Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

HILLCLIMB AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HILLCUMB SERIES (Left) Paul zander started his season off right with a win in the 800cc class. (Above) Ted Wilkins used his Rotaxpowered hillclimber to take the win in the 540cc class. By David L. Patton Jr. MlDDLEBURY, IN, MAY 17 ed Wilkins and Paul Zander entered 1998 from different directions but when the dust had cleared, they shared the top spot on the podium at the AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series opener. Zander won his first National last fall in Middlebury and he became the first rider to win back-to-back races here. Wilkins broke his back in September of 1997 and this was the popular Canadian star's . first race since his injury and all of the riders were glad he's back. Zander edged out Russ VanderVeen and Glen Petty for the 800cc win and Ted headed David Watson and Tim Frazier for the 540cc victory. The Goshen Iron Horsemen Motorcy'cle Club hosts two Pro events each year, the spring memorial and the fall event . and the man-made hill has destroyed many championship contenders' hopes over the years. The hill is only 160 feet high but it features a double-jump section that leaves no room for error. The Middlebury Hillclimb is one of the few hillclimbs that can get slower as tl\.e day wears on. As the ruts develop it's more difficult to get a straight, low launch off the jump, which is the key to victory at this hill. Both Zander and Wilkins set their winning times on their first rides and in the 540cc class only three riders in the top 10 improved on their second attempt. . 1J: 540Cc A record crowd and a sunny day greeted the 39 professional hillclimbers as round one of the series got under way. Terry Thompson on his Thompson Racing/Pro-Action backed, fuel-injected BSA led the 540cc class to the starting line. Thompson won three Nationals in 1997, including the memorial, and he was hoping for a fast start to his season.. His ·nitro-burning BSA blasted off the line but he got sideways off the first jump and went down after landing all crossed up, a problem manY'of the day's competitors suffered. Kreeger's Pro Hillclimb Team member Phil Libhart followed Thompson and he flew his Triumph straight and smooth to put a time of 3.444 seconds up as the time to beat. Honda CR500 riders Tim Friedhoff (3:700), Mike Pulver (3.508), and Scott MeNeely (3.589) all broke into the three-second braCket, but Libhart's time held up until David Watson wheeled his Mac's Cycle Supply/ KAP backed Honda CR500 to the line. Watson started on the far right of the hill and his nitro-burning Honda left the line hard. He had to make a major correction in midair, bringing the front end down and straightening the bike out, but he got it together for a smooth landing and a time of 3.3741, his best time of the day. Watson's hold on first place lasted for one ride. Wilkins brought his alcohol-fueled Rotax to the line and clicked off a perfect·run. "r was a little nervous going to the line but once we started the bike r was fine," Wilkins said. "I came out of the hole good and the landing was really smooth. Then I ran to the top of the hill. r shut off a little early at the top." >yilkins' winning ride took 3.3147 seconds. Jeremy Thomas also left the first jump sideways but he did an outstanding job bringing his Honda back on the line to stop the clock at 3.6395, his best ride of the day and fast enough for 10th overall. Four-time 540cc National Champion Tim Frazier was the next rider to move into the top 10 with a time of 3.441 seconds on his Parts Unlimited/Thorbacked BSA. Frazier's time was fast enough for third, though he lost time when he cased the top of the second jump. , The last rider to make a run at Wilkins' time on round one was fivetime and defending Nationar Champion Paul Pinsonnault. Pinsonnault is one of the most consistent riders in the sport and he never has bad rides. But today he couldo't quite find the perfect combination. His first ride netted him a time of 3.466 for fifth place. "r got too much air over the jump," Pinsonnault said at intermission. Thompson's second ride had its problems as well. His bike began to miss on the starting line and it obviously wasn't running right. After a decent launch off the jump, he landed hard and cut across the hill to the left-side boundary. His ·time of 