The 2002 AMA National Amateur Motorcycle/Youth/ATV Hillclimb Championships were hosted this year by the Moonshine Hillclimbers of Delbarton West Virginia. The Moonshine club did an outstanding job preparing the hill and grounds for the event, and the club members were exceptionally cheerful, friendly and helpful. The trophies were excellent - of real national quality. Well over 400 riders registered to ride in 3 youth, 3 ATV and 14 amateur motorcycle classes.

Mike Wood, of Bay City, Wisconsin, was the overall fastest rider of the entire weekend. Riding a Honda CR500, the multi-time national champion flew over the 500 foot hill in 9.724 seconds on Saturday to set the fast time in the 600cc class, which also became the fastest time of the day. That time would have held up for the class championship also, but Wood delivered another even more incredible ride on Sunday, sailing his Honda over the top in a sizzling 9.403 seconds. And he needed it for the overall fast time, as Lloyd Mueller posted a blazing 9.453 second time later in Open Class action. Wood was a decisive winner in the 600 class as his closest competitor, Paul Lowe, from Stollings, WV, carded a 10.101 second run for second place, with fellow West Virginians Gary Slater, Scotty Campbell and Scott Thomas filling in the top five.

The Open Class featured a shootout of Wisconsin Harleys with Mueller, from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, overtaking Todd Cipala, from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, who had taken the first round lead with a 9.913 second time. When Cipala, the defending 2001 class champion, pulled a big wheelie around 360 feet up the hill and had to shut down just a bit, Mueller’s time was safe. Cipala was follwed by fellow Wisconsins Tom Boerger, Chuck Neinfeldt and Mike Bronk. Bronk, riding a bigbore Yamaha, was the only one of the top five not riding a Harley and Steve Shafer, from Illinois, brought his Harley in for the sixth place trophy.

The tightest class at the top was the 750cc class, which featured a shootout between Midwestern Kawasaki Triple riders. Eric O’Connor, from Minnesota, posted the best time on Saturday with a 10.349 second run on his classy triple. Lloyd Haas, from Elizabeth, Illinois, was close behind with a 10.485 second run, with Minnesota’s Kaleb Northrup just behind him with a 10.562 second time. Brad Cain, also from Minnesota had his Triumph in fourth with Jason Northup, from Illinois, in fifth on yet another triple. In second round action, Kaleb Northrup took over the lead with a 10.147 second time and Lloyd Haas moved into second with a 10.208 second run. Jason Northrup improved his time also and moved ahead of Cain into the fourth spot. But O’Connor had the last shot at the hill and made the most of it, screaming over the top in 10.084 seconds, taking the win by 6/100’s of a second over Kaleb Northrup, who in turn was just 6/100’s quicker than Haas. O’Connor, Haas and Jason Northrup are all previous national champions and Kaleb Northrup has been second at least twice. They, along with Cain and multi time national champ Todd Cipala all compete in the District 23 (Minnesota) 750cc season points race, making that probably one of the most exciting series in the country.

Brent Stewart, from Galva, Illinois, picked up his third national title in 400cc class. Riding his Jackson Performance KTM 380, Stewart carded times of 10.541 and 10.517 seconds to take a convincing win. Bill Paider, from Elsworth, Wisconsin and also riding a KTM380 claimed second place with a 10.867 second time. Fellow KTM riders Chad Koopsma from South Dakota and Matt Peters and Paul Hackbarth from Illinois followed Paider, making an all KTM / all Midwest top five.

In ATV action, however, the East Coast riders were on the top of the list – and most of them from West Virginia. Frank Wilson Jr, from Delbarton, posted the fastest time of all the ATV’s, a sizzling 10.411 second run in the Open (401 and up) ATV class. He was followed by Mike Wilson with an excellent 10.691 second time for second, with Bruce Browning, Jackie White and Greg Casdorph filling out the top five places. All the top five riders were from West Virginia.

In the 250CC ATV class, the West Virginia Wilsons again claimed the top two spots. This time, it was Frank Wilson, from Delbarton, who claimed the win with a 11.539 second run and Riley Wilson, also from Delbarton, his closest challenger with an 11.814 second time. Dallas Bryant, from nearby Chapmanville, took third, followed by Ohioans Kurt Stack and Chris Moore.

It was the Ohio riders, however, who dominated the 4-stroke ATV classes, taking the top six places. Don Paisley, from Marietta, carded a 11.951 second time for the win. He was followed by fellow Ohio four wheelers Mark O’Brien, Paul Stack, Beau Griffin, Gary Hughey and David Schilling.

In Youth class action, young Vinny Nuzzolli, from Wilbraham, Massachusetts, climbed 455 feet for the win in the 50cc Automatic class. His closest challenger was Zachary DeGross from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, who climbed 380 feet for second place. Lewis Yates (WV), Dylan Brady (IL), and Casey Wood (Mike’s daughter) filled in the top five places.

West Virginia also provided the best of the 85CC Junior Mini riders as Austin Coon claimed the title with a fine 13. 880 second time, with Colby McCutcheon, also from West Virginia, running second with a 14.237 second time. Steven Joe ‘Goose’ Weaver, from Illinois, claimed the third spot with Ryan Connelly (Ma) and Channing Preece (WV) taking 4^th and 5^th.

The top two riders in the 85cc Senior Mini class came from Minnesota, with Jay Sallstrom taking the win with a 13.599 second time. He had to overtake fellow Minnesotan Nate Redmann, who took the first round lead with a 14.539 second ride, but couldn’t improve on it on Sunday. Zachary Guyan (Pa), Chris Huizenga (Mi) and Ryan Oosterman (NH) were the next 3 finishers.

In other amateur class action West Virginians Greg Adkins were the top two riders in the 125cc class, Minnesota’s Dan Prebe took the 200cc class win with fellow Minnesotan Jason Braun claiming the win in the 250cc class. Butch Fetters, from Neoga, Illinois, rode his KTM520 to the win in the 600cc 4-stroke class and West Virginia’s Timmy Adkins was best in the Senior class.

Congratulations and many thanks to Randy Maynard and his Moonshine club for putting on an excellent Hillclimb National. Good job, y’all!!