Wilwert’s Event Promotions of Dubuque, Iowa held it’s first hillclimb of the season on its rocky 500 foot hill just outside of Dickeyville, Wisconsin, drawing nearly 140 of the best hillclimbers in the country. Wilwert’s has done an excellent job of improving the hill, the grounds and the event in the past two years, and will be hosting the 2003 AMA Amateur and Youth National Hillclimb Championship on August 16 & 17.

This climb, however, was a semi-pro event for 600cc and bigger bikes. Todd Cipala, a multiple National Champion, was the big winner of the day, posting wins in three classes and also taking the Fast Time of the Day award.

Cipala’s first win came in the 600cc Novice (Cipala’s a novice?) class on his KX500, and he had to come from behind to do it. Michigan’s Adam Doublestein set the best time on his first ride with an excellent 11.19 second run, with his traveling companion, Tim Havercroft running second with a 11.38 second time. With Eric Donaldson posting a 11.87 second time, Cipala found himself in 4^th place at the break with a comparatively ‘slow’, 12.02 seconds. But in the second round, Cipala flew his Kawasaki over the breaker at the bottom and unleashed a straight and fast 10.49 second run to take the class lead. Donaldson also improved his time with a fine 10.79 second run and Nebraska’s Ernie Beckwith slipped into third with a 11.09 second run, after crashing on his first ride. Doublestein crashed at 390 feet and Havercroft turned another 11.38 second time, so the duo from Michigan had to settle for 4^th and 5^th places.

Cipala looked as if he was also going to claim the 750cc Novice win also, nailing a good 11.34 second time on his Kawasaki to take the first round lead, followed by Kaleb Northrup and his Triple Kaw with a 12.02 second run. In second round action, however, Northrup sailed his screaming triple hard off the breaker and landed straight, continuing on for a class leading 11.10 second time. Cipala answered with a fistful of throttle, but didn’t get a clean jump off the breaker and, when his triple wheelied at the 350 foot marker, he had to briefly shut down to save the ride, losing his chance to catch Northrup. Brad Cain rode his hot Triumph to a 13.74 second third place, followed by Mike Schobert and Jeff Morrow.

Cipala’s day was far from over, however, because after taking a third in the 600cc 4-stroke class, he still had his big, beautiful and bad Harley to run in the Open Class. The fast time so far had been his own 11.34 second time on his 750 triple, and he eclipsed that with an incredible 10.18 second wheelstanding run on his first ride on the Harley – a time no other rider would better all day. Lloyd Mueller was his closest challenger, turning in an excellent 10.53 second time on his beautiful Harley with Harold Waddell and his bigbore Suzuki running third in 10.88 seconds.

Waddell was having a good day also, posting wins on his classy Triumphs in both the 600 4-stroke and 750 Expert classes. In the King of the Hill shootout class (10 fastest riders of the day), he flew his big Suzuki over the top in a sizzling 10.21 seconds to post a daunting challenge for the remaining nine riders. Kurt Koester, winner of the 600cc Expert class, and Kaleb Northrup followed with good 10 second times, but both fell short of Waddell. Then Cipala brought his Harley to the line. Todd delivered, as he often does under pressure, blasting off the line and assaulting the hill with a handful of Harley power – and sailed over the top in an incredible 9.87 seconds, taking the win in the King of the Hill class, and bettering his own fast time. Lloyd Mueller put his Harley over in 10.34 seconds despite pulling a big wheelie off the line to claim third.

The 2003 Nationals will be an awesome event, as up to 800 of the nation’s best hillclimbers will challenge the tough Dickeyville hill. Two hills will be running at the same time – both observable from the spectator area. You can access more information on the Nationals online at www.wilwerts.com or e-mail Penny Wilwert at penny@wilwerts.com.

Results:

600 Nov: 1.Todd Cipala (Kaw), 2.Eric Donaldson (Kaw), 3.Ernie Beckwith (Hon), 4.Adam Doublestein (Hon), 5.Tim Havercroft (Hon).

600 Exp: Kurt Koester (Kaw), 2.Harold Waddell (Hon), 3.Paul Hackbarth (Hon), 4.Lloyd Haas (Hon), 5.Luke Haas (Hon).

600 4-Stk: 1.Harold Waddell (Tri), 2.Steve Cain (Hon), 3.Todd Cipala (Yam), 4.Boots Weber (Hon), 5.Luke Haas (Yam).

750 Nov: 1.Kaleb Northrup (Kaw), 2.Todd Cipala (Kaw), 3.Brad Cain (Tri), 4.Mike Schobert (Kaw), 5.Jeff Morrow (Yam).

750 Exp: 1.Harold Waddell (Tri), 2.Kurt Koester (Kaw), 3.Kirk Mueller (Kaw), 4.Wade Schultz (Yam), 5.Ferlin Hoschar (Tri).

OPEN: 1.Todd Cipala (HD), 2.Lloyd Mueller (HD), 3.Harold Waddell (Suz), 4.Mike Bronk (Yam), 5.Mike Schobert (Kaw).

KOTH: 1.Todd Cipala (HD), 2.Harold Waddell (Suz), Lloyd Mueller (HD), 4. Kurt Koester (Kaw), 5. Kaleb Northrup (Kaw)..

FAST TIME: TODD CIPALA; 9.87; HARLEY DAVIDSON