AHRMA MAG March-April 2023, Vol. No. 5, Issue No. 3

welcome to the AHRMA Mag

EDITOR

Steph Vetterly ahrmamag@ahrma.org

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Arthur Kowitz, Paula Kyle-Stephens, Jim Doyle, Richard Brodock, Nick Ienatsch, Steph Vetterly, Mitch Boehm, AMA, William Robinson

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS

OXYmoron Photography, etechphoto.com, Sharon Bean, Dave Friedman / Don Emde Collection, Superbike Photography, Paula KyleStephens, Mike Gorrono, Steph Vetterly, Moe Photography, Eddie Rapidphoto, Nick Ienatsch, Speedwerks, TheSBimage.com, MotorcycleClassics.com, Alex McLean, Kevin McIntosh, Jim Dohms

ADVERTISING

Jim Doyle jim.doyle@ahrma.org

PUBLISHER

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association

ADDRESS

8913 Town and Country Circle #1093 Knoxville, TN 37923

PHONE

888-41AHRMA

(888) 412-4762

COVER -

(L-R) Nobby Clark, Alex McLean, Cindy McLean standing behind a 1937 Norton Manx, aka “The Old Boy;” Champagne Bob Racing, 2015 Daytona.

Photo courtesy of Cindy McLean

AHRMA MAG is published ten times a year by the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American copyright conventions. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. AHRMA MAG is printed in the United States of America. The articles contained in this magazine are works of journalism and do not represent the opinions or ideas of AHRMA MAG. AHRMA MAG and the publisher assume no responsibility for the content of advertisements. While we welcome submissions, the magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Please do not send originals.

from the editor

As I write this, the racing season has already begun. Be sure to keep an eye out in our May issue for some insight on the first of the racing action for 2023.

For this issue, however, we wanted to take a different approach, focusing more on the bikes and people in AHRMA. We take a look at what some of our members are doing during their off-season, get an inside look at the 1937 Norton Manx raced by Alex McLean, and talk with Becky Hayes as she looks to retire from her Cross Country Coordinator position at the end of this season.

Moving forward, I want to continue focusing on these aspects of AHRMA. While I love a good race report as much as the next person, it’s the people and the bikes that make this organization great, and what better place to showcase them?

I’ve been in discussion with many team members on how we can make this happen, and we already have steps in place. I want to get you guys involved more as well. We’ll be utilizing the media@ahrma.org email address more for this type of communication, so if you have a cool story you’d like to tell, or a bike you’d like to share with us, or an awesome bike collection you think others would appreciate, send us an email and let’s get the conversation started!

see you on the track!

Thanks to everyone who subscribes and looks forward to each issue.

We at AHRMA MAG want to hear from our readership. We’d like to know how we’re doing.

Send us feedback and comments about your favorite stories and columns, likes and dislikes and what you’d enjoy seeing in future issues. Keep it under 250 words and we’ll try and include your comments in the next issue: ahrmamag@ahrma.org

photo by SKIP KENNEDY

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

Craig Grantham, Executive Director

email: executive.director@ahrma.org

8913 Town and Country Circle #1093 Knoxville, TN 37923

MEMBERSHIP

Jennifer and Dan Thornton email: membership@ahrma.org 433 Caroline St Janesville, WI 53545

COMMUNICATIONS

Cindy McLean email: communications@ahrma.org

RACE DIRECTORS

ROAD RACE DIRECTOR - Al Charles email: roadrace.director@ahrma.org

OFF-ROAD DIRECTOR - Terry McPhillips email: offroad.director@ahrma.org

DIRT TRACK DIRECTOR - Richard Brodock email: dirt.track@ahrma.org

RACE COORDINATORS

CROSS COUNTRY COORDINATOR

Becky Hayes email: becky77m@yahoo.com

NATIONAL TRIALS COORDINATOR

Debbie Poole email: pooleschl1@hotmail.com

EASTERN TRUSTEES

Carl Anderson - ahrma79@gmail.com

Mike Dixon - michael.dixon@ahrma.org

James Korn - jim.korn@ahrma.org

Arthur Kowitz (Treasurer) - dbsuperbiker@gmail.com

David Rutherford - david.rutherford@ahrma.org

Tim Terrell - tim.terrell@ahrma.org

WESTERN TRUSTEES

Al Anderberg - al.anderberg@ahrma.org

Brian Larrabure (Chairman) - chairman@ahrma.org

Albert Newmann - newmann.albert@gmail.com

Luke Sayer - sayerlu@gmail.com

Kelly Shane (Secretary) - kelly.ahrma@gmail.com

Greg Tomlinson - speedymagoo5@gmail.com

OPEN LETTER - Executive Director, Craig Grantham, gives us a peak behind the AHRMA curtain.

NEWSWORTHY - Lots of new announcements for the upcoming season, with special challenges in Dirt Track, Road Racing, and an opportunity to be the next Dick Mann!

ARTHUR KOWITZ’S CORNER - Newly-appointed Headmaster, Arthur Kowitz, talks about things that might be holding you back - things that could prevent you from getting on that podium.

AHRMA LEGACY PROGRAM - Have you ever wanted to get out on the dirt track with that rare or collectible bike you have in storage? Well, here’s your chance.

2024 RULES CHANGE PROPOSAL PROCESS - Rules Chair, Kevin Burns, walks us through the process of submitting new rules and revisions for the 2024 racing season.

MEMBER ARCHIVES - We take a trip back in time with three AHRMA members.

WINTER ARENA RIDE - Paula Kyle-Stephens takes us to the new Rt 62 Arena to catch up with some AHRMA members as they prep for the upcoming season.

GETTING THERE - Jim Doyle meets with Mike Gorrono to understand more about this member’s unique skills and passion for motorcycles.

DIRT TRACK 101 - AHRMA Dirt Track Director, Richard Brodock, gives us a lesson about his favorite discipline.

THE SPEEDWERKS RACEBIKE STARTER KIT - Join Nick Ienatsch on his journey to get a race bike of his very own!

POP POP POP - We talk with Alex McLean about his ticket to go racing - a 1937 Norton Manx, owned by Rob McKeever.

LIVING THE CROSS COUNTRY LIFE - Join us as we interview Cross Country Coordinator, Becky Hayes, about a very important decision she’s made.

MAKING HISTORY IN THE AGE OF COVID - Take a look back at the return of Riding Into History after 2020.

AHRMA NATIONAL & REGIONAL SCHEDULES

SWAP MEET & MARKETPLACE

Racing is a great pursuit. The thrill and exhilaration that comes from beating others who are highly talented and trying their very best to beat you…it’s hard to explain. We pay a price to live this life. The work, the commitment, the blood, sweat and tears of driving towards an annual championship… never mind the expense.

Racing means different things to different people. Some simply enjoy the experience of the racing environment and the camaraderie of paddock life and seeing old friends. Others are “ALL IN” and push for #1 in every race. One thing we all have in common, and should, is the desire to go home – SAFE – at the end of every race weekend. Many of you have seen the funny “Safety Third” T-shirts and stickers. That said, the safety of our riders must be at the top of the list for every AHRMA race, and racer. This is an initiative I am committed to in 2023. That we will do all we can – as we have in the past – to ensure our racing events are both fun and safe. If there are things we can do to improve our safety at events – regardless of discipline – we want to know it. Please share your thoughts with the appropriate Race Director if you feel we can provide an even higher level of safety. As racers, there are ways we can improve our personal safety as well. Education, gear, maintenance, skills, conditions, etc. You can all probably remember the one “miracle save” that you pulled off. But luck is not a strategy –planning is.

How is your gear for 2023? Could you use a new set of boots / gloves, protective gear for Off Road or Dirt Track? Are your Road Racing leathers

Safety First (and second, and third)

worn and in need of replacement after a crash or two (or more)? Have you purchased one of the many “airbag” protection devices that are now affordable (compared to a crash)? I spent a bit of time thinking through these things in the off season, and I have added some new equipment to my gear bag. I hope you all will too. Let’s be sure we have the best protection available IF we ever wind up needing it.

Gear is one thing, but safety is more than that. Riding fast and safe can be done best through training and skill development. Many of us have been riding and racing motorcycles for a long time. We are never too old

to learn and there are many OR, DT, and RR options to expand your skill building and professional training. One very affordable option is the online champschool.com (Champ U) program – just $49.95! The investment usually pays off in ways that only become obvious later, but along with making you safer it can also make racing more fun, which is what we are all here for, right! Here’s to a very FUN and SAFE 2023!

Now, let’s race!

Craig

L. Grantham

CRAIG L. GRANTHAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AHRMA

PHOTO BY OXYMORON PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO BY ETECHPHOTO.COM

By the time you read this, the off-road season will have kicked off with events at Waldo MX in Florida and Motoland MX in Arizona. This is going to be a great season and I hope you all have your bikes ready to go (I still have some work to do on mine as I write this!).

There has been a lot happening in the background over the past couple of months that you might want to know about.

We have been working hard to see about getting the regions moving forward again. We have some new people on our team - Jimmy Golliher has volunteered to take the help of the Great Lakes Region as the Regional Coordinator along with Joe Gretchen helping out as the Assistant Regional Coordinator. These two guys along with the team they are putting together have done an amazing job in creating a great schedule. Take a look in the schedule section of the AHRMA MAG to see what they have done. If you’re in the region, or just visiting, join them for some great events.

We are also pulling together a team to start moving the Southeast Region forward. Jerry Mattox, Bob Groves, and Henry Gregorich have all volunteered to step up to lead this charge. I’m excited to be working with them, and as they say, “The South Will Rise Again!” They are currently working on their schedule, so keep your eyes pealed on www.ahrmse.org for upcoming events.

All of the Regional Coordinators have been working hard to build schedules in order to provide our members with events in regions all over the country.

On a separate note, we managed to overlook thanking one of the sponsors that contributed generously to the

OFF-ROAD

Annual Off-Road Banquet in Henryetta. We want to make sure that they do not go unnoticed. Wiseco was at the banquet handing out all kinds of goodies. This helped the celebration to be a much better event. We were definitely remiss in not having mentioned them earlier.

Go to www.wiseco.com to see what they have to offer the vintage community. We urge you to support all the sponsors that support us.

Be safe, have fun, and ride fast!

Terry McPhillips

TERRY MCPHILLIPS OFF-ROAD RACE DIRECTOR

The 2023 Road Race season is here! As of this writing the Roebling Road Race event is in the books and detailed results will be posted shortly. Just before pre-entries closed, we had 400+ race entries and 20 AAR Students. The diversification of brands of motorcycles is incredible. When I started racing AHRMA the range of motorcycles raced were from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. Now the range is from the 1930’s to 2023 and we offer classes for all to compete! Thank You All! On to Carolina in March.

Going to the races is going to be a little different this year, instead of loading my Triumph, my TZ or my Ducati to go racing, I’m loading a suitcase, laptop, iPad and a *” satchel” full of AHRMA paperwork. I will be representing

you at the races as the AHRMA Road Race Director.

What I quickly learned after joining the AHRMA team is that there are no set workdays or hours, the team works seven days a week with no limit on hours to get the job done.

We have a 10 weekend Road Race schedule this year that stretches across thousands of miles, everyone be safe and look forward to seeing you at the races.

