Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Muskegon Invitational HILLCLIMB ~ ~ Chatterton, Pinsonn It score Muskegon win By Timothy G. Hall MUSKEGON. MI, AUG. 2 he Muskegon M.e. celebrated their nnd year with another successful National Hillclimb Invitational. This event, held every other year, is open to the top 15 riders in the two classes - 540cc and 800cc - that comprise the AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series. Avon, Illinois' Tom Chatterton, and Ludlow, Massachussetts' Paul Pinsonnault, scored class wins and earned the lion's share of the $8000 purse. Pinsonnault, a 540cc class rider who has run a close points and place battle all year with 1991 champ Tim Frazier, made it up the 300-plus foot hill in a brisk 5.227 seconds. Chatterton, meanwhile, clocked a 5.097-second run win in the 800cc class. The event was held on a wellgroomed hill that comes jutting up from Lake Michigan. Over the top, it quickly descended to the banks of the lake. The running order, unlike the blind draw at a typical point-earning event, was run with the lowest point rider starting, and ascending to the top point rider. Being an invitational, no points were earned toward the overall season championship. Three rounds were run for each class, unlike two at most other hillclimbs. Eligibility to compete was based upon the riders' past two years' total points,. with the top 15 from each class permitted to run. . The 540cc machines started the show, with Indianapolis' Mike Pulver breaking the lights aboard his Kawasaki single in under six seconds. Pulver, who is currently tied for 10th place with rookie Aaron Brown in the National Championship, kept fast time until Larry Licht's BSA undercut him with a 5.795. Licht, though, cleared the top with too much power and separated from the bike on the peak. He took a few bumps, but made it back for rounds two and three. The times continued to drop as the higher ranked riders got their chance at the hill, which was a grass and clay covered run - nearly smooth except for two jumps that divide it into thirds. Scott Everett, seventh ranked for the year, put in a sluggish 6.158, but would run increasingly faster in subsequent rounds. Fourth-ranked Ted Wilkins also put in a slow first run at 6.366 seconds. Wilkins suspected a failing power pack, but that wasn't the answer. He adjusted his carburetor, and sat tight until the next round; that second run would prove to be his best. Wilkins left the gate open for second-ranked Paul Pinsonnault. Pinsonnault has frequently beat National Champion Tim Frazier on this hill, and he went to the front of the pack with a 5.670-second run. It was the last rider, though, who ended up first, with points leader Frazier taking his recently rebuilt BSA through the lights in 5.502 seconds. Round two for the 540s left most riders with times worse than their first attempt. Typically, as a hill gets rutted the runs get faster, but not today. Alan Hoskins did slip in a 5.517, his best for T the day. But most riders didn't break six. Arkport, New York's Steve Dresser pushed his Suzuki over the top in his best run for the day at 5.749. The day had to be disappointing for Dresser, who has remained in the top three in points the whole season. Wilkins had a much cleaner and more powerful second run to the top, bringing in a 5.753-second run on his Rotax-powered hillclimber. The second round belonged to Pinsonnault. He took his nitro-alcohol burning Honda to the test on his fastest run of 5.227, bumping him to the front of the pack. Pinsonnault got a very good holeshot and rode tight to the hill, not losing any time through the breakers and staying on the ground with a straight ascent to the top. His run was so smooth that it was deceiving: it looked slower because of its very straight course up the hill. To the spectators, some of the fastest, best executed runs don't appear as fast as the looser, hopping runs. Once again, Frazier would be in second place, and under' pressure to catch Pinsonnault. He did improve on round one, but got too much height over the second jump and turned in a 5.282, about six-hundredths behind Pinsonnault. The bigger class, 800cc bikes, would turn the fastest times on this hill. Steve Krauter, who ranks 11th in points so far this season, opened the event in style with a stunning climb of 5.157. Krauter, who is known for aggressive and loose riding, was extremely clean in his execution, and took his Harley-Davidson over the breakers so quickly that his course stayed true through the