AHRMA 2023 Vintage Cup Formula 750 Season Opener Split between Spargo and Joyce
(February 22, Knoxville, TN) – The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is bringing back the epic early 70s battles between two-strokes and four-strokes.
AHRMA’s 2023 Vintage Cup features the Formula 750 (F750) class which includes 750cc two and four-stroke powered machines built up to 1972.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), F750 highlights a historic era in motorcycling racing where bikes that looked, sounded, and even smelled very different from each other were on the track together. A typical AHRMA F750 grid may include the Harley Davidson XR750, BSA Rocket 3, Honda CR 750, Norton Commando, Triumph Twins, BMW /5 as well as the Suzuki GT750, and Kawasaki H2.
Newer, like-design machines and smaller-displacement motorcycles from other AHRMA classes are also allowed to compete in F750 races.
“As a sponsor of this class for the past several years, I have a passion for this era of racing, and I’m ecstatic to see the depth of field of riders and machines coming out this year,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton (nycnorton.com). “If Roebling is a true indicator, we are going to have a phenomenal Formula 750 smackdown this year.”
The first Vintage Cup rounds were held Feb 18 and 19 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, GA as part of the 2023 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series.
The early laps of Saturday’s race put the diversity of the F750 class on full display. Tim Joyce, aboard a 1968 NYC Norton Seeley Nourish jumped to an early lead with Mark Morrow, the 2022 F750 Champion, on his 1976 Yamaha RD400, in pursuit while Tripp Nobles on a 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750 and Chris Spargo, also on an RD400 dueled for third.
Joyce held the lead for five laps until a mechanical issue forced him to retire. Morrow took the lead with Spargo and Nobles battling for second place with the duo swapping positions several times in Roebling Road’s distinctive twisty back-section.
On the final lap, Spargo passed Nobles, then reeled in Morrow, made a move for the lead and took the victory.
There were multiple battles raging off the podium between a dizzying variety of machines. Colton Roberts on a 1975 Yamaha RD400, held off Kevin Dinsmoor on a 1967 CMR Seeley CB550, to take fourth.
The rest of the finishers alternated between two-strokes and four-strokes and Japanese, English, and European bikes: Vincent Borbone on a 1972 Kawasaki H2, Brad Phillips raced a 1972 BMW R75, Michael Wilson was on a 1977 Yamaha RD400, Lloyd Mason raced a 1974 Yamaha RD400, Justin Hebbel on a 1972 BMW R75/5, Mark Williams on a 1974 Kawasaki H-1 500, Tony Read campaigning his 1973 Triumph Bonneville and Stan Miller on a 1973 BMW R75/5.
Hard racing on Saturday led to a slightly smaller F750 grid on Sunday as mechanicals and attrition took its toll and set up another Spargo and Joyce showdown.
Joyce led from the start, opening a commanding lead while clocking a 1:19 lap on his vintage 750. This was the tenor of the race for the first seven laps. On the final lap, Spargo leveraged lapped traffic to close on Joyce. Joyce noticed Spargo’s gain and picked up his pace to take the win handily. Roberts rounded out the podium, aboard his Yamaha RD400.
“There’s a friendly rivalry at AHRMA between the two-stroke and four-stroke riders in Formula 750,” said Brian Larrabure, 2023 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees. “This weekend saw a 2-stroke win on Saturday and a 4-stroke win on Sunday, giving us a window on the potential excitement of the 2023 Vintage Cup season.”
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, February 18, 2023
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400, Hopkins, MN
2 – 1D Mark Morrow, 1976 Yamaha RD 400, Raleigh, NC
3 – 3G Tripp Nobles, 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750TT, Macon, GA
4 – 9 Colton Roberts, 1975 Yamaha RD400, Pawnee, IL
5 – 304 Kevin Dinsmoor, 1967 CMR Seeley CB550, Colchester, CT
6 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1972 Kawasaki H2, Hampstead, NH
7 – 20 Brad Phillips, 1972 BMW R75, Roebuck, SC
8 – 808 Michael Wilson, 1977 Yamaha RD400, Maylene, AL
9 – 877 Lloyd Mason, 1974 Yamaha RD400, Durham, NC
10 – 43H Justin Hebbel, 1972 BMW R75/5, Baltimore, MD
11 – 662 Mark Williams, 1974 Kawasaki H-1 500, Gainesville, GA
12 – 309 Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley NRE 750, Springfield, VT
13 – 176 Tony Read, 1973 Triumph Bonneville, Charlotte, TN
14 – 320 Stan Miller, 1973 BMW R75/5, St. Petersburg, FL
Sunday, February 19, 2023
1 – 309 Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley NRE 750, Springfield, VT
2 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1976 Yamaha RD400
3 – 9 Colton Roberts, 1975 Yamaha RD400
4 – 20 Brad Phillips, 1972 BMW R75
5 – 304 Kevin Dinsmoor, 1967 CMR Seeley CB550
6 – 808 Michael Wilson, 1977 Yamaha RD400
7 – 320 Stan Miller, 1973 BMW R75/5
8 – O57 Peter Politiek, Sr Ducati 750ss
9 – 662 Mark Williams, 1974 Kawasaki H-1 500
10 – 176 Tony Read, 1973 Triumph Bonneville
11 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1972 Kawasaki H2
12 – 877 Lloyd Mason, 1974 Yamaha RD400
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage 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.
