The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s announcer Chris Carr picked me off the Birmingham airport curb and 20 minutes later we entered paradise at 1 p.m. Wednesday. The first and last time I visited this magical place was to coach the Expert group for STT with Ken Hill aboard Buell 1125s, but this time the laps would count because I arrived to race a pair of Kawasakis in Vintage Superbike: Carry Andrew’s 1977 Z1 in Heavyweight and Chris Carr’s 1981 GPz 550 in Middleweight.
We parked and jumped in line to get our paddock spot, but not before I renewed my 25-year friendship with Stuart Anderson, the man who built the GPz. He tuned Doug Brauneck to the 250GP national title and built stuff for rocketboys like Cam Roos and Robert Wright. And like Carry Andrew, Stuart was a racer before he was a tuner and that gives insights not always in sight. Here, he and Chris are unloading the GPz. Meanwhile, Carry and right-hand-man Willi Scheffer are four spots down recovering from the three-day drive from Hypercycle’s home in Van Nuys, California. And yes, I brought a Scott Russell Replica Arai helmet for my Kawasaki rides!
Gregg Bonelli’s book Zen and the Art of Racing Motorcycles describes the old-school racer vans that served as transport, shop, and bedroom while racers made their way across the country in search of adrenaline and a paycheck. Nothing’s changed and the Barber paddock had license plates from almost every state in the union and province in Canada. And Bonelli’s got twice as many stories as appear in his book!
Let’s start with a mistake: On Wednesday, we wanted to fire the GPz and check the engine but we spun it on the rollers with the chain too loose. Stuart wanted to “string” (align) the bike when he tightened the chain, so he had left it loose. Very loose. It flapped off the front sprocket and hit a boss in the countershaft sprocket cover, cracking the case. Except we didn’t know it. Luckily, I “check my boots for shiny spots” on the straights and that habit saved me and the bike the next morning as oil tried to work its way out of the cases and onto the rear Bridgestone. Stuart points out his epoxy job.
Your neck will get sore gawking at bikes and the Tim’s CBX pit was right across the road, distracting in sights and sounds. They even had a six-cylinder Superbike that wins “best sounding angry roadracer,” hands down.
Chris Carr not only announces at AHRMA alongside racer Scott Fabro, but the 2011 Middleweight Superbike Champion hosts a delicious Sloppy Joe extravaganza Thursday night. Chris owns Two Wheel Adventures and the company runs four Motorcycle Safety Foundation sites in Atlanta. This is my kind of guy: totally into bikes with an interest in growing the industry. (And he’s a bit crazy, once riding an XR1200 from Florida to Alaska, and that’s just one example.) During Sloppy Joe night, I sat next to Nobby Clark as he gave me an eyewitness account of the day Jarno Saarinen died. “It was oil on the track, not Pasolini’s seizing.” Oh yeah, that’s our rental motorhome in the background; we camped in the paddock surrounded by thousands of like-minded nuts, something I haven’t done in, well…forever.
The GPz rolled on Bridgestone Battlax rubber, but Carry Andrew spooned a set of Continental RoadAttack 2CRs on the Z1 for the first time, a 150 out back and 110 up front, both 18s. The RoadAttacks mounted on Bito R&D wheels and stuck tenaciously throughout practice and the two races the bike ran. Pete Hockenstat on another KZ1000 Superbike raved about the Contis’ performance even after three race weekends. That’s impressive given a vintage Superbike’s weight and power. The Contis worked fantastically well all weekend and that’s not a plug, that’s a fact. Trophies prove it.
» Continue with Nick's story on page 2.
View photos in gallery:
Yeah, no seats left and this is only one of two rider meetings held Thursday and Friday nights at Barber. Tony Pentecost runs them, Ed Bargy handles starts and flags, both with humor and ease. All four paddock tiers were full, and grids were packed. AHRMA vintage racing is a step back in time to when roadracing was popular and heavily attended by racers and fans, reminding me of Elkhart Lake and Mid-Ohio nationals 20 years ago.
I had to include these evening shots of Carr’s GPz under surgery and on the bench. Stuart Anderson fought with oil leaks from the starter-motor plug, a screw, and the shift-shaft seal. These fights severely dented our practice time, but by Friday night the GPz was ready for war. Good thing, because there’s only racing on Saturday and Sunday starting at 8 a.m., no practice! I’m fine with that; practice sometimes just feels like more abuse. Let’s race.
“This bike never knew how to wobble…I could go one hand on the Daytona banking,” Carry Andrew told me about his Z1. He had sold this bike to a collector when he retired, but my interest in AHRMA racing reignited his interest and he repurchased his Superbike and prepped it. “Tom Ferrell did the frame mods and it’s just amazing work, the best,” Carry continued, showing the extensive changes to the steering head and frame backbone. Here, Carry is checking the clutch and refreshing the Maxima oil but you can see one of the custom engine mounts Ferrell built 35 years ago. The 1015 runs a magneto, which eliminates the need for a battery or charging system and the “wiring harness” is one wire…plus it’s old school cool. Look for a more-detailed feature on racing these two Kawasakis in an upcoming Cycle World magazine!