*I used the word satchel in memory of my father-in-law three time Daytona 200 winner Dick Klamfoth, whenever we packed the truck to head to Daytona he always told us to make sure we left room for his “satchel full of paperwork”

Al Charles

AL CHARLES ROAD RACE DIRECTOR

PHOTO BY SHARON BEAN

“Going to the Races is going to be a little bit different this year”

HELLO OWNERS,

Our fourth quarter of 2022 was a very busy time. We were wrapping up our race season across all disciplines, building plans for 2023 and finding ways to make our club more sustainable for the future.

I want to thank all of the AHRMA volunteers, staff, and trustees who commit significant time and effort to ensure we have a great place to race, and enjoy good times with great camaraderie. 2022 was a challenging year for the racing industry, and we had our share of challenges as well. The economic headwinds facing racing clubs in 2022 were significant and managing through it was an effort that the entire team contributed to. We ended the fourth quarter in a better place than previous quarters through 2022 and the plans and processes we have put in place for the year ahead will continue to improve our picture for years to come.

SEASON FINALES:

Barber Vintage Festival

• Our Barber event this year was a good event, and well attended considering the economic issues. The weather was some of the best ever at this facility and at this time of year. The excitement for 2023 was palpable as we discussed the event with our members after the event.

E.D. Open Letter Q4, 2022

• For 2023, we will work to build on this event. We will work towards even better attendance by exploring additional disciplines again where and if possible, and helping this event to become what it once was. This event is not just about our AHRMA racing, but about the festival, the fans, and the highly anticipated “season ending event” for many enthusiasts across the US.

• We had our year ending Board of Trustees meeting at the world renown Barber Motorsports Museum, and what a perfect venue for this event. See more detail on this below.

Henryetta OK

• Our Off Road season finale and awards banquet were held in Henryetta OK again in 2022, and what a great weekend it was. All disciplines were represented, and the talent and competition were exceptional. We were graced by great weather the entire weekend (save Friday), and I was lucky to attend this event.

• Our new Off Road Director, Terry McPhillips, was in fine form as he worked with the team to pull this event off flawlessly. Every time I saw him (and several other team members) they were juggling and hustling to serve you, our owners. The entire team did a fantastic job of making this finale all it could be and my thanks to all of them for their over and above efforts.

• For all who attended the Off Road awards banquet, thank you. I was lucky to meet most of the members there and enjoy that special Off Road vibe. I wrote a piece in AHRMA MAG in 2022 about Off Road being the essence of our original founders’ grass-roots vision and how it creates a feeling of team, fierce but friendly competition, and community. I have seen this at all of the OR events in 2022, and Henryetta really reinforced this.

AHRMA BUSINESS: BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETING

• We held the last of three Board of Trustee meetings at Barber as noted above and conducted club business as well as hearing from the members in attendance. We had good discussions, aired concerns and suggestions, and initially discussed our plans for 2023.

• I create presentations for each Board meeting, and they are posted on our www.AHRMA.org website. We do this so that you will all have access to key information as presented at the meetings. Please review them when you have a moment and advise with any questions.

• If you are able, I would encourage you to attend these board meetings in the future. Our board meetings in 2023 will be held at Casa Grande (Phoenix, AZ) in March, Laguna Seca in July, and Barber again in October. If you are not able to do that, I will continue to provide status updates of AHRMA with these updates.

• CONTACT: We want you to have access to the Board of Trustees and Management. You can find email addresses on our website under “Resources”, and “Board of Trustees” on the drop down. Click on the mail icon next to their name to provide feedback.

• PHONE: 1-888-41AHRMA. We have seen increased use of our UniTel based system which allows you to easily connect with the person or department of your choice. You can leave messages for the team members, and we will respond to you. We get messages via the new system regularly and it works well. Please let us know if you have issues with contact.

• TRUSTEE ELECTIONS: We conducted our annual trustee elections, and there have been changes.

Є THANK YOU: I’d like to personally thank Rob Poole and Beno Rodi for their service as trustees and the many years of support they have provided to AHRMA.

Є WELCOME: Please join me in welcoming Carl Anderson and Greg Tomlinson to the Board of Trustees. They both bring significant organizational and business experience that will benefit the Board. They also bring longstanding membership and experience within the AHRMA organization that will provide a quality perspective to serve the members.

SYSTEMS / PROCESSES / PERSONNEL:

• FINANCIAL REPORTING SYSTEM: We have continued to utilize our robust financial reporting system (QuickBooks Desktop) for financial oversight and management.

Є With this system we have been able to accurately track our performance by discipline, by event, by time frame.

Є We have built history for 2022, and have gone back to the very beginning of the year so that we would have the year-over-year comparisons to track against in 2023.

Є We will be able to better understand our revenue and expenses by discipline going forward and this will inform better decision making for event planning.

• PLANNING: The 2023 planning process was a bit better than in the past but still needs fine tuning. We will work hard to improve our documentation and process – focusing on lead time and efficiency.

Є Our schedules have been downsized for manageability as we rebuild for the future.

Є We are focused on viable venues and proven winning events. We will begin our RFP process for the 2024 schedule earlier this year to ensure quality dates and agreements.

Є We will continue to visit great locations and venues to maintain our member experience.

• Our calendar will be supported by better plans in 2024 and beyond. We will know what to expect from a revenue VS cost perspective in advance, and we will be able to measure and adjust as we go. This will be a sea change in process for AHRMA and will produce quality results.

• PERSONNEL: We have transitioned our Road Race Director position as you are all aware, and Al Charles has assumed the helm of the RR ship. His range of experience in both racing and managing organizations will serve AHRMA well. As I write this, we are approaching our first event of the year, and I can say with conviction that it will be a success because of his planning, hard work, attention to detail, excellent communication, and team approach. More to follow in our next quarterly updates on the impact that our Race Directors are making for AHRMA.

FINANCIALS: Q422 BETTER VS PRIOR QUARTERS

• We finished Q422 with a negative Net Income of roughly -$27.3K overall. This was our best quarter of 2022 and was driven by successful year end events, including our finales.

• REVENUE / EXPENSE: Improved balance VS prior quarters.

Є Good revenue, with gross profit of ~$279.7K.

Є Total expense of ~$306.9K.

Є We “almost” broke even in Q4 but had losses in each of the first three quarters.

AUDITED FINANCIALS: We have already begun the process of completing our tax filing 990-T, and our CPA is preparing to start work on our audited financials as we speak.

Є TIMING: We will deliver these documents roughly six months earlier than last year.

Є EFFICIENCY: Our “heavy lifting” of creating dependable financial systems has been done, and efficiency and timeliness of operations will improve in the future.

SPONSORSHIP : OUR SUPPORT CONTINUES

• SPONSOR RETENTION: Thanks to the efforts of Jim Doyle, we have retained or replaced virtually all of our sponsorships from 2022. Thus, 2023 will have good revenue and support, and set us up for success as we seek to grow this important portion of our program.

• ADDITIONAL AGENCY SUPPORT: We have made a transition for 2022 and added new support for our sponsorship efforts. We will be working with KCA Special Ops agency, which have a wealth of experience in motorsports sponsorship, promotion, and event management.

• OFF ROAD FOCUS: We will be focusing on multidiscipline sponsorship efforts in 2023 and beyond. This should begin to bring additional support for our Off Road events and lift our visibility across the racing spectrum in the US.

MEMBERSHIP : CONTINUING TO TRACK SIMILAR TO HISTORICAL NUMBERS.

• Our membership remains strong, with overall renewals tracking similar year over year. Our 12-month trend line is basically level, and you can see in the table / chart below that we’re within 24 for our total membership across the 12 most recent months.

Є We could see some membership adjustments as early year renewals are usually highly variable. We will work to build our outreach to continue longer term growth.

• We know that the membership fee increase was a challenge for some, and we appreciate your ongoing support. We need your support now more than ever. We are working hard to create sustainability for AHRMA, and your participation can help make this more successful in 2023.

• We are committed to maintaining and enhancing the member experience.

• We will take your suggestions and improve wherever we can.

As we head into our 2023 season, I would like to thank each of you – our owners – for your ongoing support of our club. We recognize that 2022 was a tough year and we appreciate your support more now than ever. Please know we are doing what is necessary to provide quality management and support for AHRMA and the members. Sustainability is our #1 goal now and we are thinking “long term.” Our quality member experience will not change, and we will never lose sight of the fact that we are here to serve you and conduct this club in the way you have communicated we should. I look forward to seeing you all at several events in 2023.

Now, let’s race! Craig

L. Grantham

CRAIG L. GRANTHAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AHRMA

2023 DICK MANN CHALLENGE SERIES

MORE IN LINE WITH GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT

The 2021 and 2022 Dick Mann Team Challenges were a team effort, and as such put the spotlight on all of AHRMA’s disciplines and was meant to foster camaraderie amongst team members across those disciplines. The third year of the Challenge will have a fresh structure. As we all know, Dick Mann didn’t earn his 24 Grand National wins on a team - it was the individual Mann all the way. The 2023 Dick Mann Challenge (DMC) follows the Grand National format, but with a twist. Instead of teams, the 2023 DMC will have individuals competing against each other, riding all disciplines. Are YOU up for the challenge?

The 2023 DMC contact and points-keeper is Debbie Poole. For DMC registration, please go to www.ahrma.org and click on Special Series Dick Mann Team Challenge.

eligible DMC classes

MOTOCROSS

• Any AHRMA Vintage class

TRIALS

• Girder Fork

• Rigid Heavyweight

• Rigid Lightweight

• Premier Heavyweight

• Premier Lightweight

• Classic

• Modern Classic

• Modern Twin Shock

DIRT TRACK

• Dinosaur

• Brakeless Lightweight

• Brakeless Heavyweight

• Sportsman 125

• Sportsman 250

• Sportsman 600

• Sportsman 750 (Vintage Cup)

• Spanish Cup

CROSS COUNTRY

• Any AHRMA Vintage class

ROAD RACE

• Pre-1940 Gran Prix

• Class C Foot and Handshift

• Classic 60’s & Classic 60’s 650

• BEARS

• 200 Grand Prix Plus

• 250 Grand Prix

• 350 Grand Prix

• 500 Premier

• Formula 125

• Formula 250

• Formula 500

• Formula 750

• Sportsman 350

• Sportsman 500

• Sportsman 750

PHOTO BY DAVE FRIEDMAN / DON EMDE COLLECTION

schedule of events & rules

The events listed below are required, and scores from these events will be recorded for points, but the number of additional events a rider chooses to ride for DMC points is open.

Scoring will be best of 5 for each discipline.

Riders must inform the DMC points-keeper when they have completed an event so that the points-keeper can track and verify points

VMX REQUIRED EVENTS:

• March 19 - Burrows Ranch, CA OR Sept 9 - Diamond Don’s, TX

• June 10 - Desoto, LA

• Nov 4 - Henryetta, OK

TRIALS REQUIRED EVENTS:

• March 18 (morning) - Burrows Ranch, CA OR Sept 8 (morning) - Diamond Don’s, TX

• Oct 7 - Barber, AL

• Nov 5 - Henryetta, OK

DIRT TRACK REQUIRED EVENTS:

• May 27 - Heartland Park, KS

• May 19 or 20 - Lodi, CA

best finish of the 2 days counts

CROSS COUNTRY REQUIRED EVENTS:

• March 18 (afternoon) - Burrows Ranch, CA OR Sept 8 (afternoon) - Diamond Don’s, TX

• June 10 or 11 - Desoto, LA

• Nov 3, 4, or 5 - Henryetta, OK

best finish of the 3 days counts

ROAD RACE REQUIRED EVENTS:

• May 27 or 28 - Heartland Park, KS

best finish of the 2 days counts

• July 15 or 16 - Laguna Seca, CA

best finish of the 2 days counts

• Oct 7 or 8 - Barber, AL

best finish of the 2 days counts

RULES

• All events with two days, such as road race and some cross country, will score for DMC points the best of the two finishes.

