Northeast Region Update

Northeast Region Update WORDS: BOB CLOSE PHOTOS: SARAH LANE, RICK COWERS

After these final three races in our Northeast AHRMA series, I am ready to proclaim the following: NE men and women are the best vintage mud racers out there. No one has slid, or spun, and climbed, and fell as much as we have over this 13-round 2021 series in what has been a wet Northeast fall and summer. Remove your muck boots before you come inside, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s wrap up this fall’s racing.

Kelso Creek Classic,

Minerva, NY Sept 18th & 19th

We all show at Brett Darrow and Alicia Coon’s “compound” in the Adirondacks with mixed feelings. The beautiful Gore Mountain backdrop, the wonderful food spreads his family and friends serve up—including breakfast, and once again—the most amazing 20-minute back yard fireworks display you will ever witness on a Saturday night. On Saturday, it was at least 20 degrees warmer than last year. The flip side? Possibly our toughest four-mile plus cross country course on the northeast calendar made tougher this year by lots of rain. In theory, these mountainsides allow for plenty of run-off, but it had to end up somewhere. And ‘somewhere’ is usually out there on his XC course in a couple of choice locations.

Racer Rik Smits is drawn to this setting like a bug to a porch zapper. Before Saturday’s XC race, he had the great idea to create a final sand section. A SAND section, in the Adirondacks. To his credit, he possibly created the driest place on Saturday’s course. Okay, let’s get to the XC racing and the 40 entries who signed up for Vintage and Post Vintage racing. This is “Spoonagle Country.” Son Chris and dad Kurt pretty much own the overalls in this race and our latest expert gunslinger, Darrel Wassil, showed with his bikes. “Spoonagles are going down,” was the buzz. Didn’t happen. Chris beat Darrell for the overall in Vintage and rubbed salt in the wound by also taking first Sportsman 250 Expert (over DW) with his Can-Am MX. Darrell had an awful day in that first race, losing his Ossa’s gas tank. The best of the rest included Rick Ketcham taking third overall, and first in Sportsman 200 Intermediate. Joe Chodnicki, sick man that he is, liked the conditions and finished behind Rick, also winning Vintage 50+ Intermediate. And while I don’t talk about myself much in these articles (I DO talk about myself in the pits, but that is different…), I must mention that I did my best Benny Hill Show impression in a big cover-your-cases waterhole, hitting a rock with my right peg, stopping, losing balance, and falling over. I was soaked, and strangely, laughing. What a wise purchase my Penton Jackpiner w/

LEFT: Doing the Honda Red Riders proud, Jason Taylor (138) whips and rips in Next Gen 125s at the Kelso Classic

ABOVE: Tyler Krupa (116) is thinking “do not look at the photographer, do not look at the photographer” at the Kelso Creek XC. How cool does Tom Curry (4c) look on his Next Gen Yamaha racer at Kelso Creek? Very cool, though Pre-Mod Expert Mark Therrien (KTM, 82) might disagree

PHOTOS BY SARAH LANE

high breather frame was at that point! I then proceeded to loop my bike on a rock and root climb two laps later, and still won first in 60+ Intermediate (okay fine, Otto was not there!). Congrats to Ian Heid and his Honda in the Next Gen Open Novice class, who beat two other guys for first-place.

Conditions were worse for the Post Vintage XC race; mudholes got deeper, and some of the woods weaving was more like greased rocks/roots weaving. My hat goes off to the half-dozen Iron Men who did both races. Mr. Wassil got his act together on his Yamaha IT200 and took home first overall (and first Sportsman 200 Expert) with no one near him. And what about those “older” experts racing against dad, Kurt Spoonagle? Today they had his number. There were six sign-ups for Post Vintage 50+ Expert, and Rik Smits led them home, with Dan Gavin second, and Kurt third.. Eric Miller picked up the Pre-Modern 200 Intermediate win, and his dad Brett (Dr. Evil…) Darrow picked up the Post Vintage 200 Intermediate win over Keith Vanderwalker. Brett has confessed he got the win when, with both guys stuck in a waterhole, Keith helped him out first. Congrats to Jeremy Krupo for beating two other racers for the Post Vintage Open Intermediate win. And winning the Post Vintage 50+ Intermediate class once again this year was Tony Yani… WAIT, no he didn’t. Mr. Yanitelli drowned his mighty Maico in one of those waterholes that claimed Darrow/Vanderwalker, giving Joe Chodnicki his second win of the day. Atta boy, Joe. I need to move on to MX now, but give a final shout-out to Trevor Badgely, who beat Andy Palmatier for the 97-99 Two-stroke Intermediate win.

