The Cahokia Creek Dirt Riders hosted the 2008 Illinois/District 17 State Hillclimb Championships on August 2.  Paul Hillard emerged as the fastest rider of the night and was a double class winner.  ‘Jammin’ Joe’ McGurer, Matt Peters and Shane Green also enjoyed double class wins.

            Hillard posted the first round Fast Time with a 3.663 second in the Senior (+40) class on his Kawasaki triple fast time, overtaking Green and his 3.724 second first round ride in the 600cc class.  Hillard’s first round time held up for the Senior class win, and it was a good thing as he injured himself on a second round over the top crash in the 750cc class, and likely couldn’t have made a second run.  Scott Petty was second in the Senior class with a 3.735 second run with Kevin L. Bond third. 

            Hillard’s second win came in the 750cc class where his 3.912 second first round ride would have been good for the win, but Matt Peters had set a new fast time while winning the 450cc class with a 3.651 second run.  Hillard came to the line for his second 750cc class ride with the express goal of retaking the Fast Time – which he did, flying his screaming triple over the top in a sizzling 3.588 seconds.  His landing, however, was a painful crash, and though he did take the coveted Fast Time award, he was unable to ride in the winner take all King of the Hill shootout class.

            Peters took the first round lead in the 250cc class with a 3.915 second time on his CR250, but young ‘Dangerous’ Dylan Brady sailed his Honda over in 3.864 seconds to take the second round lead.  Peters responded with a very quick 3.685 second time to take the class win, only 22 hundreths off the Hillard overall fast time.  Shane Green claimed third on his Yamaha in 3.925 seconds.

            Peters also set the first round best time in the 450cc class with a 3.882 second time (Fastest at that point of time), but Green slipped under him with a 3.850 second time in the second round.  Just as in the 250cc class, Peters responded with a full throttle attack, flying high over the top in 3.651 seconds for the class win, and a new Fast Time.  District 17 Hill Climb Director, Gordon Green, claimed third.

             McGurer got his first win in the 85cc Senior Mini class, posting the top two fastest times in the youth competition.  His 4.606 second time in the second round, followed a 4.732 second first round ride, which would have been good for the class win and Youth Fast Time.  Austin Storm was second in the Senior Mini class with a 5.777 second time, and Brett Kalaher was second fastest in overall youth with a 4.888 second class winning time in the 85cc Junior Mini class, with Jeremiah Lyday second.

            McGurer and Kalaher competed head on in the 125cc class with McGurer coming out on top again.  Kalaher set the first round best time with a good 4.102 second run on his YZ125, with McGurer in second with a 4.353 second run on his Kawasaki.  In the second round, McGure flew over the top in 4.090 seconds to take the class win from Kalaher by a mere 12/1,000’s of a second.  Kalaher crashed at 115 feet in a full throttle attempt to reclaim the win.

            Shane Green claimed one ‘regular’ class championship with a 3.724 second first round time on his KX500 to win the 600cc class.  Kevin ‘Bubba’ Bond was close with a 3.755 second time on his CR500, with Matt Peters claiming third on his KX500.  All  three returned for the one run, winner take all, King of the Hill Class for the top ten fastest riders of the night.  Green claimed the King trophy with a 3.681 second time, with  ‘Big Al’ Petty taking second on his Kawasaki in 3.783 seconds.  Peters and Bond finished third and fourth.

            In other Youth action, Reece Hutton was the 50cc champion with Levi Peters second, while Jarred Brown claimed the 65cc class win with Hutton second.  

RESULTS:

 50cc: 1.Reece Hutton, 2.Levi Peters, Jonathan Peters.

65cc:  1.Jarred Brown, 2.Reece Hutton, 3.Levi Peters, 4.Branson Stevenson, 5.D.J. Watson.

85Jr: 1.Brett Kalaher, 2.Jeremiah Lyday, 3.Tom Goodnick, 4.Jarred Brown, 5.Jacob Chandler.

85Sr: 1.Joe McGurer, 2.Austin Storm.

125cc: 1.Joe McGurer, 2.Brett Kalaher, 3.Derek Toberman, 4.Dylan Brady, 5.Carissa Harwell.

200cc:  1.Schuyler Kalaher, 2.Chris Peters, 3.Scott Ragland, 4.Keith Klett, 5.Tonnie Pauley Sr.

250cc: 1.Matt Peters, 2.Dylan Brady, 3.Shane Green, 4.Schuyler Kalaher, 5.Kyle Galloway.

450cc: 1.Matt Peters, 2.Shane Green, 3.Gordon Green, 4.Brian Klett.

600cc: 1.Shane Green, 2.Kevin ‘Bubba’, Bond, 3.Matt Peters, 4.Scott Petty, 5.Al Petty.

600 4-St: 1.Gordon Green,  2.Brian Klett.

750cc: 1.Paul Hillard, 2.Brent Land

OPN: 1.R.J. Watson.

+40: 1.Paul Hillard, 2.Scott Petty, 3.Kevin L. Bond, 4.Mike Bacon, 5.Mark Peters.

+50: 1.Mike Bacon, 2.Tom Rollins, 3.Steve Horath, 4.Keith Klett, 5.Ron Pauley.

400 St: 1.Dustin Lugar, 2.Kyle Galloway, 3.Mike Pulver, 4.Al Petty, 5.Gordon Green.

Opn St: 1.Kyle Galloway, 2.Mike Pulver, 3.Bubba Bond.

WMN: 1.Carissa Harwell, 2.Lakota Ashworth.

KING: 1.Shane Green, 2.Al Petty, 3.Matt Peters, 4.Bubba Bond.

YOUTH FAST TIME:  Joe (‘Jammin’ Joe’) McGurer, 4.606, KX85

OVERALL FAST TIME:  Paul Hillard., 3.588, Kawasaki 750 Triple

Dylan Brady

Joe McGurer

Kevin Bond

Paul Hillard