2016 Vintage Racing in OHIO

Mike

Mike

PR Addict
With the death of the beloved AMA Vintage Series many of us were hoping that someone would fill the void. It looks like AHRMA, now that we have a regional guy has some big plans for next year. How cool to have a bunch of regional and a couple of National AHRMA Vintage & PV events in our area.



AHRMA Great Lakes shared a page.
August 9 at 1:02pm ·


The 2016 Great Lakes Regional Championship Series is starting to come together. Over the next 2 months I will be releasing the names of the tracks we will be competing at in 2016. Dirt Country Raceway in Blanchester, Ohio (Southwestern Ohio) will be on the schedule for 2016, here is their Facebook page, check them out and give them a "Like"! Be sure to click the link on their page to check out their website.

AHRMA Great Lakes
 
Has SW Ohio had an AHRMA race?
DMC had that "almost" race several years ago when not enough showed up to have a race day schedule. Turned out to be fun practice day but I don't remember if AHRMA was involved...
 
Side note: I'm the promoter that ran the Ama vintage series event at ballance in ky in 2013. The track closed later that year. I've been sitting around the last couple of years and after attending (and riding) VMD this year I suggested to some track owners I would be interested in overseeing an AMA natl vintage series that would run from feb through VMD. I love format that was run at VMD and if the non current classes keep evolving I see good things in a vintage series.

AMA #1 plates are still the coolest things sitting in your man cave.
 
Sweet ...Im in ...lets get more dates on the calendar! Balance was a blast last year. Racing close to home is the best.
 
team186 said:
Side note: I'm the promoter that ran the Ama vintage series event at ballance in ky in 2013. The track closed later that year. I've been sitting around the last couple of years and after attending (and riding) VMD this year I suggested to some track owners I would be interested in overseeing an AMA natl vintage series that would run from feb through VMD. I love format that was run at VMD and if the non current classes keep evolving I see good things in a vintage series.

AMA #1 plates are still the coolest things sitting in your man cave.
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Contact Dave our AHRMA regional guy, I know he is working hard to put together the 2016 season, and it would be cool to have a race at Balance KY, next year.

Great Lakes (IN, KY, MI, OH) Contact: Dave Woolever
Phone: 740.571.6215
email: davewoolever2@yahoo.com
 
They tore down the Balance track in Kentucky! That was a fun track! I really enjoyed Log Road in Michigan!
 
Ballance the track is gone but the facility is now a top notch music venue. Next two events links below.

radiclegathering.com

thebigtodofest.com

I'm suggesting I would like a few 2015 AMA vintage tour tracks go back to a 2016 AMA vintage series. I want to offer to oversee, market, help get sponsors build web site, etc maybe run an event and of course have final event as VMD event that AMA would run. A few tracks seem ok but the final decision would be AMA. I don't have ballance venue to run events but I'm planning on working with a few other ky tracks next year. I like to travel, help tracks and of course race. Kinda like another guy I know....

I like what AMA did at VMD and would to see several events in that style with extra hook or two to make weekend a festival like vibe.

I'm hearing some cool new class concepts for 2016 might be in works to get more guys "back" into AMA vintage racing.

This is still in the maybe stage but I'm offering to help or contribute a few ideas.

Thanks.
 
Rick Devine said:
Only would be in for AMA, no AHRMA
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That's about the DUMBEST response I have ever read on PITRACER,

If Anybody organizes a good series of regional vintage MX races I'm in, hell if the NAACP had Vintage races in the Midwest I would show up. We need to support people who support our sport in general and not keep wining about AMA vs. AHRMA.

The AMA vintage ship sailed......................
 
Mike said:
That's about the DUMBEST response I have ever read on PITRACER,

If Anybody organizes a good series of regional vintage MX races I'm in, hell if the NAACP had Vintage races in the Midwest I would show up. We need to support people who support our sport in general and not keep wining about AMA vs. AHRMA.

The AMA vintage ship sailed......................
Click to expand...
Mike dont get pay any attention to people who only want to do ama and race old bikes 2-3 times a year! Their not the ones who will grow vintage racing!
 