Racers woke up/showed up to a sun and clouds day on Sunday with temperatures in the 60s. The recent rain resulted in a track that started out as slick grass but broke down nicely into some great, dust-free dirt racing, which ain’t always the case at Minerva. Brett’s team (“the Northern boys,” you know who you are) had laid out a new shortened course running in the reverse direction of previous years and 54 race entries signed up to give it a shot. Race 1 sent the Post Vintage age group racera including Merritt Brown Sr., who STORMED to the win in Post Vintage 80+ Expert. I’ll mention he also won the Vintage 80+ Expert later in the day on a Rokon. And yes, he ran four motos. Stop your whining, 50+ and 60+ racers. As for the fast guys, Darrell Wassil won both motos on his Maico in Post Vintage 40+ Expert, and Dale Sonnenschein beat Mike Sciocchetti to the finish in both motos for the Post Vintage 50+ win. Rik Smits goes a little slower when it comes to MX, but we will credit him with the Post Vintage 40+ Intermediate class win over Jody Curry as both took moto wins, but The Big Man Restless took the all important second moto. Race 2 was the Pre-Modern/Next Gen crowd, all Intermediates, with Andy Palmatier beating his racing buddy Keith Vanderwalker to the line in both motos for the Next Gen Open Age Intermediate win. Trevor Badgely continued his winning ways at Kelso and claimed a 97-99 Twostroke Intermediate win over Billy Knickerbocker.

Race 3 returned to our pre-1975 crowd and it was Mike Sciochetti who owned the day on his Can-Am 250 MX4, claiming the Vintage +50 Expert

foam board as well. Dave Salmen dragged home some orphaned CZ250 over the winter and claimed an ESS 250 Intermediate win. This Iron Man raced six motos in addition to his two XC races the day before (Wassil did this too). Sigh, kids these days! Race 4 switched back to mostly Post Vintage/Grand Prix machinery and it was here we witnessed Clash of the Titans in GP 500 Expert, Spoonagle the Younger vs. Darrell Wassil, both Maico mounted! Chris took both moto wins, but he had to earn them. Tony Yanitelli shook of Saturday’s “swim lesson” and beat two others for the GP 500 Intermediate win—again, Maico mounted. Congratulations to Craig Curry, who won both motos on his Husky CR250 for a GP 250 Intermediate win. As for the Battle of the YZ100s, at Kelso it was Faruzel over Kalipolites this time, with Karl going 1-1 for the honors.

Race 5 saw the Novices hit the track and congrats to Bob Bolt (Post Vintage 60+ Novice), Allan Linville (Post Vintage 40+ Novice) and Pat Boudreau (Post Vintage Open Age Novice). Vintage-racersonly Race 6 brought out Round 2 of our Titans clash, and again it was Can-Am-mounted Chris Spoonagle claiming the win over Darrell Wassil’s Ossa Phantom 250 in Sportsman 250 Expert. Dave Salmen took another class win in Sportsman 250 Intermediate on his Maico, and Paul Heid’s Hodaka beat Mark Kalipolites in Sportsman 100 Intermediate. Race 7 was return of the Pre-Modern/ Next Gen biker boys; Mark Therian showed them how it’s done with his KTM in Pre-Modern 250 Expert and Troy Miller beating two other guys in both motos to take Next Gen 125 Intermediate. Race 8 brought together Historic, Grand Prix, and Ultima racers and Darrell Wassil finally brought home a first-place MX trophy with a win over Charlie McCormack and Dan Gavin in GP 250 Expert. Ultima Four-stroke Intermediate was owned by Colby Shore on his Suzuki and Ultima 250 Intermediate by Kelso Creek Classic oberst-fuhrer, Brett Darrow!

