Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126484
o ex> (j') Honda-mounted Dave McCutcheon was the fastest rider up the Muskegon hili. setting 8 new record In the process. By Rick Kocks MUSKEGON , MI , AUG. 3 ' "It's a horsepower hill," remarked defending Grand National Champion Earl Bowlby just prior to the first rider's ascent of Mt. Garfield. "Find the right groove and keep the wheel on the ground... it's gonna be horsepower from there. " id ' . , Favored n ers In this year s Muskegon M.e . promoted 28 hillclimb National horsepower war were current points leaders Lou Gerencer and Randy Gabriel. both sporting Harley orange and black jerseys. Seven points separated the two and each hoped he had the winning , combination. But at day 's end, it wasa red-whiteand-blue jerseyed David McCu tcheon who had harnessed horsepower and lme for . the overall vic!ory . McCutcheon , ": first year A nd.er, shattered the hili record by covenng the .260 foot incline in a blistering 4.774 seconds. The previous record of 4 .78 had been set by Jim Thompson on a Yamaha in 1978. McCutcheon's Honda powerplant, built and . tuned by Keith Robinson. was supplied by former Grand National champ Terry Kinzer. Kinzer, on hand to offer support to his father Willard's Gas class efforts, remarked , " Last year, David couldn't keep his B rig (a 500cc Honda) together. There just weren't enough high performance parts to take the strain. Willard and David are big buddies and we wanted to see what that motor would do.. .it 's been la yin' around 'm y shop for four years : ' So this year , McCutcheon moved into class A aboard an engine that had carried Kinzer to three Grand National Championships. The engine definitel y had the horsepower but thl: frame needed some modification. After Chillicothe, the last climb before Muskegon, a six-inch extension was added to the swing -urn. " It made all the differencel ," beamed McCutcheon from the winner's circle. Doyle Disbennett on a Yamaha w-as the first round leader with a time of 5.049 . " It ~on't last, " he said between runs . "These gu ys have too much horsepower on me ... 1 out rode them all at Chillicothe and finished fourth . Next year , I'm gonna have me some horsepower!" And such was the case at Muskegon . At the start of round two , . Randy Gabriel cracked into the fOUTS with a 4.950. Kinzer clapped Gabe on the back and said , "Now comes the hard part.. .waitinT' But neither Gabe nor the crowd had to wait long as McCutcheon sized up the hill, selected a line and let rip with his record-setting run. No one was to better his time although Disbermett did his best. Disbenneu, acknowledged by most to be one of the best riders on the circuit, turned in an impressively smooth ride of 5.049. "My kill button . malfunctioned and the engine kept firing as the front end came up. When I let off the button a plug had already fouled and it was over, " he said of his third place ride. Defending champ Earl Bowlby finished seventh, _ just behind Lou Gerencer, Said Earl , "T his might be my last season running for points. I