Fontana Flawless Peragino Precise

American Classic Racing Vintage, Vet & Youth Championships

Hurricane Hills Sports Center

By Jim Sanderson

CLIFFORD, PA, JULY 25, 2008

American Classic Racing (ACR) is a member owned organization that is dedicated to the sport of vintage motocross and off-road racing. ACR conducts AMA sanctioned events in the North Eastern region of the United States. ACR, with the help of its sponsors, hosts one of the best vintage motocross series in the Northeast.

Vintage Honda pilot, Joe Fontana made it a clean sweep of the Vintage 80’s Open Expert division at the annual ACR Vintage Vet and Youth Championships at Hurricane Hills. Fontana took the holeshot and led wire to wire for the win, uncontested, in both moto’s to take the top tier of the podium. Vintage Honda pilot, Mark Griggs, took runner-up honors with a 3-2 performance and Bill Centenaro, riding a vintage Yamaha, closed out the podium with a 2-4 tally.

Fontana, Scott Stevens, Griggs, Centenaro and David Boast led the start of the opening Vintage 80’s Open Expert moto. Fontana quickly left the pack behind and started the second lap with a 10-second lead. Centenaro diced his way past Stevens and Griggs to secure second, relegating Stevens to third and Griggs fourth. Griggs battled with Stevens and made the pass for third on the downhill triple near the end of lap two. Stevens was displaced to fourth. Fontana increased his advantage to 12-seconds at the start of lap three. Fontana backed off his previous pace on the last lap and cruised to the win, taking the checkers five seconds ahead of Centenaro. Griggs, Stevens and Boast completed the top five.

Fontana and Griggs led the start of the final Vintage 80’s Open Expert moto. Stevens and Centenaro came together in the second turn and went down. Stevens remounted third and Centenaro fourth but the damage had been done. Both riders took some time to remount and were almost a half a lap down once they got underway. Fontana got an easy win with a ten second lead. Griggs, Stevens, Centenaro and Boast completed the top five.

Joey Peragino, Jason Baratta, Andy Peebles and Scott Taylor led the pack out of the second turn in the opening moto of the Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate division. When the leaders cleared the downhill triple, the top five running order was; Joey Peragino, Baratta, Taylor, Peebles and Joe Peragino. Peebles reeled in Taylor and made the pass of third on lap two. Taylor was displaced to fourth. Peragino had an eight second lead at the start of lap three that he increased to 11 at the checkered flag. Baratta, Peebles, Taylor and David Pecor followed.

Taylor, Joey Peragino, Baratta, Joe Peragino and Peebles led the start of the final Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate moto. Joey Peragino made the pass for the lead near the end of lap one. Taylor was relegated to second. Baratta, who had been following Taylor’s lines, closed the gap and made the pass for second in the final moments of lap one. Peebles and Joe Peragino rounded out the top five. Peebles reeled Taylor in and the two battled for third but Peebles couldn’t get quite close enough to make a pass. Peragino got another win, taking the checkered flag with a 12 second advantage. Baratta, Taylor, Peebles and Joe Peragino closed out the top five.  

Peragino (1-1) topped the podium. Baratta (2-2) took second and Taylor (4-3) third.

Joe Fontana (1) topped the podium of the Vintage 80’s Open Expert division with a perfect 1-1 at the ACR Vintage Vet & Youth Championships at Hurricane Hills on July 25^th.

Mark Griggs (726) took the runner-up tier of the podium in the Vintage 80’s Open Expert class via his 3-2 rides at Hurricane Hills on July 25^th.

Bill Centenaro (402) earned the final spot on the podium in the Vintage 80’s Open Expert class with a 2-4 tally at the ACR Vintage Vet & Youth Championships at Hurricane Hills on July 25^th.

Joey Peragino (717), Jason Baratta (737) and Scott Taylor (341) battle for the lead on the opening lap of the first Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate moto at the Hurricane Hills Sports Center in Clifford, Pennsylvania on June 25^th.

Andy Peebles (26) and Scott Taylor (341) battle for third in the first Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate moto at Hurricane Hills on July 25^th.

Joe Peregino (711) and David Pecor (82) battle for fifth late in the first moto of the Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate moto at the Hurricane Hills Sports Center in Clifford, Pennsylvania on June 25^th.

Joey Peragino (717) and Jason Baratta (737) battle for the lead in the final Vintage 80’s 200 Intermediate moto at Hurricane Hills on July 25^th in Clifford, Pennsylvania.