Brett gives credit to a lot of people for his Kelso Creek Classic weekend, with his girlfriend Alicia Coon at the front of the line. Even with that nightmare of an XC course, let me extend an AHRMA Northeast Thank You to the KCC team for one our favorite race events of the year! And a special thanks to event photographer and racing fan, Sarah Lane, for her contributions.

Two weeks after watching the leaves start to turn in the Adirondack Mountains (at Kelso), Northeast racers headed to the Catskill Mountains to watch the leaves change color. Racer (and event host/ promoter), Otto De Jager, laid out an XC course and a motocross course in an area known as French Woods, thus the name for this first-time Round 11 event. Speaking of mountains, I need to make in important distinction with respect to AHRMA Northeast racing and AHRMA Mid-Atlantic racing. I also make this distinction in the spirit of stirring the pot a bit when all of us head to York, PA, this month for our awards ceremony. You see, sometimes those Mid-Atlantic guys have referred to their terrain as “and then the trail headed up the mountain and…” but there are no mountains in their region. There are only plateaus, as in the Allegheny Plateau. In our Northeast region, WE HAVE THE MOUNTAINS, Adirondacks, Catskills, Taconic. And we race in them: State Line, Bear Creek, Kelso, and now, our French Woods Fall Classic.

But I digress.

For Saturday’s XC racing, Otto laid out a “long form” course for everyone, that was over six miles in length, mostly single track, a fire road or two as connectors, NONE of it level. You are either going up or down; he even threw in some amazing power line trails. Weather-wise, a lot of the trails were still very wet, but the gods were kind and the sun shone down (both days). There were 40 race entries for the Vintage and Post Vintage races, and everyone had a lot of fun on Saturday afternoon, which

French Woods Fall Classic,

Hancock, NY Oct 2nd & 3rd

usually means they finished! In the Vintage race, it was Darrell Wassil’s Ossa Phantom/SDR special vs. Mike Ferguson’s Penton Hare Scrambler. Mike gave him a run, but it was not enough with Wassil grabbing the overall (and the Sportsman Open Expert class win) after three laps. Richard Heins grabbed the Vintage

LEFT: Greg Meeder (18) leads the Next Gens off the line in Race 2 at French Woods MX. Brian Teague (11), Matt Nagle (569), Andy Palmatier (988), and Keith Vanderwalker give chase.

PHOTO BY RICK COWERS

ABOVE: Jay Danek (581) does not slow down—not even for mud—at the French Woods XC. Ed Abdo (268) has been there and done that, folks. Throttle pinned; he is leading Colby Shore (91) in Ultima Fourstroke racing at French Woods MX.

PHOTOS BY SARAH LANE

Ossa. Phantom. 250. Oh, and that’s Darrell Wassil (21b) riding it! Devin Trexler (181) is staying with him AND looking good in his vintage threads at French Woods MX. 60+ Expert win and Jay Lane clearly signaled, “I’m back” (literally, from the western United States) grabbing the Vintage +60 Intermediate win as well as being first Intermediate. I won’t mention that Mr. De Jager did not sign up for the class, oops, I just did. Congrats Jay! Dave Salmen won Sportsman 200 Intermediate and we had three Novices turning laps in the first race of the day: Ed Abdo, owner of Northeast Cycle Service (an AHRMA Northeast sponsor!) took the Post Vintage 60+ Novice win, Greg Peet won Post Vintage 50+ Novice, and Allen Linville won Next Gen 40+ Novice.

