Team Obsolete’s 350GP Extravaganza

Team Obsolete, the legendary classic racing team owned by Robert Iannucci and based in New York, has announced it will be racing in the 350cc Vintage Cup of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association.

Iannucci said: “For 2024 AHRMA has announced that the Vintage Cup [sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton] will feature the 350 Grand Prix class.  Team Obsolete will fabulously support the 350 Vintage Cup with eight different iconic 350 Grand Prix bikes from our stable, each at a different circuit!  They will be ridden by multi-time 350 Grand Prix champion Dave Roper. These bikes range in age from 1951 to 1967, naturally with varied performance.  Our objective is to showcase important 350 Grand Prix historically evolving technology over a two (2) decade period and we hope that this spectacular 2024 multi-bike programme will generate renewed interest in race bikes from the Classic era.”

Team Obsolete’s 350cc race bikes all have provenance and include the 1967 MV 350-3 race by Gaicomo Agostini, the 350-4 Benelli raced by Renzo Pasolini as well as single-cylinder bikes including the 1951 AJS 7R raced by Bob McIntyre, the AJS triple knocker 7R raced by Rod Coleman and an ex-Cal Rayborn 350cc Aermacchi. 

Team Obsolete is sponsored by: Vanson Leathers, Red Line Synthetic Oil, Heidenau Tires and Buchanan Spoke and Rim, Inc.  

TEAM OBSOLETE’S UPDATED TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Feb 16-18        Roebling Road, GA – 1951-AJS/7R, ex-works, ex-Bob McIntyre

Mar 15-17       Kershaw, SC – 1960 Surtees AJS 7R Special, ex-Peter Williams

May 24-26       Nelson Ledges, OH – 1961 ex Bob Mac 7R Special, ex-Joe Potts

Jun 21-23        NJMP – 1967 Benelli 350/4, ex works, ex-Renzo Pasolini

Jul 18-21          Laguna Seca, СА – 1961 AJS 7R “LW1,” Dick Mann Special

Aug 2-4            Blackhawk, IL – Roper’s Aermacchi 350, ex-Cal Rayborn

Sep 6-8            Pittsburgh, PA – 1954 AJS 7R3 “Triple Knocker”, ex-works, ex-Rod Coleman (TT winner)

Oct 10-13        Barber, AL – 1967 MV Agusta 350/3, ex Agostini, ex-works, and  1963 Kirby AJS 7R Special, ex-Bill Ivy, ex-Paddy Driver

Only a few days prior to the announcement of the ambitious 350GP Vintage Cup plans, Team Obsolete had announced the sale of several of its iconic race bikes including a Bee Bee Brothers 1972 BSA Rocket III,  two ex-works Harley XR750TT road racers, one ex-Rayborn and one ex-Mark Brelsford and a 1967 Don Vesco 500cc BSA A50. News of the sale may have led to people assuming Iannucci was planning to cut back on his racing activities which is clearly not the case.

He said: “Recently we circulated a list of eleven bikes that we are selling (no MV Agustas) from our collection of 80 bikes.  This has triggered speculation that we are winding down our activity.  Not true!  We are still very much alive!”

He added the Team Obsolete would expect to participate in the ASI/Varano and several concours events in the USA during 2024 – as well as their GP350 Vintage Cup programme.