Joyce and Turpin trade wins at Blackhawk Farms Raceway
(Knoxville, TN) Tim Joyce and Shane Turpin trading wins turned up the heat on the 2023 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup.
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.
Rounds 15 and 16 of the Vintage Cup were held on August 5 and 6 in conjunction with the Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Roadracing series at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL, near Chicago.
Going into the Blackhawk Farms rounds, Joyce was the Vintage Cup points leader. Turpin, who joined the championship battle during the July 15 and 16 rounds at Laguna Seca, is now in the hunt for a top-three, or better finish in the series. Having missed the rounds on July 29 and 30, during the AHRMA event at Gingerman Raceway, Christopher Spargo returned for the Blackhawk event.
All three riders have won races in the chase for the Vintage Cup at various times throughout this season, which added pressure to the Blackhawk Farms rounds. Plus, during practice on August 4, all three riders put in fast laps, setting up the weekend Vintage Cup showdown.
“With the race for the championship tightening up, only a couple guys mathematically have a shot. But the rest would still love to grab a win and they could affect the outcome. It’s exciting!” said Carl Anderson, AHRMA’s 2023 Chairman of the Board.
On Saturday, Joyce, riding an NYC Norton 1968 Seeley NRE, got the hole shot with Spargo on a 1976 Yamaha RD400 hot on his tail. Turpin, sponsored by Larrabure Framing and Vee Two, and riding a 1972 Ducati Imola replica, started at the back of the grid. By Turn Five, Turpin had worked his way through the pack up to third.
During the next several laps, Joyce’s lead was under threat by both Turpin and Spargo.
On the last lap, Joyce extended his lead and took the victory. Turpin made a bold pass on Spargo holding second until the duo were on the front straight. Spargo went deep into the final corner, got a good drive on the exit, and drafted past Turpin to take second place with a third of a second lead. Results were Joyce first, Spargo second and Turpin third.
The balance of the field, in finishing order included: fourth – Brady Ingelse on a 1975 Honda CB750, in fifth position, Colton Roberts on his 1976 Yamaha RD400, sixth – Jeff Hargis riding a 1972 Yamaha XS650, and in seventh place, Michael Dixon racing a 1970 Yamaha XS.
Sunday’s race start was a repeat of Saturday’s with Joyce getting the hole shot and Spargo again hot on his heels. The rest of the race was a different story with Spargo putting moves on Joyce within a few turns to take the lead. By the second lap, Turpin had worked his way through the field passing Joyce and then setting his sights on Spargo. The two leaned on each other a couple of times through several turns but Turpin ultimately pipped Spargo on the brakes and pulled out to clean air where he managed to increase his lead by several seconds at the end of eight laps.
The podium was a complete reversal of Saturday’s race with Turpin at the top of the podium, Spargo in second and Joyce in third.
Joyce’s lap times during Sunday’s race were similar to those from Saturday but it was clear that Spargo and Turpin had done their homework overnight because they both were clocking lap times by at least a second faster than Saturday.
Rounding out the field, had Roberts in fourth, Hargis in fifth and Dixon in sixth.
“This was the closest, most exciting Vintage Cup race of the year, showing all three riders with lap times within a tenth of a second of each other throughout the race,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “As a sponsor, this is the best we could ever hope for, bringing people to the fences to watch the big show. Each day the trackside crowd audibly celebrated the victory of each of these different winners. And that is what the Vintage Cup is all about!”
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
1. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley NRE 750, Springfield, VT
2. Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Hopkins, MN
3. Shane Turpin, 1972 Ducati Imola, Scottsdale, AZ
4. Brady Ingelse, 1975 Honda CB750, Belgium, WI
5. Colton Roberts, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Pawnee, IL
6. Jeff Hargis, 1972 Yamaha XS650, Battle Creek, MI
7. Michael Dixon, 1970 Yamaha XS, Wataga, IL
Sunday, July 16, 2023
1. Shane Turpin, 1972 Ducati Imola, Scottsdale, AZ
2. Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Hopkins, MN
3. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley NRE 750, Springfield, VT
4. Colton Roberts, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Pawnee, IL
5. Jeff Hargis, 1972 Yamaha XS650, Battle Creek, MI
6. Michael Dixon, 1970 Yamaha XS, Wataga, IL
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.
