AHRMA Dirt Track - SoCal

SOCAL WELCOMES AHRMA DIRT TRACK WORDS BY RICHARD BRODOCK // PHOTOS BY KAREN E. OTT WITH OPEN ARMS

The 4SR National Vintage Dirt Track Series rolled into Southern California for the first time in 11 years, kicking off the weekend at Perris Speedway on Friday July 23rd for the Round 11 TT race and Round 12 Short Track race. Despite a heat wave pushing temps well over 100 degrees, the SoCal dirt track scene did not disappoint. The pits were packed with both AHRMA members and future AHRMA members which led to some big grids and great racing. The classic classes, brakeless, were some of the best we’ve seen with several Triumphs and a couple Ossas. Greg Tomlinson, on his Triumph 650 was in the mix all day taking a win on the TT track and third on the short track while Lenny Rodriguez battled it out with James Broskey who took the short track win.

The Husband and wife racing team of Joey Crabtree and Johnny Custom had a great showing taking home multiple podiums including wins in Four-stroke Super Singles and Super Senior in both TT and short track for Johnny, and Joey taking home the win in Senior on her Yamaha 500. Brian Filo followed up his Laguna Seca six-podium performance with four more podiums including a first (ST) and second (TT) in Sportsman 600 on Gary Swan’s CB350 dirt tracker. The support classes were very popular with the 450 Open class drawing 12 riders including MotoAmerica Supersport racer, Alex Thermiotis. With so many riders the class was very competitive, and the racing was close. Thermiotis took the win in the TT with James Morris winning the short track with Adam Lesley on his heels grabbing a close second. The Sportsman 250 class and Seventies Two-stroke classes was shaping up to be a dog fight from green to checker between David Earhart and yours truly until David’s Kawasaki 250 suffered a mechanical failure in the TT main. I went on to pick up eight wins on the day in four classes in both the TT and ST rounds. After a great showing and even better racing at Perris Raceway, AHRMA dirt track headed to Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park the next day, Saturday July 24th, for day two of the 4SR National Vintage Dirt

(278) Richard Brodock, (12) Dave Earhart

(76U) Luke Sayer, (5) Greg Tomlinson

Track Series double header weekend. AHRMA had the privilege to be the first race on this recently built track. While the track is still coming into its own, it is shaping up to be a high quality track with help from track designer and builder, Kelly Inman. Again, the Classic 500/750 class did not disappoint. Lenny Rodriguez, Joe Pape, and Greg Tomlinson battled it out with Rodriguez taking the win and Tomlinson close behind in second. In the Sportsman 600 class Brian Filo took another victory. Gary Swan’s Honda CB350 sure can move! One of the closest races came in the new added hooligan support class. Aboard multiple cylinder street production bikes of 700ccs or larger, these riders push the limits of 500 pounds of steel. After leading most of the race, Douglas Darrah ran wide in the last turn and was passed by Alex Darrah who took the win in a drag race to the line against Casey Brossard. When the last checkered flag waved, everyone was left with dirt in their teeth and a smile on their faces. To say AHRMA dirt track was openly welcomed back to the west coast would be an understatement. AHRMA looks to the future as we grow the dirt track program nationally with plans to make it back to California in 2022.