Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AHRMA Pre mier & Classic Vintage Motocross The Fa r m PHOTOS BY TERRY PRAn Those Golden Glory Days Down on The Farm By DORIAN SLEEPER CHEHALIS, WA, SEPT. 26 o r ks Pe rfo r ma nce Pro du ct s stepped u p again this year to sponsor the Ame rican Historic Racing Motorcycle Asso ciation's popular, non-paints-paying series fo r W the o lde st machines in it s Vintage racing pro- gra m. T hese bikes , which AHRMA provides (o r in its r ules structure and are re fe rred to as Premie r- and Classic-clas s mach ines . hail fro m the earlies t d ays of mot o c ross (o r scram bles , as it was called in England ) and are generally fro m the pre - 196S era. T he ma jority of these bikes are British four-stro ke s and t w o -st ro ke s. w it h a handful o f ot her les s popular but no le ss com petitive Europe an brand s. BSA, Trium ph , Mat chle ss , Gr e eve s, AJS. Jawa . Bultaco. O ssa and Metisse variants are som e of th e notab le ma rques. N atu r a l- t er ra in ci rc uit s are de signed ar o und these mach ines to repli cat e the o bstacles and cond itions of the era , and that is the bigge st draw for the riders, some of whom d rive long distances to compete. The Far m has become such a ve nue , thanks to the Gray family, wh ich each year invites AHRMA to its pr o perty, which features roc k-fr e e , ro lling pastures of green grass along the C he halis River. Dick Mann, with the help of ded icated event organizers Ed and Marlene Pa rso ns, generously donates his time to come and lay o ut a first- class racecourse. To top it o ff, perfect early fall weather greeted ride rs from ac ross the United States and Canada, totaling more than 140 en tries. Sunday 's motocros s was preceded o n Saturday night by a superb barbecue in t he old bam that dominates the venue . Th e standingroo m-on ly crowd enjoyed grea t food , great co mpany and side -sp litting sto ries from twotime World Motoc ross Cham pion Jeff Smith, as o nly he can t e ll th e m! T his Sat urd ay night shindig has be co me q uite the attrac tion and se lls out ea rly every year. Many come to this event not to race, but to attend the barbecue! One of the attractions of these Premier and Classic events is the laid-back atmosphere. The weekend is as much abo ut the old bikes as it is the competition. Sunday's racing started under cool , cloudy skies w ith the Premier SOOcc Experts . Matchless-BSA pilot Mike At kins recovered from a flrst-mo to fo urth to take first in moto two and the overall, ahead o f BSA-m ounted Steve Tucke r, w ho trave led all t he way fro m Quebec, Canada . Jim Cole put in ano ther excellent outing o n his way to the Expert ranks aboa rd his Chene yTrium ph, going 2- 1 for first ove rall in Pre mier SOOcc lnte r rne diate . ove r seco nd- placed AJS man Alan Moo re (3-4). Mann put in an ins pired ride on his BSA 25 0. handily win ning both motos of Pre mie r Lightweig ht , ahea d of Allen Wen zel's Villierspowered Francis-Barnett . Tucke r ma de the trip o ut fro m Q ue be c wor t hwhile by gating again in the highly competitive Over 50 Expert divisio n to do battle with Washingt o n's Ra nd y Sk iver. Alt hough Tucke r 's pace was quick , it wasn' t eno ugh to catch Skiver and his BSA on his home track . Skiver took the overall, going I- I to Tucker's 2- 2 finishes , wi th trial s ace Tom Street, piloting a rare Kawasaki-powered American Eagle, com ing home third. eN PREH OPEN TW EX : I. Ken Burn ingham (TrI-BSA); 2. Dann y Davies (BSA); l . Terry Hyde (Tri- BSA). PREH OPEN AG E INT: I . Jim Cole (Tri); 2. Larry Jones (Mat) . PREH OPEN AGE EX: I . Mike Atkins (Mat-BSA). ClSC 125 NOV: I. Charlie Branstett er (Hod) ; 2. Dave Gillett (CZ); l . David Wheeler (Bul). ClSC 115 INT: I. Steve Mitchell (Hod); 2. Fred Le Friec (OKW); l . Dave VVheIc IleI (Hus). C Ls e 125 EX: I. Randy Skiver (Pnd) : 2. Jay Lael (Hod): l . Dirk Murphy (Hus) . CLSC 150 NOV: I. J. Kevin Blackburn (CZ) ; 2. Debbie Poole (BSA). C LSC 25 0 INT: I. Kelly Prociw (CZ) ; 2. Kenn y Sykes (Gre): 3. Erik Gieruen (Bul). CL S C 25 0 EX : I. D ir k Murphy (Oss) ; 2. Tod d Stewart (AJS); 3. Ken Bu rningham (Tn- BSA). e LS e 500 NOV: I . Vern Von Dr.icek (BSA) eLSC 500 INT: I . Steve . Vasilauskus (AJS); 2. Kenny Sykes (Gre) ; l . Roger Landberg (Bur). ClSC 500 EX: 1_We5 Poole (BSA): 2. Steve Tucker (BSA); l . Randy Skiver (BSA). CLSe 60 + NOV: I. Ton y ; Hagger (Met) ; 2. Don Harris (AJS) 3. Glen Finnerin (BSA); 4. "'" Mann (&SA) 5. Dan HcCMthy (Hus). ClSC 60 + INT, ; I. Owieo Schank (Moi); 2. Chuck Bullwinkle (&SA) C LSC . 