The day got warmer, and racing got faster for the 30+ riders who roared off in two lines for the Post Vintage race. It was a Wassil-fest again, this time for four laps (on this looong course!), with Darrell grabbing the overall (and Sportsman 200 Expert win) over Team Ferguson, dad Mike and son Nick both thrashing their XRs in a bid to catch him. We had a big Post Vintage 50+ Expert sign-up with six riders, and the Dunking Dutchman, Rik Smits, beat all comers on his GS Maico in his “back yard” during the summer/fall season. Those going down: Steve Bowman in second and Kurt Spoonagle third, both Yamaha mounted. I don’t have a story for you, but IF you run into Dale Sonnenschein at the awards banquet, you just might want to ask him about his sixth-place finish in the class and let me know at the swap meet in York. Other Experts deserving of a shout-out are Brian Ashcraft (Next Gen 60+ Expert), Kurt Kilby (Next Gen Open Expert), and Mike Blackwell (Next Gen 200 Expert). Keith Vanderwalker beat three other guys to grab the Post Vintage 200 Intermediate, Kelly Pearce beat some guys AND grabbed a Post Vintage Women’s Intermediate trophy. Let us recognize Trail Rider Magazine’s Kurt Flashbart for his: 1) Post Vintage Open Intermediate win, and 2) some excellent coverage of French Woods in their magazine.

Sunday’s weather was decent for early October, partly cloudy and temperatures reaching the upper 60s. The motocross course was a challenging, natural layout with a mixture of field/grass and a few hardpack areas. The ground was wet but held up well and improved as the day progressed for the 68 race entries.

the Post Vintage Age group classes did battle. Darrel Wassil’s Maico led home the Experts and grabbed the Post Vintage 40+ Expert award over Kurt Kilby’s Yamaha. In Post Vintage 60+ Intermediate, Randy Grove swapped moto wins with Ed Wilcox, but winning that all important second moto securing the gold. Steve Bowman and Rik Smits swapped moto wins in Post Vintage 50+ Intermediate; Steve the winner with his moto two win. Kelly Pierce came back for more racing on Sunday and won the Post Vintage Women’s Intermediate class in Race 1. Race 2’s Next Gen and Pre-Modern race was dominated by Next Gen 250 Expert winner, Greg Meeder, on his Kawasaki KX250, while Keith Vanderwalker led home the Intermediate Next Gen 250s with a win on his Green Machine. Next Gen 125 Expert was claimed by Brian Teague’s Honda CR125, while Intermediate Next Gen 125 racing found Matt Nagle beating Andy Palmatier to the line.

Old School racing and bikes was the name of the game in Race 3, which featured Pre-1975 Sportsman and ESS racers and their bikes. Expert Marc Halpern rocketed into Turn 1 on his CZ, ahead in both motos, but it was Darrel Wassil’s Ossa Phantom 250 bringing home most of the bacon as fastest guy in this crowd and Sportsman 250 Expert winner while Halpern grabbed the Sportsman 500 Expert foam board. Intermediate Devin Trexler gave chase to these guys on his Honda Elsinore 250, passing Halpern and keeping Wassil on his game. Trexler ultimately claimed Sportsman 250 Intermediate over Keith Mitchell second and Jerry Doster third.

Race 4 brought out the late models and it was all Greg Meeder on his KX250, claiming another first place in Next Gen 50+ Expert. Race 5 saw eight racers leave the starting line in this mixture of Ultima and GP-era machinery. I’ll skip over the Wassil win in GP 250 Expert and say that the REAL racing was in Ultima Four-stroke Intermediate with Karl Faruzel taking the win and GP 125 Intermediate with Russ VanNorman beating two others to that class win. And how can we not bow deeply to our own Northeast racing coordinator taking a 70+ Intermediate win? All Hail!

Novice Northeast racers reported to the line for Race 6 with Allen Linville taking the Post Vintage 40+ Novice win, Jim Allen the Vintage 60+ Novice win, Matt Houston a Historic 250 Novice win, and a very fast Carol Bailey giving no quarter to the guys winning Post Vintage Women’s Novice. And the final Race 7 winners featured our Historic class racers as well as the Ultima 125 Intermediate and the REALLY fast guys, GP 500 Intermediate. Rik Smits led home the GP 500s and Eric Miller the Ultima tiddlers while Dave Schaeffer’s always beautiful H-D 250MX won Historic 250 Intermediate.

AHRMA Northeast extends a sincere thank you to Otto De Jager, his family, and friends for hosting our first annual French Woods Fall Classic. We hope it is not our last!

