BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

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Rich Lanyi
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Joined: Mon May 19, 2025 7:24 am
Vintage Karting items owned: Rupp-X, Rupp-Chaparral, Fox, Rathman Xterminator, Caretta
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BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

Post by Rich Lanyi » Wed May 28, 2025 1:36 pm

BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

I just found these old photos from Batavia 2001. It was my 1st meet-up with all you guys. I didn’t have my own kart then. I was pitting for Bud Murphy. Also, his 1st race. He had just finished restoring his Caretta. It was a great day and how it all started for me and Bud (Rob refers to Bud as “Black Bart”) getting into vintage karting.
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Rob Voska
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Re: BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

Post by Rob Voska » Wed May 28, 2025 8:43 pm

Sorry I can't spell but above left to right.
Mark Delia
Gary Emelio
Bob Krukowski
Rob Voska
Mark Parker

The picture above with the man and woman with their Fox kart was Mario from Canada.
Yellow Caretta is Bud (Black Bart) Murphy # "S".
Mike Schlager in the Live it Rupp T shirt
Mark Delia with the #46 and blue Chaparral
The picture above with the man and woman with their Fox kart was Mario from Canada.
#42 Bob Kurkowski with his Dart Grand Prix and 91. He finished second that day after spinning out while leading.
Mark Parker with his blue twin 820 West Bend powered Fox.
Ron Merriman front row 4th from the left.

Sorry that is all I remember.

louie figone
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Re: BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

Post by louie figone » Thu May 29, 2025 12:01 pm

Cool pictures Rob, that was in the beginning.

Rob Voska
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Re: BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

Post by Rob Voska » Thu May 29, 2025 5:36 pm

Louie, Thank Rich for posting them.

Notice nothing billet aluminum, no 7" wide Bridgestone tires, DXL clutches Yamaha engines, Mycron gages in sight. If I remember right there was 1 Bug sidewinder there with 6" wide blue streaks, 91 with a Hartman clutch and louvered pipe.

REAR
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Re: BATAVIA 2001 (Sunday, June 24, 2001)

Post by REAR » Thu May 29, 2025 7:01 pm

Rick,

Thanks for posting the pictures, sure brings back a lot of good memories. Haven't seen only but 2 of the original guys who showed up for that meet recently.

On a side note that lead up to that event, I got in contact with Mike Schlager in and around 1997-98 through a minibike newsletter a couple of years before that event and before there even was such a thing as vintage karting and we struck up a friendship which we still have today over our mutual interest in karting from the 60's.

Mike being from Buffalo was running his stuff at Batavia and Rob and I were running our stuff at Fremont and we decided to venture out to Batavia just to run some laps with Mike. Mike told Gino Romeo, the owner of the track at the time that we were coming up and Gino thought it was a cool idea and he contacted the local news station about us running old racing karts from the days gone by and they wanted to film it and do a story.

Everything was going great and all the modern guys that were there for practice were really enjoying the site of the early karts out on the track but one by one we all broke every kart and part that we brought. Needless to say, the news crew made the drive to the track for nothing because we broke all our stuff before they got there and we had nothing that would run on the track.

All and all even though we took home some broken karts and parts we still had a good time.

R.E.A.R.

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