Rounds 19 and 20 of AHRMA’s 2025 Vintage Cup series, which highlights the 500 Premier class, were held October 4 and 5, at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL as part of the 2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series presented by Motobilia.
Sponsored by Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2025 Vintage Cup features the 500 Premier class which includes 500cc four-stroke machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include the 500cc Manx Norton, Matchless or Seeley G50, BSA Goldstar or 500cc BSA Twin “works” replica, Benelli “works” four, Harley KR, Honda Drixton Twin, and more.
Rolling into Barber, we knew the heavy hitters would come out for the 20th anniversary of the Barber Vintage Festival, and they didn’t disappoint. Having officially clinched the championship in June at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Tim Joyce brought John Turner’s 1968 Seeley G50 back out for the last big show of 2025. Never to be discounted, Rob Hall, who had chosen to only run a select handful of races this year on Stu Carter’s 1968 Seeley G50, also was sure to bring close action to the Vintage Cup finale. Kevin Dinsmoor on John Turner’s 1962 R50 BMW, who had come on strong in the middle of the season, was certain to keep everyone honest.
On Saturday, we saw nine bikes line up. Rob Hall got a fantastic start and quickly rolled into turn one in the lead, closely followed by the entire field in a cacophony of sound, sight, and smell. Hall put his head down and worked up a sizable multi-bike gap in front of Joyce for half of the eight-lap race. Joyce continued to push hard in the way he is known to do, and began chipping away the gap, making his way up to Hall in Charlotte’s Web, and putting a tight but clean pass on Hall mid-race. Each subsequent lap Joyce increased his gap on Hall in the tight stuff, but Hall’s bike with a bit of an edge on power would close on Joyce in the fast stuff. When the white flag came out, Hall’s body language changed, and it was clear something was about to happen. By the time they got out of Museum Corner and through the chicane, Hall had chipped away at the gap and was right on Joyce’s rear wheel down the back straight; the crowd on the hillside was visibly excited by the race action. As they came from the back section and around the last turn, Joyce had the edge, but Hall took an inside line and it was a full on drag race side-by-side to the checkered flag. There was absolutely no way to call the race visually, it was that close, but thanks to live timing it verified Joyce got the win by a mere .023 seconds. (Hall had his transponder in his leathers, which may have made the difference!). Dinsmoor rounded out the podium in third place.
The balance of the grid in order of finish was Wes Orloff in fourth, riding Dale Coffman’s 1967 Honda CR4507, Brian Larrabure in fifth on an NYC Norton 1968 Seeley G50, David Roper sixth campaigning his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Harry Vanderlinden seventh on a 1968 Honda Drixton 450, Tim O’Donnell in eighth position riding a 1969 Ducati MK3 350, and Ian McQueen finishing ninth on a 1958 Matchless G50.
As if the close racing wasn’t enough of a good show, some very dear friends of AHRMA put together a purse for the Vintage Cup, which would pay out to the first five racers to be awarded at the Saturday night Awards Ceremony. Finishing in the money: Tim Joyce, Rob Hall, Kevin Dinsmoor, Wes Orloff, Brian Larrabure.
Having put in a great show on Saturday, Joyce and Dinsmoor chose to sit out Sunday’s race, but that didn’t stop Hall from showing us all some style, putting in fast laps and a sizable gap on his Seeley G50. Orloff got the hole shot, but Hall got past him coming out of turn one and held the lead until the checkered flag. Orloff finished second, with Roper rounding out the podium in third. The balance of the grid, in order of finish was Tony Read, riding a 1968 Triumph 500 in fourth, O’Donnell in fifth, McQueen in sixth, and Larrabure in seventh.
“As a sponsor of the Vintage Cup and also of the 500 Premier class, I am well aware of how dear these 500 Premier motorcycles are getting. It makes me incredibly happy to see as many bikes as we had on the Barber grid, but I’d like to personally thank all the riders who signed up for the class at all the races this year. I’d also like to acknowledge the owners, builders, and the tuners who put these bikes out there for us to enjoy. This is the true intent of the Vintage Cup concept and I’m proud to nurture this cause.” Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton said. “Beyond the motorcycles, I’d also like to thank, in no particular order, Bob Blakely, Alex and Cindy McLean, Kevin Dinsmoor, Bob Robbins, and Brian Larrabure for stepping up and contributing to the purse to give our racers and team owners a little something for their effort.”
Cummings continued: “Congratulations to Tim Joyce, for clinching the AHRMA 2025 Vintage Cup and showing what a tenacious rider and competitor he is and always has been. I’m looking very forward to the 2026 Vintage Cup which will feature the 250GP class, bringing out bikes that may be somewhat more accessible than the big 500 GP machines. We are poised for a very competitive 2026 series. Morale is high in AHRMA, and this was a great way to close the 2025 season.”
“On behalf of the entire AHRMA community, I want to extend a huge congratulations to Tim Joyce for taking the 2025 Vintage Cup title — a true racer’s racer and a deserving champion. I’d also like to thank every rider, bike owner, and our incredible sponsor NYC Norton for making this season unforgettable. Your dedication, passion, and stunning machines put on one hell of a show from start to finish. This is what vintage racing is all about,” said Greg “GT” Tomlinson, AHRMA Chairman of the Board.
The 2026 Vintage Cup will feature the 250GP class. Rounds 1 and 2 of the AHRMA National Road Race Series will be at Roebling Road Raceway, February 14-15, 2026, in Bloomingdale, GA.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the 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 will be reported in RoadRacingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series presented by Motobilia, 500 Premier – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, October 4, 2025
1 – Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G50, Springfield, VT
2 – Rob Hall, 1965 Matchless G50, Charlotte, NC
3 – Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW Turner R-50, Colchester, CT
4 – Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
5 – Brian Larrabure, 1967 Seeley G50, Calabasas, CA
6 – David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
7 – Harry Vanderinden, 1968 Honda Drixton 450, Hickory, NC
8 – Tim O’Donnell, 1969 Ducati MK3 350, Indianapolis, IN
9 – Ian Mcqueen, 1958 AJS G50, London, ON
Sunday, October 5, 2025
1 – Rob Hall, 1965 Matchless G50, Charlotte, NC
2 – Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
3 – David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
4 – Tony Read, 1968 Triumph 500, Charlotte, TN
5 – Tim O’Donnell, 1969 Ducati MK3 350, Indianapolis, IN
6 – Ian Mcqueen, 1958 AJS G50, London, ON
7 – Brian Larrabure, 1967 Seeley G50, Calabasas, CA
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.
