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!

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!

Racing accomplishments
1997 - 1st Place Street Stock drags on KZ1000, first time out
9/2007 - Built Historic Production Heavyweight race bike
9/2007 - 4th place finish in first race entered
2/2008 - 5th place finish in first race at Daytona
6/2008 - 3rd place in first Formula 500 race
6/2008 - Back-to-back 2nd place finishes in Formula 500
9/2008 - Set class speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats on first run
9/2008 - Podium finish in first VMX race entered in +50 Sportsman 250
10/2008 - 3rd place finish in 2008 F500 season championship as a rookie, raced half season
10/2008 - 5th place finish in 2008 Production Heavyweight season championship as a rookie
4/2010 - 3rd place finish in first F1 Sidecar race entered (passenger)
4/2010 - Podium finishes in Prod/Heavy & F1 Sidecar
10/2010 - Finished F1 Sidecar season as class champions

Won 1st race ever entered in drag racing and VMX
Finished on the podium in 1st race in every class entered (exc. Historic Production - 4th)
Set class record on 1st run at Bonneville
30% career overall podium finish record
40% career class championship podium finish record