Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) Looking like a Harley-Davidson factory rider, Dave Scheffer rode to fourth Sportsman 250cc at AHRMA's Ocala dirt track. (Below) Proving that it's possible to combine high-tech and vintage, James Ellis rode this trick GRM to the Classic Expert win in the trial. Next was Classic 250cc, dominated by Mike Connell's Harley-Davidson Sprint. Behind the Iowa rider, Wendell Ware and class champ John Bova were contending for second. Although Bova got his Bultaco into second spot briefly, Sprint-riding Ware quickly moved ahead again and resisted his fellow Ohioan's repeated attempts to pass. After a first-lap incident caused a restart, Mike Metzler and his Triumph jumped to the head of the pack in Classic 500/750cc. But just as quickIy, he got loose in one of the turns and dropped several positions. Poirier took advantage of the miscue and grabbed the lead, creeping away as the race wore on. The focus turned to the four-way contest for second spot, and when the checkered flag ended the passing and repassing, Wills held the position over Metzler, Honda-riding Jim Oliver and Scott Fluck on a Triumph. In the first of the three rider-age classes, the Over 35 Veterans, Triumph-mounted Brian Eckhart held the lead from the second lap on. Zack Gorney briefly challenged the leader, but by race end had been displaced to third by David Bettencourt on a Yamaha. Gig Hamilton and his Maico snatched the lead in another restarted race - the Senior class - but behind him Californian Martin Lewis had his Triumph on the move. Coming out of turn four for the last time, Lewis got a better drive and took the checkered flag by a tiny margin. A close race for third went to Wayne Warrington, another Californian. Dirt track legend Ronnie Rail avoid picking up a single point in the process. Glinski rode the eight sections three times without putting a foot down once. The Bike Week round of AHRMA's national trials series attracted 75 entries, down about 20 from 1999's all-time high entry_Unlike last year, the skies remained bright and blue all day. Laid out on the fringes of an old quarry, the trial featured the usual Hardrock mix of rocks of all kinds; short, steep climbs and drops; and thick woods. Ohio's Dennis Brown was second and Hamilton. Sportsman 750cc went to Georgian Darrell Bryant, as Nick Taylor spent most of the race looking for a way around Frank Hardman, eventually finding it to take second. All three podium-finishers were on Yamahas. Yamaha-mounted Bryant also led for a time in Seventies Singles, but Nick Daniels dove underneath in turn one to take the lead and hang onto it, despite intense pressure from Bryant and John Bower Jr. eN Jackson motorsports Ocala, Florida Results: March 5, 2000 DINO: I. Booker Poirier (H~D): 2. Bena Rodi 3. George Wills (H-D): 4.Jerry Ficklin (Nor). ClSC 250: 1. Mike Connell (H-D); 2. Wendell Ware (H-D); 3. John Bova (But): 4. Kenny Thomas (Hen): 5. Frank Hardman (Yam). elSe 500/750: 1. Booker Poirier (H-D): 2. George WHls (H-D): 3. Mike Metzler (Tri); 4. Jim Oliver (Han): 5. Scott Fluck (Tri). SPTMN 250: I. Kenny Parker (Yam): 2. Booker Poirier (C-A); 3. Donnie Warf (Oss); 4. Dave Scheffer (H·D); 5. Leland Prewitt (Yam). SPTMN 600: 1. Bryan McKenna (Bul); 2. N. Quinton Bigalow (Yam); 3. Duwayne Montgomery (BSA); 4. Gig Hamilton (Mai): 5. John Hildebrand (Enf): (BSA). SPTMN 750; I. Darrell Bryant (Yam); 2. Nick Taylor (Yam); 3. Frank Hardman (Yam): 4. Zack Gorney (Yam); 5. John SkInner (Tri). '70s SNGlS: I. Nick Daniels (Yam); 2. Darrell Bryant (Han); 3. John Bower Jr. (Yam); 4. David Bettencourt (Yam); 5. John McClelland (Yam). VET: I. Brian Eckhart (Tri): 2. David Bettencourt (Yam); 3. Zack Gorney (Yam): 4. Stephen Nace (Bul); 5 N. Quinton Bigalow (Yam). SR: I. Martin Lewis (Tri); 2. Gig Hamilton (Mai): 3. Wayne Warrington (Tri): 4. Gary Brennan (Tri): 5. Duwayne Montgomery. S/SR: 1. Ronnie Rail (BSA): 2. Donald Bannerman (Tri): 3. Duane Spence (Hon): 4. Tom Hodges (Bul); 5. Charles Pickren (Hon). BRIEFLY••• Just a few short years ago. AHRMA officials were considering deleting the ClaSSIC 250cc class for lack of participation. That warnIng apparently turned things around. and now the 1968-and-earlier brakeless class is one of AHRMA's strongest. At Ocala there were enough entnes to require four heats and a pair of brought out a BSA B50 for the Over 60 Super Seniors and easily took the win ahead of Donald Bannerman. Kenny Parker and his Yamaha domi- semis to determine the field for the final. No one brand dominates the class. and at Ocala there were Harley Sprints. Bultacos. Hondas. Yamahas. Triumphs and BSAs. nated Sportsman 250cc. Donnie Warf led briefly late in the race, but the Ossa rider eventually was moved back to third by Poirier. Bultaco-riding Bryan McKenna went unchallenged in Sportsman 600cc as Quinton Bigalow earned second after scrapping with Duwayne Montgomery When AHRMA first came to this clay gokart track last year. the event was the vintage group's biggest-ever flat track. to Glinski in Premier Lightweight AHRMAISpeed & Sport National Vintage Trials Series: Round 2 Hardrock Cycle Park Intermediate, with just five marks. Trialsmaster Bob Ginder, aboard a James, took the Premier Lightweight Expert win over Triumph-riding Mike Parsley, dabbing just twice_ David Ellis ruled the large Modern Classic Glinski goes dabless Novice division (27 finishers), touching a foot just once on his first loop. Things weren't quite so easy for the Modern Classic Experts, who ride the most difficult of the four possible lines through each section. Harry Heilemann dropped 14 points for the By MATT BENSON This time the race attracted a few more competitors. for a total entry of 185. The little oval remained dust-free all evening, but turns two and three - in the shade through the afternoon - were slippery and caused numerous minor spills and red-flag restarts. OCALA, FL, MARCH 5 teve Glinski had a perfect day at Ocala, riding his Greeves not only to the Premier Lightweight Intermediate class win, but also managing to day, six on the first loop and four the other two times. But that was more than twice as good as Dan Brown and Charlie Roberts, who scored 30 and S G Y G I e n e vv s MARCH 22. 2000 57

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