So Mike tell me about your VAST experience about AHRMA? MXKid 2 or 3 races a yr? Sorry you got the wrong guys didn't see 1 of you clowns when there was a race at monster mountain when the ama tried something new out of the midwest.Never see you pundits at a supercross pushing a vintage bike for blocks to promote vintage racing with Legends and Heros group.Your the same group that pisses and cries about about the cost of racing. Since Mike is a expert and I am the dumbest on here for you new newbees here's the facts $75 membership,$60 to race,better read the the rules real real close, got a flat slide carb on your bike see ya, 83 kx? Good luck entering that, narrow frame Maico ? Nope not in that class, opps what rims you got on that bike sorry not here , Sir your 74 honda has 2 millimeter thicker fork legs, yea I know but the travel is the same and my fat ass bends oem ones and I drove 300 miles to race, not my problem not racing here.Oh and if your bike was ok in texas doesn't mean it will pass tech in ohio.Sorry have at it with those clowns tell me how it works out for you. Oh and the 10 or so vintage race groups across the US you ever wonder why these guys who run them are all X ahrma guys? And the guy who ran balence track these would be same bunch who whined about your track.Team186 I don't know who you are, because I use my real name you get the Ama to get a series going me and my son will help any way possible. Alex Hunter think supercross 25k people there,vintage bikes on display riders young and old,passing out info on the new national vintage series and new classes to bring in the 19- 29 riders that's the future
 
There are a lot of vintage riders that like to set around and talk about racing there bikes but when it comes time talk is all we got out of it. I do not care if it is AHRMA, AMA or outlaw if you really want to race go do it. I do not believe that you can count Vintage days, Diamond Dons, Unidilla or a couple other events, those events are events that riders take vacation for, plan weddings around and are like family reunions, they draw from several states. Your local vintage series get no support from there own riders, its AMA I am not going, Its AHRMA I am not going, the jumps are to big, they don't have a starting gate, they don't have a class for my bike, I don't want to ride against a bike with disc brakes, there are a thousand more. Dirt country charged $15 to race $5 gate and had maybe 40 riders, Chillicothe had less than 40, one of they best tracks in the Midwest Actionsports cant get enough interest to even have a race, he has been ahrma, AMA and outlaw. I do not claim to have all the answers but I believe if the riders would support there local events that you would have a series, there are plenty of vintage bike in the Midwest to support it you just need to show up. The AMA did a great job last year with the vintage series, they had a great idea and promoted it well. After the first year they left it up to the tracks to form there own series, which did not happen. Why did it not happen? Maybe because the jumps were to big, no gate, they did not have to class for my bike, it did not happen because we did not support them.
 
I am in the school of "don't care who is putting it on if I can get there and have time I will come" A running bike helps as well but to me it is pretty simple and Rick, while you do seem to be a good guy, it seems your main protest to AHRMA is that they will hammer you for bending their rules. Uhm-don't do it then and the price is the price. I have never pushed my bike through inspection worried about anything. Making a statement that MXKID is a clown and doesn't know the deal is way out of line. I know for a fact that there is not another rider on the planet rode more races in at least 2014 than him - AHRMA and AMA. He could care less about the BS that seems to exists with the "I don't like the AMA" crowd or the "I don't like AHRMA" crowd. Heck he gives people primo Maico's to ride so the gates are fuller.

Team186-absolutely put something together and we will support it. I went to Dirt Country on 80's flashback with some other Pitracers and we had a ball. They actually didn't change the track for us but as stated it is a bit more vintage friendly then some. For what it is worth I don't think the modern racers minded one bit that we were racing the same day, I think they actually enjoyed it. I have long said "if you found 3 tracks in one geographic area that would let you run 2x per year you would have a great series" If a track does make it vintage friendly and they have open practice Saturday with racing Sunday it is really great. While I am on that that is what Nickota in Bedford, KY is doing for us over Labor Day. I do suggest trying not to overlap with AHRMA races in the East if you can-Axton, VA is running AHRMA the same weekend and that hurts.

For those of you that like the AMA only -see you in Bedford, KY. For those of you that like AHRMA only - see you in Delta, OH. For those of you that like both well.....
 
