The Pleasure Riders hosted the last hill climb of the District 15 and District 17 seasons on there hill at their club grounds near Cayuga, Indiana – and it was a mudfest.     

            The Friday night rains came back again Saturday night and continued on Sunday.  But it was the last climb of the year, and many riders had a chance to overtake those ahead of them in the season points race, so the Sunday climb was run in the rain – often hard rain.  64 brave riders took the challenge, and several were rewarded by moving up in the final point standings. 

            Andy (‘Fast Andy’) Fortner emerged as the fastest mudder, setting the fast time of the day.  Riding his CR500 in the 600cc class, he found himself in fourth place at the end of the first round with a 5.371 second time, behind Brent Bowman, Justin Trent and Jake Tackitt – Bowman leading on his KX500 with a 5.070 second time.  But in the second round, Fortner stopped the clock in 4.943 seconds, the only rider to break into the 4’s all day, winning the class and setting the Fast Time. Bowman slipped to second place and Tackitt slipped around Trent with a 5.193 second run for third place.

            But ‘Fast Andy’ wasn’t done, as he came back to record an even faster time,4.838 seconds, to win the King of the Hill one run shootout of the top ten riders of the day.  Shane Green was second fastest in the King class with a 5.009 second time on his KTM380.  It was Fortner’s third straight King of the Hill class win, which also earned him the season long King of the Hill title sponsored by Kaleb Northrup and his Kingofthehill.org website.  He will receive a special award at the District 17 Awards banquet for that.

            And it got even better for the Fortner family, as Andy’s stepson, Jacob (‘Joltin Jake’) Wood, took the 85cc Junior Mini class win and the Youth Fast Time award with a 6.181 second time on his RM85 Suzuki.  It was the second time this year the duo pulled off the ‘family fast time’ trick.

            Blake Cappello was a double class winner, duplicating his feat of the night before. ‘Blazing Blake’ grabbed his first win in the 85cc Senior Mini class with a 6.191 second time – only 1/100th of a second off the Jake Wood fast time, with Justin James second.  He then returned to win the 125cc class for the second straight day with a 5.509 second first round ride on his KX125, with Shane Green running second with a 5.535 second run on his YZ125.  

            In other youth class action, Logan Moody took the 50cc class win with Dakota Watson second.  Dakota Blakeney won the 65cc class for the second straight day with Brett Kalaher in second place.  Both thrilled the sparse crowd by actually topping the nasty slick hill on their little 65cc machines on both their rides.

            All in all, it was a very gutsy and entertaining event.  It was amazing how many riders were able to not only climb the incredibly muddy hill, but also do it in fairly fast times.  Many even went faster on their second rides, after several sessions of major rain.  Perhaps the scariest part to them was coming down the return trail – which was, in fact, a water slide.  But ride they did, and no one got injured, but nearly all came out totally soaked and covered in mud.  I send my regards and respect to a gutsy group of riders.

RESULTS:

50CC: 1.Logan Moody (Pol), 2.Dakota Watson (Pol), 3.Nick Brown (LEM).

65CC: 1.Dakota Blakeney (KTM), 2.Brett Kalaher (Kaw), 3.Logan Moody (Kaw), 4.Matt Kinkin (Suz).

85CC Jr: 1.’Joltin Jake’ Wood (Suz), 2.Dakota Blakeney (KTM), 3.Caleb Emory (Kaw), 4.Brett Kalaher (Kaw), 5.Jessica Coon Yam).

85CC Sr: 1.Blake Cappello (Kaw), 2.Justin James (Kaw), 3.John Rice (Suz).

125CC: 1.Blake Cappello (Kaw), 2.Shane Green (Yam), 3.R.D. Miller III (Kaw), 4.Justin Trent (Hon), 5.Mike Popham (Yam).

200CC: 1.Jake Tackitt (Kaw), 2.Bubba Bond (Kaw), 3.Shawn Mortenson (Kaw).

250CC: 1.Mark Schroeder (Yam), 2.Shane Green (Yam), 3.Mike Popham (Yam), 4.R.J. Watson (Hon), 5.R.D. Miller III (Kaw).

450CC: 1.Shane Green (KTM).

600CC: 1.’Fast Andy’ Fortner (hon), 2.Brent Bowman (Kaw), 3.Jake Tackitt (Hon), 4.Justin Trent (Hon).

600 4-Str: 1. Chuck Schroeder (Hon).

750CC: 1.Bob Senn (Yam).

SENR: 1.Kevin Bond (Hon), 2.Scott Petty (Hon), 3.Billy Pearson (Suz), 4.Ron Todd (Kaw).

SSNR: 1.Ron Todd (Kaw), 2.Billy Pearson (Suz).

400 Stk: 1.Rod Kalaher (Kaw), 2.Mark Schroeder (Yam), 3.Danny Shuman (Kaw), 4.R.J. Watson (Hon), 5.Al Petty (Hon).

OPN Stk: 1.Brian Klett (Yam).

2-St QUAD: 1.Wade Garriott (Hon), 2.Drew Burgess (Yam), 3.Evan Zimmerman (Hon).

4-St QUAD: 1.Justin James (Kaw), 2.Wade Garriott (Yam), 3.Troy Piatt (Hon), 4.Jake Nehring (Yam), 5.Jeff Ramey (Yam).

KOTH:  1.Andy Fortner (Hon), 2.Shane Green (KTM), 3.Brent Bowman (Kaw), 4.Jake Tackitt (Hon), 5.Mark Schroeder (Yam).

YOUTH FAST TIME: ‘JOLTIN JAKE’ WOOD, 6.181, SUZUKI RM85

AMATEUR FAST TIME: ‘FAST ANDY’ FORTNER, 4.943, HONDA CR500

Andy & Jake with their Fast Time awards

Scott Petty

Justin Trent