By DALE CONSTANCE
Sports Writer

GILFORD — The roar of motorcycles has once again inundated the Lakes Region.

This weekend marks the beginning of the annual Bike Week festivities, with plenty of events going on throughout the area.

The traditional opening weekend of America’s oldest motorcycle race meet, The Loudon Classic, will see seven of the nine Loudon Road Racing Series divisions eligible for participation by internationally licensed Federation Internationale Motorcycliste (FIM) expert riders.

On Saturday, the Loudon Road Racing Series will be open to international riders in the Grand Prix Singles, Heavyweight Superbikes, Lightweight Grand Prix, and Middleweight Supersport divisions.

The festivities continue Sunday, with events open to international competitors in the Middleweight Grand Prix, Lightweight Superbike and Unlimited Grand Prix divisions.

The U.S. Vintage Racing Association will run a full day of internationally-sanctioned vintage class motorcycle racing on Monday.

The day will be filled with nostalgic glimpses of motorcycle racing history. Classic vintage riders and participants will share their experiences and memories of days past with their fellow competitors and fans.

New Hampshire International Speedway’s 1.6-mile road also will be the site for races featuring machines from days gone by.

More motorcycle competition will be had in the 78th annual Belknap Classic Vintage Race and Gunstock Motorcycle Hill Climb, beginning Saturday at the Gunstock Recreation Area.

More than 12,000 spectators are expected to crowd Gunstock for the weekend events, which begin Saturday with the Vintage Swap Meet.

Along with the swap meet will be the Belknap Vintage Bike Show and observed trials.

On Sunday, Gunstock will host the AMA/USCRA-sanctioned Belknap Classic Race at 1 p.m. The event will feature classic motorcycles from the 1930s to 1960s, including Harleys, Indians, Dueattis, Triumphs and Nortons, racing around the old Laconia Classic road course.

The annual Gunstock Motorcycle Hillclimb will be held Wednesday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. This year’s event will feature 200 competitors, each driving two runs up the 70-meter ski jump landing hill.

Greg Nichols was the big winner at last year’s Belknap Classic, taking the checkered flag in the 350 GP and 500 GP divisions during the United States Classic Racing Association-sanctioned event.

John Stempfer won the 250 GP race, while Dick Gariepy took the checkered flag in the Reunion class.

Fritz Augustin rode his 1988 Yamaha to victory in the 200 GP. The Pre-1952 event was won by Carlton Palmer.

The Sidecars event was won by the tandem of Pete and Denise Talabach. Karl Smolemski won the 50 cc Screamers race, while Jonathan Spinney took the checkered flag in the Open division.

Last year’s Gunstock Hill Climb saw the crowning of many new champions. The only person to hold on to his title was Billy White, of Upton, Mass., who earned his fourth straight King of the Hill title.

White drove his 1982 Suzuki GS 1100 up Gunstock’s steep 70-meter ski jump landing hill in 5.23 seconds to win the title from an estimated 200 competitors in the American Motorcycle Association-sponsored event. Cherry Valley, Mass. native Michael Hebert was the runner-up with a time of 5.932 seconds.

White also was the only defending champion to successfully retain his title, with the other 12 new winners taking home bragging rights for a year.

The youngest winner last year was 7-year-old Dean Farnsworth, of Plainfield, N.H. The youngster won the 50cc title after he drove his 1997 King Cobra approximately 198 feet up the hill.

The closest race last year came in the 401-600cc class, where Tilton’s Hank Beyor won with a time of 5.722 seconds. Beyor also won the Over 40 class in a close race, posting a time of 5.621 seconds.

Mike Fogarty, of Chicopee, Mass., was the winner in last year’s four-wheel ATV 500 class. Fogarty won with a time of 6.961 seconds, just ahead of defending champion Vernon Lloyd III (7.005 seconds).

Lloyd also was unseated in the ATV 250 class by Mansfield, Mass. native Doug Schulz, who posted a time of 8.088 seconds.

Other newly-crowned divisional champions last year included Dan Bergeron (250cc), Don Pinsonnault (400cc), Joel Lombra (86-750cc multi-cylinder), Randy Joyce (200cc), Ryan Thibault (125cc), Shane George (80cc Jr.) and Joshua Tucker (80cc Sr.).