Sixteen year old Richard ‘R.D.” Miller III had never had a Fast Time Trophy, and wanted one really bad.  So he let it all hang out at the Central Illinois M/C club hill climb on June 10 to get his first – which he did – but paid an incredibly painful price.  He had set the Fast Time of the evening with an excellent 2.670 second run on his second ride on his  KX250 to take the 250CC class win in convincing fashion – Mike Popham his closest challenger with a 3.061 second time on his YZ250. Up until that time, only one other rider, Mark Peters, had broken into the 2’s, having posted a 2.995 second run on his KTM550 in the Senior Class to take the Fast Time in to intermission.

            But Cody Jenner burst R.D.’s bubble as he flew his CR500 over the top in a sizzling 2.554 seconds on his second ride to take the 600cc class win and set a new Fast Time.  Miller, however, had another ride coming.  Riding his massive 1600cc full race fire breathing Harley in the Open Class, he came to the line with every intention of retaking the Fast Time.  He twisted the throttle wide open and dropped the clutch, and the Harley shot off the line and blasted up the 100 foot steep and rough hill.  R.D. didn’t shut it off and he flew high over the top, past the flat landing area, past the down slope, and landed it hard on the far flat – 30 feet below the crest of the hill – so hard he broke one of the foot pegs right off the bike.  H e was obviously badly hurt, but the first thing he asked when help arrived was ‘What was my time?’.  His time was an incredible 2.369 seconds – his first Fast Time award.  But he paid dearly, traumatizing all four limbs.  The account given the following morning reported a broken wrist on one arm and elbow on the other, a boken ankle and foot on one leg, and the other leg broken also.  Nerve damage was reporterd in the elbow, also.  A digital camera picture taken at the hospital showed R.D, with all four limbs in casts, with a big smile on his face and the big Fast Time trophy by his side.

            We all wish R.D. a quick recovery and return to our sport.  He is an extremely fine young man, helpful, modest, polite and soft spoken, always with a smile on his young face – a credit to his parents - and to our sport. We will miss him – and them – until they return.

            Mike Pulver was also a double class winner, taking both the Stock Class wins.  Riding Hondas in both classes he topped the secondary, easier hill in 3.203 seconds on his CR250 to win the 400 Stock class, with D.J. Compton second. Riding his CR500, he carded a 2.975 second time for the Open Stock win, with Jared McKay running second very close behind him with a 2.989 second run.

            The Club ran the second day of their double header on rain slicked hills and return trails.  There were still plenty of fast runs, however, the fastest coming from young Dustin ‘D.J.’ Compton and Cody Jenner, who waged a Fast Time war.  First, Compton set a 3.123 second time in the 600cc class in first round action on his KX500, which Jenner slipped under with a 3.113 second run on his CR500 to take the lead in to intermission.

            In second round action, Matt Peters set a new time at 2.974 seconds in the 450cc class, the first to break in to the 2’s. Scott Petty then carded a 2.932 second time in the 600cc class on his Honda to take the class lead and set a new fast time. Peters dropped the time again to 2.900 seconds on his KX500 only to see Jared McKay nail a 2.876 second run on his KX540.  Jenner then flew his Honda over the top in 2.766 seconds however, to retake the 600cc class lead and lower the Fast Time to what most felt would hold up.  But  Compton still had a ride coming, and he launched his Kawasaki hard and flew over the top of the 90 foot wall in a sizzling 2.759 seconds, taking the class win and setting a new Fast Time by 7 thousandths of a second.

            Jenner still emerged a major winner, however, as he claimed the win in the King Of The Hill class – a one run dash for cash for the ten fastest riders of the day.  Jenner blitzed the hill in an astounding 2.616 seconds for that class win - the overall fastest ride of the day.  The Fast Time award however, goes to the fastest ride in the amateur classes, and the ‘King’ class is an exhibition class, so Compton retained the Fast Time award.  Jared McKay was second with a 2.763 second ride, Matt Peters third in 2.776 seconds and Compton fourth in 2.809 seconds.

            Jeremy James claimed his third Youth Fast Time award, carding a 3.725 second time on his KX85 to win the 85CC Junior Mini class.  He was challenged closely by ‘Jammin Joe’ McGurer who sailed his KX85 over in 3.751 seconds for the win in the 85cc Junior Mini class with the prior evening’s winner Brett Kalaher running second. Dakota Watson, National number 3 in the 50cc class was the only rider in his class to top the hill, taking the win with a 4.628 second run on his Cobra.  Lauren Shafer rode her KTM 64 feet for second place. Brett Kalaher was the fast guy in the 65cc class, topping the hill in 3.845 seconds on his KX65 with Logan Moody taking second on his little Kaw in 4.291 seconds.

            Matt Peters, Paul Hillard and Bud Northrup all had double win days.  Peters claimed the wins in the 250cc and 450cc classes, Hillard took the 750cc and 2-stroke Quad wins, while Northrup took the Super Senior (+50) class win and ran unopposed in the Push Rod class.

RESULTS: (Saturday)

50CC: 1.Dakota Watson, 2.Lauren Shafer, 3.Levi Peters, 4.Shelby Shafer, 5.Kyle Peters.

