Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ MOTOCROSS AHRMA West Regional Vintage Motocross Series: Round 4 e Nearly 200 riders turned out for the Steve McQueen Memorial Vintage MX in Oregon. McQueen Memorial Vintage MXwins to Derhammer, Ford By Clay Light EUGENE, OR, JUNE 14 ound Four of the AHRMA-West Regional Vintage Motocross Series, held at Eugene Raceway Park, saw Jon Derhammer and John Ford picking up wins in the 30+ Expert and Premier 500cc classes, respectively, to stand among 34 overall winners at the uophy presentation. Most presumed the weekend would be a total washout due to heavy rainfall over the three days prior to the event, but the skies cleared and the uack was near-perfect for the later races· in the first round and all of the second motos. Nearly 200 riders were on hand for the event which doubled as the annual Steve McQueen Memorial. The majority of riders were Californians, while others came from Washington, Oregon, Canada and as far away as !,!,evada. No one went away disappointed. The day's· racing program began with the combined 500cc class taking its turn to test the somewhat slick conditions. Maico-mounted Mike Menesini, Husky rider Ricky Bozarth and BSA jockey Dick Mann led the field into the first turn, but after this point, Bozarth, the former many-time desert and Oregon State Motocross Champion, totally dominnated the race. Menesini uailed Bozarth while Mann, who was running third, crashed and called it quits. Oregon's Bill Row, piloting a 1970 CZ 360, rode a magnificent race to settle into the top spot in the combined Amateur class, not far behind the R Expert duo. Bozart, making a rare vintage appearance, found the course to his liking, picking up the moto win. Second went Menesini's way, followed by Row's stunning performance at moto's end. Bozarth again jumped out in front of mota two and never looked back. Local rider Clay Light, also in the Expert class, ran second for a while until Row came from way back to overtake the CZ rider, who would drop back several more spots. Row rode another flawless ride, good for the Amateur class win, and Maico rider Chuck Standeford netted second in class after 4-2 showings. Husky rider Joe McCormick (3-3), Bultaco rider Gene. Boere (6-4) and Rocky Jawad (29) filled the lOp five overall. "I love this uack, I always have," said Mann, who didn't ride the second 500cc moto after his first moto get·off, "but I just didn't do the right things right. " Next came an equally exciting 125cc Sportsman race, which like most of the day's racing ran in Expert, Amateur and Novice configurations, using a two-wave start. Washington's Dallas Nyblood and Oregon's Stan Capps staged an all-out war the entire mota. Capps clawed his way to the top three after two laps, set up Scott Allen at the midway point, and set his sights on Nyblood. The two uaded leads throughout the final two laps, but at the finish it was Nyblood's Honda winning out by a wheel. Nyblood shot out in front of the second contest, but Capps was quick on the gas and set sail on his way to the checkered flag. He did, however, have Nann Bigelow and Dave Eakin, as well as Nyblood, breathing down his neck. Capps held on to win by a slim margin, but the incredible twist to the story was that Capps, an Amateur, beat all of the Pros. Nyblood uailed across the line for second, good for the Expert class win, followed by Allen, the second place Amateur, second Pro Bigelow, Eakin and Honda rider Mike Falcioni, third Amateur with 3-3 showings. Nyblood also holeshot the combined 250cc Sportsman class, once again Honda-mounted, but this tin: : he had his hands full with another nemesis, Bozarth. Bozarth, once by Nyblood, sailed off in pursuit of the checkered flag, while Nyblood did all he could do·to keep him in sight. Close behind Nyblood rode "Radical" Rod Kenmer, the former Four-Stroke National Champion, riding a Powroll Honda. Behind the uio rode Honda pilot Scott Russell, the Amateur winner, Pentonmounted Ted Bernert and Californian Toss Reynolds. Bozarth was once again in his usual position when the second moto was unleashed, and the competition could do little at all to stop him. Nyblood and Kenmer battled to spice up the race, while Amateurs Russell and Bertner crept up to within suiking distance of the Pro duo, who held their ground to finish 2-3 behind double overall winner Bozarth. "I had a lot of fun," said Bozarth. "I don't get a chance to do this type of thing (vintage racing), but I had a great time." Derhammer, the former Southern California CMC speedster of the early to mid '70's. showed up at Eugene this year aboard a Honda 350 thumper and was most likely the day's fastest rider. Now Jiving in Trail, Oregon, Derhammer, once a Wheelsmith Maico jockey, showed he's still got the speed, motoring to a first moto win in the +30 class after overtaking early leader Eakin and Maico-mounted Bigelow. Derhammer was clearly the runaway winner in the second moto after a clean holeshot, leaving Eakin and Bigelow to fight over second position, a spot which would eventually go to Bigelow after a late-moto pass. Derhammer capped off a I-I sweep