Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Pace AmeriaanlAMA National Hillclimb Series Round 4: SkI World National Hillclimb first jump were catching everyone out. Phil Libhart almost crashed over the jump and finished fourth. Roundthree winner Chris Van Hyning and Hamilton were also knocked off line neither were able to challenge for the win. Greg Thompson put together a clean run on his Kawasaki KX500, reaching the top five with a 6.771second run. He was the only top-five rider to improve on his second attempt. BOOcc Dave Watson took wins in both classes; he now leads the points standings in each, as well. STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVID L. PATTON JR. NASHVIlLE, IN, JUNE 23 fter winning the BOOcc class at Freemansburg, Pennsylvania, two weeks ago, Dave Watson said he has finally recovered from last season's injuries and was hoping to win both classes in Nashville, Indiana. Watson has double wins at many hills on the circuit. At round four of the 2002 AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series, the three-time National Champion reached another milestone. Watson destroyed the competition in both classes on a blistering hot day, edging out Chad Disbennett's Triumphs in both classes. Watson's pair of wins vaulted him into the points lead in both classes. A 540cc Anthony DeHart was the first rider on the hill, hustling his CR500 to the top of the 550-foot hill. The Ski World hill is one of the widest, fastest hills on the circuit, with a jump only 15 feet off the line. At the 160-foot mark is the canyon jump, with another kicker at the 300-foot mark. The lights were set at the 500-foot mark on a relatively smooth part of the hill. The speed and length of the hill favored the twins and four-cylinder machines, and DeHart's 7 A-second run wouldn't crack the top 10. Defending 540cc National Champion Jeff Thomas rolled out his new Innovative Mold [, Machine/Vinylcraftbacked Honda CBR and launched hard from the left side of the hill. His 66 JULY 10. 2002' cue • III machine sounded a little off, but he worked hard to get it to the top, taking the lead with a 6.779-second run. He had machine problems on his second run and would end up sixth overall, based on his first ride. Phil Libhart lined the Kreeger Pro Hillclimb-backed Triumph up on the right side. After a clean launch, he lost a little time over the jump - his Twin then hooked up and wheelied as he neared the canyon jump. He blipped the throttle and flew through the lights with a 6.644-second time. Watson went way to the right for his start and threw up a huge cloud of roost when he turned it loose. He was on line and flying up to the kicker at the 300-foot mark when his front end came up. He backed off and roared past the timers in 6.216 seconds. "The bike always does well here, and it's running really strong," Watson said. "I just had to keep it smooth." John Hamilton Jr. also ran up the right side and snagged a 6.497 -second time on his Triumph. "The bike ran good, but we ran out of gear halfway up the hill," Hamilton said. His teammate Disbennett slid into second, behind Watson, after a 6A39-second effort on his Bo's Radical Racing/Thor-backed Triumph. Watson watched as everyone searched for a smooth line, but the ruts off the line and on the face of the n III _ S Indianapolis Southside HarleyDavidson is one of the main sponsors for the event, and their team rider Russ VanderVeen led off the bigbores on his XR750. He didn't have any problems on his first run, but the bike wasn't geared high enough for the fast hill, and he posted a 6.992. Tim Frazier clocked a 6A78-second time, followed by Libhart, who put together a sweet run on the his Triumph triple. Libhart started on the far right, and though he caught air over the first jump, he still kept the throttle pinned to the top. His 6.142-second time put him in first position. "Things just go by so fast on that bike," Libhart said. "I was trying to count signs to guess where the lights were." Defending BOOcc National Champion Walter Strank Jr. was also looking for a smooth pass on the Dr. Bob Racing-backed Yamaha Rl. He lined up in a new hole on the right side and was able to miss the first jump entirely. He didn't miss a beat on the way to the top and cracked the fivesecond barrier with a time of 5.930 seconds. "That's the absolute fastest I've ever gone on two wheels," Strank said. "One wheel, actually. It carried the front wheel from the top kicker to the lights. My eyes were huge. I couldn't believe I was going that fast. It was hooking up the whole way." Watson tried a new rut on the right side as well, but the Spectro Oils/ARC Levers-backed Honda had a fuel problem, which choked it out on top end. Despite a whee lie near the top, he still ran a 6.309-second time. James Large ran a 6.215, despite breaking his subframe over the first jump. The second round was highlighted by a unique situation. There were not enough radios to enforce the boundaries on the wide Ski World hill. The hill is wide enough that riders can start inside the timing lights, squeeze through a 2-foot-wide flat section on the side of the first jump - eliminating it altogether. At the canyon jump, there was another flat strip that ran between the yardage signs and the jump. If a rider missed either of the 1foot-wide alleys, the bike would really get kicked into the air. However, rider after rider threaded the needle with their 150-plus-horsepower machines - they were rewarded with faster times. Russ VanderVeen ran a 6.503, followed by Frazier, who launched his Harley-Davidson toward the narrow groove on the far right. Frazier nailed the hot line and had a great run going, but he misjudged the timers and lost precious tenths-of-a-second. He ended up fifth with his 6.013-second run. Libhart also hit the smooth line on his Triumph Triple. Libhart shot into the lead with a 5.B61-second pass. Tiger 5trank Jr. rode his Yamaha to a fourth-place finish In the 800cc class. He now sits third in the points after four rounds.

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