I've recently been laid off from MAX RPM Motorsports (as of the first of January), no notice or severence.   Nice eh?   I'm working on setting up my own shop space in or near Tacoma in conjunction with a couple of other guys.   We will be doing cars/motorcycles/fabrication/etc by appointment (at least at first).   I'll post here when I know when/where.   for the next couple of weeks Bateman Race Engineering and Bateman Racing is based out of my home shop.   I'm also working on production of 160/175 racing parts right now - check out www.batemanracing.com to see what's available right now.

I am now a Dealer for many products so I can order parts/supplies/tools for your vintage racer (as well as many modern bikes).   For instance - racing carburetors for 160s and 175s, Dyna coils, hand controls, etc.   More details and photos will be posted to the www.batemanracing.com website.

I'll be trying to get serious about doing some updates to the website and adding a bit more content this winter.

There's a new paypal donate button at the top right - if you feel like this website is useful and could donate something to help keep it up (or donate something to help get my family over these first few months - we're in a bit of a financial bind) I'd sure appreciate it - every little bit helps - thanks!   Also - if you're thinking of having work done please do keep me in mind.

T-Shirts!

Now available - get them while they're hot...   T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, etc with the Group W Racing logo are available from my new Cafepress store.   Check out www.cafepress.com/batemanracing to see what's available right now.   Proceeds (small as they are) will go toward expansion of the vast Group W Racing empire.

If any of you do buy a shirt, sweatshirt or anything please let me know how the quality of the product is.

160 Racing Parts, Supplies and Services

New products - lots of new products, services and parts are available and more are in development - details at www.batemanracing.com.

New Group W Racing weblog

I've added a weblog to the Group W Racing page - it is intended to be a work in progress for all of us.   A place to keep a log of your progress, race reports, pictures, racer building progress, advice for others, articles about rides you've been on or anything else that tickles your fancy and gets you to put fingers to keyboard.   There's a link in the menu, and you can access it directly at www.groupwracing.com/wordpress.   Please check it out and start posting.

F-160 Email list:

There is a 160 mailing list (Yahoo Group) administered by Ian Carcosa.   Information on the list and how to subscribe is available on this page.   Everyone is welcome of course.

Vintage Roadracing Newsletter:

Western Vintage Roadracing Update Newsletter:   Make sure you're on David Stark's distribution list for the Western Vintage Road Racing Update newsletter.   The first issue is online at: http://www.bevelheaven.com/WCVRR/.   David's email for getting on the distribution list is: Partygarage@Yahoo.com.   You'll all want to be on the list - it's an excellent newsletter and good resource for keeping in touch with vintage roadracing in the western part of the US.

Anyone finding themselves in the Portland area should stop by Vicious Cycle and at least thank Joe for all his hard work.   Even better would be to buy stuff from him and/or use his services.   This is one shop (of many) who really deserves your business.   Going one better than that would be to buy a 160, get Joe's help in putting it together and come out and join us next year!   Vicious stocks many parts for the 160 racer, and can get many others quickly.   They've recently moved into new digs but the phone number is the same.   Click on their name to link to their website.

Who is Group W Racing? We are a loose collection of nuts dedicated to racing late '60s Honda CB/CL160s in vintage motorcycle roadracing classes.   We are based in Seattle, WA, and race with WMRRA, OMRRA, WMRC and AHRMA.  We are named after a passage in the Arlo Guthrie song "Alice's Restaurant."  

The main characters in this are Tim "Fats" Fowler and John "Frog" Bundy (retired) - the originators of the madness, Simon-Pierre Smith (southern correspondent, fabricator and now Flying Circus turncoat), Michael Bateman (R&D department and webmeister), Bobby Hawbaker (WMRRA Referee, 2007 WMRRA F-160 champion), Tom Deem (converted from SR500 racing), Mark Etheridge (riding the white rent-a-racer), Don Marr, Tim O'Mahoney (Bateman Racing development rider - 2007 WMRRA F-160 2nd place) and a host of other affiliates.

This nice photo is by Phil Tanner of Hotshots by Phil Tanner.   This photo was taken in Turn 2 at Portland International Raceway.   In this photo Michael Bateman (#447) is barely in front of Eirik Nielson (#872), Chris Page (#47) and Tim Fowler (#219).   This kind of competition is what we really enjoy!

160 Racing at it's Finest - 2002

Photo Montage by Charles Johnson of the Portland Flying Circus
(aka "Mean Bees")

We also associate with and help any other 160 (or other vintage) racer out there.  

You can look for many of us in the winter down at the Tahuya off-road riding area near Belfair, WA.   Quite a few roadracers use dirt riding (trail racing we call it) to train our reflexes and keep in shape for the summer roadracing season.   Most weekends over the winter you can find us riding there - usually meeting at either the Mission Creek trailhead, the Elfendahl Pass staging area or the Gravel Pit trailhead at around 9:30am on Sunday.   If you've got a dirt bike you should join us, if you don't you should get one.   It will improve your roadracing.