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Round 4: Hornell M.e. pionship-winning style as he fired his stretched Honda onto the course to clock a 6.6689 in his first run. Fast enough for first place in the first round, the times would improve with the hill getting faster and faster as the day wore on. Pinsonnault's second run - a perfect slingshot ride - was touched only with a little body language to keep on the (Left) XR750 rider Jimmy Dingee on his first Nn Just prior to taking out the liming lights In the foreground. Dingee came back In his lIlICond Nn and flew to first place in the 800cc ct.... (Above) Paul Plnsonnault his way to victory In the 540cc cisu on his second climb. roo_ By Jay A. Herndon AVOCA, NY,jUNE 18 fter defaulting on his first climb, National Pro Hillclimber Jimmy Dingee took his powerhouse XR750 Harley-Davidson to his first pro race victory with a straight-line blast to the top of the hill as the AMA National Championship HiIlclimb Series ascended upon the Hornell M.C.'s hill for round four of their national tour. Not so surprisingly, Paul Pinsonnault of the 540cc class improved on his first climb to hold fellow competitors Rick Soter and Scott McNeely off, to take his second National Pro win in the increasingly competitive class. Pro HiIlclirnb action returned to the annual stop at Hornell M.e. and the riders were presented with the usual dragshiplike, horsepower-eating hill that the clubgrounds feature. The pea gravel and stones on the course act like marbles, calling for higher gearing, higher revs and lots of horsepower. The 3OO-foot hill boasts two small kickers at the 150-foot marker and a kicker at the 210-foot marker. Under dusty conditions with high humidity and temperatures in the 90's, Terry Thompson of the 540cc class got the day's event under way. Thompson kicked up a dusty rooster tail as he worked his BSA over the kickers to a 7.6070-second run. Thompson's second. ride later in the day was quicker at 6.8661 but wasn't fas.t enough to elevate him from 11th place. Rick Soter put his BSA on the hill quickly and found he had his hands full trying to keep the rebellious nitro bumer in a straight line. Soter's first time of A 38 (Right) Flying to second place In the 800cc class, Canadisn Greg Wlilisms wheel... In front oflhe ~Ius speetatoos. ~ Dresser got.a kick out of the hill, shutting him down as he stepped out of bounds at the 260-foot mark. Feathering out of the starting box for his second chance, Dresser turned it on as he kicked out a huge, dusty rooster tail and blasted through the timer with 5.7988second, third-place ride that kept him in the series points lead. "That holeshot, if you don't get that, you don't win. You've got to pin it to win it!" Dresser exclaimed. Round-three winner Greg Williams fired his stretched powerhouse four-cylinder onto the drag strip and clocked a solid 6.3102 for his first climb. Returning in the second half of the day, the Canadian turned it on with a vengeance. Getting a spring out of the first kicker, he rocketed to the lights, floating the front wheel for parl of his 5.6537 pass. Fast, but not fast enough to step it up from second place. "On the se.cond ride everything came together except for the holeshot. It didn't leave the line hard and that cost us the hillclimb," Williams lamented. Jimmy Dingee put his beautiful Erskine-built XR750 Harley to the hill's face to produce a fast, straight run to and over the timing lights, as he took the lights out'by running over them. Event referee Harold White ruled Dingee out at the 290 mark. Dingee returned and refined his riding style to produce yet another fast ride, staying straight as he blasted to the top with a ride that made hillclimbing look easy. Clocking an impressive 5.5202, Dingee took his first National Pro Hillclimb win and humbly smiled as he was asked how it felt: "Just backed back in