Ashland County Fairgrounds hosts part of Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series

Rachel Karas, Ashland Times Gazette
·1 min read
Spectators watch the motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE
Spectators watch the motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

Note: This story has been updated to correct an error. See correction at bottom.

ASHLAND – The AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days celebrated 30 years as Round 13 of the Vintage Flat Track National Championship was held at the Ashland County Fairgrounds this weekend.

Motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE
Motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

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The races held at the fairgrounds are part of the Vintage Motorcycle Days which is a larger event held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

After a brief pause in 2020 due to the pandemic, AMA Editorial and Communications Director Mitch Boehm wrote in an email that the event always gets bigger.

Spectators watch the motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE
Spectators watch the motorcycles race on the Ashland County Fairgrounds race track during the AMA Vintage Motorcyle races Saturday, July 23, 2022. TOM E. PUSKAR/ASHLAND TIMES-GAZETTE

Boehm estimated that roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people come to Lexington each year for the event.

"The swap meet itself is comprised of many, many acres and is nearly its own city," Boehm wrote. "Walking or riding or driving a golf cart up and down the aisles is a like trip back in time, with everything from parts to bikes and memorabilia for sale there."

Admission costs for the fairground races varied per seat — box seats versus general admission — and attendee age, but registration fees for the races were $50 for each class.

Racers competed in a total of 21 different classes, ranging from 1920s Vintage Class A to Open Amateur.

According to the AMA Amateur Competition rulebook, the type of class a rider could compete in was dependent on their age. For example, the minimum age for an amateur rider is 12 years old, however if a rider is 14 they may ride a 201cc to 250cc motorcycle.

Winners of each race won trophies as well as points towards the Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series if they competed in vintage classes.

Correction: The portion of Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series held at the Ashland County Fairgrounds has been going on for a few years. The Vintage Motorcycle Days event held in Lexington, Ohio has been going on for 30 years. Both events were paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was incorrectly reported when the story initially published on July 25.  

Reach Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com   

On Twitter: @RachelKaras3 

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Vintage Flat Track Competition Series makes stop in Ashland County