VIRGINIA CITY, NV (April 29) – The Virginia City Grand Prix presented by Rhyno Built Welding is a two-day affair and both days are quite different from those racing as well as the course.
Sunday is a mix of Novice, Women, Vintage and some veteran riders competing on a 22-mile course, which is a bit shorter than the one used Saturday.. The Vintage bikes race on a six-mile course due to the age of these machines.
Saturday has four hours between the start and when the checkered is displayed. On Sunday its only three hours from green to checkered and 430 riders were on hand to race.
The critical factor, especially on Sunday due to the mix of experience, is a rider’s elapsed time and not where they are when the checkered comes out. This year’s winner came out of the 33rd row
New for the VCGP was the Ultra Masters Class for riders 70 years and older. Here they are lined up ahead of everyone else as they got a 5-minute head start.
This year a new class was added, the Ultra Masters, for veteran riders 70 years and older. The oldest was Roy Watson, who is 81 years young and he was able to complete a lap.
The oldest racer in the new Ultra Masters class was 81-years-young Roy Watson.
The Ultra Masters were grouped ahead of everyone else and got a 5-minute head start but used the full 22-mile course. Winning the class was one of the youngsters, 70-year old, Pete Pritchard.
Nicole Collins got the 2-minute head start after her grandfather bought it in a pre-race auction.
Another pre-race tradition is the auction of two head-start positions. Nicole Collins’ grandfather bought her the 2-minute one while Dennis Soltis got the 1-minute starting advantage. All the money collected goes to a local charity.
After the Ultra Masters were sent off the two head start riders were sent on their way. Then the rest of the riders, lined up in rows of 10, were sent off one row at a time.
Although he started in the 33rd row, Bronson Lee’s elapsed time was enough to earn the victory in Sunday’s VCGP.
A bit over three hours later the overall winner Bronson Lee went through the scoring chute.
He was tired and on the podium simply said, “It’s my first win in 10 years but it was fun.”
Another riders completing all four laps and finishing 15th overall and winning the Women’s Class was Collins.
“It was rocky this year,” she said. “My favorite part was Sutro actually as the boulder part wasn’t too bad. The first two laps were very, very nice so thankful for that. And I need to thank my parents, my Poppa and my boyfriend for his support.”
While everyone else was dealing with the rocks, bottlenecks and other things the Vintage racers, on their short course were piling up the laps. Their motors have a cracking scream of their own so it was easy hearing them.
Paul Yarborough on his way to winning the Vintage Class.
After arriving at the podium a tired Paul Yarborough was asked how many laps he completed, “Seven or eight, I’m not sure. Have to thank my dad, he’s still out there on a ’74 BSA, I saw him on the last lap and he’s going to bump start it again. Now I’ve got a whole lot more respect for the old riders, have to say that.
Yarborough actually completed 10-laps of the short course and his father Steve completed the race but only got in 5-laps. These machines don’t have the suspensions a modern bike has so the ride is much more tiring.
Winning the first Ultra Master’s race was Pete Pritchard, who completed three laps.
Pete Pritchard won the first ever Ultra Masters Class during the VCGP.
“I was first until I got lost on the first lap,” he said. I think it was a little tougher than last year, a little more fun, more technical stuff. My favorite part was the downhill before Sutro, nice and rocky and I like to pass people in the rocks. The race was great for the Ultra Masters and everybody else as far as I’m concerned.”
Then he thanked his cheerleader Linda, partner John and Kerry Barnes, who is very accommodating.
Over the course of both days there were riders that needed help from the medics but that is part of such a tough event. It tests men, women and especially their machines.
Now the Comstock is quite as Virginia City starts its tourist season. But when the last weekend of April next year rolls around riders from across the west will heed the siren song of this race and come to compete in the 48th annual VCGP.
REPORTER’S NOTE: There is a photo gallery after the results.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
- Congratulations to Zach Rivera for scoring another victory during the Atwater round of this year’s KPX series. He’s part of the Red Raiders from Nevada Kart Sport.
Zach Rivera ready to go. He won his class at this weekend’s KPX races in Atwater, Calfiornia. Photo courtesy – Nevada Kart Sport.
RESULTS*:
Virginia City Grand Prix – April 29
* – Full results are found on the event website, www.vcgp.com.
+ Overall: 1. Bronson Lee, 2. Andrew Candia, 3. Lochlan Campbell, 4. Bryan Tavares, 5. Jeremy Rosenbach, 6. Mark Debibo, 7. Dave Herman, 8. Tyson Rasmussen, 9. Stu Soars, 10. Robert Wheeler, 11. Steven Walkiewicz, 12. Riley Wood, 13. James Shoemate, 14.Sean Finerty, 15. Nicole Collins, 16. James McMurray, 17. Jason Jeffry, 18. Jon Stringer, 19. Brandon Reed, 20. Garrett Bates, 21. Jashua Palona, 22. Mark Pearce, 23. Wyatt Landram, 24. Craig Dieterich, 25. Matthew Wilson, 26. Zach Nelson, 27. Shaun Gable, 28. Henry Anderson, 29. Andrew Stegall, 30 Jerry Harmon, 31. Dustin Vance, 32. Thomas Parachou, 33. Dustin Vance, 34. Craig Anderson, 35. Rick Lopez, 36. Cameron Young, 37. Shai Raybuck, 38. Eric Rogers, 39. Logan Manchester, 40. Dave Paulsen, 41. Joe Smith, 42. Travis Williams, 43. Chris Kozlik, 44. Ethan Hallums, 45. Richie Burr, 46. Stuart Davidson, 47. Donovan Maher, 48. Lance Smith, 49. J.D.Holzer, 50. Colby Atkins.
+ Class Winners:
+ Novice: Robert Wheeler, (Open), Riley Wood, (125cc), Bronson Lee (250cc), Andrew Candia, (30+), Stu Soars, (40+), Mark Pearce, (50+).
+ Women: Nicole Collins.
+ Masters: John Bumgarner.
+ Ultra Masters: Peter Pritchard.
+ Vintage: Paul Yarborough.
+ Bomber: Lochlan Campbell.
PHOTO GALLERY:
what about saturdays fire and the 75 riders re-routed? curious about the scoring .
Wasn’t told how many riders were affected. However the timing crew, that also does
desert races, has a procedure in place because sometimes brush fires on the desert
have caused the same thing. Donnie said the results posted on their site are final.
Only glad no one was hurt by that fire.