BACK ON THE TRACK@
BLACKHAWK FARMS RACEWAY
JULY 24-26 I hit the track
It's been too long, I'm glad to be back Yes, I'm loose From little use
I've been looking at the sky
2020 REHV MOTO AHRMA NATIONAL HISTORIC CUP ROADRACE SERIES
'Cause racing has been on stand-by Forget the hearse 'cause I never die I got nine lives Cat's eyes Abusin' every one of them as I pass by 'Cause I'm back Yes, I'm back Back on the track
WRITTEN BY: WES ORLOFF PHOTOS BY: IAN POKRIEFKA @ NVUS IMAGES
Adam Cramer & Nick Hargis in a SC3 Lost Era Sidecar get some lift in turn 3
The 2020 Rehv Moto AHRMA National Historic Roadrace Series made its long-awaited return to action (finally!) during their first visit to Blackhawk Farms Raceway—and it was worth the wait. The AHRMA roadrace circus rolled into the scrappy little track in South Beloit, Illinois, Thursday afternoon in late July after almost five months since any competitor had experienced the red mist; there was an anxiety and excitement that was palpable in the hot and humid Midwest air. Some of that excitement and anxiety was also due to the new COVID-19 world we all live in, which required social distancing and masks. I am happy to report that despite the new challenges 2020 has brought us, the attendees did a great job respecting each other and keeping everyone safe— even if we may have doubled our steps due to ‘The walk of shame’ to retrieve a forgotten mask for the riders meeting, bathroom, showers, etc. For some, the AHRMA weekend actually kicked off on Thursday as some of the local Chicago and Milwaukee
racers took part in Big Bob’s rescheduled (and well attended) vintage circus track day, hosted by Moto-Vid. Kathryn at Moto-Vid runs a great, well organized track day and is highly recommended. Official AHRMA practice started on Friday, and by the show of hands at the riders meeting, it was apparent this was the first time at Blackhawk for the majority of AHRMA racers. We also welcomed 10 new racers (eight solos and one sidecar team) into the AHRMA fold through the road racing school. Welcome to all! By the end of practice, most of the racers were coming to terms with Blackhawk, a tricky little track that rewards precision, but a great fit for a vintage bike in a park-like setting. Did I mention it was a hot weekend? High temperatures in the 90s along with similar humidity levels meant hydration was the order of the day. We also had heat advisory warnings on Saturday and Sunday—although certain tire vendors and southerly based AHRMA officials were chuckling at our Midwest definition of hot… All photos in spread by: Ian Pokriefka @ NVUS Images
10
WWW.AHRMA.ORG
AMERICAN HISTORIC RACING MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
