Wolfson Wins
Overall at Big
Sky Challenge
T
he Big Sky Challenge saw
some shake-ups over the
June 1-2 weekend in Billings,
Montana, which hosted the
third round of the Rockwell Pro
Hillclimb Series and the second
round of the AMA CFMoto Mo
-
toclimb Super Series, Presented
by Hi-Tech Motorsports. Nearly
100 racers traveled to the Bill
-
ings Motorcycle Club in Billings,
Montana, for the event.
Saturday was the Rockwell
Pro Hillclimb Series race, which
is based out of the BMC. On
Sunday, the AMA Motoclimb
Super Series kicked off with the
Pro Mod class, which allows
modified bikes 450-700cc. The
hill was technical yet still fast,
with times going into the 10
second range. Jake Anstett (Port
Angeles, WA) set the fast time
on his KTM 550SX-F, which held
until Payton Reimers bumped
his time with a 10.388-second
ride. Anstett was the next rider
and put down an even faster run
of 10.195-second pass, which
gave him the Pro Mod win for
the second round in the row. Up
next, the Pro Open class brought
the big guns, with modified bikes
over 600cc. Jake Anstett threw
down a fast time on his first
run and didn't get touched the
entire time, with a 10.817-second
ride aboard his KTM 1190. Jon
Wolfson from Livermore, Califor
-
nia, had the second fastest time
aboard his GSX-R750, making a
11.504-second pass. Local rider
Tyler Cardwell from Billings, who
co-promoted the event, finished
in third on his KTM 1190.
In the Pro Stock class, stock-
length bikes attacked an awe
-
some line on the hill, and the
top 32 finishers would go into
the Verticross bracket. In this
class, approved electric bikes
are allowed to compete against
the gas bikes, so a couple Stark
Vargs were competing for the
top spot. Another local, Austin
Teyler, and also a co-promoter
of the race, set the fast time on
his Suzuki RM-Z450 in the first
round, but Jon Wolfson put down
a 10.785 run on a KTM 450SX-F
in the second round, and shortly
after Spenser Wilton from Cal
-
gary, Alberta, bumped Wolfson's
run with a 10.719 on a Stark
Varg. Teyler came back out and
bumped both of their times, get-
ting a 10.549 second run on his
Suzuki and earning the top seed
in the Verticross race.
For the Verticross race,
the metal gate starts send
-
ing the two riders straight up
a cliff face, making for one of
the most entertaining races in
recent memory. The field was
stacked full of fast racers, and
the stock-length bikes and evenly
marked steep hill created some
upsets. In the finals, 16-year-old
AJ Christopherson from Utah
defeated Canadian Ryan Wyatt in
the finals, who were the 21st and
18th seeds. The overall was won
by Jon Wolfson, who finished
second in the Open Class and
fourth in the Verticross, gaining
him 34 points and winning his
second overall of the season.
The next round will be on June
14-15 at the Nitro National Pro
Hillclimb in Columbus, Montana.
This will also be a combined se
-
ries event between the Rockwell
Pro Hillclimb Series and Moto-
climb Super Series.
Matt Musgrove
VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P27
Local rider Tyler Cardwell, who co-promoted the Billings MotoClimb,
finished in third on his KTM 1190.
PHOTO: RYAN MCCASLAND
Pro Mod
1. Jake Anstett
2. Payton Reimers
3. Bronson Foianini
Pro Open
1. Jake Anstett
2. Jon Wolfson
3. Tyler Cardwell
Pro Stock
1. Austin Teyler
2. Spenser Wilton
3. Jon Wolfson
Pro Verticross
1. AJ Christopherson
2. Ryan Wyatt
3. Tristan Alexander
