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/127595
~ HILLCLIMB AMA National Charnpionship_H_illc_lirn _ri_es:_RoUD _b_Se _ ---cd---c6 _ e Rob ert Castledi ne took an unscheduled trip into the trees at the 375-foot mark. Paul Pinsonnault Oeft)and Tom Reiser (right> were the winners at the Bushkill Hillclimb. Workers were kept busy pulling riders and machines off of the hill all day. Reiser, Pinsonnault fly at Bushkill By Jay Herndon FREEMANsBURG, PA, SEPT. 12 om Reiser's relentless pursuit of the 800cc National Championship took another step forward when he won ye t another round wi th a thundering assau lt o n the Bushkill Motorcycle Cl ub's 500 -foot h ill , and Paul Pinnsonault kept his title hopes alive in the 540cc class by ripping to the win in the smaller-displacement class and closing wilhing one-point of series point leader Scott Everett. Once again, the notoriously difficult hill showed no mercy to the 32 competitors, much to the delight of the estimated crowd of 4000. A six-week break in the series allowed riders and teams to prepare their equipment for their attack on the hill, known as the most challenging of the circuit. Climbers were faced with a large kicker and three large jumps before the degree of slope climbed from a gentle incline, to an estimated 68-degree angle. The last 100 feet of the course was T 28 extremely narrow, making for an even greater challenge at the top. John Hislop drew the first starting position in the 540cc class through the standard lottery system. "The hill starts off at a 25-degree angle at the bottom with a little jump p ut in that puts you maybe four or five feet in the air," exp lained Hislop before his run. "Then the first jump is also going to pu t you high in the air 'cause you'll be gaining a lot of speed coming up to that point. There's a ledge on the second jump and you have to keep on it - that's all there is to it because if you back off that you're gonna get a little squirrelly and never get enough run at the next jump. 1I's just a matter of hanging on and not getting into a rut and getting sideways. Overall the hill looks good, but it's not as wide as we like to see 'em." Hislop brought his BSA to the starting box and left the line w ith a sl ow start. As he left the box, he had troubles with his engine and experienced subsequent traction problems that ended his first climb at the 2BO-foot mark. Hislop's second climb didn't come together any better, and he fell short at the 310-foot marker. Hislop finished a disappointing 16th. As the 540cc class turned in their first attempts, Pinsonnault climbed aboard his Honda and scorched the hill with a 10.8357-second run. During his run, Pinsonnault displayed an extremely technical riding style and was quite pleased with his time, and elected to let the ride stand and not use his optional second climb. Pinsonnault's strategy proved effective as his time would not be .topped. He pocketed the win, and closed the gap to just a single point behind ser ies points leader Scott Everett, who finished a disappointing ninth. Alan Hoskins powered his Honda up ยท th e hill with his typical zest. Hoskins' first climb was straight and uneventful, with the exception of the second jump, where he got a little crossed-up and had to correct the bike 's path with some body language and throttle adjustments. He completed the climb with a time of 14.7968. His second blast out of the box proved more effective, as he turned in a time of 12.5802,good enough for third in the 540cc class. "Hey, the hill can be a little scary, but 1 like this hill," said Hoskins. "I got crossed up, but 1 landed okay and we grabbed us a third. It was fun!" As the day continued, nine riders in the 540cc class fell short of the timing lights, unable to complete their first attempts. Seven riders fell short the second round. Canadian Ted Wilkins put his Rotax in the box and hammered off the line . The bike screamed up the hill and Wilkins kept the throttle on, looking as if he was fired from an archer's bow. Wilkins landed straight after each jump and continued to scream on up . His time was 12.0010, and his second run was nearly identical, but two-tenths of a second slower. The first climb secured a second-place finish for Wilkins. "We still don't have the springs set up right for this hill, but it was still a good day," said Wilkins. Upon the completion of the 540cc class runs, the 800cc class displayed their power, but had their share of problems as well. Robert Castledine of the USA Team faltered twice. Castledine's first attempt began thunderous and fast as he started shallow in the box , se tting his Harley-Davidson about five feet forward of the usual s tarting position. Castledine's launch and climb looked fast and u ne ven tfu l until the second jump, where he came off the back of the bike as he launched left in to the trees and out of bounds at the 375-foot mark. Cas tledine's second attempt again started by staging the Harley close to the lights. His second climb was the same, with a hard launch and exit out of the box, but ended even earlier, at the 245foot mark. Castledine slammed into a buried boulder w ith his hip as he and his Harley slid off into the foliage on the left side of the hill. Rescue teams went to work to bring Castledine down off the hill on a stretcher, as he was experiencing pain in his right hip and took a trip to the local hospital. Red Team member Lou Gerencer Jr. brought his Harley to the starting box for his first attempt and started his climb in what appeared to be a slow run. The execution was flawless and deceivingly