Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

AMA National ChampionshipHillclimb Series, Round 7 By David and Lora Patton DANSVILLE, NY, AUG. 15 I I too k fo u rth pl ace o n distance? Dang, tha t tells you right there ho w tough this hill is, w hen you can finish fourth and not make it up the hill," marveled 5ol0cc rider Chad Disbennett, summing up ro u nd seven of the 1999 AMA National Championship H illclimb Series in Dan sville. It was the sa me for ma ny of the Pro rid ers. 'In only three years, the Dansv ille even t ha s become one of the bi ggest and g na rliest sto ps o n the circu it . The tall , steep hill requires a go-for-it at titude for a top fin ish, a nd it has s ha ke n up th e points races in th e last tw o seasons. This season, th e Poa gs H ole Pro d uctio ns even t debuted a new scoring system for the race. Every rid er w ould be allowed tw o runs, with the 10 fastest tim es heading in to the fin a!. After th e firs t round, any rid er cou ld ma ke one more pass to e it her m ak e th e fin al or to try out changes for th e final, 'and that extr a run would pay off big for 540cc winner Scott McNeely. . McNeely had taken a second rid e to dial in the H ond a he bo r ro wed from David and Dan Watson and had exp erien ced bik e problem s. "A piece of silicon e sealer plugged up the ca rb," McNeel y sa id . "We changed th e gearing and len gthened the frame, but I d on't kn ow how it w ill w ork. At least it happened before the final ." In the runoff, M cNeely was clean o ver the d oubl es and th e uphill kick er , but he backed off a littl e before the big ju m p and los t m om en tum . McNeel y struggled up the hill, going left almost into the trees near the top, but he made it over in 16.921 seconds, the first 540 ov er the top in th e runoff but well off Paul Pi nsonnault's first -round tim e of 10 .921. Pinsonnault missed the first event of the series, but he clawed his way back into the title chase, and a sixth or better would vault him into th e lead . After John Hamil ton Jr. and Ted Wilki ns had to u g h lu ck in the runoff, Pinsonna ult geared his bike higher and had a per fect ride goi ng w he n he attacked the hill in th e runoff. He hit th e smoothest line all the way to the jump and had a solid landingwhen the bi ke sud denly died. "Some t h ing let go in the botto m en d ," Pins o nnault sa id . " It s till tu rn s over, bu t it's not right." .. Pinsonnault's seventh spot would tie him wi th Ha milton for the points lead . Ro g er M c ee ly, owne r of Mac' s Cycle Supply , has h a d h is bes t year ever o n the Pro circuit despite m issing the firs t three races, a nd he was only .65 seconds beh in d his son Scott in q ua lifying. Roger' s ru n for the money was ro ck solid , as h e kep t it smooth over th e ju mp and hit the top half of th e hill , loo ki ng fo r horsepo w er. He kept hi s paddle tire chu rn ing for a time o f 16.957 a nd seco nd overa ll, h is best fini sh ever. "Today was the result of a lot of ha rd wo r k and a lot of mon ey ," Ro g er M cN eel y sa id. "I co u ld n ' t ha ve d one this without th e su p p o rt of m y w ife, Lauren, and the help of m y so n Scott and the Wat sons." Charlie Rob erts was up rig ht behind Roger McNeel y on the Fire Hill Foods / A lle ntow n Cy cles / Wi s eco -ba ck -ed Kawasaki, a nd Roberts u sed all of th e hill , all of his horsepower and a ton of determination to finally reach the top in 22.284 seconds for third ove rall. ."This ha s been a grea t day," Rober ts sai d. "My first ride, I cra sh ed an d had to get throu gh the qualifier to ge t in th e top 10. All thi s se ason, my fir st -round rides have been better, a n d I w asn 't im pro ving o n my second rid e. But he re th ey ga ve me three rid es, and w e go t it rig ht. My pit crew didn't have to chan ge a thing all day." Th e 800 cc cl a s s fea tu res he a v ier motorcycles with a lot more hors epower - not alwa ys the hot setup for a hill with tri ck y doubles and lots of ju m ps. But today, the 800cc class had an easier