VMD Roll Call
- Thread starter Alex186
- Start date
Alex186
PR Member
Thanks for everyone who attended. This was by far the biggest year since I've arrived at the AMA. I'll be honest on the backend we had our struggles, however on the front end everything seem to be go smooth. If anyone mentions a Free support 50cc class to me, I might snap, I digress. Our numbers were way up both in entries and attendance. Still waiting on final numbers for attendance, road racing, and flat track. Here is some pics from the event. See you next year...
Entries In 2017
HS - 198
MX - 503
Trials - 48
Entries In 2018
HS - 352
MX - 705
Trials - 102 (that's massive for Trials)
Entries In 2017
HS - 198
MX - 503
Trials - 48
Entries In 2018
HS - 352
MX - 705
Trials - 102 (that's massive for Trials)
Attachments
NQ1965
PR Elite
Mike, you rode really well in the 50+ class on Sunday! I was surprised to see that with 12 riders that there was about half the normal number of guys in the class...maybe the other half went to Red Bud? Seems the half of the 50+ that were there, were faster than meI considered riding the 60+ class this year, maybe next year? I even put a new piston/ring and clutch in the 250 this year, which probably wasn't necessary because as usual it was capable of going a lot faster than I can go
View attachment 58705
Thanks Mooch.
This was a different year for Nancy and I coming into Vintage Days 2018. With having almost no time to prepare, mentally, physically, or in many other ways, we hastily put our weekend trip together.
With the only available time that I could scratch up to work on bikes, the KDX got all of the focus. I had July 4th Holiday off, and a vacation day for Thursday to work on bikes. I pulled the YZ250 out of the barn, dumped out last years gas, cleaned the filter, aired tires, and gave it the once over with wrench's and screwdrivers. I knew it was "it'll make it, or break it".
With complete honesty, I can even say that I was even a bit bothered because I was feeling some pressure on myself to perform and I just didn't have my head into it.
In my E3-Open class, (race #6) I had real good starts in both moto's and felt like a rode really well and held my own out there. With 14 racers, I pulled off a 7th and an 8th, for 8th overall.
BUT.....In my E3-50+ (race #13)..... it was a whole other story.
It's regretful to admit this but I've become a little conditioned to mid pack finish's in our "Seniors" vet class. These guys are fast, and very experienced racers. Simple as that.
In our first moto, again, I got a start that I was pleased with, being toward the front of the pack. Made it through the first two turns well enough, I just decided to buckle down and get busy racing.
Trying to make lap time gains, hold off those behind me, and focusing on fast cornering it was time to see if I could catch somebody and do some passing.
I was working my way around, had a challenge or two, and then, when I reached the point that I could make out the number plate of the next rider up ahead, I was immediately excited when I realized it was "Good-ole Mooch". Now I have motivation ! ! !
I was thrilled that I was able to catch and pace you and finish behind you. You've always finished very well in our races in the past, and with a long list of holeshot's.
Nancy spotted that I had a good battle on my hands and got busy with the camera. She got some decent shots of us.
These 50+ race's ended up being my Weekend Highlight. Loved it!
This was moto 2, at the exact moment you killed your engine going into the turn.
I felt bad that passing you had to happen that way, but I wasn't going to stop and help you get it started either.
I told Nancy that's what happens when two riders are going at it and riding their hearts out. You step up your game, push the limit's, and try to ride smooth and not make mistakes. And I could tell we were both riding on the edge.
But I was determined, even if we had to cross the checkers side by side, Mooch is getting a race today!
Attachments
Vet261
PR Addict
This was about the 10th or 12th time I've been to Vintage Days. AHRMA361 sucked me into this back in like 2006, giving me a factory ride on his 1981 CR450r, and I've been hooked ever since. It is such a good time to spend the weekend just hanging out and riding around looking at everything.
This is the only real time we "mx'ers" get to experience a complete motorcycling event.....there is everything you can think of and so many people it is unbelievable. Going and looking at the all the road race stuff, watching the trials demos, the wall of death, the crazy outlaw oval racing, it is just absolute motorcycling overload for 3 days.
