AMA National Hillclimb Preview: Williams on Top Heading for Marquette
16 July 1997
WILLIAMS KING OF THE HILL COMING INTO MARQUETTE NATIONAL R97077 July 14, 1997 For Immediate Release WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Four-time American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) 540cc National Hillclimb Champion Greg Williams is on a two-race winning streak in the 800cc class heading into the July 20 AMA National Hillclimb in Marquette, Michigan. After mastering the smaller machines, Williams is looking to earn his first title in the 800cc class. Canadian Williams holds a 5-point lead over national hillclimb rookie James Large in the 800cc class coming into round five of the 11-race series. For Williams to hold his series lead, though, he will have to do considerably better than he did at Marquette in 1995, the last time the series visited the upper Peninsula town. On that occasion, Williams finished 11th. One rider Williams will have to keep his eye on is Steve Dresser, the 1995 AMA 800cc Hillclimb Champion, who is sitting quietly in third place in the series standings. After a slow start, Dresser has come on strong with a second-place finish at Steel City, Pa., and a third at Avoca, N.Y., in June. Dresser has shown considerable skill on the Marquette, Mich. hill. He finished second there in 1995 en route to winning the title. Dresser hopes to use a good placing at Marquette to close the gap on Williams. Ted Wilkins won the 540cc class at Marquette in '95 on his hand-built Rotax hillclimb machine. Wilkins is ninth in the 540cc series coming into the Marquette race. Leading the 540cc class is Richard Soter III, on a classic BSA hillclimber. Soter is trying to hold off four-time AMA 540cc National Champion Paul Pinsonnault, who is second in the series. The 540cc class should be a barn-burner among Wilkins, Pinsonnault and Soter, who finished one-two-three respectively at Marquette in 1995 and were all separated by less than two-tenths of a second. Defending 800cc AMA National Hillclimb Champion and 1995 Marquette winner Lou Gerencer, Jr. will not be on hand to race at Marquette. Gerencer will be spending most of the summer recovering from a broken hip. He hopes to be able to come back at the season finale in October. Contact: Connie Fleming Phone: (614) 891-2425 Fax: (614) 891-7368 -30-