Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

:H NatiOnalLIM Hillclimb Series.... Round 6: All-Star Pro Invitational ; ILLC Championship .. B. .w Gerencer, Sch r eiber 's teammate and rival, and ev eryone knew the Ha rley rider wo uld ha ve to pe rform . Gerencer's first two runs had him behind Schreiber, but he had jus t one slight kick on his third try, and shattered all other times with a 4.638. "I 'm sure glad we had three rides today," said Schreiber. "Chains (were) breaking and things jus t weren 't going well. In the th ird round th e Lou Gerencer horsepower d id it all. 1 had to get out of it twice and 1 jus t left the door open for Lou to wa lk through." "Harry came back in round two and beat me, so 1 had to run again," added a smiling Gerencer. "By then, the ju mps were worn down pretty good and 1 kept on the ground. It felt really good! " (left) Mickey Dent aims lor the fi nish li ne en route to a flfth-place finish in the 800cc class. (Below) Lou Gerenc er Jr. (left ) watches refe ree Carl Murat calculate and measure cy linders , making sure the moto rcyc les do not ecede the legal lim its. By Jay A. Herndon MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, AUGUST 7 ou Gerenc er Jr. chalked up yet another 800cc class victory for his Red Team w he n he rail ed his Ha rley-David son over the Muskegon hill just nine-hundr edths of a second quicker than teammate and rival Harry Schreiber durin g the histo ri cal invita tio nal ev ent. Rick Soter had an easier time of it in the 540cc category, req uirin g jus t a single cha rge up the incline to win wi th ease. Muskegon M.e. president Ken McConnel extended a warm welcome to the field of 15 in vi ted riders (in each class), as well as the estimated 4250 fans. - Blue skies and pleasantly warm conditions made spectating a joy. The wellgroomed, clay-based hill included kickers at the 100- and 230-foot marks, with - the timing lights set at 340 feet . "Hillclimbing is basically how this club got started," said McConnel of his 74-yearold organization. The cl imbing order was based on position in the points race, wi th the ~ points leader running last. Doug Klont ~ N got things off to a start with his first of ti three climbs. (Two climbs is the norm at other e ven ts, but the s ma ller fie ld allowed an ext ra try .) Klon t' s first ~ attempt fell short when his ora nge Trium ph sna pped its chain, bu t his second attemp t r esulted in a show y r ide s tra ight up the center a nd a time of ~ ~ 5b 30 5.683. In round three, Klont started sliding back on the bike but still improved his time to 5.646, good for 12th place. Soter started hi s Tim Fraz ier -built BSA from the center of th e bo x a nd ca me out with a blast , d rifting to th e right bound ary line and trippin g th e ligh ts at 4.925. "Earl Bowlby told me the best wa y to win a hillclimb is to take off quick, and don't shut off for nothing. so tha t's what 1 tried to d o," said Sot er , who was rewarded w ith a cheer fro m the crowd. Soter' s time held throughout the da y, and he d idn't have to put in ano ther attempt. Scott Everett put his beau tiful Triumph on the hill with a blast, drifting to the right and finishin g in 5.009. H is return proved quicker d espite a small bobble over the first kick er, and he roosted over the top in 4.975. A whee lie kept Everett from improving in round three, so his round-two run stood, earning him third place. "The bike is new and everything's working outstanding, so we're go ing to experiment to get ready for next year," said Everett. "I'll take third today - but he y, Mike (DeBusk) and Rick (Soter), they blasted this hill just the way they shou ld have, an d 1congratu late them ." DeBu sk made h is return to racing after suffering a broken collarbone, and was in good form. His first climb had him thro wing d irt off the first kicker, as he floated the front wheel and squirmed th e crisp-sounding BSA through the lights w ith a time of 4.997. Round two was flawed b y a sli p to th e left, but round three saw him run straight up the middle in 4.958, fast enough for second place. " On the third run I was focused ," sai d DeBusk. "I could see where 1 was going, where 1 wanted to be, and 1 knew 1 was in the groove. I just wouldn't shut it down a nd we almost ca ugh t him. We'll catch him again ." The 800cc class got started wi th the bl ue Yama ha o f 62-y ear-ol d Charley Casey . Case y started on the right side of the box, dropped the hammer and went out o f bounds at the 120-f oot mark. Round two for the oldest climber on the circuit p roved more technically sound, and he stopped the clocks at 5.660. His th ird round includ ed a few too ma ny bobbles. Schreiber drifted to the right on his first a tte mp t, clocking a 6:236, and his second try ended when his chain broke at the drop of the clutch. With just 10 minute s allowed to fix the bike, The Red Team hus tled to roll th e thunderous Harley back to their tent and completed the rep airs on time. Schreiber's second att empt a t hi s second attempt was no more successful, ending prematurely when he sli p ped out o f bounds at 45 fee t. The pressure w as o n in round three, and Schreiber came through with a b lazing 4.723. Th is put him in first place . .. for a wh ile. The time came for th e final run of Tom Reiser got kicked to both sides on his Team USA Harley-Davidson, and had to fight off a big wheelie as well. He d rifted over the top in 4.869 seconds, and couldn't improve in round two . He returned in round three, however, turning up the volume on the number-oneplate holder and shooting like a bullet onto the grooved hill. Despite a bit too much airtime, Reiser posted a run of 4.748 seconds, securin g third pl ace on the da y. "We were trying to put it into the groove because Lou ie (Geren cer) had just run before us and opened up a straight run," said Reiser. "We were trying to put it back in the groove again, and follow him up th e same hole. We did that , but we got a little more airtime. Once we got the a irtime, it was all over." (N All-Star Pro Invitati onal Muskegon, Michigan Resu lts : August 7. 1994 800: I. Lou Gerencer Jr. (H·D); 2. Harry Schre iber (H· D); 3. Tom Reiser (H · D); 4. Tim Frazi er (BSA); S. : Mickey Den. (H· D); 6. Wade Williams (Hon); 7. Gary Miller (H -O) ; 8. Rand y G abri el (H ·D ); 9. Rodney Williams (H·D); 10. Bob Castledi"" (H ·D); 11. Glendal Petty Jr. (Tri ); 12. Gr eg Williams (Ha n); 13. Charles Casey (Yam); 14. Donald Boggs (Hon). S4O: I. Rick Soter (BSA); 2. Michael DeBusk (BSA); 3. Scott Everett (Tri); 4. Paul Pins on nau h (Ho n); 5. David Watson (Ka w); 6. Scott McNeel y (Hon); 7. Ted Wilkins (Rn); 8. Micha el Pu lver (Han); 9. Paul lowe (K.l.w) ; 10. Steven Pa trick (Yam); 11. James Zucco (Kaw); 12. Doug K1ant (Tri); 13. Alan Hoskins (Hon) ; 14. Ralph Kreeger (Tri); 15. Bruce Sweigart (Tri). Upcoming Rounds : And 7 - Monson , Massachu setts , SeptA And 8 - Freemansburg , Pennsylvania. Sept 11

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