Some gripes --- yeah there are a few things but really I feel like they are gripes against Mid Ohio (not under AMA control). This is the only event I go to that I feel like we need a lawnmower, and this year BEENRIDIN brought one! We got there Thursday early and put a nice mow job on our pits because Mid Ohio just brush-hogs it and leaves a big mess. The gate time thing continues to be a big problem. They need to just open everything at 6am Thursday morning and make the event Thursday - Sunday and charge for an extra day. The whole "mx pits don't open till noon" shenanigans just don't work. Make the whole thing an extra day and be done with it.
One thing I want to point out is how good of a job the AMA has done with this event over the last several years. Shortly after I attended my first event in 2006 there was the infamous AMA/AHRMA split nonsense. Then for a couple years you had the stick-in-the-mud AHRMA curmudgeons not attending VMD out of principle and many were hoping for it's demise and saying VMD would never survice without AHRMA. I remember going to AHRMA races and getting bitched at because I had AMA stickers on my bike....anyway..
I can honestly say that this event has grown now by leaps and bounds from the outside the box thinking and open minded nature of all of the folks now involved like Alex at the AMA. There are now Friday and Saturday night pit-bike racing events that draw huge crowds, FREE holeshot challenge event that was an absolute blast to watch, FREE 50cc class, FREE modern 2-stroke class, FREE bike show, and more. You all have done a tremendous job and thank you so much! Kevin Kelly does a great job with all the announcing for our sides of the event, he came over and hung out with us for a bit too looking at the bikes Mitchy was going to be racing. Thank you also to Log Road MX, Baja MX, Dayton MC crews for all the hard work.
I need to say something more about the Free Holeshot Challenge. It was just plain sooooo cool. There were a couple dudes on modern trials bikes, a guy on a Paris-Dakar rally bike thing, a guy on a bicycle, it was just pure entertainment and the crowd was totally loving it. The guys on the trials bike totally rip out of the gate - it was astonishing to watch (and they balance at the gate without putting their feet down). It is just "run what ya brung" so you'd have a trials bike against a Paris-Dakar bike, followed by a dude on an XR80 against a guy on a moped, etc. There was one dude that did a big wheelie out of the gate and a beer fell out of the pack on the back of the bike. It was hilarious. Brent Hahn won on an early 90s Yamaha WR500 over Darren Durham on a borrowed late 70's YZ250.
This is the first year I've attended that I did not actually race. I had 4 of my bikes being raced and was busy with that and just didn't want to deal with trying to race myself. I really enjoyed laying back and just being the factory mechanic for the day on Sunday and not having to put all that hot gear on! I was watching the Non-Current 125 class and Austin Primavera was flying on that mint 1997 RM125 --- I kept thinking I want to find a ringer to sponsor next year to race my mint 1998 RM125 so they can have a showdown!
I had another first this year too -- I actually brought a bunch of stuff and two bikes to sell since I wasn't racing. I really didn't put a bunch of time into selecting stuff, just grabbed a bunch of bins of parts and tires and tossed them out for people to dig through. Ended up making about $3200 bucks for the weekend and came home with two less bikes and a lot less parts!
Can't wait till next year!!!!!
This is the only real time we "mx'ers" get to experience a complete motorcycling event.....there is everything you can think of and so many people it is unbelievable. Going and looking at the all the road race stuff, watching the trials demos, the wall of death, the crazy outlaw oval racing, it is just absolute motorcycling overload for 3 days.
Some gripes --- yeah there are a few things but really I feel like they are gripes against Mid Ohio (not under AMA control). This is the only event I go to that I feel like we need a lawnmower, and this year BEENRIDIN brought one! We got there Thursday early and put a nice mow job on our pits because Mid Ohio just brush-hogs it and leaves a big mess. The gate time thing continues to be a big problem. They need to just open everything at 6am Thursday morning and make the event Thursday - Sunday and charge for an extra day. The whole "mx pits don't open till noon" shenanigans just don't work. Make the whole thing an extra day and be done with it.
