"Digger Helm Short Track National"

Kern County Fairgrounds

Bakersfield, Calif. 9-26-2009

Article by Jamey Blunt  -    Photos by VFT

One hundred fifty six riders participated in Eddie Mulder's W.C.V.D.T. Round three in Bakersfield, but this year's event which marked the fifth year of the "Digger Helm Short Track National" had two distinct differences. Most noticeable by everyone was the 103 degree heat, second and most impressive was the fact that this would be the first time a Grand National Champion has ever competed at the event. Joe Kopp made the trip from Washington bringing the total of pros on hand to thirty six.

Jimmy Wood, Joe Kopp, Briar Bauman, Sammy Halbert, Jared Mees, and Stevie Bonsey staged for the Rod Lake Racing Dash for Cash by virtue of each having won their heat race. The five lap slugfest for the biggest part of $1,700 had Bauman close the door on Wood into turn one to lead. On the first trip down the back straight Halbert got a drive on the outside and carried the speed through turns three and four to lead at the stripe. Kopp quickly moved past Bauman into second making the order Halbert, Kopp, Mees, Wood, Bonsey, and Bauman. Three laps in Bauman washed out in turn four and was out. With a lap remaining Mees was showing Kopp a wheel but Kopp held his ground and without a mistake Mees was helpless for a way around. The final tally was Halbert, Kopp, Mees, Wood, and Bonsey.

The MAXXIS TIRES/ SADDLEMEN Senior main event had Palmdale's Tom Horton on pole via his heat race victory where he put in a 12.74 second lap, unheard of for a vintage machine but none the less a fact. Horton led into turn one on his 650 Triumph with Honda mounted Kenny Thiebaud in second and Steve Craft on a 1967 H-D 883 in third. Craft in the blink of an eye ran into the back of Thiebaud and while he pulled off a miracle to save it, he went from third to seventh. This moved Bultaco mounted Jeff Lessley up into the third position. On the fourth lap something went wrong inside Lessley's Bultaco causing him to abandon the race while from the distant back of the pack a lone 750 Yamaha was making strides forward at a rapid pace in the form of John Clayton (the third). Pat Hayes who had inherited third when Lessley exited was now under pressure from Clayton with only a lap remaining. Succumbing to the pressure Hayes bobbled and Clayton was past, but Horton with Thiebaud glued to his back side was a full straight ahead as the checkered flag waved, making the finishing order Horton, Thiebaud, Clayton, Hayes, Larry Kalapus, and Keith Speir.

Don Howard nailed the start from the pole in the "MOTION PRO/MAXIMA RACING OILS Vet "A" main event. John Lundgren was away in second but was forcefully pushed wide in turn three by Jason Cahoon as he took the position. Within two laps Jeff Hiatt found his way to the front and moved into second on the exit from turn four. Making the order Howard, Hiatt, Cahoon, Lundgren, and Mike O'Neil, while at the front Howard had a two second gap. Past the halfway point Chuck Monasmith and Randy DiFrancesco both caught fire and were moving forward very rapidly. At the finish Howard held a three second margin with Hiatt in second, but third through fifth was a fight to the stripe with Monasmith taking third from DiFrancesco and Cahoon holding off a slow starting Joe Steffen for fifth.

Joe Brown has become "The Rock" in the BARNETT/A&A RACING Super Senior class even though his mount of choice is a smaller capacity 250cc Yamaha. Somehow Brown always seems to find his way to the top step of the podium. Brown led from pole position with Herb Wolff second and Mickey Alzola third (both Triumph mounted) giving chase. Entering turn four BSA mounted Tim Thomas rammed Alzola knocking him back to fourth with Larry Kalapus and Bob Harris looking on from fifth and sixth. At two laps complete Brown held a three second margin and put it on cruise control while Thomas set his sights on Wolff. On the final lap through turn three Thomas made his move and secured second from Wolff making the finishing order Brown, Thomas, Wolff, Alzola, Kalapus and Harris.

The BARTELS H-D/K&N FILTERS 250 Open was a match up of two young guns, Zach Lenhof and Bronson Bauman; both have come up through the ranks and earned the right to be respected for their abilities. Bauman led off the line and through turns one and two with Lenhof giving chase. Behind them Shane Adams threw it away on his first trip through turn one and thankfully was quickly to his feet. With two laps complete Lenhof found a way past Bauman to take the lead while Clayton Wright in third was holding off the advances of Brian Martinez. Bauman could match Lenhof's pace but finding a way past was a whole other matter as Lenhof rode mistake free. Bauman desperate to make a pass decided to go up to the cushion and try the high line. He was making it work but time was running out. All the while Martinez carefully planned his move on Clayton and made it stick to finish in third. Bauman came up just short in second to Lenhof, with Wright in fourth, and Andrew Luker fifth.

With twenty nine participants in the Mr. ED'S RACING/BROWN'S CYCLES Open Amateur class an "A" "B" and "C" main events were needed. In the "A" main Joe Meyer led off the line into turn one with Briar Bauman in second, Garrett Stout chopping off Josh Chisum for third Dillon Allen fifth, and Tyler O'Hara sixth. A lap and a half in had O'Hara start moving forward as he took fifth from Allen while Meyer and Bauman were stretching it out at the front. On lap three on the entrance to turn three Bauman put a wheel under Mayer and forced his way past to take over the lead. By this time O'Hara had also found a way past Chisum into fourth and looked to still be pushing hard. Once out front Bauman turned the fastest lap of the race at 12.93 seconds pulling away to the checkered flag. O'Hara who wasn't finished was now up to Stout with one lap remaining. Entering turn one after the white flag O'Hara drove it past Stout to take over the final podium position, making the finishing tally Bauman, Meyer, O'Hara, Stout, Chisum, and Allen.