Turpin dominates AHRMA Vintage Cup at Laguna Seca
(July 19, 2023, Knoxville, TN) Shane Turpin’s twin wins at Laguna Seca on July 15 and 16, 2023, added to Ducati’s success at the historic venue.
These victories had their own historic flair. Turpin was competing in the eleventh and twelfth rounds of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) 2023 Vintage Cup held in conjunction with the Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Roadracing series at the AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ of Monterey in California at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2023 Vintage Cup features the Formula 750 (F750) class which includes 750cc two and four-stroke powered machines built up to 1972.
Turpin dominated both rounds aboard a 1972 750cc Ducati Imola winning decisively Saturday and Sunday.
“The early 70’s Imola bikes were Ducati’s re-entry into road racing, and they are still potent machines in historic racing,” said Carl Anderson, AHRMA’s 2023 Chairman of the Board. “I hadn’t seen Shane race in some time, but clearly his skills are still sharp, and he and the Ducati put on a spectacular performance around the renowned Laguna Seca circuit.”
Turpin’s competition included almost a dozen motorcycles from different manufacturers and designs. His air-cooled, four-stroke, “L” twin was joined on the grid by Walt Fulton on a “V” twin-powered Harley-Davidson, Jason Lindquist on a Rob North-framed Triumph triple-powered race bike and racers on parallel-twin four-stroke and two-stroke Yamaha motorcycles, among others.
On Saturday, Christopher Spargo, aboard a highly-developed Yamaha RD400 took the holeshot. Two laps later, the race was stopped after Colton Roberts experienced a dramatic high-side aboard his RD400. Spargo nabbed the holeshot on the restart but was unable to hold off the hard-charging Turpin who muscled his way from the third row of the grid to take and hold the lead. Spargo would finish second while Brian Filo, aboard a custom-framed Yamaha XS650-powered motorcycle reeled in Kevin Dinsmoor, who was on an equally exotic Seeley replica Honda-powered bike, to take third.
Spargo repeated his holeshot on Sunday and, Turpin, again, made his way to the front and left the pack behind. Spargo, again, found himself in second for the rest of the race. Meanwhile, Filo spent five laps working us way up to Colton Roberts, and then passed him to take third. Off the podium, Dan Sokolich, on an RD400, won a last-lap drag race with Joseph Wright, on a 750cc Ducati, to take sixth.
“This isn’t the first time a Ducati has won at Laguna Seca, though it may have been one of the more impressive wins,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “Some may say that bikes like a Ducati Imola belong in a museum because of their value and beauty. Thank goodness AHRMA is highlighting the early 70s era of motorcycle racing with the 2023 Vintage Cup so we can get these kinds of bikes back in their natural habitat, which is the racetrack.”
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event.
Highlights from each Formula 750 race will be reported in RoadracingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series, Formula 750 – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, July 15, 2023
- Shane Turpin, 1972 Ducati Imola, Scottsdale, AZ
- Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Hopkins, MN
- Brian Filo, 19972 Yamaha XS650, Livermore, CA
- Kevin Dinsmoor, 1967 CMR Seeley CB550, Colchester, CT
- Dan Sokolich, Yamaha RD400, Washington, MO
- Jason Lindquist, BSA Rocket III, Chula Vista, CA
Sunday, July 16, 2023
- Shane Turpin, 1972 Ducati Imola, Scottsdale, AZ
- Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Hopkins, MN
- Brian Filo, 19972 Yamaha XS650, Livermore, CA
- Colton Roberts, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Pawnee, IL
- Kevin Dinsmoor, 1967 CMR Seeley CB550, Colchester, CT
- Dan Sokolich, Yamaha RD400, Washington, MO
- Joseph Wright, 1973 Ducati 750, Bellevue, WA
- Jason Lindquist, BSA Rocket III, Chula Vista, CA
- Joseph Wright, 1973 Ducati 750, Bellevue, WA
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage machines along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