timers. However, his excess momentum took him past the timers to the safety net and he flew off the bike, but was okay. None of the veteran riders would touch him in the opening rounds. Canada's Wade Williams had major traction problems at the second breaker, and crashed out at the 190-foot marker. Tom Reiser came closest to Krauter with a 5.252. "When I came into that hole (the first few feet), I came out of the pit as strong as I could. I was even carrying the wheel so I thought I had the traction," Reiser said. "1 let the throttle off a little bit, let the wheel down, turned it back on and rode it clean through the jumps, through the lights and thought I had it. I came up two-tenths short!" Reiser's time was second best as Lou Gerencer Jr., last season's champ, turned a 5.447. It was brother-in-law Jeff Yoder, of the Indiana's Pro Hillclimb Team who turned up the heat, bumping Reiser to third for the round with a 5.251. Yoder's Harley-Davidson made a smooth climb right up the center, but was still a full tenth behind Krauter. The tough competitive spirit of the Williams family from Canada, was unable to put on the pressure today, as the throaty Hondas fell low in the pack. ' Round two for the 800s was much the same story as the first - mid-fives to the top. But it was Tom Chatterton's turn at heating up the rilce. Chatterton Paul Pinsonnault (2) bested Tim Frazier (I) and Scott Everett (4) in the 540cc class. Tom Chatterton was the fastest up the hill in the 800cc class. Sometimes it's harder to get down than to go up. John Williams demonstrates. took his 160-hp Harley on a slim 5.097second leap to the top. Chatterton is known ,for "getting too much air" and slowing on the breakers, but here he stayed close to earth and his time proved it. The competition was stiff, as first, second and third at this point were separated by a few hundredths. Brothers Wade and Greg Williams both posted their personal best on round two, but neither could get under 5.4 . The final round of the day began with the 540s having to deal with a light rain that got stronger and made the hill slick. Many of the 540s had their worst ride in round three. Only four riders kept times under six seconds, and three never made it over the top. The most spectacular spill of the day happened when Dresser's Suzuki got away from him as he was breaking the timing lights. His bike went around him sideways, and rider and bike slid to a halt at the peak. Dresser immediately gave a big thumbs up amid a now steady rain as the crowd cheered in support. Scott Everett's Triumph was one of the few bikes to navigate a quick path to the top. With the hill now wet and rutted, Everett'still managed to turn a 5.434, putting him in third behind Frazier and Pinsonnault. Frazier got one more shot at the hill, and cut a decent run, but went out of bounds at about 100 feet. The round ended for the 540s with the top five places going to Pinsonnault, Frazier, Everett, Hoskins and Dresser. The weather broke as the 800s came back on line to run their third round and bring the event to a conclusion. Out of 15 riders making three runs each, there were more than 30 rtins under six seconds, so the top five spots changed hands frequently. But no one would overshadow Chatterton's 5.091 bid for first, or Krauter's 5.157-second place run. Third place traded between a handful of riders, but it was Lou Gerencer Jr., founder of Indiana's Pro Hillclimb Team and father and fatherin-law to many of the best hillclimbers, who stole the bronze. Gerencer was in complete control as he powered his stretched Harley-Davidson to the finish in 5.265 seconds. The top five places in the 800cc class went to Chatterton, Krauter, Gerencer Sr., Harry Schreiber and Veteran Charlie Casey. tN Results 800cc: 1. Tom Chatterton (H-D); 2. Steve Krauter (HD); 3. Lou Gerencer Sr. (H-D); 4. Harry Schreiber (H-D); 5. Charlie Casey (Yam); 6. Jeff Yoder (H-D); 7. Tom Reiser (H-D); 8. R.L. Smith (BSA); 9. Lou Gerencer Jr. (HD); 10. Randy Gabriel (H-D); 11. Wade Williams (Hon); 12. John Williams (Hon); 13. Greg Williams (Hon); 14. Bobby Castledine (H-D); 15. Rick Hunter (H-D). 540cc: 1. Paul Pinsonnault. (Hon); 2. Tim' Frazier (BSA); 3. Scott Everett (Tri); 4. Alan Hoskins (Hon); 5. Steve Dresser (Suz); 6. Ted Williams (Rtx); 7. Larry Licht (Hon); 8. John Hislop (BSA); 9. Mike Pulver (Kaw); 10. Doug Klont (Tri); 11. Roger McNeely (Yam); 12. Don Pinsonnault (Hon); 13. Ralph Kreeger (Tri); 14. Aaron Brown (Hon); 15. David Duncan (Hon). 13

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