Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

• ••••dco.COlo o·.y • ·.o ota·Io D. .o..• uk.·B -okl o• •·T dco·COlo do·.y_ Cenl!'al Pipeline planned to use a laser system to measure the bikes' footages but outside radio interference prevented its use. "!"his, plus some traffic problems, caused a delay in the real stan of the event. but once things got rolling, action was fast and furious. The Exhibition class ran on a ~ hill that was slightly off-camber for about 200 feet. The fact that there was absolutely no path staned on the hill, plus the dry. loose conditions, threw moat of the riders a curve. The 500 and 750cc classes staned the climb on separate hills. It took a while before the 500. began to make much headway through the sagebrush. but they finally made a path. Their second runs began to l~k really good about halfway through the class. Only the top 15 in the class broke 500 feet and only the winner - Kerry Peterson on a 490 Maico - went above 600. His stopping point was 619 feet. The 5705 did not do as well even though they had the 500s' path to follow. Eight of them broke 500 and four of the eight were from Colorado. This year, the 250s were moved into the 570cc class and they made their presence mown. The winner was Steven Foster on a 250 Suzuki who went 594 feet. eight inches on his .first try. Richard DeRosa woke everyone up with his 750cc ride on a punched out 465 Yamaha. He worked his bike to the 741-foot mark before the bushes got him. Some people thought he had the class sewed up, but Ronald Edie on a 558cc Yamaha had other ideas. On his second try, he sltined around the bushes up to 775 feet to push DeRtIlIa to second. The Open class seemed to have a bit more trouble. Thrown chains were a big problem. Keith Roessler and his 972cc Honda found a good path on his first try though and went 805 feet for , the win. The Exhibition class had 74 entries that ranged from 400 Yamahas to 1565cc Harley-Davidsons burning nitro and pulling metal paddleequipped rear wheels. The paddles were mounted in several ways. Some were bolted directly to the tire, some were attached to chains and then put around the tire, but most striking were the ones welded on a mag type wheel. . .. ITop) Keith Ro ...I.r Cleft) Mel rnechIInlc Ray BrlndoI d....y their VVIcIowIMkw-conqu.r1ng rMChlne - • mcc HoncIe four with. Pro-Unk ,..,..nd end Treck. . . . . fnIrne.CAbove) Roger RMclIoeIng hie ExhIbition cilia ......y. Only Roessler tops dusty Widowrnaker By Dlene Polley Photos by Dorde Woodruff POlNTOFTHEMOUNTAIN, UT, APR. %6 42 The Widowmaker has been run in rain, snow and shine, and now dust has been added. One of the things that always made the . 1500-foot hill climb so enjoyable was the minimum amount of dust. but 1981 changed that. Strong winds and dry conditions plus 5%7 motorcycles equaled a _ Texas dust storm in Utah for two days. The number of riden was down, but enthusiasm was not. After a long day during which he said he got very nervous, Keith Roessler from California and his 97%cc Honda (built. by Ray Brindoa) went home the moat succaaful rider of the 1981 Pepsi Challenge Widowmalter Hill Climb. As usual, the Salt Lake City Bees had coine up with some surprises for the Exhibition riden. They had No one expected a bike over (if one made it at all) until the second round because of the roughness of the hill. But early in the class, two bikes passed the 600-foot mark and it began to look as if the marks would be higher than predicted on the mountain. The 21st rider out of the hole was Keith Roessler. He had changed tim! on his 972cc Honda but was still burning gasoline. No one was really paying much attention to him; they were waiting for the big names to come up. Roessler looked strong leaving the line and went over the ledge at 550 feet ciasily. He passed the next ledge at 750 still going strpng. but everyone knew that he would not go over this early in the class. Roessler did not pay any attention to this; he just kept riding his Honda and c1imbling the famed hill. Finally, after a 1:20.59 run. he went over the top of the mountain and claimed the $1000 for first over. Roessler had a long wait ahead of him before he could also claim first place. The only rider to challenge him in . the first round was Roben Day. Jr. on the 465 Yamaha that took him to the top last year. The mountain stopped him at 958 feet, two inches. The second round was a little more suapensfu1. Several riden passed 800 •

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