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Sacramento County Fairgrounds
Eddie Mulder’s West Coast Dirt Track Series, Round 2
Sacramento Vintage Mile
The second Annual Sacramento Vintage Mile, Round 2 in Eddie Mulder’s
Dirt Track Series, held during the last day of the California State
Fair at Cal Expo was another West Coast Dirt Track Series
success! Eddie Mulder and his crew, decked out in new beautiful
blue Triumph shirts, thanks to Triumph of North America, put
together a top notch event once again. The weather was warm
with a light breeze early in the day ending in the low 90’s at day’s
end, for the 150+ entrants that were preparing for the day’s
excitement. The track, prepared by Mr. Sunshine himself, Dennis
Pearson, was as good as it gets, smooth and watered all through
the day’s racing.
Thanks to Digger Helm, Rod Lake, Motion Pro, K&N Filters,
Barnett Clutches and Cables, Specialty Fabrications and Triumph of
America who together with several other companies help keep this series
alive with their sponsorship of the WCVDTS. Walking through the
pits the riders and bikes included young and old, some riding their
first mile and some returning to ride the mile again. Rigs
included riders from Canada, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Illinois,
Ohio and all over Northern, Southern and Central California.
#59 Ricky Reed getting Around #63 Ken Thiebaud
Jim Monegan dominated the field of at the start of the Senior
Main completing only two laps before pulling off with a mechanical and
leaving Kenny Thiebaud in the front of the pack. Ricky Reed
aboard a 1972 Champion Trimph 750 was having none of it getting
around Thiebaud in lap three to take the group to the checkers.
Thiebaud fell back to the fourth position in the final lap. Dan
Galloway and Robert Hansen completed the top three.
#14 Bill Knight
Piloting a 1974 Yamaha 650 Brad Kotsaris led retired stuntman
Mickey Alzola and Bill Knight, who hasn’t ridden in years, to a one,
two, three start to finish in the Sr Novice, Super Sr. A main.
Among the racers are those with their special success stories.
Riding the Sr. Novice, Super Sr. B Main Ted Hubbard, who waged a
serious battle with cancer a few years back, finished fifth this
day. At the front of the pack were Brad Raymond and Victor
McBee. Raymond got the front spot from the start but found
himself second at the finish following McBee’s drive to the front in
lap four. Charles Caspary rode all five laps in third.
A true gentleman, Steve Morehead riding in the Vet A main
aboard a Zanotti Racing Harley Davidson 750, had more than a couple of
bike lengths between himself and second place Tom Horton before the
first corner. By the fifth and final lap Morehead was coming off
turn four while the other front runners were entering three. As
fast as the GNC Pros the night before, multi time national
champion, Morehead, who now works with AMA GNC Racing pulled off the
track before the finish to allow the regular series runners to earn
their points. Horton finished second and District 36 rider
Kenneth Holland rounded out the podium.
Kevin Bricker suffered a hard high side in Turlock on July
20th but was ready today to race the mile. Aboard a Rotax 500
that Bricker rode when he left racing a few years ago, his hope
for today’s race was to leave a winner, as this was to be the last race
he would ride. He rode this race, the Vet B Main in the second
spot to the finish behind Robert Curry who crossed the line first.
Curry and Bricker were followed by Gene Fitzsimmons in third.
Drummond Evans turning the throttle of a beautiful Suzuki 650
led another long time California rider Bud Riddle and Dennis Cameron to
the checkers in the Vet C main. Riddle who turned 70 on his last
birthday, has sponsored such riders as Michelle Di Salvo and Rob Damron
and continues to support many riders to this day.
#31m Jim Monegan and #55 Tom Horton
Although Jim Monegan wasn’t able to finish the Senior Main he
was ready for the Modern 500. At the drop of the flag Monegan was
in the front leading Horton and Perry Smith at the front of the
pack. Smith’s bike broke giving Steve Craft the third spot at the
finish behind Horton and the victor, Monegan. Smith was back on the
track for the Modern 750 riding a Triumph. Jake Latimer took the
lead at the start followed by Smith and Don Galloway. Latimer
turning the throttle of a 1973 Shell Yamaha 750 was proud to take this
win.