50 + NOV: I. Chuck Bradford (BSA). CLSC 50 + INT: I. Bill Downing (&SA) 2. Chm Kerbe- (Han) ; 3. DenM gcse ; (BSA). Clse 50 + EX: I. Randy Skiver (BSA); 2. Steve Tucke r (BSA); 3. To m St reet (AE). ClSC OP EN AG E N OV : I. C ha r lie Branstetter; 2. William Cappel (Mrk) . crsc O P EN AGE INT: I. Steve Vasilauskas (AJS); 2. Mark Mitma n (Ric) . CL S C OPE N AG E EX : I . Mike At kins (BSA); L Todd 5,ewort (Aj5). 50 + NO V; I. Urry Rot>e-u . 50 + INT; I. John VongoIIen (IlK); L Jody He mam.n (Mot); 3. Fred Mor k (EIO). 50 + EX : I. Steve Tuc ker (BSA); 2. Roben Donn (BSA); 3. RKhonl G;boney (Mot). 60 + NOV ; I. Ron War re n (BSA); 2. Duncan MacKinnon (BSA). 60 + IN T: I . Tom my McFarland (Tri- BSA); 2. Ron Predmore (Mat); 3. Ed Parsecs (BSA). 60 + EX : I. Dick Mann (BSA). BRIT 4- ST RK INT: I. Dean Newt on (BSA); 2. Dan Wdson (Tn ); 3. Harty Paulson (Mat). BRIT 4 -STRK EX : I. Wes Pool. (BSA); 2. D~1o> Nyblod (BSA); 3. Jeff Smnh (CCH); <. Rob Po ol e (BSA). VllLiERS -P WRD: I. Robert Borg (DO T). T HE FARM CHEHAUS, WASHINGTON RESUtTS: SEPTEMBER 26, 2004 PREH L/W NOV: 1.1- Kevin Blackburn (Jaw); 2. lMry Roben (CZ); 3. Mo. Cole (BSA). PREH lJW INT; I. Jim Co le (Hon) : 2. Reese De ngler (Jaw). PREH lIW EX : I. Dick Mann (BSA); 2. Allen Wenz el (F-B). PR EM ]50 INT: I. Marv Tryon (BSA). PREH 500 NOV: I. Debbie Poole (BSA); 2. Larry James (Mat) ; L Tim Mare k (BSA). PREM 500 INT: I. Jim Cole (TrI); 2. Alan Moore (AJS); 3. Ron Pred more (Mat); 4. Joh n Vangolen (Mat); S. Jon Wall (ArI). PREH 500 EX: I. Mike Atkins (Mat-BSA): 2. Steve Tucker (BSA); 3. Joh n Sawuhki (Mrk); 4. Dallas Nybl od (Met) ; S. Rob Poole (BSA). PREH O PEN TW INT; I. Jon W~I (Trl). Monork-mounted John Sawazhki (39E) holds oH BSA p ilot Steve Tucker (78) in the early la ps of the Premier 500cc Expert contest. Da llas Ny blod (2) leads fe llow BSA rider and eventual winner Wes Poole (5 7 ) in the British FourStroke Expert class. Costa Meso Speedway ~ !:! The Bullet Shoots to Season's :; ~ First Double Win b J: n, By ELAINE JONES COSTA MESA, CA, SEPT. 25 B Billy " The Bullet" Hamill was the first dauble main-event w inne r af the season a t Costa Mesa Speedway, tapping both the Scra tch and Handicap mains. 34 NOVEMBER 17,2004 • CYCLE NEWS illy "T he Bullet" Hamill made a stop on his way back to Swede n and became the first double winner of the se ason at Costa Mesa , topping both the Scratch and Handicap main events. The first Scratch semi saw the pole go to Randy "T he Rocket " DiFrancesco, w ith the Chris "The Kid" Manchester in two and Bobby " Boogaloo " Schwartz and Justin Boyle on the outside. Manchester autgated the field and led the qu ick four-lappet from start to finish. The battle for second (which would also transfer a r ider to t he main ) was much closer; DiFrancesca held it but lost it to Schwartz in a drag race to the checkered flag. DiFrancesco and Boyle would get another try in the lastchance qualifier. The second Scratch semi had Bryan Yarrow on the pole, with Dukie Ermolenko in two, Denny Scopellite in three and Hamill in four . Hamill took charge from the get-ga. Yarrow held off Ermolenko (or second. Ermolenko and Scopellite refueled for the lCQ. The lCQ was all Ermolenko's. even though DiFrancesco tried to de ra il him . Ermolenko would take the final spot in the Scratc h main. They rolled to the line to draw far starting gates . The pole went to Ermolenko, with 40th Anniversary

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