Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Quabo.g Ride,. Clubground.: Jason Northrup· here riding the back wheel of his 750cc "Hondasakl" • placed second In the 750cc class at the AMA Amateur National Hlllclimb Championships In Monson. Massachusetts. AMA Amateur Natilnal Hillclimb Championships Qubaag Riders Clubgrounds Lloyd Barbecues 'em By BUD NORTHRUP MONSON. MA. AUG. 18-19 ome 311 riders converged on Monson. Massachusetts. to compete in the AMA Amateur Motorcycle and ATV Hillclimb Championships. The 320-foot hill looked smooth and hard from a distance but. upon closer inspection, one discovered it would be a sandy. loose and low-traction hill. The hill was well prepared and the c1ubgrounds were beautiful. The club had obviously gone to great lengths to expand and improve the pit and parking areas. Ellsworth. Wisconsin's Todd Cipala was the fastest of the motorcycle competitors. blasting his beautiful Axtell Harley over the top in 7.555 seconds to snare the Openclass win. He had to come from behind. as his first-day time of 8.436 seconds was beaten by defending National Champion Mike Bronk with a 8.014-second time on his 1448cc Yamaha, and then again by Mike Hebert, who nailed a 7.766-second run on Sunday after crashing on Saturday. Cipala is as good as they get. however, and the multi-time National Champion tumed his big Harley on to take the class win and what everyone assumed would be fast time. (The shock of the day came when quad rider Greg Casdorph beat Cipala's time to take the win in the Open ATV class with an astounding 7.544-second run, taking the Fast Time award.) Cipala also placed third in the 600cc 'and 750cc classes. Eric Wheelwright from Hanover, Illinois. had been the 250cc class S 54 SEPTEMBER 26, 2001 • champion for the past two years. but he "slipped" this year. finishing "only" third. However. he took the win in the large and extremely competitive 600cc class. His first-day time of 8.662 seconds was very disappointing. and everyone expected him to do better - which he did big time on Sunday. taking the class win with a 7.635-second run on his CR500. Bruce Gaskell ran second in 7.784 seconds, Cipala took third. and Paul Hackbarth claimed fourth in 7.885 seconds on his Honda. In the 750cc class, defending champion Jason Northrup came all the way from Tempe. Arizona. to ride. arriving with a broken jaw incurred in a trail-riding mishap only a week before. He turned in the fastest time in the class on Saturday. an 8.359second run on his 750cc "Hondasaki" triple. with Todd Cipala and his Kawasaki triple sitting in second place with a 8.492-second time. Only five 750s made it over the first day. On the second day. Cipala couldn't improve on his time. and Jason's brother Kaleb turned in a good 8.635-second run on his triple to move into third. When multi-time champion Lloyd Haas delivered a 9.142-second time on his "Kawazuki" triple. it appeared that Jason would retain his title. However. local rider Vernon Lloyd III slipped his Kawasaki triple over the top in 7.965 seconds to take the lead. Northrup responded with a full-throttle attack on the hill. but· just like his brother. Cipala and Haas before him - he got into big trouble when he' hit the deep. loose sand at the base of the final stage. cue I . n __ s The big difference between l.;loyd's triple and the next four contenders was that it had low pipes rather than high. Usually the low pipes might be a hindrance, but on this hill, they almost seemed to act as skis. allowing Lloyd to skim over the loose stuff rather than sink in. Whatever the reason. Lloyd claimed the championship and knocked the Northrups. Cipala and Haas all back a spot. Ryan Peterson was also a repeat champion and, like Wheelwright. changed classes. The defending champion in the 125cc class, the Ellsworth. Wisconsin, native took his win in the 250cc class on his hot Honda, turning in an excellent 7.988second time on Sunday - the only rider in the class to break into the sevens. He was followed by Joe DeCaro, Wheelwright, Dan Bergeron and Ernie Beckwith. In Youth-class action. Nate Redman from Rochester. Minnesota. topped the hill on his CR80 in 9.724 seconds on Saturday and did not ride again. as no one came really close to him all weekend in the Senior Mini class. John Bunner, riding a Yamaha from Ripley. West Virginia. was his closest competitor. with a 10.037second time on Sunday. Ryan Connelly from Ludlow. Massachusetts. thrilled the local fans with a 10.141second winning run on his Kawasaki to take the Junior Mini-class win. Zachary Gayan from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was close behind him on his RM80 with a 10.249-second time for second place. Vinny Nuzzolini from Wilbraham, Massachusetts. was also a crowd' favorite. as he claimed the 50cc-c1ass win with a 294-foot climb on his Cobra. He overtook Robert Moore Jr. from Middleburg, Pennsylvania, who had taken the first-round lead with a 292-foot run on his Cobra but couldn't better that on the second day and had to settle for second place. 1:11 QullNllllillen 1:1 ~.M _ •• etIs 1IesuIta: " ..at 18·11, 2101 50: 1. Vinny Nuzzolini (Cob): 2. Robert Mopre Jr. (Cob): 3. James Green (KTM): 4. Molly Smith (Cob); 5. Donnie Robbins (Cob); 6. William Brothers IU (Lem); 7. Shannon George (Pol); 8. Andy Little (KTM); g. Kyle Welch (Pol); 10. Dylan Brody (Pol). 85 JR: 1. Ryan Connelly (Kaw); 2. Zachary Gaylln (Suz); 3. Justin Newton (Yam): 4. Joe Plume (Kew); 5. Chris Chartier Jr. (Kew); 6. Dean Farnsworth (Cob); 7. Colby McCutcheon (Yam); 8. ShanteJle Brothers (Han); 9. Derek Hutching (KlIw); 10. Brianna Hunter (KlIw). 85 SR: 1. Nete Redman (Han); 2. John Bunner (Yam); 3. Ryan Thibeult (Kaw); 4. John Bayassee (Han); 5. Ryan Oosterman (Kaw); 6. Luke Parmeter (Han); 7. Brent Bowman (Suz); 8. Amy Carbon (Kaw); 9. Shane George (Han); 10. Justin Curtis (Hon). 125: 1. John Bunner (TM); 2. Jeff Piontek (YlIm); 3. Mel Piontek (YlIm); 4. Ryan Thibault (Han); 5. Bobbi Cipalll (Yern); 6. Mark Evans (Yam); 7. Ryan Peterson (Han); 8. JlIke Garrison (Yam); 9. DlInny Mears (Kaw); 10. Dwayne Cox (Kaw). 200: 1. Dlinny Mellrs (KTM): 2. Mel Piontek (KTM); 3. Dan !'rebe (KTM); 4. Kevin Cox (Kaw); 5. Andy Newton (KTM); 6. RlIndy Joyce (Kaw); 7. William D'Onofrio (Kaw); 8. Dillne Mathieu (Kaw); 9. Jason Northrup (Kaw); 10. Joshua Tucker (Hon). 250: 1. Ryan Peterson (Hon); 2. Joe DeClIro (Hon); 3. Eric WheelWright (YlIm); 4. Dan Bergeron (Yam); 5. Ernie Beckwith (Kew); 6. John Mumper (Yam); 7. Jerry Duford (Kaw); 8. TIm Barden (Yam): g. Max Sharp (Hon); 10. Bruce Gaskell (Yam). 400; 1. Chad Koopsma (KTM); 2. Viateur Mathie (Yam); 3. Paul Hackbarth (KTM): 4. Randy Frye (Yam); 5. Matt Gagne (Kaw): 6. Tuffy Gibson (KTM): 7. Danny Mea.. (KTM): 8. William Burl

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