Popular auction moves back to Mid-Ohio as highlight of 2000 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
15 June 2000
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- After a two-year stint at the nearby Ashland County Fairgrounds, the popular Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Auction, featuring Jerry Wood as auctioneer, will move back under the big tent at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as one of the many attractions of the ninth annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 7-9, in Lexington, Ohio. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Auction is your chance to own a piece of history. VMD features one of the largest and most prestigious classic-bike auctions of the year. By popular demand, this year's auction will again be held at the Mid-Ohio complex, starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The bigger auction is but one of the many activities for motorcycle enthusiasts of all kinds. Highlights of VMD 2000 include: A huge AMA/Will Stoner Swapmeet: VMD is the largest all-brand swap meet in the country, and this year's edition looks to have more than 700 vendors to choose from. Need a part for your '58 Harley or a manual for your '73 Honda? Chances are pretty good you'll find it here, along with a whole lot more. Penton as featured marque and John Penton as grand marshal: One of the star attractions this year will be Grand Marshal John Penton. You can meet this legend and get his autograph on a new book about him -- "John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution" -- and watch him take exhibition laps around the Mid-Ohio course each day. Also on display will be a collection of rare Penton motorcycles and memorabilia. American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) vintage racing: VMD is the largest vintage-racing event held anywhere in the United States. From July 7-9, you'll be able to see and hear more than 1,500 bikes competing in vintage road racing, motocross, dirt-track and observed trials competition. Meet motorcycling legends: VMD will coincide with the annual induction ceremony for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, located a little over an hour away at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio. This year, 45 more legendary racers, riders, tuners and industry figures will join the 196 already named to the Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 8, and you can be there to see it happen. Juried bike shows: Step away from the racetrack and you'll wander into VMD's juried bike shows. American, European, British and Japanese bikes all get their own shows, with classes for a variety of eras. Great motorcycle riding: New this year is an AMA National Championship Poker Run that will give you a chance to ride scenic roads at your own pace and on your own schedule. The ride is open from Friday through Sunday and you can visit as many as a dozen checkpoints. Motorcycling seminars: Learn the ins and outs of motorcycling with expert-led seminars on how to buy a used motorcycle, understanding motorcycle tires, getting involved in vintage racing and motorcycle restoration, along with presentations by authors Ed Youngblood and Ted Simon. Extreme trials demonstrations: See former World Observed Trials Champion Tommi Ahvala defy gravity in his very popular extreme trials riding demonstrations. Demo rides: Sample the newest machinery of the day with new bike demo rides from BMW, Harley-Davidson/Buell, Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph and Yamaha. Lap for History: You don't have to be named grand marshal like Penton to qualify for a lap around the Mid-Ohio track. Make a donation to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum and you can participate in the "Lap for History" that will take you around one of the most scenic and challenging racetracks in America. AMA Members Dinner: On Friday night, the Association's dedicated Life Members, will be recognized at the annual AMA Members Dinner. The party starts at 5 p.m. and Life Member will receive discounted admission. Afterward, you can join AMA President Scott Thornton for a ride to the AHRMA dirt-track races in nearby Ashland. Vintage Motorcycle Days -- a fund-raiser for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum -- celebrates both the rich heritage of motorcycling and the diversity of modern technology through a unique package of events, displays and entertainment. VMD kicks off a week-long motorcycle celebration at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that concludes with a double-header round of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championships July 14-16. VMD admission for AMA members is $25 in advance until June 30, and $27 at the gate for a weekend pass. Single-day passes are $7 on Friday and $17 on Saturday or Sunday at the gate with proof of AMA membership.