| VINTAGE AT THE GLEN By Steve Caro Photography by Kathryn Caro Devore, CA. Oct 11. What a difference a mere two weeks can present when it comes to fall weather in Southern California. Two weeks prior to the CALVMX/AHRMA October race at the famous Glen Helen facility, it was hot and windy at Barona Raceway. On this day, the vintage crowd was met with chilly overcast weather and even some sprinkles! The hillsides around Glen Helen Raceway echoed with the sounds of classic racing machines from the past as round nine of the CALVMX/AHRMA regional series returned to the popular facility. Almost 200 entries, including a good turn- out of the pre-74 era machines, kept the REM track, suitably modified for the older machines, in use all day. The Post Vintage machines faced the added challenge of having to conquer a virtual replica of the famous “Mt. St. Helens” hill that dominates the national championship course at the facility. Without a doubt, the steep climb and descent were the longest in recent memory for vintage racing. Prior to the start of racing, a moment of silence of was held for Danny Nichols, a CALVMX member tragically paralyzed in a modern bike crash sometime ago, who died unexpectedly this month. Danny had become a regular fixture at the club practices held at the Otay facility. It was said that if you talked to Danny for five minutes, you’d felt as if you had known him your whole life. Danny thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the vintage racing community. He will be sorely missed. A great assortment of machines and riders were present for the Glen Helen event. Pete Wright was out with his immaculate Kawasakis, along with Len Anderson and his gorgeous BSA. Mark Wood was seen putting in laps on his rarely seen CCM machine. The Open Age GP Expert class saw some of the fastest racing of the day. In the first moto, Loren Dimond (Hon) rocketed into the lead at the start, followed by Sterlyn Rigsby (Yam). In an age when modern motocross is dominated by the monotonous droning sound of four-strokes, it was a trip back in time to hear the powerful two-strokes roaring up the steep incline of the mini Mount St. Helens. Throughout the moto, Rigsby kept the pressure on Dimond. In a scene reminiscent of a mid-80’s national or GP, neither Dimond nor Rigsby appeared to be touching the brakes more than just a slight touch as they barreled down the steep incline. Close behind the two leaders was the Husky of Scot Clifton. In the closing laps, Dimond pulled an eight second lead on the field to take the win, followed by Rigsby and Clifton. Moto two was a duel between Rigsby and Clifton. When the gate dropped, Rigsby nabbed the holeshot heading up the sandy start hill. Clifton was close behind followed by the Hondas of Don Hutchinson and Mark Sandzimier. Rigsby and Clifton quickly pulled away from the field to set up their own private battle. Throughout the moto, Clifton probed for a weakness in Rigsby’s strategy. The deep bark of their bikes was in unison as Rigsby clung to a slight lead. On the last lap, Clifton staged one last charge as the two slammed off the final berm before the checkers. Rigsby’s hard charging style worked well for him as he clinched both the moto and overall win, followed by Clifton and Dimond. Moving back to the original vintage bike era, 50 Plus Vintage Intermediate racing saw the class dominated by Domenico Brock (Hon). In the first moto, Brock’s strong running Elsinore shot to the front by the end of lap one. Trailing in second was Mike Johnstone (BSA) followed by Joe Knoettgen (CZ). Brock never set a wheel wrong throughout the moto and cruised to an easy victory. Johnston “thumped” his way to second with Knoettgen third. Moto two was a mirror image of the first race, as Brock once again zoomed to the front and essentially “checked out” on the rest of the class. Johnstone trailed in second, followed by Norm Himaka (Mai) and Knoettgen. With Brock long gone, Himaka kept Johnstone honest throughout the race, but at the checkers, it was Brock with the undisputed overall win, followed by Johnstone, with Himaka in third with steady 4-3 moto finishes. The next event for CALVMX will be the club practice on October 24th. Several changes have been made to the track to open it up for open class bikes as well as a few changes that the vintage machines will love. A good turn-out is needed in order to keep this facility open and properly maintained for CALVMX club members . All members and their friends are strongly encouraged to attend this gathering. Following the practice day, the final race of the 2009 season will be a night event at Perris Raceway. Always a favorite with the vintage community, it is hoped a large turnout will see the season end in a grand manner. |
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