there, dumped the clutch and off we went... Bob (owner of the XR750) and I would like to dedicate this race to our dads, who both died in May of 1982, and also thanks to my wife, who's home right now ready to have our baby any minute." (N HomeIlM.C. Avoca, New York Results: June 18, 19115 (Round 4 of 13) 7.3700 was shaved by over a second with his second climb - a faster, straighter run that produced a 6.2686second blast to the lights. As fast as it was, Soter had to settle for a third-place finish. "On the first ride I felt like an amateur... sideways and falling off and what not. The second ride was one of those rides where I didn't shoot off the whole way," Soter said at day's end. Scott McNeely·shoved his beautiful Honda into a top position after squeezing off a couple of dusty rides. The West Virginian's first attempt netted a 7.3849 up the single-line hill. He then bettered his time with a technically flawless second ride, clocking an awesome 6.1022. McNeely commented on his secondplace-winning ride: "Everything clicked ... it was a perfect run. I just wished my dad could've been here with me, who I thank for his support:' Paul Pinsonnault showed his cham- straight and narrow groove and produced an unbelievable and crowd-pleasing 5.6309, to take his second first-place win of this season. '1 just did what I had to. I was surprised I'd got that good," Pinsonnault said, referring to his time on his second ride. The first 800cc bike against the starling log was Lou Gerencer Jr:s. The current number-one-plate holder put his Gerencer-tuned XR750 to the hill's face hard as he powered his way to the top in an attempt to set the pace early on. Gerencer clocked a 5.8851 for his first ride - the one he had to use due to an early dismount at the 30-foot marker during his second ride - only quick enough for fourth place. Pro USA's Steve Dresser wanted to make a statement in front of his hometown crowd of 3OOO-plus as he put his Harley onto the straight and narrow. S0. 1. Paul Pinsonnault (Hon); 2. Scott McNeely (Hon); 3. Riclc Soter ill (BSA); 4. Ted Wilkins (Rtx); 5. Dav;d Watson (](.aw); 6. Mike DeBusk (BSA); 7. Michael Pulver (Hon); 8. Alan Hoskins (Hon); 9. Kevin Zucco (Kaw); 10. Paul Lowe (Kaw); 11. Terry Thom,pson (BSA); 12. Doug KIont (Tri); 13. Robert Shreiner (BSA); 14.. William Price (Yam); 15. Jason Petty (Kaw); 16. Ralph Kreeger (Tri); 17. Walter Herrick (Suz).; 18. RandaD Dillon (Hon); 19. Paul Garrety (Kaw); 20. Bob Hawle (BSA); 21. Jack Macauley: 22. james Zucco (](.aw); 23. John Hislop (BSA). 800: 1. Jimmy Dingee (H-D); 2. Greg Williams (Hon); 3. Steve Dn:sser (H-D); 4. Lou Gerencer Jr. (H-D); 5. Rodney Williams (H-D); 6. Harry Schreiber (H·D); 7. Robert CastJedine (H-D); 8. Wallace Fowler (Suz); Rodney Smith (Yam); 10. Tom Reiser (H-D); 11. Randy Gabrie1 (H-D). HILLCLIMB 540ce NATIONAL C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of ]3 round.): 1. Paul Pinsonnau)t (58/2 wins); 2. Rick Soter ill (57/2); 3. Michael Pulver (41); 4. Alan Hoskins (40); 5. (TIE) Dav;d Watson/Scott McNeely (38); 7. Paul Lowe (34); 8. Ted Wilkins (31): 9. Michael DeBusk (30): 10. Kevin Zucco (27); 11. (TIE) Aaron Brown/William Price (l4); 13. (TIE) Terry Thompson/jason Petty (12); 15. Ralph Kreeger (8); 16. James Zucco (7); 17. Doug K10nt (6); 18. John Hislop (4); 19. (TIE) Robert Shreiner/Paul Garrety (3). HILLCLIMB 800ce NATIONAL C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 13 rounds): 1. Steve Dresser (53); 2. Greg Williams (52/1 wm); 3. Harry Schreiber (48/1); 4. Lou Gerencer (47/10): 5. Rod Williams (36); 6. WaUace Fowler (35); 7. Jimmy Dingee (34/1 win); 8. Robert Castledine (33); 9. Tom Reiser (31); 10. Randy Gabriel (27); 11. Rodney Smith (20); 12. Glenda! Petty Jr. (16): 13. Roger McNeely (15); 14. Miclcey Dent (10); 15. Russell Vanderveen (5). Upcoming Rounds: Round 5 - Marquette, MI, July 22 Round 6 - Haydenville. OH, July 29