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High Point Vet Nationals/Pa State Championship

Mt. Morris, PA - September 16 & 17, 2006

by Arlene Lantzer

September seems to come in like a Lion after Steel City Nationals. The State races just come up faster than I can keep up with. Challenger rolled around with many groans of not wanting to go but one had too if they were in the State points race. So Challenger was over and we were looking forward to the next big weekend out at the “Point”. Vet Nationals on Saturday and States race on Sunday now that made going to Challenger a lot easier to do knowing what was really ahead of us. I know you are thinking why is she running down Challenger, well actually I’m not running it down I just don’t enjoy races there. The track is truly one that could be awesome. But when you have only 7 or 8 A riders and the track is only so wide enough for one bike it makes it a track where passing and maneuvering around your opponent nearly impossible. The rider doesn’t want to try and go around the other and hit the muck that is there. So it is just one of those tracks the way it is set up at this time could use a lot of widening. Anyway High Point was coming up and yes the Vets were up first.

Jerry and I decided that if weather permitted we were going out that Friday evening to enjoy just being there with a campfire and the early birds that would show up for the same good feeling. We were not disappointed for after sitting up our small pit area the Coulson’s pulled in next to us and their great company was enjoyed all weekend long. From that time on the weekend was totally awesome. To walk over to the bleachers by the concession stand and just look out on that beautiful track is breath taking. The dirt was that dark brown but not muddy looking clumps nearly all in their perfect place ready for the riders of the morning. That track is alive even in its silence.

Vet Nationals, if you haven’t been to one you must be there next year. It’s the most easy going and entertaining race of the year. I don’t mean to make light of the riders for that is not how I feel. The different age groups of these riders are truly amazing. To go out and race with fellow riders who may have not been on a track for the past year takes a lot of courage (a few Bud Lights) and the smiles of the other riders. Of course there was the every Sunday Vet riders there and they put on a great show for the spectators. Jimmy Evans, Stevie Crowe, Greg Hudak, Barry Hawk, Stevie Onisko, Mark Kane, Ray Niebel, the Mahoney Brothers just to name a few of some very talented A riders were on the track and having some great races between each other. The B Classes were full of our Sunday riders along with some that came for the day. Mark Greenwald, Jason Maraugha, Mark Liti, Chris Hudak, DJ Ament, Chris Westfall, Cory Leinenbach, Jason Wriess and Shawn Remington again just a few to name. Most of the classes had a good 9 or more Vet Riders. It was awesome sitting in the bleachers over by the down hill rhythm section after the first tunnel jump and the hoops and hollers coming out of these riders as they past was awesome. They truly were having a great time. What a great place to come back to for a reunion of old friends.

The sounds of many 2-stroke bikes was a little over whelming for me. It brought back so many memories of the races that Aaron was in. The sound, the smell and how much I miss that time.

The support classes were filled with anxious riders that were just wanting to get an edge on their competition on Sundays State races. I really think that they were just having a great time out on a great track. The practice was secondary. Between the top A & B riders the show was on in taking the triple at the gate area. One by one they took that jump and really put on a show. From Stevie Crowe to Mitch Lehman every angle was tried. I couldn’t snap my camera fast enough but I still took as many shots of the rider as he took off, hit his peak and descended back to the track. (Be sure to check out the Vet albums for these pictures when I finally get them up)

Sunday morning found the track in perfect condition with many riders pulling in and getting ready for the first practice. A great group of Vet riders stayed for more racing. High Point always brings out the numbers and on this perfect weather day not many stayed home. The 250 A Class had 18 riders and the 125 A had 14. 250B had 24 and the 125B 30 riders. Again I must plead with the powers that be to PLEASE give these two groups their own motos. If you can put two classes of 85 that total up to maybe 22 riders surly you can let the A Class of 18 riders have their own stage for their always exciting racing. One truly misses some great races between riders with in their own class let alone the great match ups that are going on in the other class. The time with two motos is still shorter than some of the motos that have slower riders so time is not wasted. Anyway the A Class and the B classes had the best of the best and showed it all around the track. Durham took the 1st overall in both the 250 and the 125 A classes. The top notch riders coming in behind him were the best of the best in Evans, Crowe, Hoge, Ritter, Sigmund, Holt, Roman, Green and Marisa and so many more awesome riders. In the B Class Broc Streit mixed it up in the motos with TJ Phillips and took the 1st overall. TJ took the 3rd place with Tyler McGoff taking 2nd in the 250B Class. The 125 B Class had TJ Phillips taking the overall of 1st with Slusser 2nd and Lehman the 3rd place. Totally awesome racing between these talented riders.

One of the anxious moments of the day was one of the beautiful red water trucks going over on its side while watering the far hill close to the woods area. The track dozers hooked up and tried to set it up right but just couldn’t do what was needed. So the big gun of a dozer was called upon and boy was it a big dozer. Belching some major black smoke it so gracefully worked its way over to the water truck, hooked up to it and with in a few moments had the truck back on all fours. The mighty dozer was not even breaking a sweat. They parked it back over in the Pro section for the rest of the day and it was looking very proud that it was called upon.

The day went thru very smoothly and the racing was the best ever. I love High Point, I love the smell of the dirt, the mist that comes up off the track in the early morning, the sound of the gravel that you hear early in the morning with the riders coming in, seeing Timmy up on a ladder making sure that all can hear, the older gentlemen that set so patiently in their dozers waiting for the call to groom the track, the coolness of standing in the tunnel to cool down and all the memories that fill me in just being there.

Someone said that there is one more race at the Point before winter and I can assure you that I will be there looking forward to all of these things that mean so much to me. See you at Steel City, another place that I love.

Always In Memory of Aaron #98, Arlene

Last Updated: September 26, 2006