Cayuga County Riders,

King Ferry, NY Oct 9th

The final round of the year was held one week after French Woods at one of our favorite locations, the Cayuga County Riders club grounds. Our hosts, Dave and Trish Barnes (and some great supporting club members), laid out their typical XC course with its combinations of deep woods weaving, field crossings, and a return to “The Maize” motocross track that everyone loves for its length and emphasis on braking and turning. And braking and turning. Did I mention braking and turning? And did I mention water or mud yet? Well, there was a lot of it as this upstate farmland just to the east of mighty Cayuga Lake was saturated from recent rains. Club members tried their best to make adjustments in trails and using their

heavy equipment (at the infamous MX track “field crossing” that is usually just a fun whoop-de-do), but there definitely were some challenges out on the XC course as well as on the motocross track. Check out the photos and you will see what I mean. There would be some serious bike teardowns after this event, pressure washing, and lots of WD-40.

This final Round 12 is a one-day affair and that means we get going early and we run a combined Vintage and Post Vintage race. In other words, Pick Your Poison in terms of your favorite bike to ride or the championship you need points in for end of season. Mostly cloudy with a light rain in the morning, it was cool all day for the 30+ XC entries who signed up for the mud and fun that awaited them. The flag was raised for three dead starts/lines at about 10:00 AM and they were off. Experts led the way; our CCR club host, Dave Barnes, and his KDX200 got the hole shot over the Ossa 250 of Darrell Wassil and Dave Fiery’s KX250. Dave led less than a lap before calling it quits with a stuck-open throttle. At the end of four laps, skills beat displacement and suspension as Wassil clinched the overall (and Sportsman Open Expert) and Dave brought home the Kawasaki second (and first Post Vintage Open Expert). An honorable mention goes out to Nick Ferguson (son of Mike), who was running with the Wassil/Fiery train on his XR200 for several laps before suffering a DNF. Richard Heins and his Ossa SDR grabbed the Vintage 60+ Expert trophy and kudos to Carl Rehatchek and his Husqvarna for taking Post Vintage 60+ Expert over two other guys. For first overall Intermediate, I’m afraid that that information cannot be confirmed at the time of this article, so let’s just mention a few class winners. Phil Miller’s KTM 200 led two others in Next Gen 200 Intermediate. Cross country “newcomer” Joe Vanella showed he has the right stuff by beating two of our regulars in 60+ Intermediate. Rick Ketcham won Vintage 200 Intermediate, Joe Chodnicki (who must love mud) smoothed his way to a Vintage 50+ Intermediate race win, and Trisha Barnes did an excellent job and landed the Post Vintage Women’s Intermediate victory. Brett Darrow’s white IT175 beat Dustin Loss and Ryan Collins to the checkered flag in Post Vintage 200 Intermediate. Finally, we had one Novice in this race, none other than Ed Abdo, taking the Post Vintage 60+ Novice win. Let’s be perfectly clear that most of the motocross track (which started as a grass track) was muddy and it was about keeping your bike up as much as it was about going fast. THE spectator hot spots were the field/water crossings (hazards?), and our 62 MX entries gave it their all in the final motocross racing of the season that kicked off after lunch with six races and twelve motos. Race 1 on the day were the GP-era bikes with Post Vintage 100s thrown in for good measure. Everyone looked to a battle royale in GP 250 Expert featuring the Honda of Rob Clare, Darrell Wassil’s Maico, and Dave Fiery’s KX, but it was not to be. Rob Clare took the class win after Darrell experienced a gameending DNF in the first moto and Dave’s KX could not make the start. And YES, Darrell did in fact jump from his dead bike to Tony Yannitelli’s Maico in the first moto, but “spirit of racing” maneuver is not allowed. For the record, the crowd loved it! Joe Vanella’s beautiful Honda CR250 took the GP 250 Intermediate win over Josh Fisher and Jody Curry. And Post Vintage 100 proved entertaining with Karl Faruzel taking two moto wins over Hollis Acome. Race 2 was the first Next Gen/Pre-Modern battle, and it was Brian Teague’s Honda CR125 that led all the way to the checkers in Moto one, and he maintained the consistency, taking the Next Gen 125 Expert win. Tom Curry’s YZ250 followed Brian and took the Pre-Modern 250 Intermediate win, and Greg Meeder followed up with the Next Gen 250 Expert win. Ryan Collins won Next Gen 250 Intermediate and the Northeast’s fastest gal, Jana Schneider, grabbed her first win on the day in Next Gen 125 intermediate.

