AHRMA Vintage Cup: Joyce takes the 2021 Championship at Barber Vintage Festival
(October 13, 2021, Elora, Tennessee) – It took 22 races at tracks all over the country to determine the 2021 AHRMA Vintage Cup champion. When the dust settled, Tim Joyce was the winner.
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup, sponsored by Roadracing World (roadracingworld.com) and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), showcased the 500 Premier class for 2021.
Andrew Mauk had a 171 point lead over Tim Joyce going into the last event of the season at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, AL on October 9, 2021, however, Joyce had seven race wins to Mauk’s five which meant in order to win the championship, Mauk had to win both days.
With the championship to be decided during the final two races of the season, the 500 Premier race was highlighted as one of the events held during the coveted lunchtime slot.
In-person and “virtual” race fans saw and heard every second of the action thanks to AHRMA’s live-streaming to YouTube and Facebook with professional motorsports personalities providing commentary.
Both championship contenders entered the final two rounds with challenges. Mauk came to the event without the support of his tuner and bike owner as Keith Leighty was unable to attend.
Joyce started the weekend with two racebikes experiencing reliability issues. On Saturday, he raced an unproven Ray Petty Manx, with a John Tickle chassis that Maurice Candy and Geoff Clatworthy collaborated on shortly before Maurice’s passing. If he was unable to win riding that machine, he would shift to the Candy Manx on Sunday.
On Saturday, Mauk got a great start, but Joyce managed to catch and pass him after Museum Corner. The new Candy Manx ran strong and allowed Joyce to maintain a comfortable lead for the duration of the race.
Joyce was visibly excited as he crossed the finish line and realized he had clinched the 2021 Vintage Cup championship.
Racing wasn’t over with Joyce’s victory as a three-way battle for second place between Tony Read on Andy Findling’s BSA B50, Wes Orloff on Dale Kauffman’s Honda CB450, and Mauk on Keith Leighty’s CB450. Mauk was able to fight his way through the fracas to take second place with Orloff edging out Read to round out the podium
Mauk took the holeshot during Sunday’s final race of the 2021 500 Premier season on Sunday. But entering the Charlotte’s Web section of the track, Joyce had him on the brakes and created a gap which he held for several laps until Mauk started to reel him in towards the end of the race. Unfortunately for Mauk, it was too little too late, and Joyce repeated his Saturday performance pulling off a double win for the weekend.
Orloff and Read had a race within the race, with Orloff ultimately taking third.
Kenny Cummings shared, “I couldn’t have scripted a championship series better. Every competitor that brought out their glorious post-war machine deserves credit for making this series a success. There’s no question Timmy is a bonafide premier racer, but there were dark horses never letting go the entire season and have to be acknowledged for their skill and tenacity. I want to thank all the racers, but I also want to thank the builders, tuners, and support crews that got these beautiful machines to let their megaphones roar once again. I’ve raced 500s for a long time, but I felt like a proud papa watching these guys go out and put on the show that they did.”
“Many of us thrive on the challenge and thrill of the race as much as seeing our name in lights. All of these factors are enhanced by the stature of the event, which is elevated by the exposure Roadracing World provides,” said Arthur Kowitz, AHRMA’s Chairman of the Board.
Saturday October 9, 2021 Barber Vintage Festival
- Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Maurice Candy Special, Laurel Hill, FL
- Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450, Milwaukee, WI
- Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda 450, Mukwonago, WI
- Tony Read 1968 BSA 500 Works Replica, Charlotte, TN
- Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
- Alex McLean, 1962 Norton Manx, Jacksonville Beach, FL
- Brian Larrabure, 1968 Seeley G50, Calabasas, CA
- Gary Orr, 1967 BMW R50, San Diego, CA
- David Rutherford, 1971 BSA B50, Talking Rock, GA
- Andy Findling, 1961 BSA Gold Star, Kalamazoo, MI
- Patrick McGraw, 1967 Triumph T100R Daytona, Columbus, NC
Sunday October 10, 2021 Barber Vintage Festival
- Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Maurice Candy Special, Laurel Hill, FL
- Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450, Milwaukee, WI
- Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda 450, Mukwonago, WI
- Tony Read, 1968 BSA 500 Works Replica, Charlotte, TN
- Gary Orr, 1967 BMW R50, San Diego, CA
- Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350, Scrambler, Florence, AL
- David Rutherford, 1971 BSA B50, Talking Rock, GA
- Andy Findling 1961, BSA Gold Star, Kalamazoo, MI
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Ltd. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring and competing on classic motorcycles. With about 4000 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.
