Penton breaks record at Harpers

[tlanders]

I had the joy of breaking the Drag Race record last Saturday at Harpers Memorial Day weekend. The previous record was 53 MPH on a drag strip that I don't know how long it was, but the end always came up awfully fast. My MC80 360cc with Lectron carb posted a new 57 mph record. The competition included a 1984 Honda CR500, a 1982 420 KTM, a 400 CZ and another ported Penton Mint 400. The hard part was to keep the front end down with my third gear starts. One time I was particularily unsuccessful at keeping the front end down and had to shift to fourth with the front wheel still in the air!!! What a blast.

Also, Mike Lenz again demolished the Hodakas with his 100cc Penton "Berkjackshire" in the National 100cc Races and won the title again for the second year in a row. He very creatively matched up a 100cc Sachs top end to a black engine Jack Piner bottom end in a 1972 Piner frame and blew the Hodaka and the other Berkshire away. The other Berkshire was plagued with the ususal Sach's shifting problems that Mike's bike eliminated.

Mike is amazing, his last race was a year ago and he shows up with not enough sleep, with RV problems getting there, out of condition physically, preparing four bikes for his son and himself and blows everyone away in the 100cc race and also in the Sportsman open class with his Mint 400. I'ld love to see Tom and Mike duke it out some day!!!

There were other Pentons there that did well. I think Andy Lippert won his class on his Piner in the cross country, I did well in the cross country and the MXs, there was a steel tank Six Day there also. Sorry for not keeping up with all the results. It was a most fun weekend. Pentons did well.

Teddy