Wet and challenging conditions helped kick off the 2025 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s (AHRMA) the 2025 Vintage Cup.
The Series started Feb 15 and 16 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, GA as part of the 2025 AHRMA National Roadracing Series presented by Motobilia.
Sponsored by Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2025 Vintage Cup features the 500 Premier class which includes 500cc four-stroke machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include the 500cc Manx Norton, Matchless or Seeley G50, BSA Goldstar or 500cc BSA Twin “works” replica, Benelli “works” four, Harley KR, Honda Drixton Twin, and more.
The start of Saturday’s race saw Rob Hall aboard Stu Carter’s 1965 Matchless G50 take the hole shot and lead the race virtually unchallenged. Tim Joyce, riding John Turner’s 1968 Seeley G-50 held second place throughout the race. Harry Vanderlinden, on John Turner’s 1968 Honda Drixton 450, tried to reel in Joyce but ultimately took third. Jerry Duke, on a Ducati 350 Scrambler was fourth.
“Missing Roebling again this year was bittersweet – certainly feeling as though I was missing out after a long cold winter, but didn’t miss sitting in the downpours that passed through. Fortunately, I was able to watch the action with live timing and scoring on Speedhive,” said series sponsor Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “Could this be a repeat of last year’s 350GP barnburner series? AHRMA’s favorite son, Rob Hall, who spends 40 hours a week making everyone else’s machines go faster, put his head down from Saturday’s start on his Seeley G50 and set a blistering pace that couldn’t be matched. Rob won handily, and as the social media snaps started rolling in, we could see he was smiling as big as ever as he stood on the top step.”
The start of Sunday’s race was delayed due to heavy rain. Two riders eventually took to the track: Tim Joyce and Kevin Dinsmoor. Joyce took the lead, with Dinsmoor, riding a 1962 BMW Turner R-50, in hot pursuit. Dinsmoor showed Joyce a wheel about halfway through the race yet was later forced to retire due to a mechanical. Joyce rode to victory and Dinsmoor scored a second place finish.
Reflecting on the weekend and looking ahead to the rest of the season, Cummings said, “It was also great to see Tim Joyce, Jerry Duke, Harry Vanderlinden, Kevin Dinsmoor et al, out there putting in their laps in less than ideal track conditions. NYC Norton will be at CMP next month and can’t wait to see these bikes in action and perhaps I’ll pull out a Manx or G50 for myself? This is the class we’re really hoping can get some big names out of the woodwork and onto the track.”
AHRMA launched the Vintage Cup series during 2019 by spotlighting the 350 GP class. The series resumed during 2021 and highlighted the 500 Premier class. It was followed by Vintage Superbike Heavyweight in 2022, and Formula 750 in 2023.
500 Premier was AHRMA’s first and most historically significant post-war racing class. 500cc grand prix motorcycles hit the world stage staring in 1949. That class endured for decades and ultimately morphed into MotoGP.
This class has always featured AHRMA’s heavy hitters, riding many of the same machines as former world champions Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, and Phil Reed, to name a few.
“The 500 Premier bikes are the pinnacle of vintage road racing, embodying the spirit, craftsmanship, and raw performance of our sport’s golden era. These machines define what true vintage road racing is all about. Congratulations to Rob Hall and Tim Joyce on their impressive wins this past weekend in challenging conditions—an incredible display of skill and perseverance. What a great start to an exciting AHRMA road racing season where history comes alive on the track and the competition is as fierce as ever,” said Greg Tomlinson, Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees.
Rounds three and four of the AHRMA National Road Race Series presented by Motobilia will be March 15-16 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC.
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 Vintage Cup 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.
2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series Presented by Motobilia, 500 Premier – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, February 15, 2025
1 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 Matchless G50, Charlotte, NC
2 – 81T Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
3 – 32 Harry Vanderlinden, 1968 Honda Drixton 450, Hickory, NC
4 – 9K Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
Sunday, February 16, 2025
1 – 81T Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
2 – 304 Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW Turner R-50
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.
