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Racing: Climber rises to occasion at Sturgis
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FarkSTURGIS — Omaha, Neb., rider Harold Waddell showed why he is the reigning Open Class champion of the North American Hillclimbers Association, blasting his nitro-fueled Suzuki up a treacherous 360-foot slope in quick time to take Open Class and King of the Hill honors at Thursday’s NAHA Rumble at the Rally Pro Hillclimb.
Waddell was the last of six top qualifiers up the hill and made the final run of the day count with a 6.959 pass, eclipsing the 7.062 turned in by Bret Peterson, of Yorba Linda, Calif., to claim the King of the Hill trophy.
Waddell was top-seed with the quickest qualifying time in the Open Class field of 20 riders, but his first pass in the King of the Hill runoff ended with a spill 27 feet short of the summit.
“That first run I tried a little bit different line on the third jump and it kicked me sideways. The next time I used that next line to the left and was able to get a little turn in the air. Being a little patient between (gates) four and five and getting the front end up to that ledge was the key to winning it all right there,” Waddell said.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Waddell said. “I needed a win.”
Peterson made his run on a machine borrowed from Nick Beer after the transmission on his own KTM locked up after the first round of qualifying. Peterson’s run of 8.273 seconds was just enough to make the final cut for the run-off.
He posted his 7.062 on the first run of the second round and it stood up until Waddell’s final turn.
“On a borrowed bike I couldn’t ask for any more. It was a bummer I didn’t win it, but on a borrowed bike, second’s definitely good enough for me,” Peterson said.
Placing third was Dusty Beer, of Columbus, Mont. (7.730), with recently crowned world champion Travis Whitlock, of Springville, Utah, fourth at 7.896, Jason Smith, of Farmington, Utah, was fifth with a 7.970, and Brandon Whitlock, of Springville, Utah, was sixth after settling for less than a full climb.
Waddell was a triple winner also claiming the 700cc class win Thursday morning.
Eric Cherry, of Laurel, Mont., won the 450cc class also Thursday morning.
Chad Koopsma’s home-state turf was unkind to him during two days of competition. The Sioux Falls rider, a teammate of Waddell, had his bike step out near the summit, resulting in a 10.665 clocking in his first qualifying attempt.
Koopsma’s second attempt ended when his bike got crossed up in a rut just after launching off the start line, and he couldn’t muster the momentum to clear the first jump.
“That was embarrassing,” he said. “It hasn’t been a good day on the hill.”
“The hill’s gotten more ornery since yesterday,” Koopsma said. “It’s gotten harder and it’s not as forgiving.”
The rally racing schedule concludes today with the Jackpine Gypsies Pro Hillclimb at 10 a.m. at the Gypsies’ club grounds, and the final night of motorcycle racing at the J.C. “Pappy” Hoel Short Track in west Sturgis at 7 p.m.
Bret Peterson, of Yorba Linda, Calif., approaches the hill near the Buffalo Chip Campground during Thursday’s North American Hill Climbers Association event. (Kristina Barker/Journal staff)
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