The Saddlemen Vintage class at Pomona was packed with interesting machinery and very determined riders. A very full field of varied brands made the Heats and Main event as exciting as ever. There are always a lot of big names from the past who prove that age doesn't mean any loss of speed ,bravery or cunning. The bikes are probably faster and handle better than they ever did. The racing is close and competitive and the quality of the motorbikes is as good as the Grand National bikes. Mike Besemer's Norton is a perfect example. Mike ran strong and ended up with a fine finish in the Main. Something went not quite to plan in one of the practices and he ended up getting a push back to the Pits by the hardest working promoter around, Gene Romero. If you had trouble during one of these sessions and didn't get hauled off in the meat wagon or you bike wasn't in two pieces and would roll, Gene ( or the AMA Race Manager, Steve Morehead) would come out and push you back in. Now thats service and dedication. These two guys do whatever it takes to keep the program rolling and put on an excellent show. Effort equals results and both of these guys made the whole evening one hell of a good time.