Okay kid, hop on. This bike is 25 times older than you! AHRMA invited bikes over 100 years old to lap at lunch and the sights and sounds of uncovered valve trains were unforgettable, especially when contrasted against the sounds of Brittens at speed. On Friday morning, Jim Hunter asked if I wanted to lap his bike, and I was at Bob Robbins’ Britten tent before the affirmative text made it back. I raced Hunter’s bike in 1995 and it was so wonderful to revisit…read all about it in Cycle World magazine’s Barber coverage. Andrew Stroud, Stephen Briggs, Chuck Honeycutt, Bob Robbins, and Jim Hunter also wowed the crowd during the weekend by lapping John Britten’s masterpieces, seen here with John’s wife Kirsteen. Stroud won Next Gen Superbike on Jim Hunter’s Britten on Sunday. Epic.
Barber’s snaky layout keeps the sidecar monkeys busy, and the crowds enjoyed the tight racing of the 15 entrants, one of the largest sidecar fields in recent history. I’ve been asked many times to try monkeying as a journalist and haven’t yet made it happen. Am I brave enough? What about the lack of control!!!???? OMG!!!!
AHRMA runs on volunteer effort and it runs well, in part due to the traditionally delicious Barber dinner that would make any man or woman work exceedingly hard just for the taste. Thanks to Head Chef Dennis and AHRMA for the invite, but most importantly: Thanks to the volunteers whose efforts allow us to live out our racing passions at America’s greatest tracks.
» Continue with Nick's story on page 3.
View photos in gallery: 
Hey, nice ’92 TZ250…except Mad Moto stuck a fuel-injected KX450 in there for the singles classes. There are a variety of approaches, but a good 450 single can reliably churn out 55 horsepower and has all the handling wonderfulness of the TZ. Steve Madison pilots this one, and the class is a mix of some wild machines; you can do wonders with the stock 450 dirtbikes, you don’t need to change frames because it’s a tuner’s class and the lap times are impressive.
Good tuners never rest. Stuart Anderson torqued the GPz head on Saturday morning, lubed the chain, and generally fretted about our lack of practice laps. Oh, and he continued to bitch about the silliness of eccentric chain adjusters on roadracers and I completely agree. Every time you adjust the chain or change the gearing, you change rear ride height. Goofy. After I took this shot, we flipped the axle to raise the rear about 15mm, a huge change on a modern sportbike but not such a risk on the more-relaxed vintage geometries. I wanted the bike to finish the corner better and this change helped.
Stuart showed me how to “string” a motorcycle, measuring the alignment to double-check the marks on the axle adjusters. I plan to go home and string all my stuff to get a baseline for “what is straight.” Let me know if you want a how-to article on stringing. Anderson can talk on subjects from etymology to entomology, world politics, and turbo Buicks since his past includes being GM of Buick’s R&D facility in the 1980s. He’s built everything from RD200s to GSX-R750s and is one of the most sought-after FJ1200 builders for a variety of car series. It was good (and fascinating) to have him in my corner after racing against his stuff back in the day.
AHRMA isn’t just old guys racing out of the back of a van as the Hero/MotoCorse and Boulder Motorsports pit areas attest. Jake Zemke rode one of the sterling Boulder entries and nobody could touch him, while builder/rider Chris Boy shined brightly on his MotoCorse Ducs and NCRs. Right across from Hero was Bob Robbins and the Britten group, fielding Stephen Briggs, Andrew Stroud and Robbins. You might think AHRMA is relaxed gentlemanly racing until you see these guys line up and go. Impressive, especially when you add in Chris Fillmore on the KTMs and the inspiring Pat Mooney on his new EBR Superbike. It makes the twins races real fan favorites and two of my old buddies, Ricky Orlando and Tom Wilbert, raced a Pierobon and Ducati, respectively. Orlando returned to the Barber Vintage Festival for a ninth year to capture another win.
When friends ask about AHRMA, I point them at the Thruxton Cup if they want to just get a taste of things without huge commitment. The rules are quite stringent with few internal mods allowed, eliminating some of the spending craziness seen in other classes. Tires and suspension are open, but mostly you need to ride the heck outta the relatively docile twin. Triumph is the Barber AHRMA event sponsor and is putting together some good packages to help Thruxton Cup competitors save on parts and get in the game. There are even rental racers available and they hope to have a 30-bike grid in 2016. You should be in it.
The one-minute board is up and Carry Andrew is in gear and loaded. He launched strong from the fifth row, put his Z1 into fourth in the tight Turn 1 and passed for the lead before the first lap ended. I asked Carry why he was returning to racing at the age of 63. “I feel that I retired too early due to family and business priorities,” he told me. “I run to a certain limit now, enjoy myself but don’t push to the edge.” His best lap was only 0.7 seconds slower than mine and he won huge at AHRMA Willow Springs a few months ago. He is the definition of smooth, and he’s not afraid of the throttle!
