AHRMA Swag stand photo: Kevin McIntosh
Wes Poole’s Beezercrosser photo: Kevin McIntosh
Heaven oN Wheels words: Jim Doyle -Heartland Classic MotoFest Event Coordinator
Well, the Classic MotoFest in the Heartland is in the books. If you didn’t make this, you missed one heck of an event. From my view, all the hours of work and planning were totally worth it. Seeing the smiling fans, workers and competitors told the story of the event. This was the first time in over twenty years that AHRMA was able to bring all disciplines together in one location. The very first of three (annual) Classic MotoFests showcased over 1300 competition entries during the event and a successful swap meet that will double in size for 2022 based on swap meet attendee feedback. The vintage bike show—with awards on Saturday—was well attended and showcased a very nice collection of proper vintage and classic examples. Livestreaming was used at the event for several of the shows and competitions. The hit of Friday evening was the All AHRMA Party. The very talented band, Crossroads 7, sponsored by Underground Racing Team (811) and Topeka HarleyDavidson, played our rock and country favorites. It was great seeing off-road and roadrace members enjoying the entertainment all together. A real hit that night was the pit bike slow race competition during band breaks. A wonderful evening for all. 20
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As I walked through the exhibitor area Saturday afternoon, I overheard a spectator on his phone, “Dude—where are you? This place is crazy. Something going on everywhere. Get here now.” I randomly would ask are you having a good time and would be thanked for bringing this to Topeka. A common question, “When do the sidecars run?” The first ever AHRMA vintage classic drag race event was Saturday night sponsored by Luke’s Racecraft. Exciting times watching vintage racers take the green light at the Heartland Motorsports Park world championship dragstrip. For me personally, a highlight was leading on-track parade laps for special spectators and having David Aldana ride as my sweep rider. Seroj Terian graciously loaned his winning race-prepped Harley 1200 Sportster for David to ride. When I told David what I had for him to ride, the ex-BSA factory rider looked at me and said, “Jim, I thought you were my friend.” We all enjoyed the on-track experience and I’m sure fans got a kick seeing Aldana taking laps on the road course. Oh, and not to forget, the great volunteers at this event. An event of this size cannot be accomplished without the outstanding AHRMA volunteers and
AMERICAN HISTORIC RACING MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2021
