CALVMX

Classic Racing Heats Up

By Steve Caro

Photography by Kathryn Caro

Anza, CA Feb. 25

 

 

When the Cahuilla Creek MX Park gates opened at 7 A.M, the thermometer read a bracing 26 degrees and reports from those who camped overnight indicated temperatures dropping into the teens, leaving frost on vehicles and frozen rain puddles throughout the facility. Aside from the bone chilling temperatures, the day dawned clear and sunny.

Round two of the 2017 CALVMX/100% series included the added bonus of being host to AHRMA’s Preston Petty sponsored national series opening round. The Saturday schedule was exclusively for the pre-1975 era machines and a fantastic 120 entries kept the track in use all day. A stroll thru the pits led to sightings of rarely seen brands such as an early model orange tank colored Montesa Cappra, Rickman Metisse, a gorgeous 1954 Velocette, Ariel. Cotton, and AJS, along with examples of early Bultaco, CZ and Maico marques.

 

The race day also featured the return to racing of two American motocross pioneers, Rex Staten and Doug Grant. Staten was back in action after extensive knee surgery, while Grant was back having recovered from a serious off-track accident involving a falling tree.

 

On the track, Husqvarna mounted Ross Thompson continued his strong showings in Vintage Sportsman 250 Intermediate with a 1-1 sweep of the class. Thompson blitzed his way into the lead at the start of moto one and rapidly built up a multi-bike lead over the rest of the class. Behind Thompson, Rickert Haag (Husq) and veteran CALVMX campaigner Dana Yenawine (CZ) vied for the runner-up positions. Thompson went unchallenged and sped to the moto win, with Haag and Yenawine crossing behind him.

 

The second moto saw Thompson once again display near expert level speed as he totally dominated the moto from start to finish. With a bike running perfectly, along with flawless riding, Thompson easily clinched the overall victory. With strong 3-3 finishes, Yenawine snared second overall, followed by Haag (2-4).

 

Vintage Sportsman 500 Expert was a showcase for three of the AHRMA’s fastest competitors. After enduring a bone chilling night in his (unheated) vintage panel truck bike hauler, Rick Daniel (Yam) faced off with Zane Amaro (Husq) and Jim Buckalew (Kaw). The first moto saw Amaro and Daniel battle for the top spot the moment the starting gate banged down. The two swapped the lead numerous times with no quarter given by either rider. Late in the moto, Amaro slid off in the back section of the course, allowing Daniel the time he needed to pull away. At the checkers, it was Daniel taking the moto win, followed by Amaro and Buckalew.

Looking to recover from his first moto faux pas, Amaro rocketed onto the course at the start of moto two, with Daniel seemingly glued to his rear fender. Repeating their performances of the first moto, the two waged a hard, yet clean, duel for the top position. Amaro never set a wheel wrong and stormed to both the moto and overall wins, followed by Daniel and Buckalew.

 

Classic 500 Expert featured two brands rarely seen in recent years in vintage racing. Matt Parson’s immaculate red colored Rickman-Triumph four stroke waged a two-race bout with the 1969 Montesa 360 Cappra, with its distinctive orange colored tank and fenders, of Andrew Blackburn. In both motos, the distinct rumble of Parson’s big British single and the bark of Blackburn’s two-stroke Spanish steed could be heard around the track. Parson’s methodical riding took him to a two moto sweep of the class, with Blackburn nipping at his rear wheel in both moto’s for a well-earned second overall.

After experimenting with a unique AJS/Honda hybrid in practice, former factory AJS sponsored Doug Grant reverted to his normal two-stroke powered AJS Stormer and made his return to competition a successful outing by topping both moto’s in the AHRMA portion of the Vintage 60 Plus Experts, followed by Kelly Shane (Ariel) and Steve Erickson (Montesa), while in the CALVMX portion of the class, Rex Staten didn’t let recent knee surgery slow him as he put in two strong rides on his CZ to take first overall.

 

Other race winners on the day included Hayden Roberts on his 1954 Velocette in Premier 500 Intermediate, Donna Blackburn (Hod) in both 100cc Novice and Women’s Vintage Intermediate, John Forsythe (Hon) in Sportsman 125 Intermediate and Mike Williams (Bul) in Early Sportsman Stock 250 Novice, with Richard Bryant (Husq) and Cy Yee (Yam) second and third.

 

CALVMX returns to the historic confines of Perris Raceway for their third round of 2017 on March 19. Racing will be on the Vet track which will be tailored to the vintage and post vintage machines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further photos and race coverage can be found at:

Todayscyclecoverage.com