Mid-Ohio VMD

After the Roper TT, I went to Mid-Ohio for the AMA's Vintage Motorcycle Days, for the first time in four years.  For '14, '15, & '16 it conflicted with AHRMA NJMP, but the organizations finally got it worked out and the events were on consecutive weekends this year.  Mid-Ohio is a great track--in the dry.  When it rains, it becomes an ice rink, and in Friday practice it rained toward the end of the day and several people when down, including a couple of my garage mates, Harry Vanderlinden on his 550 GPZ Kawasaki and Francis Ganache on his 250 Ducati.  Stu Carter, with his new Kramer and his star cross 200 Honda and Eric Bozell (Eboz) with a GSXR 1000 Suzuki also were in the garage.  I arrived after Fri. practice was over.

Our garage with Stu's Kramer, my ERTT, Francis' 250 Ducati and Eboz' GSXR in the background

Sat. morning was cool and overcast and everyone agreed that the track was quite slippery, but rideable.  My first practice went well and I was even able to pass Todd Narduzzi on his 450 Honda but, in the second practice my motor started to run poorly with some misfire.  I looked over the ignition and cleaned the points, but didn't find anything obvious.
My first race was the 'bump-up' class, 500GP.  We were gridded in the front ahead of V-2, 250GP and Class C.  Todd Narduzzi pulled steadily away and I had a tussle with a CB350 but eventually pulled clear, when an RD 350 from V-2 came by and we went back and forth.  I made a slightly desperate move in the 2nd to last corner and almost lost the front end and the RD prevailed, so I was 2nd in class and 3rd overall.  But, the motor had run worse still.

Robbie Graber's RD 350 which finished 1st V-2, 2nd overall Sat.

I decided to check if I had water in the float bowl and, as soon as I touched the carburetor, I felt it move.  My intake manifold hose was split.  I had another hose with me, but that was split too, from the last time I changed it on 25 March, 2011.  So, I spooged some Seal-All into the split and wrapped the hose with vinyl tape and hoped that would get me through the weekend.

My split intake manifold hose

The next race was Formula 500, V-2, and 350GP.  The motor now ran great and I quickly got up to the F500 bikes and first got by Martin Morrison on his 500 Honda 4, then I caught Mark Morrow on his RD 400 based bike.  This surprised me as Mark goes very well, but later he told me that it was his first time at Mid-Ohio, and there's a lot to learn there.  I closed on the leader, Scott Mackenzie on his 500 Honda 4, here from Canada, turned the fastest lap of the race (more than 2 seconds faster than I had gone in the first race) and finished less than 3/4 of a second behind Scott, for 1st in class, 2nd overall.

Martin Morrison's 500 4 Honda

I decided to gear the bike taller for Sunday and took a tooth off the back.  I did a few easy laps in the one practice Sun. and liked the taller gearing.
For the 500GP race, I quickly got into 2nd and was chasing Todd Narduzzi again and it was looking tough.  Todd turned a fastest lap a little quicker than Sat. and I went slower than I had in the 350GP race.  But, finishing the 4th lap, Todd threw his hand in the air and pulled off.  I cruised to the overall win.  It turns out that Todd had something let go in his transmission--no lock up or bad noise, just no drive.
In the F500, V1, 350GP race I got up to 3rd, but Mark Morrow had figured out the track by this time and I couldn't hang with him.  And, Scott Mackenzie upped the pace considerably with a fastest lap more than 2.5 seconds faster than he had gone Sat.  Again, I went slower than I had Sat., though faster than in the 500 race.  So, I was first in class and 3rd overall.  Maybe the taller gearing hadn't been a good idea, though it felt better.
I was good getting back to Mid-O.  Good competition, a good bunch in our garage and the swap meet bigger than ever.

The moon rising over the swap meet

Stu Carter's new Kramer powered by a 650 KTM single

Stu's starcrossed 200 Honda with suffered ignition failure again and still hasn't finished a race.

In one of the infield displays was this beautiful Scott Flying Squirrel.

And then, a well patinated ES-2 Norton

Being a Horex aficionado, I was very interested in this 125 Rebel, a model I had never heard of

But, not interested enough to buy it; I've already dug the Horex hole deep enough for now.