3.618 was dependent upon Referee Larry Wenger's determination of ou~ of bounds or good. The tire tracks proved Thompson's case and he locked up ninth overall. As the hill proved more difficult, few riders were able to better their roundone times. Tim Friedhoff turned in a 3.500 to take siXth overall in his first Pro event and Scott McNeely on a Mac's Cycle Supply Honda went 3.521 to move up to eighth behind Mike Pulver. Wilkins sat·in his riding gear ready to ride as soon as someone beat his time but Watson, Frazier and finally Pinsonnault came up short, and Wilkins had his first win of the year. "A lot of the credit gs>es to my brother Bill who has been working on my bike for me and he has it running really well," Wilkins said. "This is the first time I've been in the points lead." 800Cc Wallace Fowler took his first National win last season at the memorial and he was hoping to continue his comeback from a serious crash last June with his second career win as he opened the 800cc racing. Wallace blasted his fuelinjected'Suzuki GSXR over the jump but his foot slipped off the peg when he landed and he crashed at the 110-foot mark. Bobby Templeton's first HarleyDavidson ride ended at the same spot as he left the jump crossed up and couldn't straighten it out in time. 1997 800cc National Champion James "Jammer" Large was the first 800cc rider to reach the top but it wasn't easy. Jammer mistimed his shutoff point and cased the Reiser's Cycle Service HarleyDavidson but he held on for a 3.506. Chris Brown folJowed Jammer with a 3.607 on his Triumph, good enough for tenth overall on the day. The huge crowd were all cheering as Lou Gerencer made his return to racing after missing nearly all of last year because of injuries. The three-time National Champion is riding a limited schedule this year but the HarleyD'avidson Racing Pro-Hillclimb Team member was looking for a topdive finish. Lou left the line hard and straight but he got way too much air. When he landed, the bike shot to the left and he had to battle to stay in bounds, but he still picked up a time of 3.525 seconds and the early lead. . Former Middlebury winner Glen Petty also overjumped the double on lhis way to a time of 3.558 and Russ VanderVeen was in contention with a 3.587 for his first ride. 1995 National Champion Steve Dresser was not among the leaders after problems on, his first ride. Dresser pulled a huge sky shot and when he landed his chain derailed. He had the the same problem on his second ride, making his path to the number-one plate tougher. Zander won last fall's event at Middlebury and he was looking forward to this hillclimb. "This hill seems to favor guys from a motocross background like me," he said. Zander proved his point, jumping low and straight and tearing past the timing lights with a 3.222-sec-. ond run, the fastest of the day. "English Motors built me a fast BSA and Barnett clutches helped me fly out of the hole, Zander said. "Then all r had to do was hold it on all the way up the hilL" Willie Price won last spring's hillclimb as well as four others in 1997 and he was going strong when he flew off the first jump. Willie had his bike leaned ave!: when he landed and it doesn't take but a second for a 300-plus-pound, 180-plushorsepower nitro-burning Harley-Davidson to bite you. Price would bounce back on his second run of the day. Bob Shreiner got sideways while in . 'the air on his Dr. Bob's Racing Kawasaki two-stroke triple but he still ran into the top 10 with-3.770. Shreiner wouldn't be able to improve o.n the second ride and he dropped out of the top 10. Harley-Davidson Racing Pro-HiIlclimb Team rider Jason Petty hi'd a bit of a bobble coming off the line but he was really strong in the middle of his run, with a time of 3.389 seconds good for fourth overall. Unfortunately he had a problem and hit the top of the hill going too fast, bailing off the bike and landing on his feet, injuring his ankles. Petty will miss the rest of the 1998 season. Hot Rod Williams from nearby Niles, Michigan, had a good ride on his Triumph after many years of success on a Harley-Davidson. He put together a good straight ride that could have been faster if his foot hadn't slipped off the peg. His 3.539 earned him eighth overall for the day after his second ride ended short of the top. As Wallace Fowler jumped into the

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