CALVMX

 

No Tricks!

Flat Tracker’s Close Out Inaugural Series

By Steve Caro

Photography by Kathryn Caro

Campo, CA October 29-30

 

          The maiden CALVMX flat track series concluded in grand style with a double-header weekend of oval track racing at Camp Lockett Event and Equestrian Facility in Campo. It was a weekend of broadsliding action that included traditional Class C motorcycles, but also knobby tire classes, quads, three wheeler, rope start mini bikes and go-karts. Excellent weather and a well prepped track (considered by many the best it’s ever been) added to the successful series finale.

 

          On Saturday, the race day began with a reverse tribute lap to John Farmer, a series regular and top competitor who passed away unexpectedly just prior to the race weekend. The 1/6 mile oval was filled with every type of race machine slowly circling in tribute to their fallen comrade.

 

          Three Wheelers took to the track first and their main events were a display of the unique skills required to handle the tricky machines at race speeds. In the Three Wheeler Open B class, Honda mounted Tim Blash and Mathew Carrick battled wheel-to-wheel in a shower of roosting dirt with Blash emerging the winner, followed by Carrick and Mike Dunn. As this duel was in progress, Julian Hoefert, on a rarely seen Yamaha Tri-Z, outlasted the challenges of Ric Mahlmeister and Mike Predgeon in the Open Beginner division to take the main event win.

 

          Some of the best two-wheeled action involved the youngest riders entered. Cameron Leon (PW-Yamaha) showed a skill set way advanced for his age as he powered his way to the Youth 12 & Under Beginner class main event win. His main challenges came from Kyle Wesimann (KTM), grandson of CALVMX president Frank Vrettas and hard charging Curtis Nugent. All three showed no hesitation in running flat out deep into the corners and then gassing it hard down the straights.

 

          In the Class C traction bike classes, Booze Fighter Motorcycle Club members Ken Shilling (Yamaha) and Shawn Chamlee (Honda) sparred bar-to-bar in 70’s Singles Intermediate with Shilling emerging the as the main event winner. While Shilling and Chamlee vied for their class win, Tom Ferguson, whose Yamaha was the only two-stroke powered Class C machine entered during the day took the Senior Sportsman Intermediate win which featured his using a compression release to set up for the corners. The unique buzzing sound of the device is a rarely heard sound in modern flat track.

 

          In the knobby tire classes, Dalton Collie (Honda) sped to the Intermediate class main event win over Ben Meyer (Hon) and Kyle Hearold, while Gary DeForest’s CZ took the Expert class win over the AF Honda CR500 powered mount of Phillip Hall, while motocross competitor Karen Gariepy (Kawasaki) took the Novice class win with Brian Pusey (Yamaha) in second.

 

          There’s never a dull moment in the quad classes and today was no exception. In the Open A Quad final, Kevin Ellsworth’s screaming Suzuki Quadzilla battled it out with the Yamaha of Eric Hartell and Jay Gorm’s Honda. Ellsworth rode flat out in the final, his powerful two-stroke powered machine echoing off the nearby hills, as he used every inch of the course to maintain his lead. At the checkers, Ellsworth had his win, followed by Hartell and Gorm.

 

          Not to be outdone by the Open A racers, the Open B Quad final saw Travis Hughes (Yam) emerge with the main event win over Mike Weaver (Yam) and Craig Jastezemski (Yam).

 

          The aptly named Hooligan class, which features large capacity engine street legal machines, saw Brendan Foley’s Harley Davidson sliding his way to the Novice class win over the Harley’s of Joe Robinson and Phillip Hayes. As the three Harley’s roared around the course, the most improbable machine to take to a dirt oval in the form of Bob Schaller’s V-45 Honda Sabre was included in the mix of Milwaukee iron. The shaft-drive equipped machine was virtually silent as Schaller muscled the massive machine to the win in the Hooligan Intermediate class.

 

          Sunday’s event featured weather conditions identical to Saturday’s and again featured classes for two, three and four wheeled machines, including the crowd-pleasing rope-start mini bikes.

 

          Tim Blash continued his success on the Camp Lockett oval with another win in the 3 Wheeler B division after another race long duel with Matt Carrick. Julian Hofert took an impressive third on his Yamaha. As an interesting aside, Tom Decrescente, the only 3 Wheeler A division rider entered, volunteered to start from behind the pack and proceeded to put on an impressive show of huge broadslides thru the corners that carried him to the edge of the outside hay bails.

 

          Curtis Nugent was the top gun in Youth 12 & Under Beginner final with a flag-to-flag victory while Landyn Antoine took second. Both riders made a victory lap with the checkered flags in a salute to their efforts.

