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If you've got many years of riding under
your belt, chances are you've spent some time on dirt bikes. Many of us
got our start in motorcycling off-road, simply because it's the only
place you can ride when you're too young to have a license. As the years
have gone by, many of us have "graduated" to road bikes, and our
off-road days become a thing of the past. The only problem with that is
that when you leave the dirt you leave a lot of the fun behind. I'd be
willing to bet that if you used to ride off-road you remember those days
as some of the most fun you ever had on two wheels. Those were the good
old days, right? Well, for some folks, the good old days are still
pretty good. They're still out there, riding vintage motocross machines
and getting muddy and spraying dirt and generally having a ball. Welcome
to the Texas Vintage Racing Club! |
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TVRC member Joe Busby leads former
World Champion Brad Lackey into turn one. |
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Like most of you, my dirt bike days are a
distant memory, and I don't think a lot about off-road riding and racing
these days. Yeah, there are a pair of Honda Trail 90’s in my stable, and
I try to get in some trail riding when I’m on vacation, but they aren’t
exactly fast and I really wouldn’t want to get one airborne for
fear it would arrive back on Mother Earth in two pieces. I have great
memories of my younger days in the dirt, sliding and jumping and flying
and falling…okay, maybe that last one doesn’t make such great memories,
but dirt racing was one of those things in life that I loved and somehow
let go. Going fast in the dirt just hasn’t been on my menu in quite a
while, and when I got to thinking about it, I’m not sure why, because
it’s such a kick
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Awhile back I met a guy named Scott Anderson, which was how I got to thinking
about all of this again. Scott was doing some really nice restoration work on
some vintage dirt bikes, and in talking with him about his machines I learned
that he was currently Vice-President of a vintage motocross club called Texas
Vintage Racing Club. At first I thought it was just a bunch of guys who were
into restoring old motocross machines, but it quickly became apparent that these
guys aren't just into restoring...this is a racing club and they like to go
fast! And what’s cool is people like you can me can join up and get out there
and ride with them.
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If you’re not real fast or you’re rusty, don’t be intimidated…not all of these
guys are faster than jet stink. There are guys in the club who are good enough
to give big name racers a run for their money (and who do so…race with these
guys and you might just find yourself on the track with the likes of Brad
Lackey, Dick Mann, Jeff Smith, or Jay Springsteen, all of whom have pretty
impressive racing resumes), but there are also plenty of folks who just like to
ride at their own back marker pace and have a good time. Hey, just to be on the
same track as a former world champion would be a really big deal for some of us,
right? |
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The Texas Vintage Racing Club was started in July 1988 by Jack Thompson and Bill
Newkirk. Jack handled the logistics and Bill was the salesman/promoter. Jack had
restored a husky, a DKW, and a 125 Penton, and Jack and Bill had the idea to
start a Vintage racing club, and they kicked it off with a halftime exhibition
race at the old Mosier Valley racetrack to generate interest. Lynn Nickerson was
the announcer back then and did a great job of hyping the budding organization
to the crowd, and Joe Busby stepped up with a hundred dollar bill to get the
first flyers printed. And a club was formed. That was nearly 20 years ago, and
TVRC now has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating vintage
motocross racing club in the country. Everyone I interviewed for this article
had a big list of people to thank for making it all possible…friends, family,
supporters, and sponsors….I can’t possibly list them all here, but if you’re
reading this and you’re one of those people I want you to know they had a big
shout out for ya!
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This club is really about three things. Working on and restoring vintage
motocross bikes, racing, and the camaraderie you get when you get a bunch of
folks together who get juiced up over the same things. You can usually count on
finding some pretty cool stuff going on when you get this many knowledgeable and
enthusiastic people together in one place. The TVRC crew has simplified the
class structures to make sure there is competition for all riders at all skill
levels and all vintage machines. They even have a decade class for newer style
bikes…if it’s at least 10 years old you can ride it in the decade class. And
fittingly, they have over 40 and over 50 classes – these bikes have been around
awhile and so have the riders! |
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The club hosts a National race in Jefferson Texas each year, and usually
schedules one or two races a month, except in July and August when they take a
break in deference to everyone’s vacation schedules and the blazingly hot
weather in this part of the country. Current club President Mike Shelby wants
everyone to mark their calendar and turn out for the club’s 9th Annual Wyman
Priddy Memorial Race, which is on the schedule for October 15th, & 16th, 2006 at
the North Forty Cycle Park in Sherman, Texas. There will be natural terrain
motocross races, flat track races, and a good time had by all, so mark your
calendar and come on out and get in on the action. But be warned…the enthusiasm
these guys have for their sport is guaranteed to give you the vintage racing
bug, and you’re quite likely to wind up plotting how you are going to work a
vintage motocross bike into your stable so you too can go back to the dirt!
For more info on club membership and their racing calendar, check out
www.tvrc.org
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Scott Anderson's Champion Honda Vintage
Motocrosser |
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