• Riders must finish the race (for RR, CC, VMX, DT), and all three loops in the trial.

• In the event of an engine/mechanical failure that prevents the rider from finishing the race or the trial in one of the required events, the rider will not be disqualified.

• Any event that is a double-points race will NOT count double points for DMC competition

• Aug 26 - Athens, OH Concours

• Off-road scoring will be used for points (see AHRMA Handbook page 109)

• GRAND MARSHALS • Brian Slark – AMA Hall Of Fame

Vicki Smith – Motogiro Hall Of Fame

• HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL • Mary McGee Free Registration

Mary McGee in her Signature Polka Dot Helmet.

AHRMA ANNOUNCES NEW HEADMASTER FOR ITS ACADEMY OF ROADRACING

PHOTO BY SUPERBIKE PHOTOGRAPHY

Arthur Kowitz has been appointed headmaster for the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Academy of Roadracing (AAR).

“With our current financial position in mind we are pleased that (our treasurer) Arthur offered to take the helm of the AAR for the 2023 season at no cost and share his decades of track knowledge with new racers,” said Brian Larrabure, Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees.

The AAR was developed by experienced racers to share valuable techniques of road racing historic and modern motorcycles and sidecars on the challenging circuits of America. Students receive one-on-one coaching as well as participate in a mock race including race start and finish.

Kowitz is a former expert-level AMA Superbike, FIM F1 and TTXGP racer. From 1981 to 2018 he competed in five Daytona 200 races.

Kowitz takes over from former AAR headmaster Mark Morrow who advanced road racing instruction to a new level for racers joining the AHRMA family.

“Mark made great contributions to AHRMA by helping many new racers safely learn their way around a track and we really appreciate all he does for AHRMA.” Larrabure said.

Students participating in the AAR will often be riding a variety of motorcycles from smalldisplacement bikes from the 1960s to Superbikes from the 70s and 80s and even high-powered modern singles, twins, and triples.

“Arthur’s direct racing experience on both vintage and modern race bikes makes him a great fit for the new AAR headmaster,” Larrabure said.

By completing the AAR, new racers gain information and experience that helps them in racing conditions and are qualified to participate in AHRMA road racing events. The AAR curriculum also satisfies licensing requirements for other racing organizations across the country.

• 2/17/2023 Roebling Road Raceway, Bloomingdale, GA

• 3/17/2023 Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC

• 5/26/2023 Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka, KS

• 6/2/2023 Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE

• 6/23/2023 New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ

• 7/14/2023 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (AHRMA Classic MotoFest™), Salinas, CA*

• 7/28/2023 Gingerman Motorsports Park, South Haven, MI

• 8/4/2023 Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL

• 9/8/2023, Talladega GP Raceway, Munford, AL

*To be confirmed

The 2023 AAR will be offered at these Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series events:

CORNER

IS ANYTHING IN YOUR WAY?

Mid-season 2021, I was having a paddock chat with a fellow racer who was a middle pack finisher. He wanted dearly to make it onto the podium. He shared with me that his survival instincts would not let him corner faster, fear got in his way. He just wasn’t willing to do what made him feel unsafe, a good thing.

We agreed that his commitment to ride within his comfort zone was admirable and he should not ride over his head. We then wondered aloud; were the faster riders just more brave than he? We think not.

If his courage level was up to the task then something else must be holding him back.

My suggestion was that he should identify what issue was the first thing to come to his mind while riding at his best pace.

Did he trust his tires to stick?

If not, why?

Was the bike holding a steady line, trying to hunt its way through

corners, or reluctant to turn?

Was his level of fitness or riding gear restricting his maneuvering about on the bike?

Were his riding techniques sound or were they haphazard?

What was fighting him?

Could he stand on the podium while riding within his bounds if he eliminated his restrictions, one at a time?

These restrictions do not come to us in a text or telegram, they are usually very subtle…but they are there. We must be perceptive and honest to ourselves to admit what they are.

If it’s tires, check the build date, confirm proper pressure, and watch how the rubber looks after a few hard laps, Make changes as needed. Satisfied enough to trust them? Check.

The bike corners with a mind of its own. Stop fighting it, or accepting it, and fix it.

Adjust the fork height to gain/lose some trail, causing the bike to work with, not against him. Or whatever change the issue calls for.

Can’t swiftly shift in the saddle to move quickly side-to-side in switchback areas of the track.

Stretch while in gear, before getting onto the bike and adjust armor,etc. Do what it takes.

Having a tough time making small arc adjustments at full lean while in mid-corner?

There are five ways to adjust an arc while in a corner, which ones are appropriate at what time?

Have an experienced rider-coach follow and critique technique to give more control over the machine while at speed.

Armed with a new commitment, some coaching, and new found confidence, his lap times dropped by seconds in the coming few races, even with the same level of comfort as before. Survival instincts still intact. Later in the season the podiums began to come.

As racers, we should continually seek out the next thing that is holding us back. Find it, fix it, and expose the next one, and the next one….

Love being on the podium.

Arthur Kowitz

ARTHUR KOWITZ

PHOTO BY KEVIN MCINTOSH

AHRMA ACADEMY OF ROADRACING HEADMASTER

AHRMA Legacy Program

LEGACY:

For our purposes, “legacy” is defined as a person or machine that has had a long-lasting impact on AHRMA or the sport of Dirt Track.

As AHRMA plans for the future it is time to create a program to help preserve the past. To accomplish this, the “Legacy Program” is being created with the intent of offering a class for veteran racers who want to continue being involved, do some laps and be part of the action and do it safely. This program would be available to veteran riders, age 60 and up. Those under 60 wishing to participate would need director’s approval. Making it open to any AHRMA eligible machine would allow racers to transition into the program without having to do anything to their machines. In addition, this program would be available for members who own rare/collectible machines that they would like to showcase but not race. These can also be allowed into this program with directors’ approval. This will provide a controlled, low-risk environment for those owners to ride or have these bikes ridden.

With a basic concept aimed at safety the first rule written was no aggressive riding. Along with that came no inside passes. These two rules are in place to help minimize the risk of injury to the riders and damage to machines. This class is a non-championship, non-competitive class.

“This program is meant to be fun for the riders and to honor those who have supported the sport throughout the years, allowing them to still get some laps and to hear the cheers from the crowd.” Richard

Brodock, AHRMA Dirt Track Director

ASSOCIATION

rules and eligibility

PURPOSE - To provide a safe environment for veteran AHRMA members to participate who wish to participate at a less competitive level and for rare or collectible machines to be showcased.

COST - Discounted to $30 pre- and post-entry

RULES -

• Aggressive riding will not be tolerated

• NO passing on the inside. All passes must be made safely on the outside.

• All vintage-eligible AHRMA machines are allowed. Brakeless machines must be equipped with brakes for the Legacy class. (other machines by director’s approval).

• All machines must have at least one number plate. This can be located on the front of the machine or on the right side of the machine. Numbers must be at least 6 inches tall with a minimum 1-inch brush stroke.

• Legacy class will be the first race at every AHRMApromoted national event honoring their contributions to the sport and AHRMA. (May be combined with other classes at non AHRMA-promoted events or run during intermission)

• Exhibition class consisting of 6 lap heats and 8 lap mains. (4 lap heats, 6 lap mains for 1/2 mile)

• A rider may not compete in any other class with a legacy class bike.

ELIGIBILITY - Age requirement: 60 years and older (riders under 60 by director’s approval). Rare or collectible machine(s) that the owner/rider wishes to showcase.

AWARDS -

• Special awards will be presented to AHRMA Legacy class participants for individual events.

• No national points awarded to AHRMA Legacy class. Non-Championship class.

• End-of-year awards will be presented by the following accompaniment levels:

• Requirement: must complete a minimum of 3 races in the current season to receive end of year award.

• Bronze Legacy Award: 3-6 races completed

• Silver Legacy Award: 7-10 races completed

• Gold Legacy Award: 11+ races completed

• At any point during the year if a rider wishes to enter his/her bike in the Legacy Class their points in other classes that machine was run in will be forfeited and the number of races completed will transfer towards their Legacy Year-End Achievement.

PHOTO BY OXYMORON PHOTOGRAPHY

2024 RULES CHANGE

The 2024 Rules Change Season is about to start. This year we have shortened the period for submitting new rules or modifications to existing rules. Submissions will be received May 1st through May 15th.

If you are a member in good standing and you’ve been itching to try your hand at writing rules, now is your time to shine. While you’re thinking about getting involved in building a better club, the best question for you to ask yourself is “Why change/add a rule?” There are good and not-sogood answers to that question. Read on for a good answer:

“I think my proposal will make competition in the class better.” On the not-so-good side:

“It will make my bike faster so I don’t get beat so badly.” The Rules & Eligibility committees always get a chuckle from that one proposal

that screams, “It’s all about me.” Try not to be that one, really.

Writing rules or modifications to existing rules is pretty simple. As a refresher for the veterans and a primer for the novice authors, we are including last year’s instructions outlining several changes. Steps 1 and 2 are pretty straight forward. Steps 3, 4, and 5 can get a bit tricky; read those instructions a couple of times.

Regarding steps 4 and 5, enough of the original rule language and the revised language must be presented exactly as intended for publication; this also goes for a new rule as in step 3.

To make getting the original language painless, the 2023 Handbook is online. Find your rule, copy as much of the text as you need. Do not copy the entire rule. Those text boxes have limited space. Copy only enough so that the Rules & Eligibility Committee will understand your intent. Paste what you have copied in the appropriate box in step 4.

steps to creating a rule change proposal

While you’re at it, copy that same text into the revised box in step 5. Using the text tools provided, strike through the text you want to revise or remove. If you are entering new text, enter that text and use the underline tool to indicate it is new.

And you’re pretty much done. Fill out step 6 if other rules are affected by your change. Help your committee out with a rationale in step 7, and include pertinent documentation in step 8.

Before you start, do your homework. If you can address either the competition or authenticity of the rule, fill out the form, include some documentation and/or a strong rationale, submit it by May 15. And remember, we’re all in this together.

Kevin Burns

KEVIN BURNS RULES CHAIR

Change Proposal Process

STEP 1 - Fully complete all of your personal information including your membership number. Only submissions made by active members with Full Memberships will be accepted for consideration.

STEP 2 - Select Discipline/Category that is affected by this Rule Change Proposal from the dropdown field and whether it is a new rule or an existing rule in the current AHRMA Handbook. If it is an existing rule, please provide the rule number as it appears in the current AHRMA Handbook. MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING THE CURRENT HANDBOOK AS YOUR REFERENCE

STEP 3 - For New Rule submission, you may either provide the complete rule in the New Rule Text edit area, or upload a pdf file through the Supporting Documentation Upload tool. New rules will not be accepted without complete and comprehensive rules.

For new Rules, after completing this step, proceed to Step 6. For existing rules, proceed to Step 4.

STEP 4 - If this is a rule which currently exists in the current AHRMA Handbook, copy the rule to be changed from the Handbook and include it in the “Original Rule Text” edit area.