One thing I want to point out is how good of a job the AMA has done with this event over the last several years. Shortly after I attended my first event in 2006 there was the infamous AMA/AHRMA split nonsense. Then for a couple years you had the stick-in-the-mud AHRMA curmudgeons not attending VMD out of principle and many were hoping for it's demise and saying VMD would never survice without AHRMA. I remember going to AHRMA races and getting bitched at because I had AMA stickers on my bike....anyway..
I can honestly say that this event has grown now by leaps and bounds from the outside the box thinking and open minded nature of all of the folks now involved like Alex at the AMA. There are now Friday and Saturday night pit-bike racing events that draw huge crowds, FREE holeshot challenge event that was an absolute blast to watch, FREE 50cc class, FREE modern 2-stroke class, FREE bike show, and more. You all have done a tremendous job and thank you so much! Kevin Kelly does a great job with all the announcing for our sides of the event, he came over and hung out with us for a bit too looking at the bikes Mitchy was going to be racing. Thank you also to Log Road MX, Baja MX, Dayton MC crews for all the hard work.
I need to say something more about the Free Holeshot Challenge. It was just plain sooooo cool. There were a couple dudes on modern trials bikes, a guy on a Paris-Dakar rally bike thing, a guy on a bicycle, it was just pure entertainment and the crowd was totally loving it. The guys on the trials bike totally rip out of the gate - it was astonishing to watch (and they balance at the gate without putting their feet down). It is just "run what ya brung" so you'd have a trials bike against a Paris-Dakar bike, followed by a dude on an XR80 against a guy on a moped, etc. There was one dude that did a big wheelie out of the gate and a beer fell out of the pack on the back of the bike. It was hilarious. Brent Hahn won on an early 90s Yamaha WR500 over Darren Durham on a borrowed late 70's YZ250.
This is the first year I've attended that I did not actually race. I had 4 of my bikes being raced and was busy with that and just didn't want to deal with trying to race myself. I really enjoyed laying back and just being the factory mechanic for the day on Sunday and not having to put all that hot gear on! I was watching the Non-Current 125 class and Austin Primavera was flying on that mint 1997 RM125 --- I kept thinking I want to find a ringer to sponsor next year to race my mint 1998 RM125 so they can have a showdown!
I had another first this year too -- I actually brought a bunch of stuff and two bikes to sell since I wasn't racing. I really didn't put a bunch of time into selecting stuff, just grabbed a bunch of bins of parts and tires and tossed them out for people to dig through. Ended up making about $3200 bucks for the weekend and came home with two less bikes and a lot less parts!
Can't wait till next year!!!!!
Last edited:
NQ1965
PR Elite
Here is some of my other stuff from the weekend.
For those of you that have suffered through all of my babbling about my KDX rebuild this last winter, here is a pic fresh off the Friday Hare Scramble. I never got to finish all of the planned work, and had to hastily put the bike back together for this race. The bike did very well, even though my overall race results sucked. Just as soon as I get time to clean it up, I will have it torn down on the bench again to finish it the right way.
My pit crew hard at work:
Spotted this really clean KDX175 up in the swap meet area. Would loved to of bought it.
When I was a teenager, my neighbor had a new Montesa dirt bike. In my youthful eye's, it was a Bad Machine!
Honda Hill's owner Dick Klamfoth's future son-in-law (I believe) owned a Montesa shop down the road at Jacksontown, Oh.
I have always been fond of these, and you just don't see enough of them. There was two of them for sale at Vintage Days.
Love them fin heads!
Action on the Gate.
A good smooth race start is something to be respected. Love the traffic and handlebar to handlebar action.
Nancy and I have a long standing arrangement: If I try to not to suck and give her some shots worth shooting, then she will do her part to capture them.
She earned her dinner that night.