65CC: 1.Brett Kalaher, 2.Chase Amos, 3.Logan Moody.

85 Jr: 1.Joe McGurer, 2.Brett Kalaher, 3.Logan Moody.

85 Sr: 1.Jeremy James.

125CC: 1.Schuyler Kalaher, 2.Blake Cappello, 3.John Rice.

200CC: 1.Bubba Bond, 2.Jake Tackitt, 3.Robbie Ellis, 4.Chris Peters.

250CC: R.D. Miller III, 2.Mike Popham, 3.Matt Peters, 4.D.J. Compton, 5.Blake Cappello.

450CC: 1.Matt Peters, 2.Cody Jenner, 3.Hannah Danneberger.

600CC: 1.Cody Jenner, 2.Jared McKay, 3.Jake Tackitt, 4.Matt Peters, 5.D.J. Compton.

600 4-St: 1.Mike Popham.

750CC: 1.Bobby Walker, 2.Paul Hillard.

OPN: 1.R.D. Miller III, 2.Steve Shafer.

PROD: 1. Bud Northrup.

+40: 1.Scott Petty, 2.Mark Peters, Steve Shafer, 4.Robbie Ellis, 5.Mike Pulver.

+50: 1.Bud Northrup, 2.Steve Horath.

400 St: 1.Mike Pulver, 2.D.J. Compton, 3.Al Petty, 4.Kyle Galloway.

Opn St: 1.Mike Pulver, 2.Jared McKay, 3.R.D. Miller III, 4.Bubba Bond, 5.Kyle Galloway.

2-St Quad: 1.Evan Zimmerman, 2.Paul Hillard.

4-St Quad: 1.Jim Mahan, 2.Chris Brooks, 3.Brad Overman, 4.Troy Piatt, 5.Tom Welch.

AMATEUR FAST TIME: R.D. MILLER 111, 2.369, HARLEY 1600CC

YOUTH FAST TIME: BRETT KALAHER, 4.024, KX85 KAWASAKI

RESULTS: (Sunday)

50CC: 1.Dakota Watson (Cob), 2.Lauren Shafer (KTM), 3.Levi Peters, 4.Shelby Shafer (Yam), 5.Kyle Peters (Yam).

65CC: 1.Brett Kalaher (Kaw), 2.Logan Moody (Kaw), 3.Chase Amos (Kaw).

85 Jr: 1.Joe McGurer (Kaw), 2.Brett Kalaher (Kaw), 3.Logan Moody (Kaw).

85 Sr: 1.Jeremy James (Kaw).

125CC: 1.Blake Cappello (Yam), 2.Schuyler Kalaher (Kaw), 3.John Rice (Kaw).

200CC: 1.Jake Tackitt (Kaw), 2.Chris Peters (Kaw), 3.Bubba Bond (Kaw).

250CC: 1.Matt Peters (Hon), 2.D.J. Compton (Kaw), 3.Justin James (Kaw), 4.Mike Popham (Yam), 5.Blake Cappello (Kaw).

450CC: 1.Matt Peters (KTM), 2.Nick Daniels (Hon), 3.Gordon Green (KTM).

600CC: 1.D.J. Compton (Kaw), 2.Cody Jenner (Hon), 3.Jared McKay (Kaw), 4.Matt Peters (Kaw), 5.Scott Petty (Hon).

600 4-St: 1.Gordon Green (Yam).

750CC: 1.Paul Hillard (Kaw).

PROD: 1.Bud Northrup (HD).

+40: 1.Kevin L. Bond (Kaw), 2.Steve Shafer (HD), 3.Mark Peters (KTM), 4.Scott Petty (Hon), 5.Mike Pulver (Hon).

+50: 1.Bud Northrup (Hon), 2.Steve Horath (Hon).

400 St: 1.Mike Pulver (Hon), 2.D.J. Compton (Kaw), 3.Al Petty (Hon), 4.Kyle Galloway (Kaw).

OPN St: 1.Nick Daniels (Hon), 2.Mike Pulver (Hon), 3.Kyle Galloway (Kaw), 4.Bubba Bond (Hon), 5.Jared McKay (Hon).

2 St Quad: 1.Paul Hillard (Yam), 2.Evan Zimmerman (Hon).

4 St Quad: 1.Jeff Ramey (Yam), 2.Jim Mahan (Hon), 3.Chris Brooks (Hon), 4.Troy Piatt (Hon), 5.Brad Overman (Hon).

WMN: 1.Hannah Danneberger (Yam).

KOTH: 1.Cody Jenner (Hon), 2.Jared McKay (Kaw), 3.Matt Peters (Kaw), 4.D.J. Compton (Kaw), 5.Scott Petty (Hon).

AMATEUR FAST TIME: DUSTIN ‘D.J.’ COMPTON, 2.759, KAWASAKI KX500

YOUTH FAST TIME: JEREMY JAMES, 3.725, KAW KX85

OVERALL FAST TIME:  CODY JENNER, 2.616, HONDA CR500

Brett Kalaher

Jeremy, Cody, & DJ

The Peters Clan

R.D. Miller III

R.D. Miller III in the hospital - with his shiny new trophy!