Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

- . AMA/ P a ce Am e r ica n N a ti o n al C h ampion ship Hillclimb Series R o und 3 : W hit e Ro s e M .C . nm Frazier put together a bullet-fast rid e in the ml second go-round to score the SDOcc Natlona wi -a Rose M.C. Clubgrounds. ... ....F·' · . < S T O RY A N D PH O T O S BY D A VI D L .PA TTO N J R. YORK, PA, JUNE4 " T h a t wa s the faste st I' ve ev e r gone on a hillclimber," 800cc winn er Tim Fr az ier s a id after putting together a fantasti c ride near the e nd of th e d a y t o e d ge 800c c p oint s leader David Watson and three -time a nd d efending National Champ ion Ja mes "J a m m e r" La rge at the White Ros e M.e. c1ubground s . Watson got his re ven ge in th e 540c c cla ss, tak ing his se cond win of th e season with a do minating win . Defend in g 5 4 0cc Champion Ted Wilk ins grabbed second pla ce for his first podium finish of th e year, and Frazier climbed to s ec ond in t he p o ints stand in gs in th e 540cc class (be h ind Watson ) with a strong th ird-place ride . 540cc Da vid Watson was the third rider to take his shot at the White Rose Motor cycle Club hill. Watson reall y had his Honda CBR540 screaming off the line, and he couldn' t keep his wheels on the ground over the ramp. The four-cylin der machine has a huge horsepower advantage ov er the t w ins , and he tu med it loose up over the little camel hump and t he jump before the line . Wats on stunned the crowd and th e rest of the 540cc field with a 5 .778-second run . " I h a d to b a c k off to kee p from go ing into the woods up there," Wat son said. Phil Libhart just missed the fives, c utti ng a 6 .0 97 o n t he Ho we 's T riumph / Kre e g e r Pr o Hillcl imb T e am fue l-injected twin. Te d Wilki ns, T im 50 .J U N E 21 , 2000' c u e I e Frazier a nd J ohn Hamilton Jr. chased Libhart, b ut as Tim Fr ie dhoff closed out the f irs t round, Wat s on wa s unchalle ng ed. O n his second run , Evol ution Rae ing/ Pinso nna ult MotoX Accessories/RRPsponso red Pinsonnau lt took sixth overall with a run of 6.264. Ubhart was una ble to improve with his second pass up the dry, s ilty hill, but he held on to fourth place. Wilkins really timed the ramp per fectly and never ba cked off as his two stro ke Rotax twin roosted up the hill. Everyon e wa ited for his time, but th e lights malfunctioned , forcing him back to try again. This time Wilkins wasn't as sharp on his tim ing , bu t he took over second with a 6.055. "T he run we d idn 't get a time for wa s defin itely fa ster than th at run ," Wilkins s aid. "I messed up the bot tom and couldn 't get it going." Fraz ier ' s Cutters Fo am Fabric a t ing / Bowlby Cycl e Sales /Thor -b a c ke d BSA ran a 6.087 to climb up to third , behind Wilkins . "I d idn 't th ink I could catch Dav id," Fraz ie r sa id. "He has a hug e horse power advantage, and Da vid is really rid ing well." Bo 's Rad ical Racing /Th or/A S AP Ra cing 's Ham ilton got h is T riu m ph ho oked up off the bottom, but he had to settle for fifth after his 6. 126 -sec ond e ffort . Watso n watched the whol e se cond rou nd fro m the se at of h is Kle eburg Sh e e trn eta l/ S pe ctro Oils Honda , he lmet on , ready to go, but he loc ke d up his second win of 2000 after T im Friedhoff ran a 6 .6 to e nd the ra c e . " I was reall y sup rised m y ti me wasn't be at e n," Watson sa id. "I didn 't n e uv s rea lly p ut in the ride I wa s hoping for, but it turned out great." BOOcc The first 800 c c rid e r of th e day, Ja mes La rge s tage d th e Re is er Cycle / F &S Ha rl e y -Da vid s o n / KK Moto rc ycl e Su pply-backed XR to th e lin e , ho ping t o set fa st tim e of th e day. He was on line at th e start, but he los t time in th e ai r off th e lip of th e ramp and c ra n ke d h is b ig Harl ey XR750 on a nd ripped off a 5.602-s ec o n d run . Ge ren c e r ' s H - D of Elkha rt/Thor /Pe rforman ce Tec hno logy-s po n sore.d T im Fr a z ie r a lso dr opped into the fives aft er a s mooth 5 .750, jus t ahead of J o hn Ham ilton J r .' s fir s t ride o n a s tro ng-r u n n ing 800cc T r iumph tw in . Ha m il t on ' s 5 .7 66 would prop el him to fifth overal l. Bo b Castl edine's first h illc limb o f the year drew m ixed re s ults . He got off the line o ve r t he ra m p and was le aning to the left a ll th e wa y up th e h ill. Ca stl ed ine neve r ba c ke d off until h e crossed t he lig hts, t hen his m omentum carried him off th e side of the hill. He e dg ed Ha m ilto n with a run of 5 .755 s e conds. The las t rider of t he ro u n d wa s Kle eburg She etmetal r ider Da vid Watson, who has logg ed two runne rup finishes in th e cla s s during the first tw o round s , and was hungry for a w in . Wats on 's Honda CBR800 hook ed up off th e line , a nd he blasted over th e ramp and up the hill. 5 .544 second s later, he held th e le ad . Large ha d won th e Delbart on , We st Virgin ia , round with a fantastic co me -from- be h ind ride to beat Wat - s on, and he d ropped the cl utch , ho pin g for a rep e a t p er fo r m a n ce . It wasn 't to be , as Large ran .05 seco nds slower tha n his first ride of the d ay. "T h e ke y is ti m in g the brea k e r [ramp), and I really messed up tha t ride . My bike was great. Tod a y wa s ride r e rror, I got way too much air." La rg e ' s "bad" day was still good e no ug h for th ird p la c e. O nc e again, Wa ts o n sat and waited as the c ou ntry's be st h illcli~bers trie d to o ut run him . Ha lfwa y th rough lin e u p , F ra zie r roll e d h is d ial ed -in Ha rle y to th e lin e . Fr a zier ke pt h is rear wheel .on th e gr ound a nd dr iving over the ramp, a nd he ran st ra ight up the center of th e hill. "We s horte ned th e whe e lba se and le a ne d o ut t he fu el -Inj e ction , a nd it ran a lot better ," Frazier s aid . F or the third hill climb in a ro w, Watson wa s bu mped to seco nd, posting a 5.544 to Frazie r's 5 .4 67 . Bo bb y Templeton went o ut of bounds on his first pa ss , so the Bob a nd Do n na Ersk ine /Townsend S pe ci a ltie s- backed Harley rider pu t to gether a c on servative 5.8 I 8, finis hing s ixth . Ca s tl e d ine and Hamilton h ad to take th e ir first -round t imes , finishing fourth a nd fifth respectively. Tha t meant o n ly Wa ts o n was left to run. He go t another g reat sta rt, but h e ra n in t o t rou bl e afte r t he little came l hump. " I hit a rut and th e b ike went side wa y s b e fo r e th e last j u m p , a n d I he ard my foot h itt ing th e chai ns a nd I had to bac k off," Watson sa id . "T hree stra ight s e c o n d - p la c e fi n is hes is o kay , but I want to win o ne of these ." Frazier's win pull ed him to within two points of Watson in the 800cc class . Wats on ha s a five - po int le a d o ve r Fra zier in 54 0cc action . eN White Rose M.e . Yark, Pennsylvania Results: June 4, ZDDD 800cc: 1. T im Frazier ( H- D); 2. David Watson (Hon): 3. James Large (H· D) : 4 .Bob Castledine (H' D ); 5 . J o hn Ham il ton Jr. (T ri) ; 6 . Bobby T empleton (H· D): 7. Glen Petty. Jr . (H· D): 8. Harry Schreiber Jr . (H-D); 9 . Jeff Tho ma s (Yam); 10. Bran don Kreeger (T ri ) ; 11. Rod ney Smith (Yam ) : 12 . Mike Debusk ( Kaw ) ; 13. Russe ll Vander Veen (H -D ); 14. T iger Strank (Kaw ); 15. Harry Denham (H· D). 5 40cc: 1. David Watso n (Han ); 2. Ted Wilkins (Rtx ): 3. Tun Frazier (BSA ): 4 . Phil U bhart (T ri) : 5. John Hamilton. Jr. (Tri ): 6. Paul Pinsonnault (Han); 7 . Richie Scheuermann (Han) : 8 . Tiger Strenk (Kaw); 9. J eff Tho m as (Yam ); 10. TIm Freidhoff (Han); 11. Mi ke Pulver ( Han ) ; 12. Scott McNeely ( Han) ; 13. Tyron e Smoot (Kaw ): 14. Cathy Templeton (Kaw ); 15. Brian Bowl by (Han) . AMA/PACE AMERICAN 800c c NATIONAL C'SHIP HILLCUMB SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Alter 3 of 16 round s): 1. David Watson (42) ; 2. Tim Frazier (4011) : 3 . Bobby Temp leton (34) : 4. Glen Pett y, J r. (32 ): 5. J eff Thomes (3111) : 6. J am es Larg e (28 / 1): 7. Harry Schreiber Jr. (26) ; 8. Brandon Kreeger (2 0); g. Mike Debusk ( 18) : 10. Tiger Strenk ( 17): 11. (TIE) J o hn Hamil ton J r. (14) /Ha rry Denh am ( 14 ); 13 . Russell Vander Veen (11) ; 14. Curt Snell ing (6 ); 15 . Rodne y Smith (5); 16 . Darrell Fowl er (4) ; 17. Tom Reiser (3 ). AMA/ PA CE AMERI CA N 540c c NATIO NAL C'S HIP HILLCLIMB SERIES POINTS STA NDINGS (After 3 of 16 rounds) : 1. David Watson (4 1/2 wins) ; 2. Tim Frazier (36 ); 3. Paul Pinsonnault (3 5); 4 . Tiger Strank (3311) : 5. Scott McNeely (2 8) : 6. Phil Libhart (2 6 ): 7. Ted Wilk ins (23): B. J ohn Hami lton Jr. (2 2) : g . (TIE) T y ro n e Sm oo t ( 15 ) /Ti m Fr eid h off( 15) /Mi ke Livin gston (1 5); 12. Chris VanHyning (1 3); 13. Richie Scheuerm ann (1 2) ; 14 . Terry Thom pson (10) ; 15. J eff Th om as (7 ) ; 16. M ik e Pul ver (5); 17 . Roge r Mc Nee ly (4 ) ; 18. Cat hy T emp leton (2); 19 . Bri an Bowlby ( 1). Upcoming Rounds: Rou nd 4 - Steel City, Penn sylvan ia, Ju ne 11 Round 5 - Avoca . New York, Jun e 18

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