SPORTS

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days returning to Mid-Ohio

Rob McCurdy
Reporter
  • Cardington's Tim Weise won his first NHRA National in Top Sportsman over the weekend.
  • Wayne County Speedway celebrates its 50th anniversary Saturday night.
  • Spitzer Motor Speedway held its second event of the season Sunday evening.
  • The Goodguys car rally takes over Columbus this weekend.

LEXINGTON – The American Motorcycle Association Vintage Motorcyclist Days returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend, bringing the usual fare and flare longtime observers of the meet know and love.

This year's event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Museum in Pickerington. There will be road racing, motocross, trials, hare scrambles and special vintage dirt track racing Saturday night at Ashland County Fairgrounds.

Fans can explore the more than 300 acres of Mid-Ohio by watching the races or walking around the 20-acre swap meet and used bike corral, the vendor midway, Hall of Fame tent with displays and gift shop, club displays and corrals, and bike shows.

Among the attractions are new bike factory demo rides, a motorcycle skills challenge, the Moto Trials Extreme Exhibition, the American Motor Drome Wall of Death, the Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge, the lap for history trip around the road course at lunch and seminars. The Hall of Fame is raffling off a restored 1965 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide.

This year's grand marshal is hall of famer David Aldana, one of the more versatile riders of the 1970s and '80s who raced dirt bikes, motocross and roads with a specialty in endurance racing.

Weekend tickets are $60. Admission on Friday and Saturday is $40 with Sunday tickets at $35.

National Winner

Tim Weise of Cardington won his first-ever national event when he took the highly competitive Top Sportsman class at last weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk.

Weise drove his 2012 Ford Mustang to the championship, going 193.05 mph in 7.096 seconds. His final time was closest to his dial-in of 7.07 seconds by 0.26 seconds, beating Donald Horne who ran faster at 6.781 (202.21 mph), but missed his dial-in of 6.7 seconds by 0.081 seconds.

Rocky Clark of Willard won two rounds in Super Gas as did Alex Miller of Mansfield in Super Stock. Other round winners were John Grundy of Ashland in Super Comp, plus in Super Gas, Ronald Foss of Lucas, Bill Jackson of Mansfield, Paul Fidler of Greenwich and Roger Wellman of Galion.

Birthday Bash

Wayne County Speedway will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a 50-pound birthday cake during Saturday night's racing. On track will be 410 sprints, super stocks, mini stocks, Rush late models, super late models, mini wedges and karts, all racing for double points in the mid-season championships.

Off the track will be prizes and giveaways, race car bingo, and a hot dog eating contest.

Tickets are $12 and kids 12-and-younger get in free. Gates open at 3 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

Mansfield Results

Spitzer Motor Speedway held its second event of the season Sunday evening. Bob Sibila won for the second time in modifieds, but was disqualified for his frame being too low in post-race tech inspections. Joe Shannon was then given the win. Jon Quinn won the hobby stocks feature, while Jeff Karl did the same in Ohio stocks and Parker Ennes did so in street stocks.

The next event at the half-mile oval will be the first weekend in August.

Good Guys

The Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals will be Friday through Sunday at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus as more than 6,500 classic cars and street rods are expected to be shown. There will be an autocross at the site, while National Trail Raceway in Kirkersville will hold Friday night drag races in conjunction with the show.

Rob McCurdy covers motorsports at the News Journal and can be reached at rmccurdy@gannett.com or 419-521-7241. On Twitter follow @McMotorsport.