for the win over Bigelow (3-2) and Eakin's 2-3 placings, . while Capps rode the wheels off his CZ to post a win in the Amateur class, not far behind the pros. McConnick (2-2), Russell (3-3), Dean Biddle (5·6) and BSA rider Mike Adkins filled the top five. One of the day's best battles came in the Premier 500cc class between brothers Pete and John Ford. Pete, riding the Expert class, and Amateur John uaded leads throughout the entire moto with John pushing his Vellocette to the limits to overtake Pete and pick up a win by a very slim margin. Pete Ford, Wayne Sumner and fellow BSA rider Ken Mareck rounded out the' top four. Pete Ford was a no-show in the second contest, leaving John with an all-too-easy win in the race. Mareck, of Redwood, California, put his BSA into second, where he'd finish for second place laurels in the class, edging Sumner, Steve Heaney and Eric Tucker. Row came back several races after his win in the 500cc Amateur class to do another disappearing act, this time in 40+ competition. Row, from nearby Spri~gfield, used his CZ to pick up his third and fourth moto wins for the day. He did have some pretty stiff competition in the form of Menesini and Pete Ford, among many others, but Row held on for a double mota win to earn what would be one of a very few double class honors for the day. Menesini finished second to Row after 2-2 placings, followed by KTM rider Greg Grouleff, who suffered a nasty mOlO-one get-off. Grouleff's 43 rides took home third brass, while Stockton's John Geer and Ford (3DNF) filled out the top five. In the Amateur portion, Jon Ojala, on possibly one of the nicest Pentons in the country, took top laurels back home to Tacoma after backing up his first mota second-place finish with a decisive moto two win to beat Rob Poole and Maico rider Jack Callinsky. In the Novice class, Oregon's Wade Clark rode a CZ to 1-1 showings ahead of John GuIlford, John Koch and Mike Lightfoot. Steve Monger rode his sano-Iooking Rickman-Triumph to victories in both Premier Open Twin matos, picking up the Expert· class win ahead of Danny Davis' Triumph and Grouleff, riding a Tribsa. Monger, who made the uek up from Bakersfield, held off Davis' moto-two antics for the win. In the Amateur portion, Heaney, riding a BSA, collected the overall win after getting around the HarleyDavidson of big Marsh Runyon, second place finisher after 2-2 rides; Matchless rider Gerald Roger took home third. The Novice class win went to Gary Bishop. Peter Crutenden posted a win in the Premier Lightweight class, beating moto two winner Allen Wenzel who rode a sano-looking Dot, and BSA rider Mike Green. The general feeling was that everyone on hand loved the uack. Most liked the Eugene event the best of all the AHRMA West races, and most vowed to be back next year! c;N" Results 50+ EX: l. Jon Derhammer (Hon); 2. Norm Bigelow (Han); 3. Dave Eakin (Han). 30+ AM: I. Stan Capps (CZ); 2. Joe McCormick (Hus); 3. Scoll Russell (Han); 4. Dean Biddle (CZ); 5. Mike Atkins (BSA). 30+ NOV: I. RogerClemeDl (Hus); 2. Mike Benson (Han). 500 EX: I. Ricky Bozarth (Hus); 2. Clay Light (CZ); 3. Mike Menesini (Mai). 500 AM: I. Bill Row (CZ); 2. Chuck Standeford (Mai); 3. Joe McCormick (Hus); 4. Gene Boere (Bul); 5. Rocky Jawad (Suz). 125 EX: 1. Dallas Nyblood (Han); 2. Norm Bigelow (Han); 3. Dave Eakin (Han). 125 AM: 1. Stan Capps (Han); 2. Scott Allen (Han); 3. Mike Falcioni (Han); 4. John Sanelle (Han); 5. Rod Kirkbride (Han). 125 NOV: 1. Russell Heck (Hus); 2. John Figas (Vam); S. John Gulllord (Ric). 250 EX: 1. Ricky Bozarth (Hus); 2. Dallas Nyblood (Han); S. Rod Kenlner (Pow). 250 AM: 1. ScOll Russell (Han); 2. Ted Bernerl (Pen); 3. Wes Hanson (Hus); 4. Toss Reynolds (Han); 5. Rick Ball (Han). 250 NOV: 1. Pele Silva (Han). 50+ EX: Dick Mann (BSA). 50+ AM: I. Rod Dnlson (KTM); 2. Chuck Standelord (Mai); 3. Wayne Sumner (BSA); 4. Ken Mareck (BSA); 5. Dick Sudham (Yam). 50+ NOV: 1. Joe Monger (Han); 2. Kay Mann (Oss); 3. Pele Silva (Tri). 40+ EX: 1. Bill Row (CZ); 2. Mike Menisini (CZ); '3. Greg Groulefl (KTM). . 40+ AM: 1. Jon Ojala (Pen); 2. Rob"poole (BSA); 3. Jack Callinsku (Mai); 4. Bill Crager (CZ); 5. Bob Stallard (BSA). 40+ NOV: I. Wade Clark (CZ); 2. John Gulllord (Man); 3. John Koch (BSA). PRE LTWT 2 NOV: I. Kay Mann (Oss). PRE LTWT 2 AM: 1. Rob Poole (BSA); 2. Jud Oshier (Hus); 3. Cady Callinsky (Oss). PRE LTWT AM: 1. Pete Crulenden (BSA); 2. Allen Wenzel (DOl); 3, Mike Green (BSA). PRE 500 2 NOV: I. Mike LightlOOI (Ric). PRE 500 2 AM: 1. Ken Mareck (BSA); 2. Virgil Elings (Duc); 3. Rod Kirkbride (BSA). PRE OPEN TW EXI 1. Steve Monger (Ric); 2. Danny Davis (Tri); S. Greg Groulell. PRE OPEN TW AM: 1. SIeve Heaney (BSA); 2. Marsh Runyon (H-D); 3. Gerald Rogers (Mat). PRE OPEN TW NOV: 1. Gary Bishop (BSA). OPEN TW AM: I. Marsh Runyon (H-D); 2. Bruce Williams (Tri); 3. Bill Rianda (Tri). OPEN TW NOV: I. Mike MolalOre (Tri); 2. Jim McEuin (Ri~). PRE 500 EX: 1. Pete Ford (BSA). PRE 500 AM: I. John Ford (Vel); 2. Ken Mareck (BSA); 3. Wayne Sumner (BSA); 4. Steve Heaney (I!SA); 5. Eric Tucker (BSA). PRE 500 NOV: 1. John Koch (BSA).

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