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Thanks to all the racers who brought out their smallbore bikes last Sunday.
This year's King of the Hill Small Bore race was a great success. We had
sixteen entries, up from thirteen last year. I'd also like to add that the
level of competition has stepped up a notch. The pace at the front of the
pack was intense! The weather was cool and a little wet, and this probably
helped keep some of the screaming little 125's together, but there were
still a few DNF's due to seized engines. The race brought out some faces we
seldom see any longer, Richard Reeves, John Fricke, Paul Burnett, and I even
saw Jack Thompson walking around the pits checking out all the 125's. Come
on Jack, build a 125 and race with us next year. I know you have a Combat
Wombat at home. A pair of young guns from Oklahoma showed up to contest for
the trophy, Jeff and Eb Simon on KX125's. I was able to provide Jim Pomeroy
with a Bultaco 125 of questionable lineage for the race, (a TM125 with a
Spanish paint scheme). This bike played a key role in the eventual results
of the event, albeit without Bimbo onboard. We kicked off the day with the
125's in the very first moto. On the start, 20 year old Eb Simon got the
holeshot on his KX, followed closely by Pomeroy, myself, Rick Jordan, and
John Fricke. Eb quickly started building a gap on the field, that would
later prove crucial to his success. During the first lap, Husqvarna 125
mounted Rick Jordan got around me, and took over third place. In a turn just
before the end of the first lap, Jordan moved Pomeroy out of the way, which
resulted in Jim being off the track. This had me grabbing clutch and brakes,
and Fricke passed me on the inside. Meanwhile, Eb Simon continued to gap the
field. I had a battle with Cris Barton for the next few laps, but he
eventually made a solid pass on me. He looked so smooth on that CanAm 175
once he got past. Cris brought three bikes to the race in case he blew one
up, and only needed that one. Way to go Cris! There were a few DNF's in the
first moto. Bob McNamara is still having trouble with his CR125. I heard him
saying after the race,"Well, another year to do maintenance on my 125". Jeff
Simon's KX125 went away during practice, Richard Reeves seized his YZ125 on
the first lap, David Chapman couldn't get his TM125 to the starting line,
and Pomeroy pulled off after a few laps. Jim told me later that he was
afraid he was going to bust a wheel or break the frame in two as fast as we
were going. The big story of the first moto is Eb Simon. His KX125 threw its
rod just a few hundred feet short of the finish line. He had built up such a
big lead that he was able to push his bike across the line for a 1st place
finish in moto 1. During the break between motos, Jim Pomeroy asked if I'd
be willing to let Eb ride the TM125 I'd loaned him. I agreed, and told
Eb,"Don't blow it up". The start of the second moto was a strange one. I'm
still not sure what happened, but someone either jumped the rubber band or
got stuck in it, and we had to do a re-start. Again Eb Simon got the
holeshot. He was followed closely into the first turn by, John Fricke, Cris
Barton, Rick Jordan, myself, Albert Newman, and Scott Smiley. Again Eb
immediately started to put a gap on the field. Jordan got inside Barton on
the first big right hand sweeper, and moved into second place. Fricke and
Jordan had a bar banging battle for several laps that resulted in Jordan
killing his engine in a turn, and having trouble restarting his Husky. Ossa
175 rider Scott Smiley worked his way up, got around me, and chased Barton
for the rest of the moto. That's pretty much how the second moto ended up,
with Eb out front, Fricke second, then Barton, Smiley, myself, Albert
Newman, Skip Miller, Paul Burnett, Walter Parks, Jordan and David Chapman.
Chapman was mounted on a Hodaka 100 for the second moto. Way cool David!
Thanks to all of you that came out and raced at this years event. I look
forward to this all year long, and hope that it will continue to grow. It
sure is a lot of fun. I'm going to the salvage yard this afternoon to buy
the remains of a TS185, and start building it for next year. Most of all,
Congratulations to Eb Simon of Seminole Oklahoma. He is the King of the
Hill!
Thanks again, and don't blow it up! Scott Andersen
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Oct 23rd Wyman Priddy –
North Forty Cycle
Park
TVRC Day All Vintage 75 and Earlier and Post Vintage
76-77,78-81,81-83 classes plus Decade 1995 and earlier and Modern Support
Moto and Mini Support
Saturday 10:00 - 4:00 Jim Pomeroy MX
School
Oct 24 First
responses...
Attention Vintage 125 riders!
Here is the latest on word on 125 riders
getting ready for this weekends race: The King is dead, long live the King!
In a phone conversation with Mark Brown last Friday, I learned that he will
not be riding in this Sunday's King of the Hill race, but may be present to
relinquish the trophy to the new "King". Mark has been unable to get his
KX125 working, so the crown is truly up for grabs. I received an email from
Cris Barton last week. Cris said that he not only has his Can-Am 175 ready
to race, he has a second 175, and a 125 ready as backups. Will he need all
three? New member and intrepid DT-1 rider David Chapman emailed to tell me
he is bringing a TM125 to the race. His brother Dusty may be racing a Hodaka
Super Rat. Bob Lucas has told me that he may be riding one of Walter Parks'
Penton 125s. Ken Walden, not one to ride true "Vintage" bikes, told me he
saw an ad for a 74' Husqvarna 175 in the paper last week. He didn't act fast
enough, and it slipped past him. Anyone feel like making Ken a "sponsored"
rider? Let me know. I hear through the grapevine that Bob McNamara has got
the problems with his CR125 straightened out, and will be at the race. Skip
Miller plans to again race his 175 Jackpiner. This particular bike has been
the most successful King of the Hill competitor over the last two years, Joe
Busby won on it in 2003, and Skip took second place with it last year. I
myself have done surgery on my TS125, and it is ready to race. In more
unconfirmed news, I have heard rumors of a "Secret Weapon" that John Frickie
will be riding. Hmmm?
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