·HILlCLIMBChampionship Hillclimb Billings Motorcycle Club
1996 Great American
By Karel Kramer/Dirt Rider
BILLINGS, MT, JULY 27-28
t was a great year for local riders at
the Billings Motorcycle Club's
annual Miller-sponsored feature
hi II climb. Much to the delight of
the partisan crowd of over 15,000, two
of the top three money winners were
locals who fought off challenges of better-known, higher-ranked riders from
California and Utah. Hard-rock miner
Dusty Beer from neighboring Columbus
utilized a 1996 KTM 550 and his trusty
four-cylinder Kawasaki to devastating
effect and took home top cash. His
$3000 for the t""o days made him the
most successful rider at the event.
North American Hillclimber's Association number-one plate holder Travis
Whitlock of Utah W;lS the big winner in
1995, but he returned to manage the
family body shop $2600 richer this year.
Billings resident Dave Johnston was
another rider to fend off the out-ofsta ters. He topped both tire classes and
placed well in the unlimited classes to
accrue $2550 for the weekend. Both
Whitlock and Johnston used Honda
CR500Rs and radical off-road chassis
with llOOcc four-cylinder engines. Whitlock uses Yamaha FJllOO power while
Johnston employs a Suzuki GSXRllOO
powerplant.
Brent Mace from Medicine Hat,
(Above) Dusty
Beer was the top
money winner at
the 1996 Great
American
Championship
Hlllclimb In
Billings, Montana,
and became this
year's Montana
state champion by
winning the
Advanced claaa.
(Right) Utah's
Travis Whhlock
was last year's top
rider but flnlahed
second to Beer in
the 701 cc-up
Unlimited class.
