AHRMA Racing

Born Again Bikes goes vintage racing with American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association!

In late July of 2007, I started building a vintage racing bike from a 1972 BMW R60/5 that I had just gotten running. I quickly
realized that I'd be at a significant disadvantage to the field who were mainly running Triumph & BSA 750s, so I switched
over to a 1963 Triumph Bonneville street tracker that I had just won on e-bay. No sooner did I get that bike stripped down
for a quick rebuild than I learned that the aluminum rims were technically not legal, nor was the frame which had been
chopped to acommodate fiberglass bodywork, also not allowed! So, I scoured my shop, garage, and shed for the best
chassis, wheelsd, forks, engine and bodywork, and assembled a Triumph Bonneville from a 1969 chassis, 1966 engine,
and 1967 head. I left it totally stock except Barnett clutch plates and Sparx electronic ignition, which are both allowed
under the rules. In two weeks flat, it was running and ready to race.

My goal was to race in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, in the Novice Historic Production
Heavyweight class, which is for basically stock-appearing bikes of pre-1972 vintage, up to 750cc. I got my racing license
on my 50th birthday at Texas World Speedway with Lone Star Track Days. I used the Bonnie in the morning sessions,
and my son's Ducati 900 Monster in the afternoon sessions (due to the fact that the Bonnie shook loose an inspection cap
and an oil line acorn nut). I managed to stay on the pavement, the bikes stayed running, and I "aced" the written test; with
that, I became a licensed road racer with the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association and AHRMA.

I managed two 4th place finishes in my first time on the track at Albuquerque New Mexico's Sandia Motorsports Raceway,
and then I garnered 7th and 8th place finishes in a much bigger field at the 2007 AHRMA season finale in Birmingham,
Alabama at the Barber Motorsports Park.

The little Bonnie never missed a beat, and I never set a wheel wrong; it's more fun than you might imagine, and not at all
hard to do if you have a decent bike, significant road riding experience, and a little determination and nerve!

2008 SEASON UPDATE

Production / Heavyweight:
Roebling Road, GA - (2) 4th place
Daytona International - 5th, 6th
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI - 4th, 5th
Grattan Raceway, Grattan, MI - 4th, 5th
Miller Motorsports Park - (2) 4th place
Sandia Raceway, Albuquerque - (2) 5th place
Barber Motorsports Park - 4th, DNF/8th
Final Points Position - 5th

Formula 500:
Grattan Raceway, Grattan, MI - 3rd, 5th
Miller Motorsports Park, SLC, UT - (2) 2nd
Sandia Raceway, Albuquerque - (2) 3rd place
Barber Motorsports Park - 6th, 5th place
Final Points Position - 3rd place!

In 2008, the Bonneville Salt Flats were opened up to all AHRMA racers to set Land Speed Records
on AHRMA-legal racing bikes of any type. I took advantage of the inaugural season for this class of
records and hauled my Production Heavyweight 1969 Triumph Bonneville 650 out to the salt. The
conditions were perfect, and I was the first in my class to set a record in the books - 91.948 MPH!