At every race there is a rider or two that draw your
attention for their skill and or speed on the track. That rider
today was #67 Davis Fisher from Warren, Oregon . Fisher started
riding at 6, he is now 14. His pit was filled with his family,
all there to support his racing and cheer him on. His dad held
AMA GNC Expert plate #12 during his racing years. Davis crashed
out of the 250 Open Main after leading it the first two laps. He
returned to the track later in the day to win the Open Amateur A main
event after completing the first lap in the fifth
position. By lap two he had moved into the second
position behind Morehead. Chasing Morehead down on the last lap
Morehead pulled off the track and Fisher followed until directed by the
folks on the sidelines to continue to the checkers for the win.
Holland finished this race in the second position followed by Adam
Hernandez. The 250 Open podium included Sean Heeney, Damon Coca
and Brandon Rothell.
 Lindsey King and Keith Eusebio Jr.competing for the front before her crash
#71 Keith Eusebio Jr.’s father was probably the happiest dad
at the track this day when his son finished first in the Open
Amateur C main. Not able to make the open C main Lindsey King, long
time WCVDTS competitor, crashed hard during the heat races. King
spent a couple of days in the hospital for observation of a head injury
and was released. She is still pretty sore but healing well and
is ok. On the track for the Open Amateur B main, Danny
Giguere, who himself was seriously injured in motocross accident
a few years back, was determined to win and did just that.
Working his way past Chris Baker in the white flag lap Giguere led
Baker and Rothell to the checkers. Rothell had worked his way
through the pack from seventh to that third place finish.
Ron Long, twisting his Yamaha TT 500 throttle, got off the
start line in front and stayed throughout the five lap 500 Support A
main. Behind him Jeff Gonzales and Kevin Smith were battling for
second. Gonzales in front of Smith through lap three suffered a
mechanical break down leaving the race. Smith completed in
second. Back in the pack Robert Hansen was threading his way
through the pack from sixth to finish third.
As always any kind of drama catches the attention of those to
see it. Today’s drama occurred during the classic 500 when rider
Fred Berger blew up his 1967 Triumph 500 coming out of turn four,
as he came down the front straight the bike ablaze between his legs was
the focal point on the track. Berger continued down the track
into the first turn while the flames continued to glow finally dropping
the bike on the infield. No damage was done to the rider however
the bike didn’t fare as well.
Senior;
1.Rick Reed; 2. Don Galloway; 3.Robert Hansen; 4. Ken
Thiebaud; 5. Keith Bryant; 6. Vic McBee; 7. Maury Austin; 8. Jim
Monegan; 9. Mickey Alzola; 10. Joe Johnson; 11. Steve Craft
Sr Novice/Super Sr “A” Main
1.Brad Kotsaris; 2. Mickey Alzola; 3 Bill Knight; 4. Lawrence
Bertrand; 5. Dan McDougall; 6. Maury Austin; 7. Robert Anderson; 8.Fred
Berger; 9. Herb Wolff; 10. Tim Thomas; 11.Chas Higdon; 12. Jon
Guglielmetti
Sr Novice/Super Sr “B” Main
1. Vic McBee; 2. Brad Raymond; 3. Charlie Caspary; 4. Mike Rankin; 5. Ted Hubbard;
6. Robby McHenry; 7. Richard Mosier Jr.; 8. Dennis Caspary; 9. Jack Alexander
Vet “A” Main
1. Vince Holt; 2. Tom Horton; 3. Ken Holland; 4. Jimmy
Abrams; 5. Ron Long; 6. Chris Baker; 7. Joe McCoy; 8. Zane Amaro; 9.
