Ward Creek MX

(92R) Steve Gard (648) Stephen Newell

WASHINGTON’S WARD CREEK

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY KATE JORGENSON

NATIONAL MOTOCROSS

The inaugural Ward Creek National AHRMA motocross event in Raymond, Washington, happened on Sunday August 1, 2021, following the Pacific Northwest utilizing the track on the Saturday beforehand. Some riders used Saturday as a practice day and entered the Pacific Northwest Motocross group’s event and got to know the track. After Saturday’s event, the owner of the track, Bob, as many called him, went out on the bulldozer and smoothed out and graded the dirt for several hours (he was on the bulldozer until midnight). The dirt was watered Saturday evening as it was being bulldozed so there was hardly any dust as well. Many of the riders compared Ward Creek to Hollister because of the elevator shaft hills; riders had to go up and down eight steep hills to be exact and the 17 jumps counted by Tim Jackson (99V) in practice! Sunday was a great day for racing with ocean air and mist as well as overcast weather! It was a nice change of pace from the 90- to 100-degree weather at home for many Northwesterners. There were 31 pre-entries, 86 entries and one new member, welcome Chris Bentley! There were 13 races and one Legends Challenge race. Bentley, who entered the Post Vintage on a 1984 RM Suzuki 250 with drum brakes said that “the event was well run and even though his competition and class size was small it was super fun riding with other racers on their 500s.” After the event he posted photos to his social media account and now his friend has purchased a vintage motorcycle. In the first race of the day with Vintage 100 Experts, ESS (Early Sportsman Stock) 500 Intermediates, Vintage Open Age Intermediates, Vintage Open Age Experts, and Vintage 50+ Intermediates Curt Snider (221) got the hole shot. In the ESS 500 Intermediate, Jackson (99V) earned first place. Mark Percy (8s) took first place in Vintage Open Age Intermediate. The largest class of the day was the 60+ Expert and 60+ Intermediate and they were in two separate races. In the 60+ Expert class, Chet Malito (38) took first place overall

winning both motos, Stephen Newell (648) earned second place, and Steve Gard (92R) placed third. In the 60+ Intermediate race, Percy (8s) took first place over Mike Schaffer (340) who earned second place, they each won a moto, but Percy won the second moto; Terry Dale (56) took third place. Some other vintage motocross finishes for the day included: Brian Curtis (5s) placed first in the ESS 500 Expert class over Marty Burks and Jeff Mullins. In the Vintage 40+ Novice Russell Muncy (77w) placed first. In the oldest class of the day, the 70+ Intermediate, Doug Smith (207) placed first over Butch Behm (16) second place, Chuck Singletary (153) third place, and Tad Dean (72k) fourth place. Post Vintage and Next Gen motocross classes took to the track after the vintage classes. Dylan Evanger (33) took first place over Bentley (282) in the Ultima 250 Expert. Mike Heide (278) earned first over Donald Hildebrandt (020) in the Post Vintage 60+ Novice. In the Historic 500 Intermediate class, Ed Schandl (777) took first over Peter Steilberg (26e). David C. W (269) took first over Rick Eaton (41E) in the Post Vintage 60+ Intermediate. During intermission of the motos, race 14 took place, an eight-lap moto with a cash prize going to the winner. According to the AHRMA website, the Legends Vintage Challenge was “open to all former professional riders as well as all current AHRMA Experts. All riders must be 40 and up and on a pre-1975 motorcycle conforming to AHRMA Vintage motorcycle rules.” The entry fee for this event was $50. Thank you to Malito for organizing a new kind of event. Thank you to the Legends Sponsors: Tom McAllister of Full Circle Racing and Dan Koolster of Accurate Striping. At the riders meeting AHRMA Off Road Coordinator Anthony Paul told the riders that if he saw any aggressive riding even in the Legends race that he would kindly ask you to pack up your things and go home. Photographers at the event were positioned around the course videotaping the race to put it all together for a promotional video. According to Malito, “Ward Creek and Rattlers Run will be where we test the waters of this type of race, if it goes well, it will be incorporated into next year’s nationals. The purpose is to bring back some of the legends from yesteryear and compete with the experts of today. The purse is $1000 per class. At Ward Creek we had 40+ and at Rattlers Run we will have two classes 49 and under and then 50+.” At Ward Creek there were nine entries for the Legends Challenge. Garhett Carter (738) on a CZ took first place, Lon Alexander (96) on a Suzuki placed second, and Malito (38) on a Kawasaki earned third place after he said, “I broke my kick starter on the line and in all the confusion I didn’t turn the choke off Garhett, Ryan, and I (we three practically shared

17T Tim Taylor and Z21

Kenneth Conrad make a Mickey Sergeant sandwich in the Classic 125 Expert and Sportsman 125 Expert combined classes hole shot) were the together at the first turn at the start and then I was dead last out of turn two. I worked my way up to third and caught Lon Alexander with one to go but I couldn’t get by.” The race order after that was fourth Tim Taylor (17t), fifth Clarence Gardner (140), sixth David Anderson (7), seventh S tephen Newell (648). According to Newell, “My rear axle nut came loose and allowed the rear wheel to move side to side and lost my rear brake.” But he still finished the race. Eighth DNF, Ryan Stevenson (260), broke a chain on lap three, ninth DNF was Dallas Nyblod (2Y). Thank you to all who participated in the first Legends Challenge! Thank you to our sponsors for the event: Hagerty Motorcycles, Race Tech, and Redwood Engineering. Thank you to Cycle Gear for the cool items given away in a drawing at the riders meeting for pre-entered riders! The event also could not have happened without the volunteers, both the flaggers which were part of the extended family of the track, the medic, and the AHRMA family too. Thank you to the lap checkers, Anthony Paul and his daughter Layla for announcing the race order and current races, Mark Baer for tech inspecting, Maggie Shane for the behind-the-scenes work, and Kelly Shane for being the race referee. Events like these are not possible without the VOLUNTEERS! (6x) Randy McAllister