I got a fantastic start, pushing through both classes and diving into Turn 1 well ahead of the crowd. I rode unchallenged for several laps, when a wheel suddenly appeared inside of me in Turn 10. Although I was already leaned over the curbing, the rider forced his way past me. It was Dave Roper, the legendary American road racer, aboard his ex-Cal Rayborn factory Aermacchi. Roper worked his way forward to join me ahead of the pack, and now he wanted to race. Race we did, drafting down the front straight and barreling into Turn 1 side-by-side, rubbing elbows at the exit and swapping the lead several times a lap. My Honda had motor on Dave's Aermacchi, but his precision and smoothness enabled him to repeatedly pass me. In the end I took the win, but Dave certainly made me work for it!
It was good, close racing, and both of us trusted the skill and control of the other (I remember watching Dave and my father race in the same manner). Afterward, Dave came over to recount the excitement, and later joined us for dinner--a perfect example of the camaraderie that typifies the AHRMA spirit.
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Next lap, same turn, the author takes the lead.
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Racing with Dave Roper for the overall lead (we were in different classes) was fantastic -
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"Old age and treachery will overcome youth and ability"? Maybe on equal machinery, but I h
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VIR's tight and technical, 1.65-mile south course is perfect for slower vintage machines.
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The next day was similar to the first. Rabbie put up a good fight, but we had our jetting and gearing dialed and again took the win in the 350 Sportsman race. Race 6 saw another epic battle between Roper and myself; this time, I had the foresight to mount cameras on both bikes.
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Overall, it was a fantastic weekend for Todd Henning Racing. Harsh was happy to see his bike do well, Dad was beaming, and I experienced some of the best racing of my life. Hopefully we'll have similar success at Miller in September, and if things pan out, we'll be at Barber in October too. Check back later to read all about it!
Duane Harper celebrated his 75th birthday by racing his 1977 MT125 in the 125 GP class. Te
Special thanks to the sponsors and suppliers that helped put us on the podium:
Avon Tyres
Avon AM22 and AM20 vintage-spec race tires.
www.avontires.com
Buchanan's Spoke and Wheel
Expert and timely wheel building and truing.
www.buchananspokes.com
DID Chains
Racing chain.
www.didchain.com
Pingel
Hi-flow racing petcocks.
www.pingelonline.com
Race Tech
Track-side tuning and advice.
www.racetech.com
Sudco
Fuel line, exhaust wrap, jets, and various other last-minute essentials.
www.sudco.com
Syed Leathers
Top-notch custom road race leathers.
www.syedleathers.com
Todd Henning Racing (Buff Harsh)
Engine preparation, numerous parts, and loads of advice.
http://home.earthlink.net/~toddhenningracing/
Traxxian Dynamics
Initial fork rebuild and setup.
www.traxxion.com
Vintage Brake
Brake shoe re-lining and drum arcing.
www.vintagebrake.com
Works Performance Shocks
Race shocks.
www.worksperformance.com
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