Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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The Widowmaker Hillclimb Bevil's Slide Smith, Whitlock Survive the Widowmaker 2002 a group of Utah hillclimbing enthusiasts, led by Jordy Smith, began working diligently to bring the Widowmaker back. The event proved more than worthy of the Widowmaker name, draWing 747 entries from across the country and an estimated crowd of 15,000, and paying out a hefty Pro purse of $30,000. Utah Jazz star Karl "The Mailman" Malone even made an appearance and seemed to really enjoy the show, which also included dozens of food and product booths, helicopter rides, a Marine color guard, and even a mechanical bull. Top-notch sponsors included Mount Olympus Waters, Red Robin Restaurants, Coca-Cola, Motion Potion, and Maverik Country Stores_ Unlike eastern-style hillclimbs, timing lights were almost completely unnecessary for the Widowmaker. Not a single rider topped the 325-foot, Pro-altered hill; only a few made the 325-foot trophy hill; and only Jason Smith climbed the I ODD-foot Widowmaker. The hills were virgin and covered with thick sagebrush and a smattering of rocks and had pitches of up to 62 degrees; it was steep! In fact, Las Vegas bookies officially set the odds at 20-1 that nobody would conquer the hill that bore the tag line " 1000 feet of hell." BY RON DILLON CROYDON, UT, JUNE 21-22 Bountiful, Utah's Jason Smith and Elizabeth, Colorado's Travis Whitlock emerged as the big winners at the world·famous Widowmaker Hillclimb. Smith stunned the crowd as he rode his nitro-powered 650cc Yamaha over the top of the new 1000-foot hill that many had deemed unclimbable. The plucky 17-year-old was the only one to top the hill all weekend and won the 251-700 Exhibition class with his incredible ride. Whitlock turned in solid and consistent performances on his FJ 1200 Yamaha in the Open Expert class on both Saturday and Sunday to take the overall Widowmaker Main Event Champion title. Fifteen long years have passed since the last Widowmaker. The event ran from 1964 to 19BB, and it used to be the largest hillclimb in the United States, with more than 25,000 spectators and the longest, toughest hill in the country. In its heyday, it was featured on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and in Bruce Brown's film On Any Sunday, but politics and land issues ultimately doomed the event. and it appeared to be gone forever. However, in BO I.L.I , ~ G G GRE~T j/lll'JI.iIiIiIBlCif[1C1fJE/ PRO MeTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS September 19, %0, %OO~ PRO: n5CC 8 %50cc Practice Fri Sept 19 Qualifying 8 Finals Sat Sept %0 $50,000 purse SPEEDWAY BIKES CHAMPIONSHIPS September 19, %OO~ Pro 8 Amateur Classes Call (70%) to51-10~0 For more information .r'· FREESTYLE MX CHAMPIONSWPS September 18, 19, %0, %OO~ $a,GOOpu"Pro Q Freestyle Qualifying Thur Sept 18 Big Air Competition Fri Sept 19 Fmals Sat Sept %0 E X PER lEN C Saturday 1000-foot Widowmaker hill OPEN EXHIB MAIN: I. Shonnon ChtlmberlDln (SUI): 2. Jon Smith (Yam): 3. Brandon lNhitlock (Yem): 4. Mel Kimbell (HOI'll: 5. Harold Waddell (SUII. 325·foot trophy hill 0-55 BEG: 1. Dalls Miller (Suz); 2. DIllon Pelko4a (Pol): 3. Heston Woolsey (Hon): 4. Brooklyn Whitlock (Hon): 5 Sawy~r OoVi5 (Hon). 0·55 AnV: 1. Tysen Fisher (KTM); 2. Dillon Pelkola (ATK); 3. Dylan Spradling (ATK); 4. DustJn Kuntz; 5. Kolbie Cheney (KTM) 56·70 STK: 1. Dylan $prDdhng (Hon): 2. COt)' &!al (Kaw): 3. Wyatt Naccarato (Kaw): 4. Colby P~k (Kaw); 5, Dustin Kunu (Kaw). 71-90 STK: I. Tyl~r &!lnap (Kaw); 2. Nick Beer (Kaw); 3. Cory Belli (Hon): 4. Weslln Kimbllll (Hon): 5. Nale Lest (Kaw). 91·125STK: I Edward Gover (Yam); 2, Brandon Kuntz (Yam): 3 Gregg Belnap (SUI): 4 St~ven Jeppsen (Hon); 5 Tyler Belnap (Swl. 126-250 STK BEG: I Pet~ Krunich (Hon): 2 Jeysen Hinschi (Hon); 3 Curtis Sorensen (Hon); 4 Bronson FOlllnim (Kaw): 5. Sr.eveJ1 RobIson (Hon). 