VMD 2021
- Thread starter Vet261
- Start date
Dano762
PR Addict
You will love it. Everyone is a friend at VMD and all want to share war stories about what it took to get them and their bikes to the race - such an amazing atmosphere.
These racers are there to race, meet, be social, talk vintage bikes, and do what ever it takes to help get your bike to the starting line - so generous. I have let folks borrow parts from my 78 RM250 C2 (top end) so they could get to race. Others have helped me when I couldn't get my '79 KX to fire. Or even explained why I needed better front brake routing so it wouldn't jam behind the number plate and crash me - again and again - John, your advice, you might remember it. I have never had that happen again and passed this pearl of wisdom on several times.
Enjoy and take some money for the swap meet section - probably 5-10 acres of bikes, parts, and nostalgia for sale.
Post is getting a little long but my favorite Mid-Ohio story is 15 years before I ever raced motocross. In about 1998, I stopped with the family on the way back from Niagara Falls - kids were 5 and 7. I bought an old MR50 for $225 at the swap meet as their first bike. They learned to ride that day in a field behind the motocross track. Soon there was a long line of kids waiting to take their turn. For a couple hours other dads brought their pre-mix and we just kept on riding. Such a good memory.
Last edited:
TwentyThreeMX
PR Founding Father
Oh yeah, coming in Friday night and will have the pit bikes and the 125 for saturday's modern 2 stroke class. Excited to see what this is all about.
honda907
PR Addict
I was going to bring a new 125, but I'm gonna ride my 89 kx in the modern class on Saturday.
If I have fun like I did at mx rewind at unadilla, I'll be quite happy. Most fun I had since the mid 80's racing around the country
BILL88L
PR Addict
That’s a really good question Mike. This place is packed already at 7:30 on Thursday night. I’m not sure how they’re going to fit everybody in this place with everybody coming still. Didn’t look like much was left in the motocross pits.
Attachments
trent56mx
PR Addict
I'll be there this weekend but just on my ttr cruising the pits and swap, not racing the CR.
Took a slam at Ray's a couple weeks ago. Feeling better, not good enough to race.
A little bummed but not too much. VMD is a one of a kind event, hometown area. Plenty of good friends to cheer for and hang out with, always have a great time.
Took a slam at Ray's a couple weeks ago. Feeling better, not good enough to race.
A little bummed but not too much. VMD is a one of a kind event, hometown area. Plenty of good friends to cheer for and hang out with, always have a great time.
BILL88L
PR Addict
beenridin
PR Elite
Trump sighting!
Royal Enfield looked nice. Demo rides to boot.
Ama set up “ on any Sunday remastered for the 50 th anniversary.
We spent a few hours flipping new scooters we bought in a lot of 8. Man did we need a table like this one in the bike workshop they had up by the wall of DEATH!!!!
Royal Enfield looked nice. Demo rides to boot.
Ama set up “ on any Sunday remastered for the 50 th anniversary.
We spent a few hours flipping new scooters we bought in a lot of 8. Man did we need a table like this one in the bike workshop they had up by the wall of DEATH!!!!
Attachments
Vet261
PR Addict
Suns out BOOBs out!
You will need to join AMA Vintage Days FB group to see this.
You will need to join AMA Vintage Days FB group to see this.
TwentyThreeMX
PR Founding Father
First time, had a blast. Coulnd't imagine being there without a pit bike. Holy crap is that place huge. So much to do and see. I could have made a day out of just blasting the trails on the pit bikes, a whole day watching just moto, or a day watching the road course.. much less finding time to cruise through the swap meet stuff and just do some people watching lol.
I need a few days of recovery after all of the activities and a lot of eye drops. Wish they'd drive a water truck around and water things down a little bit. That would probably be my only complaint! OK that and being parked way out where I was, I had no idea what was going on race day..the radio station didnt work, and I spent most of the day riding back and forth trying to figure out what was going on / what moto was up etc.
Will absolutely be back!!! maybe with a vintage bike by then...
I need a few days of recovery after all of the activities and a lot of eye drops. Wish they'd drive a water truck around and water things down a little bit. That would probably be my only complaint! OK that and being parked way out where I was, I had no idea what was going on race day..the radio station didnt work, and I spent most of the day riding back and forth trying to figure out what was going on / what moto was up etc.
Will absolutely be back!!! maybe with a vintage bike by then...
honda907
PR Addict
I had a blast. It was last minute (Tuesday) and I drove up by myself. I'll be back next year.
You can race the modern class Saturday with a modern or vintage bike. I raced my 1989 KX 250 both days.
