AHRMA Vintage Cup Season Finale at Barber Vintage Festival
The final rounds of the 2024 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup Championship was a smackdown between the series leaders.
Rounds 18 and 19 of AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup series, which highlights the 350 GP class, were held October 12 and 13, at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL as part of the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Road Racing Series.
Rob Hall had secured the 2024 Vintage Cup Championship during rounds 16 and 17 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex during the prior weekend. Nonetheless, Spargo chose to fight until the last checkered flag was thrown, racing to victory on Saturday and Sunday, with Hall coming in second both days.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup features the 350 GP class which includes 350cc four-stroke and 250cc two-stroke powered machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include bikes such as the AJS 7R “Boy Racer,” 350 Manx Norton, Benelli 350-Four, Aermacchi 350 Road Racer, Yamaha TD2, and more.
During Saturday’s race, Alex McLean, riding Rob McKeever’s 1967 Aermacchi Drixton, took the holeshot, but was immediately overtaken by Hall, riding Stuart Carter’s 1965 AJS 7R. Spargo on John Turner’s 1967 Yamaha TD2 moved into second exiting Turn Two. Spargo took the lead within the first few corners, and built a gap on the field. During the penultimate lap, Hall reeled Spargo in and passed him, but couldn’t make it stick. Spargo won with Hall 2.5 seconds behind and McLean third.
The balance of the grid, in order of finish was Jerry Duke in fourth on a 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler; David Roper finishing fifth riding his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT; John Tunstall in sixth on a 1981 Ducati Pantah; Craig Light, seventh on a 1973 Bultaco; Jim Jowers, eighth on a 1960 AJS 7R; Larry Watts, ninth on a 1968 Ducati 350; Doug Bowie in 10th riding a 1968 Ducati Mach 1; Patrick Svilans in 11th position on a 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350; Brian Larrabure finishing 12th on his 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro; and Eric Watts 13th, on a 1972 Ducati 350.
NYC Norton and close friends of AHRMA pitched in for a purse that was distributed to the first five finishers in Saturday’s race.
“It was very nice to be able to give Spargo another special Vintage Cup trophy since these trophies are only given out on Saturdays and all but one of his wins were on Sundays this season,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “It was also special to present the 2024 Championship trophy to Rob Hall at the heavily attended awards ceremony Saturday evening. After the awards on Saturday, I asked Rob if he’d be riding tomorrow after clinching the championship knowing that his 7R was incredibly tired and on its last legs. Rob replied, ‘I’ll have a little surprise for you tomorrow.’”
On Sunday, Hall appeared on the grid riding his 1965 Honda CB160. While McLean again took the holeshot, Hall flew past him before the exit of the first turn. Spargo passed McLean exiting Turn Two. Hall kept a sizeable gap over Spargo’s powerful TD2 two-stroke until the last lap when he experienced a mechanical issue on the CB160 and had to roll back a bit enabling Spargo to close the gap and win the race. Hall took a commendable second on a broken bike, and McLean again rounded out the podium.
“I was just as surprised as the thousands of fans on the side of the hill when Rob Hall dominated the field, turning 1:47s on his Honda CB 160 street bike on Sunday,” said Cummings. “Although not entirely eligible for the pukka 350GP class, this spectacle was the perfect capper to the wonderful series we’ve had this year of true Grand Prix bike racing.”
Cummings continued, “along with the fireworks happening at the front there were many great battles within the race, with Jerry Duke giving McLean a run for his money on Saturday, and John Tunstall, Jim Jowers, and Eric Watts having a great race on Sunday. Another great Vintage Cup, I am a proud papa, I want to thank every single 350 GP racer who signed up and put their bikes out there this year. Looking forward to the big 500 Premier as the featured class for Vintage Cup next year.”
The balance of the grid in order of finish included Roper in fourth, Jowers fifth, Tunstall sixth, Watts seventh, Svilans eighth, and Light ninth.
Greg Tomlinson, 2024 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees said, “I’d like to extend congratulations to Rob on his 2024 Championship in the 350 GP Class. He along with the entire field of riders put on a heck of a show this entire season and put an exclamation point on the series at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. I’d also like to thank NYC Norton and RoadracingWorld.com for their support of the Vintage Cup class and look forward to 500 Premier as the highlight vintage class in 2025.”
The 2025 Vintage Cup will feature the 500 Premier class. The first two rounds of the 2025 AHRMA National Road Race Series will be February 15-16, 2025 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, Georgia.
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 are reported on RoadRacingWorld.com and in the online edition of the magazine as well. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy is engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series, 350GP – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, October 12, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 9K Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
5 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
8 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
9 – 141 Larry Watts, 1968 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
10 – 350 Doug Bowie, 1968 Ducati Mach 1, Lilburn, GA
11 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
12 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson AERMACCHI Ala D’Oro. Calabasas, CA
13 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
Sunday, October 13, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
5 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
8 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
9 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
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.