Rule

Developed by Kevin Burns & Cindy McLean

PROPOSAL PROCESS

STEP 5 - Include the rule change proposal verbiage in the “Proposed Rule Change Text” edit area. Strike through verbiage to be removed and underline verbiage to be added.

NOTE: COMPLETE revised text must be included in the “Proposed Rule Change Text” space. Committees are not responsible for rewriting the rule.

STEP 6 - If your proposed rule change affects other rules, include them in the “Rules Affected by this Rule Change Proposal.” Strike through verbiage to be removed and underline verbiage to be added.

STEP 7 - The Rule Change Rationale field is optional, but you may certainly include any text that you feel may better explain why you are requesting the Rule Change.

STEP 8 - Before submitting your Rule Change Proposal, you have the opportunity to upload supporting documentation (articles, illustrations or other materials). Max file size allowed: 5MB. File types accepted: jpg, png, pdf

other requirements & information

• Submissions not following the instructions provided here will be returned to the submitter to be corrected.

• Only Rule Change Proposals submitted using the form on this page will be accepted.

• Each form must be completed in full.

• Submit a separate form for each rule change proposal unless one rule change affects others.

rules proposal process schedule

• Forms with multiple rule change proposals will be rejected.

• You will receive email confirmation of your submission.

• You may contact AHRMA at any time to ask that your proposal be withdrawn.

• If you have questions about this process, contact Kevin Burns, Rules Chair, at 68.kburns@gmail.com.

May 1-15 Rule Change Proposal submission period – as Rule Change Proposals come in they will be forwarded to the appropriate Rules & Eligibility (R&E) committees. (2 weeks)

May 22 R&E Committee review period ends (starts during submission period)

May 23 - June 2 Trustee review period

June 8 Preliminary vote, Meeting 1a (video meeting)

June 12 Preliminary vote, Meeting 1b (video meeting)

June 22 - July 6 Member comment period (2 weeks)

July 7-23 Member comment trustee review

July 24 Final vote (video meeting). This can change according to everyone’s schedule, but should take place before August

NOTE: schedule subject to change

Whiteville, TN

38075

GateFee: $20 for Weekend $10 single day Camping - Space for Motorhomes and campersNo water or Electric

Friday May5th, 2023

11am GateOpens

4pm-6pm Tech Inspection & Sign-Up

Saturday May6th, 2023

6amGate Opens

10am-12pm CC Tech Inspection & Sign-Up

12:30pmCC Rider's Meeting

1pmVintage/Novice CC Race

3pmPost Vintage CC Race

Sunday May 7th, 2023

6amGate Opens

7-8:30amCCTech Inspection & Sign-Up

8:30amCC Rider's Meeting

9amVintage/Novice CC Race

11amPost Vintage CC Race

Concessions Available

Vintage CC Classes (Novice, Intermediate, Expert):

Vintage GeneralMotorcycle Requirements: 1970s with up to 7 inches front and 4 inches rear suspension travel

100cc, Sportsman 200, Sportsman Open, Classic,Premier(1960s), 50+, 60+, 70+, Women

Post Vintage CC Classes (Novice, Intermediate, Expert):

Historic 200, Historic Open -Up to 9 inches front and rear travel with drum brakes

Post Vintage 200, PostVintage Open -Unlimited suspension with drum brakes

Pre Modern -Front disk brake, rear drum brake

Pre 2K 200, Pre 2K Open -Any pre 2000 model (Not AHRMA points class)

PV50+, PV60+, PV70+, PV Women

For detailed rules visit www.ahrma.org

Contacts: Bob Ragon (731)377-2466

woodsrider105@gmail.com

Clayton Farris (731)659-1196

FROM THE MEMBER ARCHIVES AHRMA MAG

Dennis Parrish - AHRMA #2985

This is the start of the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight race heading into turn 1 at Daytona in 2004. I’m in front on my ’74 Z1 and had won the class national championship my first year with AHRMA in 2003. This was my second time at Daytona, and the first time racing there in the dry. I believe I finished fourth both days. I remember being tucked in at speed on the banking, and the dips on the east banking were slamming my chest into the tank and then when I’d hit the rise after each dip, the wind would catch my chest and try to pop me up behind the bars. Great fun.

We want to hear from you!! Send your racing adventures to media@ahrma.org. We’re looking for images and stores about a close victory, a heartbreaking defeat, last-minute repair, or the glory and romance of life in the paddock. Photos must be at least 15 years old.

FROM THE MEMBER ARCHIVES AHRMA MAG

Robert Wrublevski - AHRMA #2972

(Me) Bob Wrublevski 776 and Galen Miller 995 at Deland Florida Municipal Airport competing in the very first race of the Inaugural MuZ Skorpion Cup national series 1997. Galen was instrumental in setting up the Skorpion Cup national race program with AHRMA and the US MuZ importer/distributor from Ormond Beach, Florida. I ended up winning the Cup series championship that season and had a really super fun time doing it.

Scott

- AHRMA #1609

Nicholas

Here is an oldie from the 1996 AHRMA VMX National at Unadilla, with the 250cc Intermediate class on the line! I’m #48c. Back when the gates were full with pre-’75 bikes!

Winter Arena Ride

COURTESY OF PAULA KYLE-STEPHENS

On January 30th, Jay Gref arranged a group of seasoned riders to rend the new Rt 62 indoor arena in Martinsburg, OH to try out several new bikes. With a nice blend of Honda’s, Yamaha’s, and KTMs, it was a big-bore showdown!

Jay is the son of motocross legend, Henry Gref. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jay is also a former Pro rider, and has fully recovered from his liver transplant last year. Jay and Henry are active AHRMA members and can routinely be found on the motocross track (Jay took first place overall in the Vintage 40+ Expert class in the 2022 Vintage Motocross National Series while Henry finished

third overall in the Vintage 70+ Expert class).

It was a photographer’s dream shoot to say the least, and everyone likes photos of themselves and their rides, especially new ones! When Henry walked in the door of the arena, he immediately recognized the manager, Bob Orlandi, from racing on opposing teams over 40 years ago and immediately called him by name! What a reunion that was!

Henry and Jay put on a great show with their new Hondas, joined by a group of Honda employees and mechanics, as well as friends of Henry’s from many years ago.

Henry’s good friend and former Navy Seal, Tod Miller (AHRMA racer #326), brought his new bike, making it the first electric big bike in the Rt 62 Arena. I felt honored to view and be schooled on his new prosthetic foot, specially made to stay seated on the bike.

Jay will be scheduling another private winter arena ride in the Rt 62 Arena before spring. There is also talk of having Henry return to Rt. 62 as a guest speaker, talking to young and upcoming riders on his 65-plus-year motocross journey.

“

Getting There

INTERVIEW BY JIM DOYLE PHOTOS COURTESY MIKE GORRONO

Getting There” is the name of my newly acquired art piece created by pencil artist, Mike Gorrono. Gorrono is an AHRMA member and a regular AHRMA MAG advertiser. He offers his artistic service creating high-quality pencil art from a provided subject photograph.

I kept viewing the pencil image of Dick Mann he used in his AHRMA advertisement and decided something like that image would be a classy way for me to display how important my avocation was to visitors and family.

I have a favorite photo I believe best represents my passion and experience with motorsports that was taken by professional photographer, Tim Turner of Tulsa, OK. Tim captured me while I was racing my 1977 BMW R100S at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit; while I negotiated turn 9, Tim clicked at just the right time. If you have ever visited my Facebook profile, you will see the original as my cover photo.

I recently sat down with Mike to have a telephone interview to discuss his art, his background, and the piece he had just completed for me.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR START DOING ART?

My mom had a good friend that used to come stay with us in the early 1960’s. She was a painter; she was stricken with polio and had lost the use of her right arm and hand. She had to retrain herself to paint left-handed. She was a very good oil painter and as a toddler I used to watch her. I’m sure she gave me a scrap of paper and a pencil. I would draw along with Aunt Geneva. That was the only art influence I had. Neither my mother nor my father were artistic in any way. When I got into school, I was always good at art and I was terrible at math. In my final couple years in high school, the teacher just said “Have at it. Do as you wish.” I would keep myself entertained for the class period. I took more art classes than “solid” studies.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU DID A PENCIL DRAWING?

Early on, 40 years ago, and still today, it began with doing people’s portraits of their parents or their grandparents or their kids. To be honest with you, in the peninsula area south of San Francisco, there must be hundreds of small Mexican families that hopefully still have an original Gorrono somewhere in their house.

I did them on the very cheap and I did a lot of them. I started with portraiture, but it was 22 years ago when I first bought a Harley-Davidson Panhead. I needed to come up with money to pay for the build of that Harley, so I started taking on more serious family commissions or portraits as extra spending money. Then I joined the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, and I did a lot of artworks of antique Harleys, Indians, and other various motorcycles.

TELL US ABOUT THE MEDIUM YOU USE.

I use Tombow pencils. It’s the only brand I like now. I’ve tried others; they’ll do but not like Tombow. I used everything from the H’s which stands for hard. A lot of my artwork starts out with 2H, 3H 4H and those are very hard lead, so they don’t leave a big impression on the paper and then I graduate to the B and the 3B, 4B, 5B and 6B, which are very soft lead. Those give me the dark, dark black shadow or black lines. I use Strathmore Bristol 100% rag paper. Your artwork for instance will never react to pH negative nor will it ever yellow or tarnish. It will always remain crispy white. I use a cold press paper because it has more tooth, more texture to it. It grabs the lead and it makes it behave differently than a hot press paper, which has a smooth finish.

WAS IT TRIAL AND ERROR THAT GOT YOU TO THAT PAPER FOR YOUR FAVORED SUBSTRATE?

Yes. 30-40 years ago. I can’t think of the name of the brand, but it’s evident if you look at my website and scroll through my artwork, you’ll come down to Willie Nelson and George Jones. And you’ll see that they were drawn on that paper that was not acid free and it has tarnished and yellowed over the years.

run went from the east coast to the west coast. That was 10 years ago. That was a big piece. I would say my biggest commission in the last few years was either Dick Mann or Brad Lackey and they both autographed their prints. So that was really a feather in my cap. Dick Mann and Brad Lackey!

ROUGHLY HOW MANY PIECES DO YOU THINK YOU’VE DONE?

WHAT

WAS THE

FIRST PIECE YOU DID THAT GOT YOU STARTED DOING MOTORCYCLE ART?

That probably goes back to the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA). Buzz Kanter was the president. I did a portrait of him on his Harley as he finished the Cannonball run here in California from a start in the east. This Cannonball

Literally hundreds. I counted on my website; there are 80 pieces on my site from the last 20 years and those are ones that I thought had credence and should go on the website. Yours of course will, or already has. There are so many portraits out there of moms and dads and weddings and kids and babies and dogs and puppies and horses, etc. And some of them are lost to the ages. It would really be fun if someday I could rent

a hall and invite anyone who has a Gorrono original to bring it and let me see it again. Even today, I still see some of my work pop up in my Facebook feed and I’ve completely forgotten about them. It’s truly a charm to get to see them twice again.

THE PIECE THAT YOU HAVE JUST FINISHED FOR ME. WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT IT?

I knew you were going to ask me that. What was really important was to capture your eyes. I don’t know that I sent it along with your artwork, but I had notes to the effect where your irises fall in relationship to your helmet, and I want to say your right iris falls directly below the A in Arai. Yes, I had made notes of it, and I thought, darn it, I’m going to send that to Jim because that would be cool to have, too. But that was important to capture, shall we say, your killer look. You’re looking up through the corner into your next position, so that was important. Then of course, trying to get all the vent holes in your leather suit was a challenge. The overall picture was

just delicious to work with because it was a professional photographer. I always say the better the photo, the better the art. So, when I get a great photograph, I just can’t wait to get started on it.

MIKE, SEVERAL CLOSE FRIENDS WHO HAVE SEEN UPDATES TO THE DRAWING PROGRESS HAVE COMMENTED TO ME THAT YOU TRULY CAPTURED THE INTENSITY OF THE RACER WITH THOSE EYES. There’s another one and it escapes me who it is. But I think it was Mr. Lackey. Yes, it was Brad Lackey. I did three or four Lackey’s and they’re on my website. You can see that intensity in his face in one of the shots.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT?

Yes. I really love AHRMA! I started four years ago as an intermediate in motorcross and was terrified. Luckily, I got moved down to novice and I won enough novice races in the subsequent two seasons that

they moved me back up last season to intermediate and now I’m racing intermediate. I can tell you I’ve told everyone that I meet that it’s so exciting. When someone like me who loves motorcycles, and who at 60 years of age says I ought to get a dirt bike, it’s kind of amazing.

I had a Honda 90 as a kid. I thought, “I should get a dirt bike.” Then after a few mistakes and a few crashes and a few bikes, when you find the right bike that you really love, it is the most exciting thing in my life. I really love AHRMA and all the races that they put on and all the wonderful people that you meet at an AHRMA race. It’s just fantastic.

ABOUT MIKE

Mike Gorrono is in the Walnut Creek area about 20 minutes from Oakland CA. For more information about Mike and his professional service you can visit him at www.gorronoart.com. You will find great examples of his work to view as well as his full contact information.

DIRT TRACK 101 THE BASICS

WRITTEN BY RICHARD BRODOCK

Interested in participating in AHRMA Dirt Track? Or just like to watch and have some questions? In this multi-part series, I hope to answer questions, provide a little history, and explain terms with the goal of making your dirt track experience even more enjoyable.

THE TRACKS

Let’s start with the basics: the tracks. Dirt Track is often referred to as “Flat Track,” although not all of the tracks are flat, or dirt. There are four distinct types of race circuits in dirt track: Mile, Half-Mile, ST (Short Track), and TT (Tourist Trophy). Any track between the length of 1/8 - 3/8 miles is considered a Short Track (ST). Stepping up from there is a Half-Mile (HM) track which can range from 3/8 to 3/4 miles in length. Anything over 3/4-miles long is considered a Mile track. By far the prestigious mile races of the year is Springfield, IL. On these mile tracks you can see the effects of drafting as man and

machine reach speeds up to 120mph on dirt. All these tracks are oval in shape and can be flat or banked. The term TT does not have the same definition as it does for international forms of racing. In dirt track, these are purpose-built, non-oval courses consisting of at least one right-hand turn and at least one jump. Also note that front brakes are only allowed on TT tracks and even then they are still optional. Peoria TT is one of the most well known TT tracks around. There’s nothing like watching Chris Carr or Henry Wiles take a big twin off the jump at Peoria.

THE SURFACE

Next let’s talk about surface. The racing surface can vary greatly from track to track, and even from region to region. “Cushion” and “blue groove” are the two main terms used to describe the track surface. A cushion track refers to a surface mainly made of pea-gravel or crushed limestone that tends to get ruts as the racing

goes on. This type of surface requires constant maintenance throughout the day but can make for some exciting racing. There can be anywhere from a few inches deep to 12+ inches deep of cushion on the track. The deeper the cushion, the “looser” the track surface. These are the tracks where you see bikes sideways wide open throttle throwing a roost behind them through the entire corner. The Lima, Ohio Half-Mile is one of the well-known cushion tracks. If you look up any flat track race at Lima on YouTube, you will not be disappointed.

Blue groove tracks are built with a high content of clay and get watered and packed down to create a hard surface. This hard-packed surface lends itself to higher speeds; as bikes slide into the corners, the tires will deposit rubber on the track. This rubber appears blue and is where the term comes from. A wide groove or narrow groove refers to the part of the track that is packed from riding on it. If someone “slips off the groove” they have run wide and are running a part of the track that can have less traction due to less deposited rubber or loose dirt sitting on the surface. A good example of a blue groove track is the Black Hills Half-Mile in Sturgis, South Dakota.

While cushion and blue groove tracks are the main types there are several other variations including asphalt and indoor cement. In the 1990’s there was a series in the

An example of an asphalt track at the AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ at the Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, KS. PHOTO CREDIT STEPH VETTERLY

southeast known as the Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series (MARS). This series ran on asphalt car tracks up to half mile in length. This type of racing hasn’t been around in several years although it does pop up every once in a while. At the 2022 AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ in Topeka, KS, we raced on a 1/6-mile asphalt track. In 2023 we will return to Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka and do it again, but this time on a track size of a 1/4 mile. Today, it’s rare to see outdoor races on anything besides “dirt;” however when the racing moves indoors during colder months, that all changes. There are several indoor tracks that are dirt or clay like the outdoor venues but the cement tracks are growing in popularity. To be clear, it is not just a race on polished indoor cement like you find in most arenas, but instead the cement is covered with Coke Cola syrup. Imagine opening a Coke and it overflows on your hands. That sticky residue is what the floors of these indoor cement races feel like, giving just enough traction to go but not enough to keep from sliding around.

RACING

Now that you know the track sizes and surface types, lets cover some basic race procedures. From amateur to Pro, the length of a race varies. For simplicity, we’ll use the current AHRMA Dirt Track lap structure of six lap-heats and eight-lap mains. The day starts out with practice like most racing. Usually two to three practice sessions are held, lasting for either

a set time or a set number of laps. From there, the classes are broken up into heat races.

Depending on the number of entrants there can be as many heats as needed to cut the number of riders down for the main. Most heats have six to eight riders or as many as might fit on the front row safely. Again this is in reference to AHRMA races. From there we take the results of the heats and if needed can run semi-finals or a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) to fill the main grid.

For the main, depending on track size, the riders are lined up in two or three rows deep and anywhere from six to eight riders on a row. The rider’s starting position depends on their heat race finish position. Winners of the heat races start on the front row with first pick of starting spot. From there second place finishers fill in and so on. While the winner from the LCQ will make the main, that rider will have to start from the back

row and will have more work to try and make the podium.

That’s it for Dirt Track 101: The Basics. Next time we will cover some of the equipment used and how it differs from other motorcycle sports, and we’ll dig a little deeper into what to expect during a day at a Dirt Track race. Also to come: engine displacement and how it has changed over the years, machines and racers who impacted the sport, what the future of the sport looks like and what challenges Dirt Track faces, and even get into some basic riding techniques for Dirt Track.

The cushion track at Harpster, OH. These tracks not only provide a different type of challenge to racers, but also some awesome photography opportunities. PHOTO CREDIT MOE PHOTOGRAPHY

An example of an indoor track - Celebration Arena in Priceville, AL. PHOTO CREDIT EDDIE RAPIDPHOTO

The Speedwerks Racebike Starter Kit

WRITTEN BY NICK IENATSCH REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ROADRACING WORLD

Despite racing motorcycles since 1989, I never possessed my racebike. Sure, I owned a few of my TZ250s but they never lived at my house, always staying with my tuner, Steve Biganski, or at Zero Gravity. We’d meet at the track, race, and then go our separate ways. The other bikes I raced in Willow Springs, WERA, and AMA competition belonged to the shops that built them.

Lately I’ve raced Rusty Bigley’s Spondon TZ750, Chris Carr’s GPz550 built by Hypercycle’s Carry Andrew, Carry’s Z1, and most notably a trick Honda NSR250 built by Speedwerks’ Steve Long and crew.

I write “notably” because Steve and I have enjoyed amazingly similar motorcycle lives even though we live almost a continent apart; we grew up in motorcycling together but separately. Steve places “consistently fast lap times while looking pretty” as the top priority of his builds and loaned me his NSR250 for the AHRMA finals at Barber a few years ago; since he wasn’t there, I tuned and rode it. It was a blast.

On the phone from Barber I told Steve about my desire to “have my very own racebike” someday.

“What would you want?” Steve asked.

Great question, so I made a list:

• Something I could maintain myself

• Something that started with the push of a button

• Something that fit into an AHRMA class

• Something on 17” wheels for good tire selection

• A balance of entry speed and exit horsepower

• Something I could afford… and afford to crash

• Something reliable so I could actually ride, not constantly repair

During discussions the choice became clear: a 1989-’93 Yamaha FZR600. I’d successfully raced one at Willow and in AMA. They were tough, fairly well-balanced, affordable, AHRMA legal… and Speedwerks had “a pile of that crap sitting around,” according to Steve.

Yamaha FZR600…produced in 1990, remade 33 years later. I raced one then, I own one now.

A PLAN

A simple plan was devised. Speedwerks would get me started on the FZR600 and I would finish it in my very own garage.

Steve had questions about what prep Speedwerks should do and what I could do.

“Can you assemble a stock engine?” he asked.

“No.”

“Can you do the transmission?”

“No.”

“Can you modify the stock fork?”

“No.”

“Can you install aftermarket bodywork.”

“Good Lord no.”

Fairly quickly, Steve realized the direction of the build and asked, “Well…what can you do?”

Another good question. Truthfully, there’s nothing I can do in my garage better than the Speedwerks crew. However, I can clean parts, paint with a spray can, safety wire stuff despite constant drill-bit breaking, change tires and oil, adjust valves unless the cams need to come out, bleed brakes, unbolt and bolt stuff, install chains, lubricate and maintain

pieces and parts. I had to admit that my main mechanical strongpoint is enthusiasm.

It was a pretty short answer. “Not much” is how Steve summed it up. We laughed. We laugh about a lot of things.

“Okay,” Steve sighed. “We’ll get you started with something.”

“I THREW TOGETHER A BUNCH OF CRAP”

Steve’s friend Josh Deery knew of a worn and inexpensive FZR600 racebike in Pennsylvania so Speedwerks’ shipper, Simon Tack grabbed it. It was a great find, but the crew soon discovered the engine

was “beyond tired.” Steve, with a few phone calls, found another FZR in North Carolina; that bike’s stock engine had good compression and the stock carbs and airbox were intact and functional. We decided not to mod anything, just run it stock for reliability.

The team swapped out the stock rear-suspension dogbones for GSX-R SRAD aluminum pieces so an SV650 17-inch rear wheel would work with an Ohlins damper. Yes, an Ohlins! Gave a whole new meaning to the term “Ohlins shock” when I heard about it.

“Yeah,” Steve said, “it’s a GSXR1000 shock we had here. Dave modified and resprung it to get it setup with the right swingarm angle and ride height.”

What color of wheels do you want?

I’ve got about a dozen SV wheels in various colors.”

We’re using the stock forks due to budget, but Super Dave added Race Tech Emulators (racetech.com) and massaged the bottoms and rebound damping holes. We threw some 9.25 springs in.”

Had a set of early-R6 calipers out in the dumpster, so they’re on the FZR now. Seth dug around in another pile of trash and found some good pads.” Those were the messages, delivered with Steve’s understated sarcasm, and each of them came with a picture or two of the bike in various states of disarray. My excitement was at a fever pitch.