I found out my old bike isn't a disadvantage to a new bike in racing conditions such as Mid Ohio had. I also found out that its a dogfight to do well. Racing is racing and I was told it was good racing!
Met old racing people whom I hadn't seen since the early and mid eighties. A few have moved to CO and CA.
Only downfall to racing is there is less time to go see the sights.
Found out I still can't ride a HS course even on an old bike . Some things don't change.
Thanks to NQ1965 and his family. Mike, Nancy and Anthony. Mike may not know it, but if not for his family, and their hospitality, I wouldn't have really had anyone to talk to all weekend. I hope I wasn't a pain and congratulations on your podiums.
Attachments
Last edited:
NQ1965
PR Elite
Not a pain at all. Was an absolute pleasure. 2021 was our 12th year attending Vintage Motorcycle Days, 10th year racing. But our absolute favorite aspect of the event is all of the good folks we have met and become friends with.
Upon meeting other racers there you never quite know what to expect. But when that person is in his 60's, and then goes out, has a bad last place start off of a full gate, and then he races his way all the way to the front in 4 laps, it catches your attention that this guy is the real McCoy. This guy is a real motocross racer.
Afterwards, we have race stories that never get old. And the inspiration boost I get from it fills my motivation tank.
Congrats on your 1st place and championship plaque. You raced well!
NQ1965
PR Elite
When we arrived home from Vintage Days on Sunday evening, we got unloaded but had to immediately finish packing for trip to Florida, leaving Monday morning. So I'm behind on getting these posted up. Most of these pic's were from the cameras, some of these were pic's I loaded to facebook, but I do have quite a few others that I want to load onto Pitracer only, but I still have to reduce to a smaller file size. Will take me a day or two to get done.
Nancy shot most all of the photos I'll be posting. She does pretty Ok with the cameras. She's also my Cheerleader, Team Captain and Crew Leader, haha.
I was very pleased to be lined up next to a familiar Pitracer "racer" for the Hare Scramble on Friday. Bill and I have raced together quite a few times now over the years.
My Hare Scramble starts have always been "s**t", so I decided this to be the year to change that. Was very pleased to lead the pack, at least out of the field area.
The fun was short lived. There was a nasty hill climb that I managed to get over on lap one, but knew it would be a bitch when I came back for lap 2.
Sure enough, when I arrived, bikes were backed and stacked. I tried repeatedly but just couldn't get the rear tire to hook up. On my 5th attempt, totally exhausted, crashed over hard and broke the clutch perch. My Hare Scramble race was over. Bill Lane #88L was a huge help to me, and I owe him a beer. We both landed on the casualties list for that damn hill with DNF's.
12:00 Session
Nancy shot most all of the photos I'll be posting. She does pretty Ok with the cameras. She's also my Cheerleader, Team Captain and Crew Leader, haha.
I was very pleased to be lined up next to a familiar Pitracer "racer" for the Hare Scramble on Friday. Bill and I have raced together quite a few times now over the years.
My Hare Scramble starts have always been "s**t", so I decided this to be the year to change that. Was very pleased to lead the pack, at least out of the field area.
The fun was short lived. There was a nasty hill climb that I managed to get over on lap one, but knew it would be a bitch when I came back for lap 2.
Sure enough, when I arrived, bikes were backed and stacked. I tried repeatedly but just couldn't get the rear tire to hook up. On my 5th attempt, totally exhausted, crashed over hard and broke the clutch perch. My Hare Scramble race was over. Bill Lane #88L was a huge help to me, and I owe him a beer. We both landed on the casualties list for that damn hill with DNF's.
12:00 Session
Last edited:
Vet261
PR Addict
Nice pics, always good hanging out and BS'ing with you and Nancy. One of these years you just need to camp for the weekend! So much fun!
Now that I've sold about 20 bikes and am down to 11 total, I'm thinking it's nearing time for me to buy a real CC bike. I haven't raced the CC in many years and always did it on an MX bike. Still fun, but I'd like to do it sometime on a real CC bike!
Can't wait till next year!!!!
Now that I've sold about 20 bikes and am down to 11 total, I'm thinking it's nearing time for me to buy a real CC bike. I haven't raced the CC in many years and always did it on an MX bike. Still fun, but I'd like to do it sometime on a real CC bike!
Can't wait till next year!!!!
MarctheSharc
PR Founding Father
Great Pics - & Thanks for the report !!
NQ1965
PR Elite
These last pic's, Nancy took of Anthony's races for the weekend and there are some pretty good shots.
