It's high summer and I'm behind on my blog, but I'll first tackle the 21-22 July Vintage Days at Mid-Ohio.  I took my '70 H-D ERTT and '46 Moto Guzzi Dondolino, and my old friend, Gordon Pulis, came with me.

Talking with Thad Wolf with Gordon Pulis on the right.  Photo by Darleen Drehmel

Both bikes worked well in practice and I didn't change anything on them.  First up for me was the Class 'C' race.  I got a decent launch of the line, but by the time I was coming out of turn one, I had lost power and the motor sounded strange and I pulled off.  It turned out the exhaust valve adjuster had fallen out. and the rocker itself was just barely opening the valve.  I didn't have a spare, but  I was able to bodge one by finding a 7.0 X 1.0 bolt, cutting off the head and putting a screwdriver slot in the end and getting a lash cap from Larry Poons.

1946 Moto Guzzi Dondolino.  Photo by Darleen Drehmel

But that was after the GP 350 race, which was oddly gridded between Middleweight Original Superbike and Euro American Twins.  I quickly got into 4th place behind two superbikes and Doug MacRea on his 750 Norton.  I made a somewhat ambitious pass on Doug going into the 'keyhole' and promptly missed a downshift and cut across his bow as he went back by.  Somewhat chagrined, I shrugged as he looked back when we got on the back straight.  But, a lap or two later, I was able to make a clean pass on Doug and closed down on the 550 Yamaha Seca of Wayne Shelton who was running 2nd to Jeff Uher on a 550 GPz Kawasaki.

I'm on #7 chasing Wayne Shelton on a Yamaha 550 Seca after I got past Doug MacRea on a 750 Norton.  Photo by Darleen Drehmel

Sunday, the Dondolino seemed to work fine with the bodged rocker adjuster, but the Sprint sounded a bit off in practice and I found a big piece blown out of the megaphone.  Larry Poons came to the rescue again as he had a broken, somewhat flatten megaphone he let me cut a piece out of and I was able to braze this patch over the hole.  In Sunday's Class 'C' race, I was left at the line when, once again, I thought it was in gear, but wasn't.  I was able to get through the Class 'C' hand shift, and GP 250 fields,  and closed on Neil Pooler on his 125 CanAm, but Ryan Ambrose on Big D's pre-unit, rigid 500 Triumph had thing well under control at the front.  Still, I was pleased how the Guzzi ran and my fastest lap was second only to Ryan.
http://gallery.americanmotorcyclist.com/AMA-Racing/2012-VGC-RR/24395208_SbhJV4#!i=1988829206&k=GcdPVk8

Gordon Pulis helps me start the ERTT on Stu Carter's rollers for Sun. morn practice.  Darleen Drehmel photo

In Sunday's GP 350, even more oddly, they gridded us in the front of the superbikes and Euro-Am twins, and I was quickly able to get into the overall lead.  On the 6th of 8 laps, my spark plug lead came off the plug and my race was over, allowing Doug MacRea to win overall.

In the 'keyhole' before the plug lead fell off.  Darleen Drehmel photo

The entries were disappointingly small, but the weather was great and swap meet and spectator crowd still seemed good.  And the track was great as ever; one of my favorites.