If pressed, I couldn’t truthfully answer the question: “Are you more excited

Photo NI Collection: A shot from the way-back machine…Willow Springs 1989 with an FZR600 and 400 built by Kerker’s Steve Johnson. These good times make the Speedwerks 600 even more precious.

Photo Speedwerks: The tired 1990 FZR600 that Speedwerks unearthed to get this project started.

to work on it or ride it?” I prepared a parts list, maintenance log and started studying videos on “how to paint bikes in your garage.” The bike was still in Delaware, but I was beyond ready in Colorado.

STEVE LONG’S MAIN FLAW

On a Tuesday morning I got a text from Speedwerks, “Got some pics, want to see?”

“Send them!”

“Do you care if we run some inexpensive Chinese rearsets and clip-ons?” I didn’t mind at all…note the new 528 chain and Ohlins in the background! These footpegs were made for the SV650 but Super Dave grafted them onto the FZR.

Two minutes later Steve sent me a link to a photo portfolio: “Nick’s Racebike.” I literally couldn’t believe it. The FZR looked stunning! Done. Ready to race. Beyond anything I ever expected and far beyond anything I had imagined or hoped for. Remember, I raced these things back in the day and they never looked this good. I couldn’t stop smiling.

I immediately called and after stammering over the appearance of the bike, my first question was, “What happened to our plan of you starting it and me finishing it?”

“Yeah,” Steve answered,“we just got rolling on it and Dave Arnold, our painter, sprayed it grey and then I got Jeff at Inline4Designs and Print (www.inline4designs.xyz/) to do the graphics. You said you liked grey with a yellow highlight, so there it is.”

I was speechless. My “starter kit” had turned into one of the neatest racebikes I’d ever seen. In 20 years I could not have reached this level, not only in quality, but the inventiveness of the paint and graphics, the correctness of the rear suspension geometry, the overall sanitary

Steve dug around the Speedwerks shop and found “the last Graves Motorsports FZR fairing stay in existence” and brought it into the modern world with a Koso voltmeter matched to a Koso coolant-temp sensor mounted in the stock ignition-key location. A steering

Photo Speedwerks: Then Steve’s crew of son, Seth, and Super Dave Trotter pulled the tired parts off, bolting on brand-new Beasley Composites fiberglass (beasleycomposites.com), an old Vance & Hines header pipe matched to an Scorpion muffler that “was hanging on the wall,” spliced together with extensive handywork by Super Dave. Oh…that’s just a Lucky Strike RGv250 on the right.

Photo Speedwerks: Remember these Factory covers? This is the type of stuff Steve Long has “getting kicked around the shop, in the way”.

damper was added in an out-of-harm’s-way location.

appearance of the bike. “Yeah,” said Steve with a laugh, “we can’t really turn out anything half-assed around here.”

NICE TO MEET YOU

The bike arrived in Colorado just as autumn began to turn cold. Like many of you, I have a habit of tearing down every “new-to-me” bike so the FZR came apart for the few things I could do…simple stuff but so very joyful.

My own racebike in my own garage. Words can’t describe how much fun I’ve had with this FZR and the main reason is how wonderfully Speedwerks made it. It’s not a haggard 33-yearold vintage bike, it’s a shining jewel… at least in these 61-year-old eyes. Yes, I’ve ridden it. Sans bodywork and on the ratty old slicks Speedwerks installed to roll it around the shop, I rode it down my gravel driveway, then two miles on a dirt road to the paved freeway frontage road for a few blasts up and down…and then up and down and up and down a few more times! It ran nicely despite the 5000 feet of elevation and when the Bridgestone slicks arrive and are installed, I’ll sneak in a winter track day at Pueblo Motorsports Park or Pikes Peak International Raceway. Not sure when I’ll race it, but who cares? It’s just a treat to be able to work on.

SKIPPING THE HARD PART

I’ve written this FZR saga because this “starter kit” idea may make sense for you too. Rather than buy a stock bike and make it a racer or buy an old racer to refurbish, have a proven shop like Speedwerks get you started. Why? Because there are basics and details that builders like Steve Long know in their sleep; their connections are deep and proven, their decisions forged in the unambiguous world of racing. In this case, Steve cut months if not years off my dream to have my own racer in my own garage.

I’ll get back to you after our first track day together…just me and my very own race bike, finally.

Ryan Burke, a MotoAmerica racer and YCRS instructor, received the FZR from Steve at NJMP, dragged it to Barber and finally arrived in a small Colorado town with the Speedwerks 600 crouched in the back of his dually; after breakfast we swapped it into my truck for the ride “home.”

Photo NI: Cleaning and painting the rusty rotors is the type of work I’ve done since the bike came “home.”

Photo TheSBimage.com: I’ve had the pleasure to ride and report on a few of Steve Long’s (left) Speedwerks machines; this RGv250 with an RG500 engine I rode last year was the highlight…so far.

Photo Speedwerks: Painter Dave Arnold worked his magic on the Beasely bodywork, producing a show-bike finish on a 33 year old bike. Arnold, like Steve, is an enthusiast and is producing a custom bike to raffle for a veterans’ program.

Pop ● Pop ● Pop

This was a bike that was built originally to be raced, so that’s all it’s done its entire life.

WRITTEN BY STEPH VETTERLY PHOTOS COURTESY MOTORCYCLECLASSICS.COM

If you’ve ever been to an AHRMA road race, chances are you’ve seen this rider and this bike, and an even better chance that you see them on the top step of the podium. We got a chance to chat with Alex McLean about the 1937 Norton Manx he rides in the Pre-1940 class and Class C Footshift, and learn a little about its history. This bike has enough details and stories to fill a book, and we recognize that we’ve only scratched the surface of this unique piece of history.

The Norton Manx was originally developed in 1937 with the sole purpose of winning the Isle of Man TT. The project was delayed until 1946 as World War II took center

stage. This particular machine, lovingly referred to by Alex as the “Old Boy,” is actually a predecessor to the final Manx racing model. Built by Stu Rogers in England, the Old Boy is a long-stroke, single overhead cam Manx. It’s a rigid bike with girder forks, so there’s little to no suspension. While the frame was cobbled together by Stu, the engine is a true factory race engine, complete with magnesium cases. To help make the bike as light as possible, Stu drilled holes everywhere he didn’t need metal. Complete with 19” wheels, the bike has very little brakes, and still utilizes mechanical points instead of an electronic ignition system.

Stu met Bob McKeever, who not only purchased the Manx from him, but also decided to sponsor him as a racer. Stu would make the journey across the pond, where Bob would have everything prepared and ready – all Stu had to do was race. After a while, he made the decision to stop coming over, which left Bob in search of a rider.

Enter Alex McLean. Working as a photographer in New York in the early 1990’s, Bob noticed that Alex was doing incredibly well on his Suzuki X6 250 in the 250GP class and decided to make an offer. In telling the story of his first experiences with the Manx, Alex noted that it was a real handful. It would shake around, instilling very

little confidence in its abilities to safely get up to speed. Alex finally discovered the secret – moving your bodyweight three inches over the handlebars, things settled down. Then everything changed; Alex went from playing catch-up to winning race after race, then championship after championship.

Despite being a very reliable and faithful machine, Alex admits he does break down occasionally, but it’s very rare. He has had to DNF due to electrical problems, has had the engine loosen in the frame, the carburetor has broken itself off, engine cases have broken due to vibration; parts are old, and they eventually give out and need replaced. He makes sure not to push the bike any more than is necessary, especially off the track, which he feels has helped prolong the life of the machine. When he gets to hot tech, he lets the engine die, dismounts, and walks it all the way back to the pits, a lesson he learned from Dave Roper. Because the bike has a dry sump system, Alex also makes sure to change the oil every race.

It should be noted that Alex does not actually own the bike. After Bob McKeever passed in 2017, ownership of the Old Boy went to his son, Rob, who makes sure the bike gets a full once-over every year. Because

Alex is so gentle with the machine, maintenance is fairly low, requiring not much more than a new piston and occasionally some new valves. So why does Alex enjoy riding this machine so much? He explains that this bike really taught him how to ride a race bike. He enjoys the sounds and the smell. The single-cylinder motor gives a signature “pop, pop, pop” sound as he rides through the pits, eliciting looks and a thumbs-up from nearly everyone he rides by. The bike runs with vegetable oil instead of

mineral oil, also referred to as Castrol R, and the castor bean oil brings back the real, old, racing smell.

While he’s never counted the number of races or championships he’s won, Alex believes this motorcycle has won more races than any bike in AHRMA, for sure since the beginning of the organization. Including the races that Stu won before Alex jumped on board, it may in fact be one of the most winningest road race bikes ever.

PHOTO BY ALEX MCLEAN

(L-R) Bob McKeever, Rob McKeever, Alex McLean, Nobby Clark

LIVING THE CROSS COUNTRY LIFE with Becky Hayes

INTERVIEW BY STEPH VETTERLY

PHOTOS BY KEVIN MCINTOSH & STEPH VETTERLY

Having the right staff in the right positions can make all the difference. Since 2015, Becky Hayes has been working to make a difference, specifically in the cross country races as the discipline’s Coordinator. While Becky has been riding motorcycles since she was young, she didn’t start racing until the age of 46. With experience in motocross, trials, and cross country, and a passion for old motorcycles, it was only a matter of time before she joined AHRMA.

While she has decided that 2023 will be her final year as officiate, we got a chance to learn more about her start with motorcycles and with AHRMA, got some behind-the-scenes look into what goes into her position, and

asked the all-important question: what next?

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MOTORCYCLING?

My dad rode and raced back in the day. When I was 11, I asked my dad to teach me how to ride. We had this little 80cc Yamaha. He said, as soon as you can start the bike, I’ll teach you how to ride. So I went out and practiced starting it, and when I was finally able to start it, I told him and you could see on his face, “oh, I have to teach her now.”

I was pit crew for my brother and John Martin for a while at the national enduros. That’s how I knew racers like Terry Cunningham and Jeff Fredette and all those guys. At some of the enduros, I was the gas truck.

At one race, I was carrying gas for like 20 some riders because they knew I would always go to the gas stops. During those years, I really didn’t get to ride a lot.

AFTER BEING AN AHRMA MEMBER FOR 11 YEARS, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO STEP UP FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY COORDINATOR POSITION? I was always helping at the races anyway, either with sign-up or scoring or whatever. Len Burton at the time said that he had had enough years and he didn’t want to do it anymore. I asked him what the position was all about and what it entailed? He just kept saying,” Oh, it’s easy.” [chuckles] He wouldn’t really tell me a lot. And at that time, Tim and Polly

Gro were doing the scoring with Mototally; they were taking all the transponder stuff and everything to every race and doing all the scoring. At that time, the coordinator position didn’t have to do as much. When I took over, Polly was like, “Well, we’ve done this for five years. We don’t want to do the scoring anymore.” So I was like, “Oh great, I get everything all at once.” But that was okay; we worked it out.

WHAT CHANGES/IMPROVEMENTS HAVE YOU MADE TO BRING THE CROSS-COUNTRY SYSTEM TO WHERE IT IS TODAY?

Because the transponder scoring required boxes and boxes of stuff and set up, I trimmed down the scoring part to just hand entering on the computer. It still gives everybody their lap times, but it’s so much simpler.

I have developed promoter packets which help to explain to promoter’s what we’re looking for and what their responsibilities are for the harescrambles and the ISDT format. We had our first time-keeping enduro; I would love to see another one of those, but they take a lot of manpower for a club to do.