The love of bike-building and racing is epitomized by AHRMA racer Scott Turner and his wife Deedee, up from Florida with a brace of Honda 160s and 350s that Scott built himself, including stitching the upholstery. He hauls ass too, but most importantly enjoys every moment of this great racing life. Deedee makes a delicious spinach salad and I enjoyed it while watching Carr and Anderson work on my bike. Factory ride indeed! “Hey guys, will you wipe your finger marks off the paint please? Why yes, Deedee, I’d love a glass of Pinot Noir. Stuart, please don’t rev that so loud.”
How about this for provenance: Carry Andrew fell off this Superbike at Sears Point in 1978 and went to the next AMA round at Willow Springs with a broken collarbone. Too sore to practice, he put a kid named Eddie Lawson on it. This kid was within spitting distance of the lap record in three laps, but then his 250 sponsor arrived at the track and squashed the whole Superbike deal. You’re looking at Lawson’s first Superbike ride and a bike Andrew took to a few fifth-place AMA finishes, including Laguna Seca. All that runs through a journalist’s mind as he starts to get “a bit too comfortable.” There was no competition for “Eddie’s first Superbike;” it was the class of the field.
» Continue with Nick's story on page 3.
View photos in gallery: 
I caught Louis Leblanc idling back from the motocross races to get ready to roadrace. He competes in both disciplines and I doubt anyone has more fun at these weekends. There may be a few “win at any cost” personalities in the crowd but the intensity I used to experience and emit at AMA events is rarely present in the vintage classes. The riding, like the equipment, spans the spectrum but the smiles are universal and ever-present. Dang, I know that sounds sappy but don’t judge until you roll back into the Barber paddock after racing in front of thousands of spectators with a few dozen like-minded enthusiasts. You’re gonna giggle.
I could write a book about this guy: Luke Connor, here firing off his old H-D. Connor’s company, CPL Systems, is the main AHRMA series sponsor and Luke helps with everything from riders meetings to the awards ceremonies. His pit is packed with bikes and friends and fans and he raced at least three machines that I know of. Everybody appreciates Connor’s largesse but I get to thank him on a website with 1.8 million unique views per month, the world’s largest two-wheeled site. Thank you, Luke and CPL Systems!
Wait, this is not a sponsor payback! Recently I’ve said “no” to some rides because my right forearm, wrist, and hand would pump and cramp so badly that I was unsure of being able to ride a complete race. I started some at-home stretching and massage therapy and then Chris Peris told me to apply Tiger Balm (or the like) just before I rode. I did it before racing the TZ750 at New Jersey Motorsports Park and I’ve found a pretty good solution to my problem. I apply this Pain Zone roll-on before each session and my arm still complains but not to the point of debilitation. Getting old sucks, but we must fight back! This works, my old beat-up friends. (www.medzonecorp.com)
These are the main players in Vintage Middleweight Superbike: Paul Germain’s Seca 650 and Ed Milich’s Alazzura-based Ducati. My Kawasaki didn’t have the outright power of these two, but I was able to get away on Barber’s technical layout because the package Anderson and Carr put together has no weaknesses, plus I got into traffic first and that’s always an advantage. Oh, and my Scott Russell Replica helmet. Those guys didn’t have one.
How much is a used XS650? Brian Filo clinched the Formula 750 championship one round early on his trick-framed XS-powered Yamaha. Brian is hip-deep in vintage racing and will return to Phillip Island in January 2016 with the American team. Barber’s big but the PI International Classic is even bigger. Who’s going with us?
This is the reigning Vintage Heavyweight Superbike champion, campaigned by Courtney Allard with some great help from David Sadowski. Allard missed this round with an injury but his consistently quick riding took this relatively tame KZ750 to the championship in 2014. This is a great class for those of us who grew up worshipping Wes Cooley on the Yoshimura 1000S, and who didn’t?!
You want old-school feel-good motorcycling friendliness? Bring your chair to Saturday’s awards ceremony and listen to Luke Connor and Andrew Stroud announce win, place and show. Everybody claps and catcalls, and a few winners make acceptance speeches. This year’s best story was the crew who loaded their blown-up bike in a van, drove to Chicago for parts and then repaired the bike on the way back to Birmingham, arriving for first practice with a running motorcycle. Jake Zemke echoed my feelings about AHRMA in his speech, talking about the great peeps and times. I think you’ll see him here every year forever…oh yeah, and he was running 1:28s on the Boulder Duc!
“We’ve had worse weekends.” From left to right: Carry Andrew, Willi Scheffer, me, Chris Carr and Stuart Anderson, along with two amazing Kawis and four first-place trophies, one signed by Andrew Stroud. “I’m already going through withdrawals,” Carry said. “I’ll give back the trophies if they’ll let us line up again right now!” Oh Lord, the addiction runs deep. Come and feed it by rolling around with AHRMA. More next Tuesday! View photos in gallery: Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
Car Reviews: automoview.com
Entertainment News: 38now.com
Today's Promotions: freepromotoday.com