126-250 5TK AOV: I Jason Ward (Yam); 2 Cory Sweat (Kaw): 3 John BufVler (Yem): 4 Curtis Sorenstrl (Hen); 5, Chuck McCasland (Yam) 251-600 2·STRK STK: I. Juslln Deschamps (Hon); 2. John 17-21,2003 Las Vegas Motor Speedway E ROAD COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS AMATEUR MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS September %0, %1, Devil's Slide Croydon, Utah Results: June 21-22.2003 September ~EIIIIf:§N!= PRESENTS sagebrush is huge up there. I was headed for one big bush, and it stopped me. But then, all of a sudden, I was moving again. About 100 feet from the top, I realized that 1 was going over the Widowmaker! It was the coolest run of my life." Smith's hill-topping ride was amazing. Not only did he demonstrate some great skill, his motor lasted for an amazing 38.1 seconds, running wide open. without blowing up. Riders and mechanics alike were left shaking their heads in disbelief. Clearly the nitro-powered Yamaha twins were working. Greenwood, Indiana's Jeff Thomas took a machine nearly identical to Smith's up to 775 feet to take second. The only other rider to climb that high was Whitlock, who made it up to B14 feel to win Sunday's main event and capture the overall Widowmaker title. The Widowmaker lives again! Plan on seeing the world's biggest hillclimb return in June of 2004. By Saturday afternoon, it appeared the bookies were right. Rider after rider threw his bike at the 325-foot hill without success. Even the formidable Dusty Beer and Travis Whitlock only managed class-winning climbs of I B5 and 165 feet on the "little" 325-fool hill. How could anyone even dent the 1000-foot Widowmaker? Billings, Montana's Shannon Chamberlain did manage a very impressive 600 feet on the big hill later in the day on his II OOcc Suzuki. with Jon Smith taking his 1200cc Yamaha up to second at 287 feet. As Saturday's main event ended, 400 feet of virgin ground still loomed above Chamberlain's high mark, and no one seriously thought that the Widowmaker would be conquered. This was reinforced further later in the day, when one brave soul attempted to ride a snowmobile up the big hill. Ripping through sagebrush and rocks, the high-performance sled managed to attain an encouraging height of 700 feet before stopping abruptly. "No way," the snowmobiler said at the bottom, "is anyone on a motorcycle going to climb that thing." In addition to the Open bikes, Sunday's program included the lighter, less-powerful 251-7DOcc Exhibition class. It was assumed that the smaller bikes wouldn't even dent the huge hill. Smith drew a fairly early number and rolled his light, powerful 650cc Yamaha to the line. Running on I DO-percent nitro with a huge, 21-inch paddle tire, the bike screamed up the hill. The crowd noise started at about 300 feet. Clawing and fighting for control, the 17 -year-old hung on. ""t 500 feet, the crowd started to roar, and as he passed Chamberlain's high mark of 600 feet, the spectators went crazy. Bouncing, spinning and weaving through heavy brush, Smith continued up the world's longest run. "All of a sudden, I was going around the tum and going pretty good," Smith said. "The September 19, %0, %1, %OO~ %OO~ Pro 8 Amateur Classes Test 8 Tune Fri Sept 19 Qualifying Sat Sept %0 Amateur Classes Practice 8 Qualifying Sat Sept %0 Finals Sun Sept %1 Call (70%) f>51-10~0 For more information $1 O:OI~O p~rse Eddie Mulder Presents DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS September 19, %0, %1, September 19, %0, %1, %OO~ If> Classes Fmals Sat Sept %0 %OO~ All Classes from Top Fuel to E.T. Bracket Bikes Test 8 Tune Fri Sept 19 Qualifying Sat Sept %0 Finals Sun Sept %1 $10,,000 Purse Call ("1) %fJ8.GI05 For more information GREAT AMERICAN DESERT GRAND PRIX September %0, %1, '$ TICKETS ON SALE AT %OO~ 00 Purse G.A.M.E. (866)%0%-883% Pro, Expert. Amateur. Novice 8 Peewee Classes Call (70%) f>51-10~0 For more information Tic:ketmaster ( 70%) 474-4000 and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (800) (,44-4444 For more iniormation or to enter G.A.M.E. (86ft) %0%-883% IN ASSOCIATION WITH K I N 13 C F' EI E E R S- Visit us at www.great-motorc:yc:le-eJlp.c:om cue. e n u vv s JULY 23.2003 63