AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Assn.) vintage racing - JUST DO IT!!!

[GrandPaul]

I got my CMRA race license with LoneStar Track Days at Texas World Speedway, then just faxed a copy to AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Assn) who then cross-licensed me to roadrace vintage. For my race school, I took my newly scratch built '69 Triumph Bonneville and used it for the morning sessions.



Good thing I also had my son's Ducati 900 Monster that I was delivering to him in Austin, my Bonnie spit a valve adjuster cap and lost a rocker oil acorn nut. If that hadn't happened, I would have continued to run the rest of the day with no oil going to the top end! Turns out the hard pipe to the rockers was clogged.

I'll tell you one thing, a teenage girl on a ninja 250 can lap a relatively competent 50 year-old on a classic Triumph in about 3 laps.

I'll tell you another thing, blasting the old Triumph around the bumpy high banking at about 90MPH was fun, but zipping past at nearly 130 on the Monster was something else entirely! My glasses were rattling around inside my helmet it was so dang bumpy...

[GrandPaul]

...and another thing...

Once you get your license, it pays to have your full gear with you EVERY TIME you are at a track; you NEVER KNOW when you might snag an exciting ride!

I was at my first race, the Sandia Classic in Albuquerque in the fall of 2007, sitting in my pit going over my bike, and an announcement came over the P.A. system: "anyone interested in riding "monkey" in a sidecar, please report to tech". Man, I wanted to go so bad, but my first round of practice was starting in less than an hour, and I really needed to stay focused. There were at least 3 rookies riding monkey that day. FOR FREE! Also, they don't even ask monkeys to be licensed (not sure how smart that is, though).

Anyway, along those lines, I happened to be going to Willow Springs in 2010 on a trip where I was delivering a client bike; an online discussion mentioned a sidecar needing a monkey, and THIS time I was prepared. I made arrangements to meet the guy in the pits, and proceeded to have the most exciting weekend of my life.

LCR Suzuki GSX1000 Formula 1 sidecar-







Imagine 150+ down the straights, then slamming through the Omega complex at over 80 MPH...

We took (2) 2nd place finishes in fields of 5-6 rigs. That was good enough to clinch the 2010 championship for Rick Murray's team. Talk about being in the right place at the right time...

If you want to read the LONG version, with more pix... click here

[GrandPaul]

Just one more enticement to get your license and have your gear with you at all times when visiting race tracks-

I was minding my own business in my nearly empty garage (1 race bike, 1 coffee pot and 2 folding chairs) at Grattan Michican when this dude pulls up in a Sprinter van and asks if I'd be willing to share the garage space, to which I replied in the affirmative; he then proceeded to unload SIX green Kawasakis of various configurations. After he finished he asked me if I knew anyone who might be interested in racing his 500 triple in Formula 500. Well, I immediately volunteered for the job.

I was racing a RIGHT-FOOT shift, 1-down, 3-up 4-stroke pushrod twin PRODUCTION bike, this was a full-blown 2-stroke triple F500 RACE bike with LEFT-FOOT GP shifting and neutral at the top (5-down).

I managed to keep it on the pavement, made very few shifting errors, and took home my first podium finish - 3rd!



This guy (Jeff Moyer) didn't know me from the man in the moon, yet after meeting me less than 10 minutes earlier, he offered me his race bike. Amazing.

A little more amazing was the fact that after the weekend, HE LET ME TAKE HIS BIKE HOME! Well, it was conditional on meeting him at Miller, Sandia and Barber's later that year. needless to say, it was a FUN year.

Despite only racing half the season IN MY ROOKIE YEAR, despite blowing the race engine's #1 cylinder spigot at Miller, despite racing the last 4 races of the year with a SWAP MEET ENGINE, and despite the fact that the swap meet engine HAD A HOLE IN THE #2 PISTON, I managed to finish 3rd in the championship points in 2008!

Long version of the story is HERE

There's a lot more to the story of the rest of the season, but it's in several threads.

Barber's in '08-



You'll have to trust me on this one, JUST GO GET YOUR GEAR & LICENSE .

[krumgrinder]

OK, now that's some exciting stuff!    Way to go Paul, way to get your race on- love to hear more of these adventures!

[GrandPaul]

...love to hear more of these adventures!

Click the hypertext links and read the long versions...

[Dave Scott]

I love track riding and have thought about getting my card, but I just can't seem to find THAT much time to devote to it.  However, it's a blast, for sure.  Way to go Paul!

[GrandPaul]

Pretty cool "bucket list" type stuff:

My first time ever at Daytona, I WAS ON THE TRACK! (2008) First lap out in practice, I pulled out of the back chicane and saw Nascar turn 3 - it looked like a WALL. I was too chicken to just climb up the banking, I rode around on the apron. Next time around, I exited the chicane and hammered it to get as much speed as possible (about 80 - 85) and managed to get to the top of the INSIDE lane. I was bouncing around, hanging on for dear life, it felt like if I let off, I would fall off!



Another first time experience was the Bonneville Salt Flats (2008). I had always wanted to go, and there I was, making a run down the salt! I set my class record (AHRMA Novice Historic Production Heavyweight) at the BUB Speed Trials - 91.948 MPH. I had installed the wrong speedometer drive gearbox and thought I was going 75; my goal was to complete a run and "save" the bike for the remainder of the AHRMA roadracing season. I wasn't properly geared, or properly jetted, for a run on the salt. If I had known I was so close to breaking 100 MPH, I would have turned it up; I'm POSITIVE I could have done it.

(dramatic re-creation by Phil "I Shoot From The Hip" Hawkenz)





Pretty fun stuff...

[Dave Scott]

my first time with a motorcycle on a track was at Charlotte Motor Speedway doing about 90 on a 92 VX800.  Turn 4 into the tri-oval was a similar experience for me.  the track wants to throw you right to the outside.  A guy on a Harley didn't make the turn.   

My first time on a road course was on a Triumph TT600.  I was amazed that I was able to drag my knee the first day out.   

[GrandPaul]

TT600 is a VERY competent track bike!

[Dave Scott]

yeah.  running a 14 grand redline it sounded a bit different from the other bikes.  My favorite ride on it was at Road Atlanta dicing with a guy on a newer 675.  I managed to get a run on him out of turn 12 and passed him on the front straight.  Such fun!  I've moved on to my superhawk now though.  I just love twins.