For those of you that have suffered through all of my babbling about my KDX rebuild this last winter, here is a pic fresh off the Friday Hare Scramble. I never got to finish all of the planned work, and had to hastily put the bike back together for this race. The bike did very well, even though my overall race results sucked. Just as soon as I get time to clean it up, I will have it torn down on the bench again to finish it the right way.
My pit crew hard at work:
Spotted this really clean KDX175 up in the swap meet area. Would loved to of bought it.
When I was a teenager, my neighbor had a new Montesa dirt bike. In my youthful eye's, it was a Bad Machine!
Honda Hill's owner Dick Klamfoth's future son-in-law (I believe) owned a Montesa shop down the road at Jacksontown, Oh.
I have always been fond of these, and you just don't see enough of them. There was two of them for sale at Vintage Days.
Love them fin heads!
Action on the Gate.
A good smooth race start is something to be respected. Love the traffic and handlebar to handlebar action.
Nancy and I have a long standing arrangement: If I try to not to suck and give her some shots worth shooting, then she will do her part to capture them.
She earned her dinner that night.
Mike
PR Addict
We have modern 2 stroke classes also
Dano762
PR Addict
We did see one Easy Up take flight and one young man flying on several #45 RMs. What a day.
John250
PR Founding Father
Very cool photos. The 4x Husky....Wonder if that guy bought that thing off my dad. Notice no shifter on it. "82 500 auto. My dads last Husky was an '82 auto he sold in the 90s to some guy from east of Columbus that was going to race with it.
My dad also had a old Montesa 250 when I was about 8 years old for a while. Cool seeing the old bikes.
Really makes me want to find a old YZ 250 and put something together.
My dad also had a old Montesa 250 when I was about 8 years old for a while. Cool seeing the old bikes.
Really makes me want to find a old YZ 250 and put something together.
BriarcliffMx
PR Founding Father
Longest post ever........yawn
MarctheSharc
PR Founding Father
That's a good looker. I'm not sure if I would want to get that thing dinged up.
trent56mx
PR Addict
I had a really fun weekend. Ran a tank of gas through the TTR on Friday and Saturday. Friday Pit Bike Race on the infield was a good time. Not a fan of waiting to water until we're sitting there waiting for practice to start, on a mostly grass track. But at least most of my friends watching got to laugh at me sliding down a straightaway 3rd gear wide open on my left side. My fault, I was riding mellow but somebody slower was in the main line, so I grabbed a gear to go around, oops. Forgot all about that quickly though. Had a battle with my buddy Rick in the heat race and was laughing going down the back straightaway looking back and shaking my fist at him. Ended up 3rd in the main. Scab on my left forearm should be gone by next week haha.
Saturday went by quickly. Watched some of the Vintage bikes on the Moto track. Played around in the hill climb area back in the woods. Rode around the swap meet. Had to finish off the night with some Renegade barrel racing of course.
Stayed at my parents house Friday and Saturday night so at least I was able to get some sleep unlike some of my friends at the campgrounds.
Sunday was awesome of course because it was race day. Track was nice, flowed well and the program ran smoothly. Finished 2nd in 30 and 40 non current. Bike felt good, I felt good, had good starts, rode as hard as I could, no excuses. Last race of the day was a time warp with my friend JB19. Both on 96 CR 250s. He stayed on my tail the whole Moto. It was like mid 90's Kenworthys all over again. Except sometimes the order was reversed.
Weekend went by way too fast as I laughed the whole time being around my local townie idiots and all my MX buddies from everywhere. Next year I need to take off Thursday and be there also.
Vet261
PR Addict
Some sad news, we heard about this during the event.
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news...otorcycle-days-at-mid-ohio-sports-car-course/
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news...otorcycle-days-at-mid-ohio-sports-car-course/
GeorgiePorgie
PR Founding Father
Kreps always makes a point to tell my dad and I to go to this event every year. And we make it a point to miss it for some reason or another. Gotta get to it. Looks like a blast.