HILLCLlMB,
AMA National Championship HillclimbSeries
Round 8: Goshen Iron Horsemen MC
(Left) Big-bore rookie
WIHle Price blasted to
his flrst-ever wIn In
the 800cc class,
(Below) Paul
Pinsonnault continues
his march toward his
fourth championship
In the 540cc class,
scoring his fourth
victory oflhe season.
By David L. Patton Jr.
MIDDl.EBURY, IN, SEPT, 15
hree-time and defending 540cc
National ,Champion Paul Pinsonnault took a huge step forward in his bid to tie the legendary Earl
Bowley's record of four straight National Championships as the KAP Hondamounted rider scored his third win of
the season,
In winning, Pinsonnault increased
his season lead to 10 points .over David
Watson with two rounds left in the
series, In addition to taking the victory
in the 540cc class, Pinsonnault also set
the fastest time of the day,
Scott McNeely, the winner of round
eight in Pennsylvania, also rode well,
taking second overall and strengthening
his hold on third overall for the series,
Indiana's Mike Pulver made it a Honda
sweep with a third-place finish, backing
up his win at Middlebury in May,
_
In 800cc action, Madison, West Virginia's Willie Price picked up his first
National victory in only his second year
of pro competition,
Lou Gerencer also improved his
chances at the championship, despite
injuries sustained at round seven in
Freemansburg, Gerencer's second-place
ride, combined with teammate Mickey
Dent's sixth, has Gerencer eight points
away from his third number-one plate.
Bob Castledine also had a good day, taking third overall, with the fastest time in
the second round,
The Goshen Iron Horsmen Motorcycle Club hosts two rounds of the hillclimb series each season, and the Louie
Gerencer-designed man-mad~ hill is one
of the toughest tests on the circuit. The
hill is very short and steep, with a double~jump section that decides the winners from the crashers,
540cc
Bob Shreiner from Bird in Hand,
Pennsylvania, started off the day's event
on his nitro-burning BSA Unfortunately, Shreiner's bike developed a misfire
on the line which slowed his run as
well as ended his day,
Yamaha-mounted Jeff Thomas has
come a long way this season and he
really charged up the crowd with a
spectacular ride, Thomas' biJ
