Racer still tearing
up vintage track
raceswentwell, asheplaced in the top three.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
The fourthand last heat racewasnot tobe
S HANNONVILLE
asgood.UnderclearskiesHendersonstarted
on the third row in the Period 1-500 class,
Veteran motorcycle racer Brian
andwas on the right side of the track. When
Henderson, of Vankleek Hill, continues to
theflagdropped,anotherrideronthesecond
tear up the trackon theVintageRoadRacing
row wheelied his bike and lost control
Association circuit.
ramming into another rider on his left. At
At the recent Quinte TT Vintage
this point his left hand came off the bar, but
Motorcycle Road Races in Shannonville,
he was still holding on with his right under
Henderson survived a spectacular and
full throttle, turning his bike into rapidly
potentiallydisastrousaccidentbeforepulling
accelerating projectile which hit Henderson
off two exciting victories.
from the left, destroying the ignition system
Henderson entered two classes with his
and cracking upper and lower engine cases.
1971 450 Honda, and one each with Dave
Thinking the weekend was done for the
King’s 1960 Norton 500 and 1985 350 RZ
450, Toivo Madras, fellow racer (and good
Yamaha.
guy!) lent his complete ignition systemfrom
With Henderson having this year’s #1
his racer to Henderson, and after some tech
plate, the pressure was on to deliver the
steel and a little JBweld, at midnight the 450
goods.
roared to life.
Saturday, under rainy skies and a very
Sunday was spectacular and so was the
slippery track, also being the first race of the
racing. Race 1, the Pre-65 500 class, was
Submitted photo
year, he went on to win his heat with clear
betweenHendersonandPaulBrubakerwith
Brian Henderson, of Vankleek Hill, continues to do well on the vintage road racing
determination. The second and third heat
thembattlingbackandforthwithHenderson
circuit.
getting the win by .002 of a second on the
Norton. Race 2 was on the Yamaha, with
Henderson finishing fourth in a fieldof over
40motorcycles.Race3was theP1-500,which
was easily the most exciting race of the
weekend. In the eight-lap race, Henderson
and Jody Pearce traded the lead over four
times a lapwithBrubaker a close third.After
anexhaustingbattlewithPearce,Henderson
was victorious by two seconds.
The last race was Period 2 heavy and
middle-weight, in which Henderson won
his class on his 450 andmixed it up with the
big bikes to finish fourth overall.
Henderson is profiled in this month’s
Inside Motorcycles magazine. More can be
seen
at
www.VRRA.ca.
Canada’s classic and vintage road racing
association, the VRRAwas founded in 1980
by a group of enthusiastswhowanted to get
their treasured machines back on the track.
The members want to ensure the
preservation of racing motorcycles and to
maintain the traditions of racing vintage,
and now classic, motorcycles in Canada.
Theassociationhasgrownandflourished
in the ensuing years and now actively
promotes four racing events to encourage
and expand participation in the sport.
The VRRA is the only motorcycle
association in Canada devoted solely to
classic and vintage road racing –
encompassing 1940s to 1980s machines –
and is the oldest such organization inNorth
America.
Members share a strong sense of
competition and camaraderie; often entire
families are involved. Competitors range
from 16 to 75 years of age, but they all with
an active and youthful attitude, says the
VRRA.
Many members are “budget racers”,
riding street-basedmachines that have been
modifiedfor racing.Othersare former racers
who like to staywith the bikes they raced so
successfully in years past.
Forests the focus of
SNC film screening
newsroom@eap.on.ca
F INCH
South Nation Conservation will
commemorateInternationalYearofForests
– 2011 by inviting the public to learnmore
about forestry in Canada and around the
world through film.
“Our Forests … Our Future: Forestry
AroundtheWorld” isa forest filmscreening
to be held in the Watershed Room at South
Nation Conservation offices in Finch
Wednesday, June 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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