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Team186 is a simple story and simple concept. A father and son race team turned race promotion team that had a friendly split after one half of "da" team went to work at AMA.

After that split I spent last few years running ballances non victory events, including a round of AMA vintage series.

1st let me comment on my vintage race because my view is different. The event was a month after the track just ran an atv natl with over 600 entries and a lorrettas q with over 950. The entire track staff was tired but AMA needed a replacement track after one event dropped out of series. I said yes and when I found out we would only get 100 to 200 entries for weekend I was excited because that meant reduced staff and what I would call an easy race weekend. I loved vibe and the riders that showed up loved facility and the track and woods. Very fun event to run unlike the dozens of other races I had done and it hooked me on vintage racing. Two trips to VMD and I'm all in.

I had to do alot to take a major mx track to a vintage friendly event. Over a week on a dozer and we had a track was very easy and based on rider comments fun to ride. The track decided to close later that year after the family decided music events were easier to pull off with less risk. I understood and I guess I ran last event at track. Some said our vintage turnout is what made that happen but the decision was made and as their track manager I knew before event. The turnout was just what we were told and had no impact on track closing. I'm happy about their decision to change facility and I'll be at the radicle fest next week hanging drinking and helping out with whatever. We are friends for life. But I'm a mx guy.

So brings me to team186 and the 2016 vintage series I want to run that would be ama sanctioned.

Team186 the race team was normal stuff I'm the dad and my son Alex like a lot of kids has raced since he was 4 made trips to lorrettas on 50s 65 85 A classes then it was pro racing for 6 years then back to ranch in 25+ class. My son Alex knows how to race and know this sport and is obsessed with our sport and seeing it progress. So it wasn't a surprise when his name came up for a job in AMA race dept but we had to sell our signature race series and dissolve our race business. That was a bummer because our 2008 bluegrass series had over $100,000 in OEM bucks a $20,000 Toyota title sponsor a $10,000 energy drink presenting sponsor and dozens of series sponsors. We had a Yamaha deal that got us 3 new YZs to give away as part of out free ride series and the last race we ran had 854 entries in one weekend. The bluegrass series was sold when he took a promotion position with a minor league baseball team. The AMA job was in works soon after that.

So his moving to Ohio put me back to just running ballance and helping tracks run trackside. I was office guy Alex was track and sponsor guy. We had a great business but at the end of the day it's all sbout family and I knew he could do great things for the sport we both love and make a good living at AMA. I love the fact he busts his ass all year trying to make AMA racing great. If you raced at VMD this year you know what I mean.

So that brings us to today. I want to take what I see at VMD and try to get AMA to allow me to design and run a vintage series with great branding but the focus being great tracks with a natl caliper format all leading to that #1 AMA plate.

I don't have a green light as of yet but I have a few tracks that need another signature event and AMA doesn't have time to run events or a series. Their focus is sanctioning the hundreds of events and all the day to day with managing 200,000+ members. I think an AMA vintage series is what the riders want.

So you think I might have an inside track to landing the series but that's where Alex desire to have great vintage events is so sincere. He knows he did all the series organization side and how to land sponsors and even though I can run events and basically run the office he's not convinced I can get it to a national feel that he said be the standard they want. A series of tracks running races with similar classes isn't a national series. This isn't about numbers it's about an event that best serves the members and is about the VMD standard.

So I have been working on series concept I plan to pitch AMA and of course Alex with have to step aside and let someone above him review my proposal. He right I'm unproven in the marketing side but I know how to run races.

So I hope we do see a new regional series in Ohio and I hope I have some good news for vintage guys real soon until then I'm heading north to pick up the other half of team186 and its off the battle of Ohio tomorrow at malvern. Look for the 186 bikes in two stroke, 25+, 50+ and A classes. I'll be the 50+ guy.

Thanks for listening and get out and ride.

Steve Hunter
Team186
Bowling Green KY
 
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Didn't know you were Alex's pop-that's cool and we appreciate all he has done for us to keep this going. He is good for MX and the AMA period. I do have question - are you a grandpa yet? I remember it was around now? Also - if you are ever up visiting him and want to talk to another vintage guy let me know - I live about a mile from Alex.
 
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