Shannonville

It's been a long time since I've posted, for a variety of reasons, some of which I'll get into later, but I'm going to try to do a quick overview.
Over the May 31/June 1 weekend, I drove up to Shannonville, Ontario, Canada for the first VRRA event of the year.  Len Fitch, who's 1972 TR-3 Yamaha I rode last Sept. at Ste. Eustache, asked me if I would like to ride it in all four VRRA events this year.  I can't make the Mosport round, as I'm committed to go to the IOM and do the Lap of Honour in the 'Classic TT'.  But, I committed to the other three events.

Exh

Len Fitch's stable

len's1972 TR3 Yamaha that I raced

I hadn't been to Shannonville in almost 12 years, so the first practice was spent re-familiarizing myself with the track.  It being flat and without any really blind turns, this didn't take long.  Only turn # 2 you can't really see the exit when you enter it and it is very bumpy.  Len had ordered new rear shocks after I had suggested the worn out Konis weren't optimal at Ste. Eustache, but they never arrive and at the last minute put on a set of stock RD350 shocks, so the bike shook it's head pretty hard in turn #2.  After the second practice, I decided the bike was geared too tall and Len geared it down.
I entered two classes and first up was Period 2 Heavyweight which was run concurrently with Middleweight Production in Saturday's 6 lap heat.  I got in the lead pretty quickly and won overall, though Brent Waller on his 550 Honda had a faster fastest lap.
Len dropped the needles for my second heat for the GP class.  This class is for any factory built two stroke race bike and is divided into Modern and Vintage, Vintage being up to 1989 or so.  The Modern are then divided in Lightweight (up to 125) and Middleweight (up to 250), and the Vintage divided into Heavyweight (750), Middleweight (500) and Lightweight (125).  There were no HW. Vint. entered, so the MW Vint. We're gridded behind the Modern bikes.  Two MW Modern bikes cleared off, and we had a good scrap with a couple of '89 TZ 250s and  a Honda RS125 (LWModern) that got by.  I ended up 6th overall and 3rd Vint., but we considered the moral victor, being the first aircooled, twin shock bike.

Sunday's ten lap finals went similarly with me leading from the pole in P2 HW and never being headed, though again, two bikes had a faster fastest lap, but clearly not enough of them.
In the GP race, the same two MW Moderns cleared off and I scrapped with a couple of the MWVint.  A MW modern, who I had beat in the Heat came by on the straight, but I braked way later and got back by.  This pattern went on for a few laps until he figured out he could brake much later  and he pulled away.  So, I again ende up 6th overall and 3rd Vint., this time keeping the Modern LW at bay.  And again, the moral victor with only bikes at least 15 years newer in front .

A modern RS250 Honda, overall winner of the GP race