We’ve set up rules for a Sprint Enduro. We haven’t had that yet, but the rules are set up for it. It would be nice to get the first one under our belt and see how it actually works.

I’ve also developed a pretty good group of volunteers who are willing to help out at the races for scoring and sign-up.

WALK ME THROUGH WHAT A TYPICAL RACE WEEKEND LOOKS LIKE.

Several weeks out before an event, I’ll get my volunteers lined up and listed, and get that information to the promoter. I print out the pre-entries and then when I go to the race, we do the registration, make sure the tech people are there to get tech done. Usually, I try to walk the course. The morning of the event, I go out and

set up my row signs for the starting rows, do registration, get the scoring stations set up, and get my people in place. Lately, I’ve been doing the rider’s meeting also, then get ready for me to race because I’m in the first race.

When I get done with that, I usually just park the bike and go right to scoring, clean up any issues in the vintage race, and then get ready for the post-vintage race and do that scoring and then get results tabulated and up. If the promoter needs help handing out trophies, then usually that evening, if it’s a two day event, I go through all the entries, make sure everything’s entered, that the people that are doing both days are entered in the computer, tally the money and then do it all the next day to.

WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT GIVING THE PROMOTERS AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS A TRACK DESIGN, WHAT KIND OF THINGS? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN’T RUN THE SAME TRACK DESIGN AS YOU WOULD WITH MODERN BIKES JUST BASED OFF THE LIMITATIONS OF THE MORE VINTAGE MACHINES.

I tell promoters that you lay out the course for a 60-year-old novice on a four-inch down-pipe bike. We want to make sure that the novice can have fun and not be frustrated by things that they can’t get over or a hill they can’t climb or whatever. That’s the big thing, getting and marking a

trail is kind of regional and different areas of the country mark the trail differently. But I just try to get them to do an exceptional job of marking the trail. This isn’t a local race, it’s not a regional race, it’s a national and it needs to be of national caliber. So we’ve been working on getting promoters to step up and do better marking. And of course, course layout is different everywhere you go because everybody has different terrains. But the 60-year-old novice on the four-inch down-pipe bike is what I tell them to go by.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO IN THIS POSITION, BUT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, YOU HAVEN’T QUITE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT YET? WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY PORTION OF AHRMA?

I would just like to see more people getting involved, more people coming to the races because it’s a hoot! AHRMA racing is some of the most fun racing there is through all skill levels and all ages. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years.

IN YOUR TIME AS COORDINATOR, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I’m most proud of having a consistent program. People know when they come to the race what it’s going to be, how it’s going to be run; it’s kind of like McDonald’s, you know what you’re going to get.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT EITHER THE RACE WEEKEND OR YOUR POSITION IN GENERAL?

Seeing all the people. Most definitely seeing all the people and talking with everybody.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER RETIRING FROM AHRMA?

I’m still going to AHRMA races, maybe doing some more local racing and of course, the Moto Guzzis. I got the V7 Stone and Craig got the V85 TT, which is the adventure bike. I’ve

already got a planned trip out to my niece in Crested Butte, Colorado, this summer to see her.

What kind of precipitated this whole thing was Craig and I were discussing what we wanted to do before we’re too old to do it. And more road riding came up, doing the Blue Ridge Parkway and doing the Natchez Trace, going up to Door County, Wisconsin, etc. You know, all this different little stuff, and since I’m now 63 coming up on 64 shortly, we figured maybe we’d better do some of this stuff before we can’t.

“Making History in the Age of COVID” originally appeared in American Motorcyclist in December 2021. It has been reprinted with permission from the AMA, Mitch Boehm, Jim Dohms, and Valerie Robinson.

I can attest to Bill Robinson’s assertion about Riding Into History being America’s premier, all-vintage motorcycle Concours d’Elegance — and a whole lot more. I was asked to be Grand Marshal of the 2012 event and gladly accepted, and during my three days in beautiful St. Augustine, Fla., saw firsthand what a fantastic event it was. —Mitch

Boehm

WR: A dedicated group of enthusiasts was determined to return RIH to the event thousands loved to attend, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity over the years. With an all-volunteer staff, and support from a loyal group of sponsors, the group began to revitalize the show. A key component was the recruiting of Wayne Carini,

star of the popular TV show Chasing Classic Cars, as Grand Marshal. Carini is a well-known restorer and collector of motorcycles, and he enthusiastically joined the team.

MB: The charity Robinson mentions here — K9s For Warriors — deserves special recognition, as it does work that literally saves lives…the lives of military veterans

affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). For many vets thus affected, depression and thoughts of suicide are constant companions, and the K9s For Warriors program has been effective in bringing such vets back from the brink through the use of companion — and rescuedthemselves — dogs.

WR: Chairman Bill Peterson, a long time RIH committee member and leader, spearheaded the effort to garner financial support, recruit Concours entrants, and reach out to patrons who would attend the Grand Marshal’s Historic Ride as well as the Grand Marshal’s Banquet — both of which happened on Friday night before the Concours. Bit by

bit, he reassembled the large group of volunteers needed to make it all work once again.

Fortunately, Florida was open for business. St. Augustine’s beautiful World Golf Village, which had served as the venue for 20 years, was now available to host 300 amazing vintage motorcycles. The inviting, tree-shaded walkway, circling the

lake that forms the centerpiece of the property, is unrivaled for displaying motorcycles at the Concours d’Elegance.

Finally, after two years of angst and accomplishment, it was time. On Friday, April 23, Carini initiated the revitalized event by leading a group of 50 roadworthy vintage bikes through Florida farmlands and along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean to

The Reef restaurant.

Jack

one

For Warriors vets and his companion dog. The charity rescues dogs and has pro handlers train them to be companion animals for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- and Traumatic Brain Injury-afflicted veterans.

the

Following the scenic lunch ride, the group returned to the World Golf Village to prepare for the Grand Marshal’s Banquet. A full-capacity crowd of 175 diners first perused the Silent Auction, featuring three motorcycles donated by generous supporters: Bart & Sally Maggio (vintage Yamaha), Mary Crawford (vintage BMW), Toby Jones (custom

mini bike). Jason Snodgrass, COO of the RIH charity partner K9s For Warriors, gave a moving talk about rescuing dogs, which in turn rescue at-risk PTSD veterans. Carini then spoke of his love for motorcycling, which began before he was old enough to secure a driver’s license. Combining wit, adventure and poignancy, he wove a tale that kept the audience wanting more.

Wells (beard) alongside

of

K9s

MB: When I filled in for Malcolm Smith in the Grand Marshal role in 2016 (Malcolm and I had just released his autobiography, he wasn’t doing so well, and in his absence I told stories about Malcolm’s life and how the book came together), I witnessed an amazing speech by Shari Duval, founder and CEO of K9s For Warriors (www.k9sforwarriors.org).

Duval spoke of these rescued dogs, trained by professional handlers for months before being linked up with a warrior in need. These service canines are often able to help assist warriors return to civilian life with dignity and independence.

The need is urgent and real, too, as Duval explained that we lose 20 vets per day to suicide. I literally heard the assembled crowd take

a deep breath when she uttered those words, and over the next few minutes, as she explained the organization’s activities, there were plenty of tears. Duval told stories about some of the warriors they’ve helped, and how well these vets are doing now, and everyone in the room felt proud; proud of Duval’s organization, of course, but also of the hundreds of Riding Into History

Left: Grand Marshal Wayne Carini (left) and Riding Into History’s Bill Robinson (middle) and Hilary Becker. Above: Carini alongside Gordon and Alice Leishman, who sponsor the “Spirit of Riding Into History” award. Above right: Amy Jacques and Wendy Murray doing the sidecar thing. Amy runs the RIH Youth Judging program, sponsored by Hagerty Insurance. Right: The RIH Grand Marshal lunch ride benefits the K9s For Warriors charity, which supports vets with companion dogs.

volunteers, all of whom were putting on this great event to raise money to help K9s For Warriors operate.

WR: The following morning patrons arrived to see a spectacular show, set up by entrants and volunteers, many who began working long before sunrise. A half-mile lap of the lake brought you in close contact with unique and stunning motorcycles every step along the

way. Here would be a 1917 Indian Powerplus, there you would find a 1920 Clyno Lightweight, and under the shade of the next tree rested an amazing 1917 Harley-Davidson Model J – Military.

MB: There is no doubt; things get crazy on the World Golf Hall of Fame grounds on Saturday morning. Hundreds of the country’s nicest vintage machines are arranged

around the perfectly circular lake that forms the focal point of the manicured facility. They’re grouped according to class, so all attendees and judges need to do to see everything is stroll around the lake, take out their cameras and take in the sights. There are retrothemed vendors arrayed around the lake, too, including photographers, sponsors, shops and restorers, and the K9s For Warriors folks, of course. The

RIH folks also have posters and items to sell, the proceeds of which all go to K9s For Warriors.

WR: This year you might have taken special note of Alan Berry’s breathtaking 1935 Triumph 6-1 Twin Val Page, named Best in Show. And what about the all-original 1885 Quadrant Tandem Highwheel Tricycle? Carini gave this motorcycle predecessor the Grand Marshal’s

Award, noting that this type of vehicle led to powered bikes being born. Then it was time for everyone to head home, tired yet pleased, and looking ahead to the 2022 event.

MB: Like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio in July, the Riding Into History concours has become a don’t-miss sort of event for thousands of enthusiasts. The organizers, the fans, the bikes themselves and the

excellent work the K9s For Warriors group does for America’s vets…you just can’t beat it.

WR: So after nearly two years of COVID-inspired cabin fever for enthusiasts everywhere, Riding Into History is back, illustrating that what doesn’t kill you often makes you stronger. For more information about this historic and entertaining event, go to ridingintohistory.org. AMA

Opportunity for top riders from across the country to compete in a premier event

Family event for all ages

A short 1.6 mile loop with 7 sections per day

Free primitive camping

REDWOOD ENGINEERING AHRMA

MAY 20-21 2023

NATIONAL VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE OBSERVED TRIALS EVENT

ROCK RIDERS

QUARRY

2786 84 TH STREET NEHAWKA NE 68413

mickhutcheson@yahoo.com

ddzornes@gmail.com

NO OFFROAD MOTORCYCLES ATVS, UTVS, OR GOLF CARTS ALLOWED

All AHRMA CLASSES PLUS MODERN CLUBMAN AND VINTAGE OUTLAW (1987 or older)

$5.00 day or $10.00 weekend

Under 12 free Riders out at 11:00am

Three Chicks and a Wagon

Food Truck

2023 AHRMA NATIONAL SERIES SCHEDULES

2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series

2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Vintage Motocross Series

* all events, except Barber Motorsports Park, are hosting both the AAR and SRS

2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Cross Country Series

2023 4SR AHRMA National Vintage Dirt Track Series

2023 Redwood Engineering AHRMA National Vintage Trials Series

SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! PLEASE CHECK WWW.AHRMA.ORG FOR

2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Post Vintage Motocross Series

2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National NextGen MX Series

2023 AHRMA REGIONAL SCHEDULES

Schedules and venues are subject to change, Visit regional websites for up to date information

2023 AHRMA Mid-Atlantic Schedule

for Cross Country and Motocross are:

* all events are for regional points only, except Shady Acres National pays only National points for Cross Country

** all motocross events will host Vintage, Post Vintage, and NextGen competition Best seven (7) cross country class placings count toward Regional Cross Country Championship/Awards.

