually, the mota win - to Benolkin. Skarpohl again blasted his CZ into the lead to start mota two . This time, he managed to stay at the head of the pack for the ent ire race . His unfortunate spill in the first mota cost him the overall, as the first- place trophy went to forme r professional motocross star Benolkin ( 1-2). Skarpohl was determined to score a class title. Whe n the Sportsman SOOcc Experts blasted off the line, he started in t hird place, behin d South Caro lina's Robe rt Neeley and Steve n Smith. Skarpohl motored past Smith on the sec ond lap and set out after Nee ley, who was maintaining a slight lead. Skarpo hl eventu ally caught Neeley, and he challenged fo r the lead for the next two laps until his front wheel slid out, costing him any chance of a fi rst-mota win, The sec on d-mota start featured another Neeley holeshot, followed by Wi M. DAVANPORT Skarpohl and Smith. Neely's Suzuki expired with motor problems before the first lap was complete, handing the lead to Skarpohl. The CZ rider went on take the mota win and the overall with 2-1 scores, over Steven Smith's 3-2 tally. Timothy Bonham showed that he had the talent to conquer the handling shortcomings of his legendary Suzuki TM400 , He harnessed the beast for a four-mota sweep of the Sportsman SOOcc Novice and Over 40 Novice classes, Jerry Grakauskas led much of the first Over 40 Novice mota before Bonham made the mota-winning pass late in the race. Bonham blasted into the lead in the second mota to take a wire-to-wire victory and the class champ ionship. The script for the Sportsman 500cc Novice class was basically the same , only this time it was Gary Ungbeck who led the first three laps of the first mota on his big-bore Kawasaki. Once Bonham passed Ungbeck, he held the lead for the remainder. Bonham never gave up the lead in mota two , earning his second championship of the day. The first Over 40 Intermediate motes began with a Dwight Rundle holeshot . His lead was short-lived, as he got out of shape in the water crossingbetween the first two turns. Gary Doza too k over the top position at that point and held it until the third lap, when J.D. Piper passed him to take the lead, which he maintained to the finish . The second mota was even more exciting. Ted Keating blasted a killer holeshot, but unfortunately he overcooked the second turn , handing the lead over to Piper. Keating and Pipe r exchanged the lead numerous times th roughout th e race . Piper use d his smooth riding techn ique and spee dy Maico to hold off Keating for the mota and class win. Joel Sakamo to made the voyage from California in order to ride his beauti ful Triumph to a two -mota sweep of the Sportsm an Op en Twin Inte rmed iate class, over Lindell Siler. Sakamoto also scored a second-m ota victory in the Classic 12Scc Intermed iate class on his equally spotless Bruce Husky. However, it was Rounsaville's 1-2 mota finishes that sealed that class win, over Sakamot o (4- 1). More than 2S0 riders enjoyed a wonderful day of Vintage racing. Sandy and Jean Ramsay and the Lincoln Trail Motosports crew provided a grand race venue. Everyone looks forwa rd to Casey eN in 2OOS! LINCOLN TRAil MaTOSPORTS CASEY, IWNOIS RESULTS: JUNE 13, 2004 (ROUND 8) PREM lJW NOV: I. Hichael Co/I;e,- (Han); 2. Neal $;etan (C ·A). SPTSMN 500 NOV, I. Trnothy Bonham (Suz); 2. Go')' Ungbeck (Kaw ); J. Thomas O ·Shesky (M.i ); 4. Glenn Neal (Hus); S. Chris Mincey (CZ). SPTSMN 500 INT: I. [)w;gh ' Rundle (H ";); 2. Don G'bbs (Ho' ); J . J.D. P'per (M.i) ; 4 . Bill Agardy (Hus); 5. J.T. Southern (H al). SPTSMN 500 EX : I. Hark SkMpohl (CZ) ; 2. Sleven Sm;th (Yam): J. Robert Neeley (Suz ); 4. Tab Estep (Kaw ). SPTSMN TW NOV: I. [);ck Veltman (Yam). www.cyclenews.com SPTSMN OPEN TW INT: I. Joel Sakamo 'o (Tn); 1 . Undell SlI r (Yam); J . Bob Kn'bb (8 SA). e SPTSHN OPEN TW EX: I. Chad Mcintosh (Tn); 2. John Huegel (Yam). WMN NOV: I. Oonna Kelley (CZ) ; 1. Gaye Nea l am) (Hus); J . Ann Barrow (Y ; 4. Amanda Griggs (CZ) ; 5. Tammy Ria heimer-Mooot (BSA ). OPEN AGE NOV: I. l 'm Kalb (Kaw); 1 . G

• Cover