Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

, The Watermelon 50 Reynolds Pasture Reynolds & Ousley: The First Watermelon Men Bv BIU PATRIDGE MAPLESVIW, AL, AUG. 20 The Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club I served up another unique event: the inaugu.... Watermelon SO! August In Alabama is often not pleasanL But the PMMC took the edge off the heat with a "buddy" hare scrambles that didn't get the green flag until 4 p.m.! With the pressure of a points chase off, this event was more about bragging rites and friendly competition. The race used a two-man fonnat (and there were ladies. too). with riders swapping an arm band every lap but each riding their own bike. Each rider would ride fove laps on a S-mlte course. As there were only four classes (A, B. C and Family). the races within the race were easy to follow. The Family class featured dads, sons. brothers. morns and cousins. Eric Bowen (age 13), though handicapped by being paired with his dad Ed (40-somethlng), nevertheless •.I .. ~ .. . ",.~ I tJ J ik. .4.~ managed to get the team to the top of the 1!!/;'1!fJ podium in the Family class and did so by ~/'· ,~ leading from start to finish. Three ladies competed in the Family class. two 01 them paired as a team. The fireworks of the day were in the A class. where bragging riles among local hotshots were up lor grabs. Sever.ol past ISDE riders competed - including Glenn HoIlinghead, David Crain and Mike "The Mouth" Monroe along with several SERA. SETRA and MidSouth dass winners. Can you say "shootout"? The race was between the teams 01 Landon Carter & Frank "Carter" Davis and Taylor Reynolds & Cliff Ousley. The lead swapped every lap lor the first six laps. Reynolds left the arm-band swap area with a 10- to IS-second lead to start the last lap. Davis caught Reynolds and passed him on a choppy, whooped-out section that ended with a 9O-degree right tum across a bridge/ditch crossing. Davis took the rougher Inside line and blocked Reynolds at the PHOTO BY JOHN WORTHAM ..~ ':) . .I RIYNoI.DI lblrtMnoyear-old Tyler Carter (1028) and his partner Chac! Earl put In outstanding lap times In the A class at tlte flrstoever WGterrnelan 50 in Maplesville, PASTURE MAPuSYIW, - .....M. RuulTSI AUGUST 20, 2005 A: I. Curf Ousley/Taylor Reynolds; 2. Will McConneWDustin Stevens; J. Mike Morv-oe/MM1l: Lewis; ... Adrian GervaislSeth Clayton. B: I. Jackie Uird/Damon North American Hlllclimb Association Round 4: The Big Nasty Hillcllmb Hallmark: 2. Kevin Deloach/David Melton; J. Lee Tibbetts/MIke Mannin,. C: I. Chris Catannno/Keith Mayson; 2. Tyler Patterson{Trent Gray; l. Joel DeRoche/Oertel DeRoche. FAMILY: I. Eric Bowen/Ed Bowen: 2. Pari«< Smid>'Joey Smith: l. T;m Mekoo/Anrhony Melton: 4. Bobby freemanIDrew "'-nan. PHOTO BY MIKE SHIPMANIBLUE PLANET PHOTO.COM Big Nasty Hillclimb Proves Big and Nasty - Again Bv RON DILLON NEW PLYMOUTH, 10, AUG. 20-21 The annual Big Nasty Motorcyde Hilldimb I again Iwed up to its name, as there were only a total of eight runs that went over the top 01 the 460-foot Pro hill over the entire weekend. The event was held on a scary-steep (62-degree) hill. and nearly 400 competitors from nine states and Canada climbed two different hills over the weekend: a 250-foot hill used lor trophy riders and Pro qualifying. and a 460-foot monster that was attacked by the Pro and Semi-Pro riders each day. The event is growing fast, and attendance more than doubled from last year, hitting an estimated 12.000-plus spectators for the weekend. This year's Big Nasty was one of only six 200S North American Hillclimb Association points events, and virtually all 01 the top Pro hillclimbers in the western United States were in