For one winner, hoisting up his 2018 AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Championship trophy was familiar territory. For the other, it was a new experience capping a short racing career.
Quinn Wentzel and Steve Harouff prevailed over three days in three different disciplines of motorcycle competition at 2018 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Royal Enfield, to claim their vintage racing crowns. The event took place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on July 6-8.
For Wentzel, of Canfield, Ohio, it was his fourth AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Championship in six years. The award is presented to the rider with the highest cumulative point total in designated expert-level competition classes in hare scrambles, motocross, and trials competition.

For one winner, hoisting up his 2018 AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Championship trophy was familiar territory. For the other, it was a new experience capping a short racing career.

Quinn Wentzel and Steve Harouff prevailed over three days in three different disciplines of motorcycle competition at 2018 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Royal Enfield, to claim their vintage racing crowns. The event took place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on July 6-8.

For Wentzel, of Canfield, Ohio, it was his fourth AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Championship in six years. The award is presented to the rider with the highest cumulative point total in designated expert-level competition classes in hare scrambles, motocross, and trials competition.

Harouff was named the AMA Off-Road Senior Vintage Grand Champion—the rider aged 40 or older with the highest cumulative point total in designated expert-level senior (40+/50+) classes.

Wentzel’s and Harouff’s different journeys to their titles show there are many paths to success in motorcycle racing.

Trial By Fire

Wentzel’s path to his fourth AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Championship was not without its challenges.

His weekend started off strong with a win in the Vintage Open A Class in the hare scrambles competition on Friday, July 6. Wentzel’s rival and two-time AMA Off-Road Vintage Grand Champion Trevor Kline won the Vintage 250 A Class hare scramble on Friday. The pair ended the day tied in the vintage grand championship points standings.

During the vintage motocross on Saturday, July 7, Wentzel made a last lap error while Wentzel and Kline were competing head-to-head in the Vintage 250cc A and Vintage Open A motocross classes.

“Definitely a low point for me was during the motocross,” he said. “I had won the first [Open A] race and I really needed to win the second race to secure the championship. I made a pass on Trevor [Kline] for the lead, but on the last lap I stalled my bike in a corner.”

Kline ended up re-passing Wentzel to win the second motocross race. Kline also went on to claim two second-place finishes in the Vintage 250cc A Class motocross races. Wentzel finished both of those races in fifth place.

Despite his miscue during the motocross competition, Wentzel’s proven trials riding skills helped him secure the overall championship. Wentzel won the Factory Old School Expert Class on Sunday, July 8. Kline placed third in the class. The class win gave Wentzel enough points to take the 2018 title.

Wentzel is a factory Scorpa rider and competes in the AMA/NATC MotoTrials National Championship.

“I think once again my trials skills prevailed and helped me wrap this thing up,” he said. “I owe all of these championships to my trials background.”

For Wentzel, the challenge involved in winning a multi-discipline title against stiff competition makes each championship win meaningful to him.

“All of these championships are really special to me,” he said. “The competition here is really tight and really tough.”

Wentzel rode four different motorcycles over the course of the weekend. For the hare scrambles, he rode a 1974 Can-Am 175. For the motocross, he raced on a 1974 Penton 400 and a 1974 CZ 250. In trials he competed on a Penton Mudlark trials bike.

Wentzel also had a chance to take in other activities during 2018 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Royal Enfield. He was spotted watching the Xtreme Trials riders perform their exhibition.

“The whole event was great this year,” he said. “The AMA does an awesome job. The weather could not have been better. It’s one of my favorite events of the year.”

Second Time’s The Charm

In contrast to Wentzel’s ample experience in competing at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, it was Harouff’s second time competing at the event.

Harouff had been attending AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for about 10 years but joined the competition scene at the event in 2017.

It was his experience watching observed trials at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days that motivated him to give motorcycle competition a try.

“I saw the trials competition and said, ‘Boy I would really like to try that,’” he said. “I went out and bought a trials bike. I won a national [vintage] championship in trials in 2013 and later progressed into hare scrambles and motocross.”

It was Harouff’s second attempt to win the AMA Off-Road Senior Vintage Grand Championship. It was a goal he had set for himself coming into the event.

His bid for the championship started off strong as he took a second-place finish in the Vintage Senior 40+ Class hare scramble race on Friday, July 6. He was racing a 1973 Husqvarna WR250 that day.

The next day he raced a 1974 Yamaha MX360 that he had only owned for a week to a sixth-place finish in the Vintage Senior 40+ Motocross Class race.

“I only had one ride on it before AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days,” he said.

He rounded out the weekend’s competition on Sunday, July 8, by taking a top-10 finish in the Vintage Factory Expert Class in observed trials on a 1975 Kawasaki KT250. That finish was enough to win Harouff the honor.

While Harouff grew up competing on two wheels, the bikes of his youth did not have engines.

“I grew up riding bicycles and mountain bike racing,” he said. “As I am getting older the pedals are not as friendly as the motors these days.”

His championship was meaningful both for the year he put into preparing for it, as well as who wasn’t able to join him at the event.

“I want to dedicate this weekend and this win to my friend Hank Judy,” he said. “He passed away a week ago and was supposed to be at this event with me.”

Harouff was enjoying his experience at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days outside of the racing.

“I love vintage bikes,” he said. “The high points of this weekend were the weather and the turnout.”