Everyone loves our pre-1975 racers and Race 3 did not disappoint. Devin Trexler looks the part and did the job on his Honda Elsinore 250, clad in Vintage Iron chest protector. He won both motos to win Sportsman 250 Intermediate. Sportsman 500 Intermediate was won by Kevin Guernsey on his Rokon 340 Auto, and Dave Salmen looked pretty good on his CZ in ESS 250 Intermediate. Race 4 brought back that same intense set of Post Vintage racers in Race 1,

LEFT: Joe Vanella’s Red Rocket Honda (105) takes a big drink at King’s Ferry MX and rewarded him with two Intermediate class wins on the day.

PHOTO BY RICK COWERS

BELOW: Carl Rehatchek splashes his way to a PV 60+ EXP win at King’s Ferry XC race.

PHOTO BY SARAH LANE

Expert racer Brian Teague (11) and his 125 Honda ran circles around the Next Gen/ Pre-Modern crowd all day at King’s Ferry MX. PHOTO BY RICK COWERS

but this time it was the age group classes, and there was a new (old) kid in town, Dan Fields and his KTM 250, who dominated both motos and won Post Vintage 60+ Expert. Joe Vanella and four other racers signed up for Post Vintage 60+ Intermediate, and he showed them The Way (said with a deep, religious voice) in both motos for the win. Ed Hewig was second, and Ed Wilcox third. Swapping moto wins and providing some great racing were Chris Kronyak and Jody Curry (those Curry brothers, they’re everywhere!) in Post Vintage 50+ Intermediate on their Honda CRs, but Chris got the foam board with his moto two win. Finally, Eric Miller grabbed a Post Vintage Open Age Intermediate win over Dustin Loss

Race 5 provided some outstanding Novice racing and Bob Bolt outshone them all in both motos on his very cool, big-bore Yamaha YZ465, good for the Post Vintage 60+ Novice win. Sheen and Justin Moshanty signed up for Post Vintage 100 Novice on their YZ and RM bikes, with Sheen taking the win AND giving Bob Bolt a run for his money in both motos. Special shout-out to Carol Bailey on her Suzuki PE, who brought home the Post Vintage Women’s Intermediate first place.

In Race 6, 19 racers hit the track with a (potpourri) combination of Historic, GP, Ultima, Pre-Modern, and Next Gen bikes. Brian Teague once again KILLED the field and won Next Gen Open Age Expert. Greg Meeder followed him with the Next Gen 50+ Expert win. Rob Clare looked smooth with his Historic 500 Expert win on a great looking Maico, and Ed Hewig’s Suzuki RM beat two other racers to the Historic 250 Intermediate. Jana Schneider moved from her Kawasaki over to a Yamaha YZ for the Post Vintage Women’s Intermediate win.

Thanks again to Dave and Trish Barnes, the CCR club and surrounding farms/property owners for this closeout event! A big end of the season Thank You to our Northeast Region leadership (Merritt Brown and Ed Roman), and the various race event promotors and volunteers. I’d also like to thank Joe Koury and Stephanie Vetterly from the AHRMA MAG for their excellent publication and patience. You can go to the AHRMA Northeast link at the bottom of AHRMA’s website to see all the results for 2021 season. (https://www.ahrma.org/ahrmanortheast-region/).

BELOW: Jana Schneider (802) takes the plunge at Kings Ferry MX on the way to her Next Gen 125 INT win.

PHOTO BY SARAH LANE

Greg Meeder (18) and Tom Curry (4c) pick a line at King’s Ferry MX.

PHOTO BY RICK COWERS

Novices banging bars at Kings Ferry MX! Matt Houton (808), Bob Bolt (235), and Alan Linville (266) put on a show.

PHOTO BY SARAH LANE