We were stewing over how many years it had been since he last raced Vintage Days, and it's been like seven years we're thinking. He struggled with the Cross Country race back then and vowed he wasn't going to line up for that again. But, once he decided to race this year, he thought he would at least have some fun trying the hare scramble again. So........ When I finally made it back to the pits with my broken bike and the horror story of the hill climb struggle, I told him he might want to change his mind and skip it. Anthony pondered it for a bit, and said "to hell with it....I came here to race"!
So he lines up, gets a mid pack start and gives it a go. Nancy and I went to the woods and was watching and waiting for him. He was delayed quite a long while trying to get that first lap in. He finally emerged back to the woods opening, got one complete lap in at the scoring tent and headed for the truck. As with my race earlier, they were backed and stacked on that hill climb, and after finally getting up the hill, he was done.
The next day, we found out that he was the only rider in his class, and he ended up with the #1 Plaque. Talk about crazy luck.
Saturday motocross was really fun as well, as he signed up for the Free Modern class. That was the 1st time that he was part of a race that had three full gate divisions, and a LCQ. So he at least got two race's in that day, and if he would of made it into the top eight of the LCQ, he would of been in three moto's.
Then on Sunday he raced "R2- Vet 30+", and "R2- Open class". He held his own and did ok. He thoroughly enjoyed being at Vintage Motorcycle Days again.
====================================
His group, Friday Cross Country race.
Anthony is #357...2002 CR250...... POWERED by METAL MULISHA, (haha... I tease him on his poor taste and bike prep.)
The Kawasaki #04, (Greg Lykens) right next to the FMF banner, got hung up in the gate, and came off the line last place. He then passed his way all the way to third I believe. Was very impressive.
He also took 1st place in the R1-Masters 50+ Class. Greg was pitted next to us and really impressed me for being 62 years old.
Greg Lykens.... Has Speed!
Anthony got a poor launch off the gate, (behind #3 Yamaha).
But he raced to the front and made the turn. (barely).
He held on to it.
Back of the pack on this start.
John Kreps (#261), on the right, waiting for the second gate drop.
R2 - Vet 30+..... 3rd place. Not bad for his first motocross race in many, many years.
Greg Lykens taking the 1st over Greg Wheeler. No small accomplishment.
We were stewing over how many years it had been since he last raced Vintage Days, and it's been like seven years we're thinking. He struggled with the Cross Country race back then and vowed he wasn't going to line up for that again. But, once he decided to race this year, he thought he would at least have some fun trying the hare scramble again. So........ When I finally made it back to the pits with my broken bike and the horror story of the hill climb struggle, I told him he might want to change his mind and skip it. Anthony pondered it for a bit, and said "to hell with it....I came here to race"!
So he lines up, gets a mid pack start and gives it a go. Nancy and I went to the woods and was watching and waiting for him. He was delayed quite a long while trying to get that first lap in. He finally emerged back to the woods opening, got one complete lap in at the scoring tent and headed for the truck. As with my race earlier, they were backed and stacked on that hill climb, and after finally getting up the hill, he was done.
The next day, we found out that he was the only rider in his class, and he ended up with the #1 Plaque. Talk about crazy luck.
Saturday motocross was really fun as well, as he signed up for the Free Modern class. That was the 1st time that he was part of a race that had three full gate divisions, and a LCQ. So he at least got two race's in that day, and if he would of made it into the top eight of the LCQ, he would of been in three moto's.
Then on Sunday he raced "R2- Vet 30+", and "R2- Open class". He held his own and did ok. He thoroughly enjoyed being at Vintage Motorcycle Days again.
====================================
His group, Friday Cross Country race.
Anthony is #357...2002 CR250...... POWERED by METAL MULISHA, (haha... I tease him on his poor taste and bike prep.)
The Kawasaki #04, (Greg Lykens) right next to the FMF banner, got hung up in the gate, and came off the line last place. He then passed his way all the way to third I believe. Was very impressive.
He also took 1st place in the R1-Masters 50+ Class. Greg was pitted next to us and really impressed me for being 62 years old.
Greg Lykens.... Has Speed!
Anthony got a poor launch off the gate, (behind #3 Yamaha).
But he raced to the front and made the turn. (barely).
He held on to it.
Back of the pack on this start.
John Kreps (#261), on the right, waiting for the second gate drop.
R2 - Vet 30+..... 3rd place. Not bad for his first motocross race in many, many years.
Greg Lykens taking the 1st over Greg Wheeler. No small accomplishment.
Last edited: