Chapman Doubles Up at Cahuilla Vintage MX

CALVMX/JT Racing/AHRMA SoCal Regional Series
Round 5: Cahuilla Creek Motocross Park

Story by Steve Caro
Photos by Kathryn Caro
ANZA, CA, MAY 19, 2012

Vintage motocross made a much-welcomed return to the Cahuilla Creek Motocross Park, located in the diminutive community of Anza, California. The series’ being absent from the venue for several years meant anticipation was high among those in the CALVMX/AHRMA racing fraternity. For the longtime Vintage racers, the return conjured up memories of one of the last races held at Cahuilla, when the track was subjected to an emergency evacuation due to a major brush fire erupting not more than a mile south of the course.

Round five of the 2012 CALVMX/ AHRMA/ JT Racing Series was staged on the well-suited “Vet” track at Cahuilla. Devoid of modern-bike obstacles, the course was a perfect pairing for the Vintage/Post-Vintage racing community. In a unique first, the starting line was on one side of the entry road, with the actual course on the other! Traffic control was spot-on, and the start of every race went off without a problem. Without a doubt the longest track on the series schedule this season, the wide and sweeping turns, elevation changes, and safe jumps made Cahuilla one of the best tracks the series has visited in recent years.

This round was special for the club members, as it was the club’s very first “Salute to the Military” event. Flags representing the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines flew proudly in the pit areas and were later front and center for the parade lap, involving every rider in attendance in tribute to the unselfish acts of the men and women in military service.

In honor of the occasion, Bobby Hudson, a member of the band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, performed a magnificent rendition of the national anthem and joined in on the day of Vintage racing (and won the Modern Support Two-Stroke Novice class).

Out on the track, it was another full day of Vintage racing. Kirk Chapman added to his own personal success by dominating both the Over 50 Vintage Intermediate and Vintage Sportsman 250cc Intermediate classes. Riding a CZ provided by CR High Performance, Chapman took victories in all four motos to clinch the overall victories in both classes.

When the gate dropped for the first moto of the Over 50 Vintage Intermediate class, CZ-mounted Rick Guilmette emerged with the lead as the pack entered the main portion of the course. Trailing some five seconds behind were CZ riders Chapman and Steve Roach. Entering lap two, Chapman powered past Guilmette and into the lead. The venerable Czech machines filled the first six positions throughout the moto. Chapman wasted no time in building up a substantial lead and was never challenged after lap three. Behind Chapman at the checkers, Guilmette finished a strong second, followed by Roach.

The combination of Chapman and the CR High Performance CZ proved an unbeatable combination on the day. Timing the gate perfectly in moto two, Chapman built up an enormous lead by the end of lap two. Once again, Guilmette followed in second, followed by Roach. Guilmette and Roach made a valiant effort to keep pace with Chapman, but the day was all his, as he sped to an easy moto win and the overall victory on the day.

Chapman continued his mastery of the Cahuilla course with another two-moto sweep, this time in the Vintage Sportsman 250cc Intermediate ranks. As he had done all day, Chapman timed the drop of the gate perfectly and led the Ossa-mounted Scott Piddington and CZ rider Mark Reeder into the main portion of the course.

Chapman had broken free of the pack by the end of lap two, and he sped off to a large lead. Piddington and Reeder staged a spirited battle for the runner-up spot for the rest of the moto. Reeder made a late-moto pass stick and finished second, behind Chapman, with Piddington finishing third.

Piddington made things interesting in the second moto by nailing the holeshot and leading Chapman and Reeder through the first half of lap one. As they powered their way through the back half of the course, Chapman kept his throttle pinned and moved into the lead. Once again, the race to watch was for the runner-up spot, between Piddington and Reeder. This time, Piddington prevailed and secured second overall on the day, behind Chapman, with Reeder putting in a strong effort for the final podium spot.

The effort to lure more Premier-era machines back to the track continued with Richard Myers of the Boozefighters bringing out a pristine Tri-BSA for a day of racing. He and class winner Mark Dedes (on a Matchless) muscled their classic British iron around the track in fine style. Even for die-hard two-stroke fans, the legendary sound of the big English machines was great to hear. Hopefully more of these machines will find their way back onto the track as word spreads that the tracks in Vintage racing are quite suitable for machines of their era.

Other race winners on the day included Can-Am pilot Steve Ellis, making a welcome return to the track after being sidelined for a prolonged time with a lingering race-related injury; Ellis scored the win in the Vintage Over 50 Expert class, with veteran competitor Gary Faxon in second overall.

Meanwhile, former factory Pro rider Scott Burnworth demonstrated just how fast a classic Ossa can go with a dominating overall victory in the Open Age Expert Vintage Expert division.

Also adding their names to the winners’ list for the day were Honda-mounted Mark Sandzimier, in GP 3 250cc Expert competition; Yamaha pilot Brian Paquette, in the GP 3 500cc Expert class; Honda rider Chrissie Lukacs, who took the gold in the Women’s Intermediate and Ironman GP Novice divisions; and Bob Kelley, who topped the GP 1 250cc Novice class.

The sixth round in June will see CALVMX/AHRMA returning for another round of racing at Milestone Raceway, located in Riverside County. As always, the goal is to put as many vintage bikes on the track as possible, so everyone is encouraged to come out for this event and to prod absentee racers to get back to the track with theirs! For further information on Vintage motocross racing, see calvmx.net and ahrma.org.

Cahuilla Creek
Anza, California
Results: May 19, 2012 (Round 5)

IRONMAN GP NOV: 1. Chrissie Lukacs (Hon); 2. Michael Groat (Kaw); 3. Josh Robinson (Suz); 4. Bob Kelley (Yam).

IRONMAN GP INT: 1. Brian Tracy (Yam); 2. Greg Rainville (Hon).

IRONMAN GP EX: 1. Kyle Winton (Yam).

JR: 1. Danny Gonzalez Jr. (Hon).

GP 85 NOV: 1. Danny Kays (Suz); 2. Danny Gonzalez (Hon); 3. Mike Garcia (Yam).

XR STOCK INT: 1. Art Leva (Hon); 2. Dave Peabody (Hon).

PREMIER: 1. Mark Dedes (Mat); 2. Richard Myers (Tri-BSA).

CLASSIC 125 INT: 1. Lon DeYoung (DKW).

CLASSIC 500 INT: 1. Frank Maney (Suz).

VINTAGE SPORTSMAN 125 NOV: 1. Danny Gonzalez Sr. (Yam).

VINTAGE SPORTSMAN 250 NOV: 1. Robert Ivery (Hus).

VINTAGE SPORTSMAN 250 INT: 1. Kirk Chapman (CZ); 2. Scott Piddington (Oss); 3. Mark Reeder (CZ); 4. Dana Yenawine (CZ); 5. Craig Walker (CZ).

VINTAGE SPORTSMAN 250 EX: 1. Phil Hall (CZ).

VINTAGE SPORTSMAN 500 INT: 1. Steve Roach (CZ).

GP 100 MODIFIED EX: 1. Scott Burnworth (Yam).

GP 1 125 NOV: 1. Kim Boyle (Suz).

GP 1 250 NOV: 1. Bob Kelley (Yam).

GP 1 250 INT: 1. Brian Tracy (Yam); 2. Steve Gallegos (Hus).

GP 1 250 EX: 1. Kyle Winton (CZ); 2. Doug Reyes (Hon).

GP 1 500 NOV: 1. Douglas Pope (Hon).

GP 1 500 INT: 1. Brent Koble (Hus); 2. Troy Bartley (Hon); 3. Ken Shilling (Hus); 4. Bob Schaller (Yam); 5. Charlie Connelly (Yam).

GP 2 125 NOV: 1. Greg Rainville (Hon); 2. Chrissie Lukacs (Hon).

GP 2 125 EX: 1. Mark Sandzimier (Suz).

GP 2 250 EX: 1. Jay Pavlovec (Suz); 2. Ed Tashjian (Suz).

GP 2 500 INT: 1. Troy Bartley (Hon).

GP 3 125 NOV: 1. Josh Robinson (Suz).

GP 3 125 INT: 1. Jeff Snyder (Hon).

GP 3 125 EX: 1. Kyle Winton (Yam).

GP 3 250 NOV: 1. John Farmer (Suz).

GP 3 250 INT: 1. Ron Witt (Hon); 2. Brent Kobe (KTM).

GP 3 250 EX: 1. Mark Sandzimier (Hon).

GP 3 500 NOV: 1. Myron Lapka.

GP 3 500 INT: 1. Marcus Crider (Hon).

GP 3 500 EX: 1. Bryan Paquette (Yam).

WOMEN INT: 1. Chrissie Lukacs (Hon).

OPEN AGE VINTAGE NOV: 1. Dave Peabody (Suz).

OPEN AGE VINTAGE INT: 1. Dennis Pallaccia (Yam).

OPEN AGE VINTAGE EX: 1. Scott Burnworth (Oss).

50+ VINTAGE NOV: 1. Robert Ivery (Hus).

50+ VINTAGE INT: 1. Kirk Chapman (CZ); 2. Rick Guilmette (CZ); 3. Steve Roach (CZ); 4. Mark Reeder (CZ); 5. Craig Walker (CZ).

50+ VINTAGE EX: 1. Steve Ellis (C-A); 2. Gary Faxon (CZ).

50+ GP INT: 1. Ron Rinden (Hon); 2. Jeff Snyder (Hon); 3. Ron Witt (Hon).

50+ GP EX: 1. Brad Morrison (Mai).

60+ VINTAGE INT: 1. Tom Winkless (CZ); 2. Lon DeYoung (DKW).

MODERN SUPPORT 4-STROKE NOV: 1. Michael Grant (Kaw); 2. Daniel Kosanke (Yam).

MODERN SUPPORT 4-STROKE INT: 1. Ricky Graves (Hon).

MODERN SUPPORT 2-STROKE NOV: 1. Bobby Hudson (Hon); 2. Tim Bartee (Yam).

MODERN SUPPORT 2-STROKE INT: 1. Paul Grossberg (Yam); 2. Art Leva (Hon); 3. Lori Payne (Hon).

MODERN SUPPORT 2-STROKE EX: 1. Kyle Winton (Yam); 2. Ed Tashjian (Suz); 3. Rolf Greenhill (Suz).