Toyota Trucks/Metro Racing Vintage Pro-Am
The date may have changed,
but the names are the same
PHOTOS BY CINDY HIU
e n some one w ho's
from the "old school"
thinks o f Rio Bravo
MX Park, they think of
Trans -Ams, Nati onals ,
mud races , humid weather, Kent Howerton, Steve Wise and ra bid fans. This year,
the Toyota Trucks fo urth an nual Texas
Vintage Pro -Am, prese nt ed by Metro
Racing a nd Hooters Restaurant s, w as
held at the famous course after many
weeks of re habilitation by the Evo-Sports
crew and a few very key people: Darrell
Pen ke rt , Jo hnny Fry and Dr. Rick and
Cindy Hill. to name a few. Many said it
cou ldn't be done; Rio was too far gone .
Well. it did happen, and it happened big.
The annu al big money Pro Vintage race
has been held for the last three years in
Tyler, Texas, at Swan Cycle Park, but this
year it was time for a change . The track,
many said, was awesome.
Many of the name s we re the same Marty Smith , Howerto n, Wise , Gary
Jones, Brian Myerscou gh, Don nie
Cantaloupt, Mike Bell - but the date was
2004. With an Evo Pro and Vintage Pro
purse of $4000 each . the fans we re guar antee d great racing.
T he Vintage Pros were first, and
How erton too k the start . followed by
Myersco ugh, Ron Pome roy. Jones and
Kirk Spe nce r. Howe rto n tried to shake
Myerscough. but the former Suzuki star
looked every bit as fast as the Rhinesto ne
Cowboy and actually started to probe for
a pass. While the forme r teammates did
batt le up front, Spe nce r, Pome roy and
Jones were having their own argument
over third. On lap three , Jones began having problems on his He ritage Cycles
YZ250 and slowed , allowing Spence r and
Pomeroy by; the n Evo -Spo rts Huskymounte d Bell decided that Vintage bikes
are fun and picked up the pace , joining the
fray. Bell was moving and wor ked his way
past Spenc er, while Pomeroy wen t out
with a mech anical problem. As the laps
counted down , Howerton pulled away
from Myers cough, who in turn had some
cushion ove r Bell and Spencer.
"I didn't want to push any faster,"
Howerton said. "Mye rsco ugh was right
there, and if he wanted it, he was going to
have to pick up the pace . I ride a lot, so
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