The Vintage Cup series continued at Nelson Ledges Road Course September 12–13 as part of the 2026 AHRMA National Roadracing Series presented by VIB-ISO.

Sponsored by Roadracingworld.com and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2026 Vintage Cup features the 250 Grand Prix class: any fully GP-kitted 250cc OHV/OHC four-stroke; 250cc air-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke; 175cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke; or 175cc air-cooled twin-cylinder two-stroke built before December 31, 1968. It is a showdown of classic small-displacement racing that lives on corner speed, momentum, and precise engineering—and it rarely fails to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Typical 250GP grids mix machines such as Aermacchi, Bultaco, Greeves, Montesa, Ducati, NSU, Ossa, and more.

Heavy rain arrived as Saturday’s Vintage Cup race started and stayed through the afternoon, yet the grid still went out 15 bikes strong.

Jonas Stein took the hole shot on his 1972 Honda CB175, with Craig Hirko’s 1967 Bridgestone TA1 right on him. Hirko moved into the lead on lap 2, then went down in the last turn before the front straight and slid off the pavement. Rob Hall, on his 1965 Honda CB160, had to take to the grass to miss him. Hall then hunted Stein down and made the pass for the lead in the back section on lap 3. Stein never quite got it back and finished a close second. Robert Himmelman rounded out the podium on a 1970 Yamaha CS3.

Sunday opened overcast but dry, with good grip. Paul Germain grabbed the hole shot on his 1967 Yamaha DTIRR, Hall slotting in behind. Germain retired with a mechanical after lap one, handing the lead to Hall. Dustin Johnson, on his 1968 Yamaha YCS1, tried to close the gap but could not. Tim Terrell held third on a 1966 Honda CB160.

Meanwhile a three-way scrap developed among Trevor Scales (1969 Honda CB160), Holly Varey, and Stein. Minutes before the start Varey found a flat on her 1968 VanTech CS3. Hall, who had brought the late Kevin Burns’ 1972 Honda CB175 to the track to memorialize him, texted her by coincidence, learned about the flat, and told her to come straight to his pit and take the bike. She did—and spent the race swapping places with Scales and Stein. Just before the white-flag lap Hall suffered a mechanical and pulled off, promoting Johnson to first, Terrell to second, and Stein to third. Scales took fourth, Varey fifth.

“As a sponsor and fan, I am chuffed to see such healthy grids and competitive racing as we did in our Vintage Cup class both days this weekend at the fabled Nelson Ledges. One thing that is very clear about this season is, it’s anyone’s race to take the top step. We’ve had more riders take the top step this year than I can remember in any of the Vintage Cup classes. Every race has its own crazy story, and the race action is as it can only be with fast riders on little bikes! 

I also want to give a shout-out to our bud Rob Hall and his better half Caitlin for being there for AHRMA trustee Kevin Burns in the last months of his sunset days and getting Kevin’s bike out there with Holly riding at 3rd call!  That’s the kind of camaraderie that exemplifies AHRMA!

We are a few weeks away from the biggest show of all – Barber Vintage Festival.  I would love to see 15 bikes on the grid again as we had at Nelson.  But never enough… let’s have more! There’s a purse for the top 5 riders – enough to put a little dosh back into your pockets.  So, let’s make this the biggest final show and go out with style after a rough and tumble 2026 season”, said series sponsor Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton.

AHRMA first launched the Vintage Cup series in 2019 by spotlighting the 350 GP class. The series resumed in 2021 and highlighted the 500 Premier class, followed by Vintage Superbike Heavyweight in 2022 and Formula 750 in 2023. In 2024 the second rotation of featured classes began with 350GP, then 500 Premier in 2025. 250GP was added in 2026—the first year it has been featured.

“The twists and turns of this year’s Vintage Cup brought nothing but excitement at Nelson Ledges.  With Rob Hall on the grid, I knew the podium would look different—and Saturday’s rain made sure of it. Between Hall’s performance and the weather, the podium saw a complete shake‑up with no Varey, Hirko, or Germain in the mix.

Sunday arrived with bated breath, waiting to see what would unfold next. The Vintage Cup race turned into another stunner, as mechanical issues took out Hall, Germain, and Hirko. Even so, the racing stayed fierce—and I couldn’t help but smile when Dustin Johnson claimed first, marking his second top‑step finish across two different race weekends.

Next up is Barber, and I know the excitement will only continue!” said Leasha Overturf, AHRMA’s Road Race Director.

Rounds 21 and 22 of the AHRMA National Road Race Series presented by VIB-ISO will close the season October 10–11 at the 21st Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL.

The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class at each race event. Enhanced awards for Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race are reported in RoadracingWorld.com’s online edition. At the end of the season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy is engraved with the national champion’s name and presented at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.

• 2026 AHRMA Roadracing Series Presented by VIB-ISO, 250GP – Vintage Cup Results: 

Nelson Ledges Road Course – Saturday, September 12, 2026

1. 270 Rob Hall, 1965 Honda CB160, Charlotte, NC
2. 123 Jonas Stein, 1972 Honda CB175, Nashville, TN
3. 62X Robert Himmelman, 1970 Yamaha CS3, New Glarus, WI
4. 87 Eric Watts, 1966 Ducati 250, Johnstown, OH
5. 220 Tim Terrell, 1966 Honda CB160, Burlington, NC
6. 760 Dustin Johnson, 1968 Yamaha YCS1, San Francisco, CA
7. 17X Alex McLean, 1966 Ducati 250 Single, Jacksonville Beach, FL
8. 7 David Roper, 1967 Harley-Davidson CRTT, Hicksville, NY
9. 50H Holly Varey, 1968 VanTech CS3, Brantford, ON
10. 97F Francis Ganance, 1966 Ducati 250 Single, Cincinnati, OH
11. 903 Robert Brangaccio, 1971 Ducati 250, Basking Ridge, NJ
12. 115 Tom Watkins, 1966 Ducati Mach 1, Leetonia, OH
13. 779 Trever Scales, 1969 Honda CB160, Graham, NC
14. 61 Paul Germain, 1967 Yamaha DTIRR, Winnipeg, MB
15. 641 Craig Hirko, 1967 Bridgestone TA 1, Newark Valley, NY

Nelson Ledges Road Course – Sunday, September 13, 2026

1. 760 Dustin Johnson, 1968 Yamaha YCS1, San Francisco, CA
2. 220 Tim Terrell, 1966 Honda CB160, Burlington, NC
3. 123 Jonas Stein, 1972 Honda CB175, Nashville, TN
4. 779 Trever Scales, 1969 Honda CB160, Graham, NC
5. 50H Holly Varey, 1972 Honda CB175, Brantford, ON
6. 62X Robert Himmelman, 1970 Yamaha CS3, New Glarus, WI
7. 17X Alex McLean, 1966 Ducati 250 Single, Jacksonville Beach, FL
8. 97F Francis Ganance, 1966 Ducati 250 Single, Cincinnati, OH
9. 641 Craig Hirko, 1967 Bridgestone TA 1, Newark Valley, NY
10. 115 Tom Watkins, 1966 Ducati Mach 1, Leetonia, OH
11. 903 Robert Brangaccio, 1971 Ducati 250, Basking Ridge, NJ
12. 270 Rob Hall, 1965 Honda CB160, Charlotte, NC
13. 61 Paul Germain, 1967 Yamaha DTIRR, Winnipeg, MB

About AHRMA:

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.