John Lundgren; 10. Danny Turner; 11. Steve Morehead; 12. Rob Bush
Vet “B” Main
1. Robert Curry; 2. Kevin Bricker; 3. Gene Fitzsimmons; 4. Jack Jones; 5. Donnie Darrah;
6. Roger Andree; 7. Les Foster; 8. Paul Ott; 9. Robert
Morris; 10. Perri Turner; 11. Don Galloway; 12.
Larry Greene
Vet “C”Main
1. Drummond Evans; 2. Bud Riddle; 3. Dennis Cameron; 4. David Valentine; 5. Chad Valker;
6. Al Webber; 7. Al Machado
Classic 500-750sv
1. Tom Horton; 2. George Wills; 3. Rodd Lighthouse; 4.
Perry Smith; 5. Robert Koch; 6. Jim Monegan; 7. Fred
Berger; 8. Jack Alexander; 9. BruceArgetsinger; 10. Roy
Taboda; 11. Nick Theroux
Modern 500
1. Jim Monegan; 2. Tom Horton; 3. Steve Craft; 4. Mike Wayne; 5. Gary Swan; 6. Robby McHenry; 7. Perry Smith
Modern 750
1. Jake Latimer; 2. Perry Smith; 3. Don Galloway; 4. Gene
Belton; 5. Keith Bryant; 6. Les Foster; 7. Lawrence
Bertrand; 8. D-Dan McDougall; 9. Rob Bush; 10. Jeff Spohr; 11. Robert
Hansen; 12. Mark LaDue;
250 Open
1. Sean Heeney; 2. Damon Coca; 3. Brandon Rothell; 4. Allison Stacey; 5. Eric Cleveland; 6. Davis Fisher; 7. James Alderson
500 Support “A” Main
1. Ron Long; 2. Kevin Smith; 3. Robert Hansen;
4. Jeff Spohr; 5. Arlen Anderson; 6. Robert Koch; 7.
Rick Reed; 8. Jeff Gonzales; 9. Terry Graham; 10. Don Galloway
500 Support “B” Main
1. Jack Jones; 2. Robert Morris; 3. Gary Ritchie; 4. Michael
Dobbs Sr; 5. Mike Fowler; 6. Keith Bradford; 7. Cody VanDyke; 8
Jim Steet
Open Amateur “A”Main
1. Davis Fisher; 2. Ken Holland; 3. Adam Hernandez; 4. Chris
Corbari; 5. Nathan Howard; 6. Vaughn McCafferty; 7. Nick Armstrong; 8.
Nick Gil; 9. Sam Knox; 10. Darren Johnson;
11.Jimmy Abrams; 12. Damon Coca; 13. Zane Amaro; 14. Steve Morehead
Open Amateur “B” Main
1. Danny Giguere; 2. Chris Baker; 3. Brandon Rothell; 4.
Caleigh Ryan; 5.David Bush; 6. Robert Curry; 7. Joe McCoy; 8. Roger
Andree; 9. Kenny Jones; 10. Gene Fitzsimmons; 11.Nathan Amies;
12. Sean Heeney; 13 Bobby Bolin; 14. Larry Greene; 15. Les Foster
Open Amateur “C” Main
1. Keith Eusebio Jr; 2. Sam Cullon; 3. Doug Davis; 4. Al
Webber; 5. James Caspary; 6. Dennis Caspary; 7 Allen Smith; 8.
Arlen Anderson; 9. Cody VanDyke; 10. Lindsey King
#9L Victor McBee #96 Bud Riddle,#31 Jim Monegan, #96 Brad Kotsaris
#30N Perry Smith #25 Steve Craf
#42 Steve Morehead leading off the Open Ameteur A main start line
#97 Michael Dobbs #13 Mike Fowler
Senior Class Start #59 Rick Reed, #35 Don Galloway, #24 Robert Hansen on the podium at the finish
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