time of it. With 19 competitors looking for 10 spots in the main, there w ould be a lot of bumping in the second-round qualifying . Erskine 's PMS for M otorcycles / Tow nsend Specialties-backed Bobby Templeton started the day as the 800cc po ints lead er, and he se t the pace in the first rou nd of qualif ying wi th his 10.449second ru n. Lou Gerencer wa s also fast in his first visit to Dansville, but his bike needed a little tuning . , "We gea red it u p and m ade the bik e as lon g as we could for the final, " Gerence r said. As th e 800cc runoff ro u nd started, Events (Top) Sco tt McNeely struggled early but came bac k and put in a perfec t ride in the new-format runoff ro und to win the 540cc class at the AMA National Hillclimb in Dansv ille, New York. (Right) The tec hnical nature of the Dansville hill played right Into the hands of Lou Geren cer, wh o excels when the go ing gets tough. Gerencer won the BOOcc class with a time of 10.441 seconds. Glen Petty Jr. w as looking for his second stra igh t win, but he go t the Stou ghton's Cycle H arl ey-David son o u t of s ha pe over th e uphill kicker , and th e big jump fin ished him off. Petty w ould take ninth, goi ng 385 feet. When Gerencer took to the line after seve ra l o t her attempt s , h e kept his Harley -Davidson Racin g /Pro Hillclimb Team / G erencer' s H-D /Wells Cargobacked XR750 in line a t th e bottom of the hill and over the uphill kicker, then h e cra n ked it on. H e was wid e open ove r the jump and his bike powered up the hill in 10.441 seconds for his second win of the season . " O n the fir s t rid e, I sh u t off at the wrong tim e," Ge rencer sai d. "On the second ride, I sh u t off a little ea rly , and I felt th e fron t end sinking in, but I kept the throttle turned on and came ou t on top. " eN Poag 's Hole Hillcllmb Dansv ille, New York Results: Augus t 15, 1999 (Round 7 of 13) 540: 1. Scott McNeely (Hon): 2. Roger McNeely (Hon): 3. Cha rlie Roberts (Kaw): 4. C ha d Disbennett ITri); 5. Tim Freid hoff (Hon); 6. Mike Temple on (Yam); t 7. Paul Pinsonnault (Han); 8. Phil Libhart ITri); 9. Mike Livingston {Hon): 10. Joh n Ham ilton Jr. ITrH; 11. Chris Van Hyning (Hen}; 12. Ja ck McCauley (Hon); 13. Rich Sch euerman (Ho n) ; 14. Melvin Me-ese (TrD; 15. Ted Wilk ins (Rtx ). sm 1. Lou Gerencer (Ii-D); 2 Steve Dresser (H -D ); 3. James Large (H· D); 4. Bobb y Te mp le ton (H-D); 5. David Watson (Hon): 6. Willie Pri ce (Suz ): 7. Creg Williams (Ho n); 8. Ha rry Denham (H-D); 9. Glen Petty Jr. ( H-D ); 10 . Ru ss Va nder-veen (H- D) ; 11. Robert Shreiner (Kaw): 12. Brandon Kreeger (T rO; 13. Curt Snelling (Hen): 101. Jeff Th omas (Yam); 15. Mike DeBusk (Ka w ). AMA' NATIONAL C H AM P IO N SH I P 5-tOce HILLCLIMB SER IES POINT STAND INCS (Altrr 7 of 13 rou nds ): 1. (TIE ) John Ha milt on Jr. (2 win s)/Paul Pin son nault (l win )(76 ); 3. Phi l Libh ert (75); 4. Ted Wil ki ns (70) ; 5. Chad Dtsbennett (58 /2); 6 . T im Fieidhorf (53 ); 7. Toby Thompso n (52 /1 ); 8. Aaron Brow n (47) ; 9. C hri s VanHyning (46 ); to . M ik e Livingst on (44); 11. Richie Sche ue rma n (39); 12. Scott McN eel y (34 /1 l; 13. C ha rlie Ro berts (33); 14. Rog e r Mc N e el y (31) ; 15 . Ja ck Ma caul e y (25) ; 16 . M ike Templeton (20); 17. Chris Brow n (16); 18. Ala n Hoskins (tt): 19. Brian Bowlby nO); 20. Jeff Brown (9). A MA NA TION A L CHA M P IO NS H I P 800ee HI LLCLIMB SERIES PO INT STA ND INGS (After 7 of 13 ro u nds): 1. (TIE) Bobby Templeton (2 w ins) /Ja mt."S Large (8t) ; 3. Gle n Pett y Jr. (7SI I); 4. Da vid Wat son (74/ 1); 5. Tim Frazier (&6/1); 6. lou Ge rence r (56/2); 7. Harry Denham (38); 8. Greg Will iams (36); 9. Will ie Price (3S) ; 10 . Ste ve Dresser (33 ); 11. (TI E) M ik e DeBus k/ Russ Vander Veen (32); 13. Mark Swe m (31); 14. Bob Shrein er (30); 15. Te rry. Thom pson (29); 16. Jeff Thoma s (27) ; 17. Bo b Cas tledi n e (24) ; 18. Brand on Kreeger (20); 19. Rodney Williams ( 2) ; 20 . Rodn e y Smith (12). a> a> a> ai ~ CI) .c E CI) Q. CI) en 47

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