attendance. Organizers tried to offer something for everyone. including a food row. a vendor area. an inflatable play area lor the kids. Iawnmower drag racing. a street bike poker run, and a classy nationalanthem-and-flag-presentation ceremony each day, courtesy 01 the Mountain Horne Air Force Base Honor Guard. Overnight spectator camping was actually encouraged, as were pets (on leashes). which gave a kind 01 "Woodstock" feel to the weekend. On Saturday, none of the Over 40 Pros or 25Occ-mounted Semi-Pros even came close to topping the big hill. Kelly Smith Irom Klamath Falls. Oregon. made the high mark on the hill 42 on Saturday at 336.5 feet to win the Over 40 0-700cc Pro dass. with Canada's legendary Kenny "Mad Dog" Long right behind. winning the Over 40 Open Pro dass at 33S.9 feet. Sunday's show consisted of two classes, the 251-700cc main event and the 70lcc-Open main. The smaller bikes hit the hill first, and all seemed to get to the same 34O-foot mark and dig a hole or flip over and tumble back down the clill face. Just as it appeared that the hill might remain unclimbed again in 2005. Utah legend Travis Whitlock new his SSOcc KTM over the top in 13.7S6 seconds. Before the crowd even had time to recover from that, Dave Watson, who drove out to Idaho all the way from Ludlow, Massachusetts, exploded over the top in an incredible 12.432 seconds! At that point. only one class remained - the Open Exhibition class, featuring machines with unlimited motors and up to 220 horsepower. However, the bigger (and heavier) machines didn't fare any better than their smallerdisplacement cousins, and only Dusty Beer and Harold Waddell took their bikes over the top. in 12.077 seconds and 14,416 seconds, respectively. The weekend ended with the King Of The Hill Shootout, giving the top fIVe Open bikes one more shot at the hill. Montana's legendary Dusty Beer actually made the hill look easy as he pinned his big Kawasaki and stunned the crowd with by far the fastest run of the weekend. a blazing 10,488-second rip that not even Travis Whitlock. Harold Waddell or the Smith boys could respond to. SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS eN The Big Nasty Hillclimb should win a truth-in-advertising award: Only eight runs made it all the way over the top. BIG NASTY HIUCLIMB NEW PLYMOUTH, IDAHO RESULTS: AUGUST 20-21, 2005 (ROUND 4) KOTH SHOOTOUT: I. Dusty &er (! (y",,): 4. J""" Smith (y",,): 5. Travis \'Vhitlock (Yam). 701·0PEN: I. Dusty Beer (Kaw); 2. Horold _ I . (Suz): l. Trav;, W1'idod< (y",,): 4. Jon Smith (Yam); 5. JUDn Smith (Yam). 151·700: I. Dave Watson (KTM): 2. Trav;, Whhlock (KTM): l. Cuny Beer (KTM): 4. Mel KImbaJI (Yam); 5. Paul Stoffen (Hon). PRO/SEMI·PRO OfT (40+) 701-0PEN: I. Kenny Long (Rot): 2. Dave Ghiuone (Suz): 3. Lefty Fr...h (Kaw): 4. Gaoy CIarl< (50.): 5. Dennis Spencer (Kaw). PRO/SEMI-PRO OIT (40+) 0-100: I. KoJIy S",th (Hon): 2. Wade HuMmith (Hon): l. Kenny Long (Rot): 4. John Howell (Han): 5. o.w Ghinone (Hon). PRO/SEMI·PRO SR (50+): I. Ruuell Drilgton (Hon); 2. Lefty Freuh (Hon); J. Dennis Spencer (Hon); <4. Jeny (KTM): 5. Gaoy Cbri< (Suz). PRO/SEM'·PRO 91·250 EXHIB: I. Westin Kimball (Yam); 2. Colby Peck (Kaw): l. Mike Co>gUn (Hon): 4. O"'on Whitehe>d (Hon): 5. Juon Barson (Kaw). PRO/SEMI-PRO 0-90 EXHIB: I. Colby Peck (Kaw); 2. Brayden Beer (Yam); 3. Dalton Whitehe>d (Han): 4. NKk Wood (y",,): 5. joon Ew;ng (Han). STK TROPHY 91-125: I. Derick Secrist (Yam); 2. Casey Godfrey (Yam); J. Mike Pet~ (Yam); 4. Kevin Favinger (Yam); 5. Joey Willard (Yam). STK TROPHY 71-90: I. Ilndy ~ ('f.om): 2. Ilndy White (Suz): 3. lhkota Regen (Yam); ... Kaydon Kimb~1 (Hon); 5. logan Moffrn (!

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