Perris Raceway is acknowledged as the oldest race facility in Southern
California with a birthday dating to the 1950’s. In recent years it has rapidly
become one of the most popular tracks for vintage motocross enthusiasts.
With the track specifically altered, under the supervision of CALVMX’s own
Bill Silverthorn, to suit the older machines that comprise the vintage/post-
vintage sport, the word has quickly spread Perris Raceway is extremely
supportive of the vintage motocross movement. With some 160 entries for
round 8 of the series, the practice of building a course that is vintage
friendly has proven riders will turn out in large numbers in support of the
facility.
A large turn-out of vintage and post-vintage machines dotted the pit area
on race day. Spotted in the pit area were seldom seen makes such as
Montesa and Greeves. The Greeves marque included examples dating to
the early 1960’s era when Dave Bickers was a force to be reckoned with
on the European circuits.
CONTINUE HERE FROM FRONT PAGE>>>> It was great to see the
return of long time competitors Pete Wright and his immaculate Kawasakis,
Dave Judd and his trusty CZ and Jeff Snyder, now Suzuki mounted after
years of being mounted on Hondas and Husqvarnas.
On the track, the 40 Plus GP class is rapidly becoming one of the most
popular divisions in post-vintage racing. In the expert class, Yamaha
mounted Ty Swartz put in two strong performances to claim the overall
victory for the day. At the start of moto one, Swartz latched onto the rear
fender of Bryan Paquette (Yam) as the pack funneled into the back section
of the course. Swartz quickly moved into the lead as the pack neared the
finish line jump with Paquette and Loren Dimond (Yam) following close
behind.
Swartz maintained a torrid pace throughout the moto. He was easily
clearing several of the tabletop jumps scattered around the course, while
building a solid lead over the rest of the pack. At the finish, it was Swartz
with a dominant win, followed by Paquette and Dimond.
Swartz entered moto two with the knowledge only five laps were between
him and the overall victory. Swartz nailed the second moto start and began
to build a large gap on the pack behind him. Chasing after Swartz was
Yamaha mounted Gilbert Valdez who also cleared the jumps with aplomb
and the always dependable Dimond. Swartz continued to blitz his way
around the track, well in front of his pursuers. By the end of the moto, Swartz
had an insurmountable lead and the overall victory. Dimond’s consistency
garnered him second overall, with Valdez in third with 5-2 finishes on the
day.
Proving there is still a strong interest in the pre-1974 machines;
Sportsman 250 Novice showcased legendary machines such as CZ,
Husqvarna, Maico, Montesa, and Suzuki. Moto one saw Michael Salsman
(Hus) timing the starting gate perfectly and storming into the lead over the
Suzuki of Dave Peabody and CZ mounted Dana Yenawine. Salsman was
able to maintain a slight lead over Peabody throughout the moto. Despite
numerous feints by the determined Peabody, Salsman held out for the moto
victory, with Peabody and Yenawine in the runner up positions.
Peabody made things interesting in moto two by grabbing the holeshot
and leading the first lap over Salsman and Joe Knoettgen (CZ). Salsman
made his move for the lead on lap two with a clean pass on Peabody. In a
scene reminiscent of the early 70’s, Salsman’s powerful Swedish machine
led Peabody’s Japanese machine, followed by Knoettgen’s Czech mount.
As the moto progressed, Salsman held onto his lead over the tenacious
Peabody. With careful line selection and a steady riding style, Salsman
clinched the overall victory with his second moto win. Peabody’s strong
effort netted him second overall for the day. Rounding out the top three was
the Montesa of Shane Clausen who had gone virtually unnoticed with two
steady 4-4 moto finishes to clinch the final podium position.
Only two rounds remain in the 2008 CALVMX season. Riders are
reminded six rounds must be contested to be eligible for a class
championship. Round nine will see a return to Barona for a combined
club/AHRMA program. As always, riders are strongly encouraged to turn
out in support of their club and the sport. New members are always
welcomed, especially those with pre-1974 machines with which the whole
vintage racing movement was originally built around. No matter what the
machine, a class exists for any pre-1990 bike.
| By Steve Caro Photography by Kathryn Caro Perris, CA. Oct. 5. |
| CALVMX Rocks Perris One Last Time! |