 

          The traditional Class C machines again took to the track with wheel-to-wheel action being the norm. In the Open Expert division, Byron Kukla (Hon) displayed his dominance taking the main event win over Daltin Collie (Hon); while Shawn Chamlee (Hon) powered his way to the Open Intermediate class win, while Larry Collie (Yam) used a steady style to capture the main event honors in the Open Beginner.

 

          Included in the Sunday lineup were the pull start mini bikes, with their 10” wheels and raspy sounding four stroke single cylinder motors. The little machines circled the oval with remarkably quick lap times during both their qualifying heats and main event. Taking home the gold in their main event was Patrick Hogan, with Gar Wood and Rick Moody rounding out the podium.

 

          A dozen karts, entered in various classes, were also part of the weekend’s racing calendar. In Kids Beginner, Curtis Nugent and Brody Porst finished 1-2 in the final, while Zach Vian topped the 4 Stroke 10 Year Old Beginners. Also taking home wins were Braydin Collie in Junior 12-15 B and Erin Vian in Junior 12-15 Beginner.

 

          Karts with larger motors were also out in force and Randi Vian topped the KT100 16 and over class with his brother Brian a close second. Craig Crossland was the main event winner in the 4 Stroke Open B, with Jason Bishop and Kellee Griggs taking second and third in the final. Adding to the family collection of main event wins on both two and four wheels, Dalton Collie bombed a 125cc Kart around the oval to take first in the Open 125 class.

 

          The four race series proved to be a welcome and successful addition to the CALVMX promoted race program. With every event, the Camp Lockett course surface improved and entry levels stayed consistent throughout the series. Check the CALVMX website for the upcoming 2017 race schedule.

         

         

         

           Further photos and race coverage can be found at:

Todayscyclecoverage.com

 

 

 

CALVMX AHRMA Flat Track & Trials Weekend

Camp Lockett 

799 Forrest Gate Rd.
Campo, CA 91906

Open to all. CALVMX MX Membership also will apply to the Flat Track & Trials Series!

Classes for all!  *Trials sign-ups at the track*

We reserve the right to add/subtract classes based on entries

 

 

 

 

 

8am Sign-Ups and Tech Inspection

9:45 Mandatory Riders' Inspection

10:15 Practice #1

(Flat Track Tires) Points Saturday/ Non-Points Sunday

Open, Run what you brung

Vet +35 (35+ Years on Any Size Bike)

Senior Vet +50  (50+ Years on Any  Year or Size Bike)

Super Senior +60 (60+ Years on Any  Year or Size Bike)

Premier Senior +70 (All Skill Levels)  70+ Years on Any  Year or Size Bike

Dinosaur Pre-1952

Classic 250 Pre-1967

Classic 500 Pre-1968

Sportsman 250 Pre-1975

Sportsman 600 Pre-1975

Sportsman 750 Pre-1975

+50 Sportsman/Ahrma Senior Sportsman Pre-1975

+60 Sportsman/Ahrma Super Senior Sportsman Pre-1975

Bomber 70’s Singles

70’s Singles 50+

Post-Vintage 250/ Ahrma 250 Framer ’99 & Earlier

Post-Vintage 600/ Ahrma

 

Points Saturday/ Non-Points Sunday

(Knobbie Tires Allowed on Saturday Only for Powder Puff, Mini's & Juniors)

Open Any Bike Knobbie Tires Allowed

Powder Puff Knobbie Tires Allowed

70’s 2 Stroke ’81 & Earlier 250

Mini’s & Pull Starts (Knobbie Tires Allowed on Saturday Only)              

Adult Mini 80 (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

Adult Mini 100 (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

Adult Mini 150 (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

Youths Up to 16 (Knobbie Tires Allowed on Saturday Only)

Less Than 51cc  (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

Less Than 101cc (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

Open Any Size (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

 

Sunday Points/ Non-Points Saturday Classes

Open 3 Wheelers

Open Quads

Pull Start (Less Than 6 HP) Knobbie Tires Allowed

Pull Start Open (Knobbie Tires Allowed)

 

Sunday Points/ Saturday Non-Points Go Carts Classes

Kid Karts              5-7          160 lbs 

Junior 1 8-11       225 lbs

230 lbs**            Comer K80

KPV 1 Cadet       8-11       240 lbs  KPV100

KPV1 pipe

KPV 2 Junior       12-15     310 lbs  KPV100

KPV2 pipe

KPV 4 Senior      16+         340 lbs  KPV100

KPV4 pipe

80cc Shifter        15+         360 w/o front brakes

370 with front brakes    

Stock 125cc Shifter Light               15+         385 lbs 

Open 125cc Shifter          15+         405 lbs 

4 Stroke Juniors

4 Stroke Open