Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIPace American National Hillclimb Series Round 5: Red Wing National Hillclimb STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVID L. PATTON JR. RED WING, MN, JUNE 14 fl ames Large and Chad Disbennett CJ returned to the winner's circle at round five of the AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series. Large's final come-from-behind pass scored him the win, his first since last July. In the meantime, Disbennett has racked up a ton of bridesmaid finishes since his last win in August of 1999. The 540 and 800cc points leader, Dave Watson, racked up two second-place finishes to hold on to the series leads, with Anthony DeHart (540) and Bobby Templeton (800) rounding out the podium on a very hot day. 540cc The Indian Head Motorcycle Club with help from Treasure Island Resort and Casino - has held two pro events and multiple amateur events. They put together a safe, fast, 305-foot hill, with jumps at the 80-foot mark and the 160-foot mark. Jack Mason started off the 540cc class with a smooth, 6.361-second run on his Honda CR500. Defending National Champion Jeff Thomas edged Mason with a 6.319, followed by Disbennett, who destroyed his rear sprocket and chain guide - the result of a rock in the rear wheel. Watson then wheeled the Honda CBR540 into the pit box. Watson chose a rut in the center, but his bike went sideways off the line and shot him to the right side of the hill. Watson won the 540 and 800cc classes at Red Wing in 2001 and was 62 JULv31, 2002' cue I e confident as he pinned the bike over the first jump. He approached the second jump off-line, but was able to rip past the timers in 5.861 seconds to take the lead. AM General/Hummer-backed Anthony DeHart was all business on his CR500, putting together a fast, clean, 6.164-second run to move into second behind Watson, who held on to the top spot after round one. The riders had three shots at the hill, but the second round was highlighted by four excellent rides. Michael Templeton and James Wolfe ran identical 6.290-second runs to tie for fifth overall. The tie-breaker goes to the rider with the better time from their other runs, and when neither could improve on their third passes, Templeton took fifth based on his 6.326-second first run to edge out Wolfe's 6.336. Disbennett and his father/mechanic Doyle took parts off of their 800cc Triumph for Chad's second attempt. The Bo's Radical Racers/Skunkworx/ Thor-backed rider fired the twin off on the right side of the hill. Disbennett rode aggressively - tired of second-place finishes - and he never thought about backing off as he got crossed up over the first jump. He kept the throttle pinned, and the bike snapped straight as he nailed it over the final jump. Disbennett moved to the top of the timesheets with a 5.723-second time. Watson selected a new line right of center and dragged his foot off the line to keep the Honda straight. He hit the first jump and launched high into the air. The result hurt his approach to the nevvs next jump and he couldn't hit it wide open. Watson flogged the 2000 titlewinning machine to the lights in 5.744 seconds, just. 021 off of Disbennett. The final round of the 540cc class saw three riders down in the five-second bracket, despite a rut developing on the face of the first jump. Watson went all out to catch Disbennett, but came up short, running a 5.798 on his last attempt. "We had a good day," Watson said. "Three good rides and second place. I couldn't quite catch Chad, but he rode well today." DeHart saved the best for last as he put his Honda into third overall after a 5.915-second third run. Phil Libhart ran a 5.960 on the Tuff Plates/Amsoil-backed Triumph, for fourth, ahead of Mike Templeton. After Rookie Gary Bauer ran a 6.479, Disbennett had the win in the bag. "Man, it's been a while," Disbennett said. "Usually that damned Watson spoils it for us, but this time we got him. We've been on vacation this week and I haven't gotten my wife a present for our first anniversary. She said this morning she'd like a hillclimb win for our anniversary, and we got it." BOOcc DeHart led off the 800cc class on the Dr. Bob Racing Kawasaki twostroke triple, running a 6.274 after a cross-rutted takeoff over the second jump. Libhart bumped DeHart from the lead with a 5.689-second blast on the Kreeger Pro Hillclimb Team's Triumph triple. However, Libhart wasn't wide open on the tricky approach to the first jump, and that cost him. Mark Swem put the only 800cc BSA up and over in 6.506 seconds, while Templeton rolled into the starting box. Templeton started in the center rut, and the Harley-Davidson XR750 really hooked up off the line. He got a lot of air over the first jump but was straight on the approach to the fjnal jump. He chopped the throttle as he crested the jump and dropped the front end to minimize airtime, then blasted to the top. He may have run out of gearing at the top, but he had the crowd on their feet with a 5.314second run. "The bike pulled good and we had decent gearing on it, but it did run out right at the top," Templeton said. Thomas built a new Honda CBR800 over the winter, but a few little problems have prevented him from showing the bike's potential. He had the CBR cranked up right from the start. The bike hooked up off the line, and Thomas kept it straight over the first jump. He was going for the win when he had a problem landing off the secondjump. "I didn-'t tighten the seat bolts enough and the seat fell off when I landed," Thomas said. "It distracted me a little bit and, with a wicked-fast bike, that's all it took." Thomas looped out and went down hard just past the timers just a few ticks behind Templeton, with a 5.374. "The pipes are smashed, the clutch cover is broken and I haven't even looked it over yet," Templeton said. "It's done for today." Watson and Tiger Strank Jr. weren't able to put together clean runs, while Large clocked a 5.437 on his first pass. The second round of the 800cc class ended with Templeton still on top, but he had company. Watson ripped off a 5.468-second time, while Strank put together a flawless 5.386second run on the Dr. Bob racing/ Fox-backed Yamaha Rl. Large went all out on. his second pass but was cross-rutted over the first jump and nearly highsided the Harley as he landed. Disbennett had boundary issues for the second run in a row to close out the round. Templeton watched as the best hillclimbers in the land took their final shot at his time. "The hill is rutting up, so it may be hard to beat my time," Templeton said. "I think we can go faster too, but if they can't get a clean ride in, maybe I won't have to ride again." After Gerry Bennett improved with a 5.875-second time, Watson lined up on the far left, and he really hit his line. The big four-cylinder thundered up the hill in 5.291 seconds to take the lead. "I finally found a good line, but I haven't been able to keep the bike as

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