Best six (6) motocross class placings count toward Regional MX Championship/Awards.

2023 AHRMA REGIONAL SCHEDULES

2023 AHRMA Great Lakes Schedule

Date Event Disciplines

5/6 Lightning Raceway; Tippecanoe, OH Cross Country

5/7 Lightning Raceway; Tippecanoe, OH Motocross

5/20 Saddleback East; Bedford, KY Cross Country, Trials

5/21 Saddleback East; Bedford, KY Motocross

6/3 Grears MX Park; Zanesville, OH Motocross

6/4 Grears MX Park; Zanesville, OH Cross Country, Trials

7/8 Shady Acres; Friendsville, MD National Motocross - V, Cross Country

7/9 Shady Acres; Friendsville, MD National Motocross - PV, NG, Cross Country

7/15 Honda Hills; Thornville, OH National Motocross - V, Cross Country

7/16 Honda Hills; Thornville, OH National Motocross - PV, NG, Cross Country

8/6 Fly MX Park; Sardis, OH Motocross

8/19 Pine Lake; Ashtabula, OH National Cross Country

8/20 Pine Lake; Ashtabula, OH Motocross

10/21 Lightning Raceway; Tippecanoe, OH Cross Country, Trials

10/22 Lightning Raceway; Tippecanoe, OH Motocross

2023 AHRMA Rocky Mountain Schedule

Date Event

Disciplines

3/11 Aztec Family Raceway; Colorado Springs, CO w/ CORCS Cross Country

4/16 Lakeview Motosports Park; Ordway, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

5/7 Aztec Family Raceway; Colorado Springs, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

5/27 Two Rivers Racing; Leahy Family Farm; Milliken, CO National Vintage Motocross, Regional Cross Country / Trials

5/28 Two Rivers Racing; Leahy Family Farm; Milliken, CO National MotocrossPV and NG only

6/3 Jenny Ranch; Steamboat Springs, CO Trials

6/4 Jenny Ranch; Steamboat Springs, CO Motocross - Vintage only

6/18 Jewell MX; Watkins, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

6/24 RAM Off Road Park; Colorado Springs, CO w/ CORCS Cross Country

7/9 Bull Hollow Raceway; Monicello, UT w/ AVDRA Motocross

7/23 Dry Lake Motocross Park; Gypsum, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

8/13 Sidney Cycle Association; Sunol, NE w/ RMVMC Motocross

9/2 PNCC Hare Scramble; Potter, NE w/ CORCS Cross Country

9/17 Sweney Cycle Ranch; Brush, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

10/8 Jewell MX; Watkins, CO w/ RMVMC Motocross

10/14 Aztec Family Raceway; Colorado Springs, CO w/ CORCS Cross Country

Rocky Mtn Regional Championship Minimum Requirements

Motocross - 5 to qualify, best 7 finishes count

Cross Country - 4 to qualify, all finishes count

Trials - 2 events scheduled, no overall Regional Series Championship in 2023

Two Rivers National counts for double Rocky Mountain Regional Championship Series points for Motocross, and single points for Cross Country

Jenny Ranch, Steamboat Springs will offer VMX ONLY Regional Championship points (no PVMX or NGMX points)

Schedules and venues are subject to change, Visit regional websites for up to date information

2023 AHRMA

Northwest Schedule

Date Event Disciplines

3/18 Burrows Ranch; Chrome, CA National Trials, Cross Country

3/19 Burrows Ranch; Chrome, CA * National Motocross - Vintage only

4/8 Pacific Northwest Vintage MX; Washougal, WA Motocross - Vintage only

4/23 Leapfrog Classic Trial, Frog Pond Motoranch; Vacaville, CA Trials

5/6 Crooked River; Crooked River, OR Trials

5/7 Crooked River; Crooked River, OR Motocross - Vintage only

6/11 Original Standard MX w/ Sierra Old Timers; MMX Racing; Marysville, CA Motocross

6/17 Bullard Canyon; Lakeview, OR National Trials, Regional Cross Country

6/18 Bullard Canyon; Lakeview, OR * Motocross - Vintage only

7/15

Weathertech Laguna Seca (AHRMA Classic MotoFest™); Monterey, CA National Trials, Cross Country

7/16 Weathertech Laguna Seca (AHRMA Classic MotoFest™); Monterey, CA * National Motocross

8/12 Pacific Northwest Vintage MX; Pacific Raceways; Kent, WA Motocross

8/26 Tea Cup Trials; Point Arena, CA Trials

8/27 Tea Cup Scott Trials; Point Arena, CA Trials

9/16 Rattlers Run Ranch; Fairfield, WA Trials

9/17 Rattlers Run Ranch; Fairfield, WA Motocross - Vintage only

9/30 Bushey Ranch; Canby, CA National Trials, Cross Country

10/1 Bushey Ranch; Canby, CA * National Motocross - Vintage only

11/19 Original Standard MX w/Sierra Old Timers; MMX Racing; Marysville, CA Motocross

** Iron Butt Weekend

2023 AHRMA Northwest Regional Championship Series

All Northwest events count for 2023 Northwest Championship Vintage Motocross and Trials - Best 7 events, 4 to qualify Cross Country - Best 4 events

Regional points awarded at National events on Northwest’s schedule

Post-Vintage and Next Gen Motocross - Support Only

You must be an AHRMA member to receive Regional AHRMA Championship Awards and Points. Non-member points will be removed and rescored for members.

2023 IRON BUTT

Complete 2 motos in the same class

3 Trials loops

Finish Cross Country in all 4 scheduled events

MARKETPLACE

2016 Ducati 959

Have decided to sell my race bike. I had it built specifically to race in Twins classes and Formula 40 in the MRA (Colorado) in 2022 after laying off the past couple of years, but I had hand surgery, then blood clots in my leg from a previous accident, and then creeping age caught up in the form of arthritic knees which can’t be fixed. I tried like hell to rekindle my enthusiasm and went to the MRA Race School and YCRS, but I just don’t have the gumption to do it anymore...

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PRICE: $13,500

LOCATION: Denver, CO

CONTACT: Tim Wallace - (720) 202-2739

reverse cone megaphones

USA made Reverse Cone Megaphones. Exhilarating slip on performance. Tooling & machines were built and designed by 7th Phase, Inc. Various lengths, with or without mounting tabs or muffler core. 2 5/8″ – 3 1/8″ – 3 1/2″ – 4″ rear cone outlet. Inlets range 1″ – 2 1/4″ www.7thphaseinc.com

PRICE: $79-379 each

LOCATION: Saint Johns, AZ

CONTACT: George Leon - (928) 245-5612

2011 Ducati 848 EVO

Race-prepped by DucShop in Marietta Georgia. This baby has three more hosepower than the 2011 AMA SuperSport bike fielded by DucShop with rider Emerson Conner (125 rwhp vs 123hp on Mark’s dyno). Mark Sutton speculates it’s because they have to use 108 octane spec fuel for the AMA race series, which is really too high for the 848 twin even at 14:1 compression ratio. Either way, it’s a wonderful motorcycle. Incredible torque, with magnificent top end, and handling to make it a cornerspeed bike, too.

PRICE: $12,000

LOCATION: Houston, TX

CONTACT: Luis Barillas V1 Moto in Houston - (281) 447-3476

1974 Yamaha mx360

1974 Yamaha mx360. Solid bike with recently rebuilt motor. New excel rims/stainless spokes, new seat foam and cover, new shocks, new front and rear brake shoes,new rear sprocket, Webco head with compression release, new perches, grips and levers with a pro taper quick adjust clutch, comes with 2 Circle F pipes down and up, solid tires, comes with extra stock aluminum tank and number plates. This bike is race ready. Feel free to ask any questions

PRICE: $4,000

LOCATION: Redding, CA

CONTACT: Michael Noon - (206) 617-1682

1976 Dodge B300 Campervan

Classic and so fun, this tiny house on wheels sits on a heavy duty 1 ton chassis and is powered by a 360 v-8 engine with 3 speed automatic transmission. We’ve owned the van since 2005 and made lots of mechanical improvements and maintained it as needed like new alternator, radiator, transmission, upper control arms, power steering pump, starter motor, carburetor, heavy duty front springs, converted original 16.5″ to 16″ wheels, tires and brakes all around, and motor mounts. Fitted with a class II hitch...

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MORE ON www.ahrma.org/marketplace-ads/]

PRICE: $9,500

LOCATION: Palm Springs, CA

CONTACT: Monica McCready - (760) 835-5439

motorcycle transportation

Will transport bikes and gear to road race and/or multi-discipline events, Florida to California, and all events in between.

LOCATION: Port Orange, Florida

CONTACT: Ralph Wessell - (386) 760-0932

Transport Needed: Honda XL100

I need a Honda XL100 moved from Tulare to San Diego.

LOCATION: California

CONTACT: Ed Stovin - (858) 822-8274

HAMPSTEAD, NH CALL/TEXT (603) 329-9901

WWW.RICKSELECTRICS.COM

CUSTOM REBUILD SERVICE

1 YEAR REPAIR WARRANTY BEFORE AFTER

1973 CR250

BEFORE AFTER

SWAP MEET & MARKETPLACE AD GUIDELINES

AHRMA members may submit two free Swap Meet, non-commercial, motorcycle-related ads of up to 50 words each, per issue. Each ad will run only once, but you are welcome to renew monthly. All ads will also be placed on www.ahrma.org for at least one month.

MARKETPLACE ADS: The Marketplace plan is specifically designed for small business owners. Members or nonmembers may submit an ad of up to 50 words and may include 1 photo. This ad will appear both on ahrma.

’s AHRMA Swap Meet page, and in AHRMA MAG’s Marketplace section for 2 issues, with photo. Marketplace ads cost $25 for 60 days and may be renewed as many times as you like.

Please include: name, address, phone number and AHRMA membership number with your ad.

www.ahrma.org/classifieds-etc/

1978 SR500

Coupon Code: GOFAST

@RICKSELECTRICS

THUNDER PRODUCTS #1

The Torque Wing doubles your air speed from idle to half throttle while killing turbulence. The increased air speed gives you greater hole-shots and acceleration everywhere in low or mid-range. No tuning necessary. Install and hang on!

STREAMLINE AIR/FUEL FLOW MXA RATING This simple little device works. Pat. #9,464,605

Dial-A-Jet

FUEL INDUCTION SYSTEM

A completely adjustable external jetting system that delivers pre-atomized fuel for maximum horsepower at any temperature or altitude for the price of an ordinary jet kit.

IntelaJet

RE-JET

The most advanced fuel delivery system on the planet for carbureted small engines. Delivers pre-atomized fuel for maximum horsepower at any temp or altitude.

U.F.O. ULTIMATE FLOW OPTIMIZER

Thunder

FUEL ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM

The Benevolent Fund was created in 1992 as a means of helping AHRMA members in need. AHRMA offers a variety of raffles and other fundraisers benefitting the Benevolent Fund. Members also are encouraged to contribute directly.

Members in good standing for at least one year may take advantage of the fund. All applications for assistance are kept confidential. Requirements are listed in the AHRMA Handbook. Contact Bob Goodpaster 219.942.2401 norton80_1@msn.com

AHRMA NATIONAL SAFETY SPONSOR

Featured Racer: Arch York

Owner/Operator AAMotoAAMoto