Griffith motorbike riders Peter Lee and David Gras, along with pit crew member Peter Rosenboom, travelled to the United States of America earlier this year to compete in the AMA Vintage National Championship.
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The championship is conducted over 16 rounds and the Aussie champions contested the first three rounds in Georgia and Florida during the Daytona Speed Week.
Two half-mile races were contested.
The first in Savannah, Georgia then at Barberville in Florida.
The American half-mile is a banked dirt track oval.
Speeds of over 160 kilometres per hour are attained on the track with the motorcycles only fitted with a rear brake.
The classes contested by Lee and Gras were the 500cc division for motorcycles of the late 1970s, producing over 50hp.
The final meeting was on the Daytona short track.
The Daytona track was another oval track but much smaller with a sticky surface of loam and tree gum.
Highlights of the four meetings were Lee setting the fastest time and being named the top qualifier in Savannah and Gras leading the American legend David Aldana for seven of eight laps on the short track.
Unfortunately for Gras, the US champion pipped him on the line.
Overall the local racers left the USA in second and fifth places in the US championship.
The journey isn’t over for Lee who will return later this year to try to improve on his second position.
The Griffith Motorcycle Sports Club will hold its next practice day on May 22.
