AMA National Hillclimb Series Heads for Steel City
8 September 1997
R97105 September 8, 1997 For Immediate Release WILLIAMS CLINGS TO ONE-POINT LEAD COMING INTO STEEL CITY HILLCLIMB WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Greg Williams heads into round eight of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) National Hillclimb Series hanging on to a 1-point lead in the 800cc class over surprising rookie James Large. Williams will try to extend that lead this Sunday when the AMA hillclimbers make their second visit of the year to the Steel City (Pa.) Hillclimb hosted by the Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club. Williams should be favored in the 800cc class on his nitro-burning Honda. The Canadian hillclimber from Mississauga, Ontario, won the spring race at Steel City over New York State's Steve Dresser. Large finished sixth in the June race, his worst finish of the season. Another rider to watch in the 800cc class will be Indianapolis-based climber Jason Petty. Petty rode a Harley-Davidson to his first career National win last month in Dansville, N.Y. Also on the charge is Paul Zander of Glen Rock, Pa., who finished second to Petty in Dansville and was third in the spring hillclimb at Steel City. Zander could be ready to break through with his first victory this Sunday, riding his BSA. In the 540cc class, four-time champion Paul Pinsonnault, of Brookfield, Mass., holds a slim 2-point margin over Richardd Soter III of Owing Mills, Md.That class has seen a season-long battle between the two-stroke Honda motocross-based machine ridden by Pinsonnault and the older, but proven British-made BSA, ridden by Soter. Ohioan Terry Thompson should also be a strong runner in the 540cc class. Thompson has won two Nationals so far this year, matching the win total of Pinsonnault and Soter. Thompson, like Soter, rides a BSA. -30- Connie Fleming American Motorcyclist Association Public Relations Administrator http://www.ama-cycle.org 614-891-2425