Hilltoppers
M.C. Desert Scrambles
November
15th & 16th, 2003
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"If
for some lame reason you missed Hilltoppers, It's too late
for you! I just heard that your competition card will be
revoked for missing a perfect race. It's just sad. We had
several people in our club that just won't be allowed back
in the desert. Here is a list of thing you need to do if
you missed it.
1. Just throw
next years application away.
2. Take up golf,
3. sell your bike and buy new furniture, to sit home
with."
_________________
Tony F-something
Desert MC, Husqvarna (not the chainsaw)
|
There are four pages
of this stuff on the District 37 Web site. Blessed with perfect
riding conditions and a turn out of over 370 riders, the Hilltoppers
threw the best desert race of the year.
Thank you to everyone
that came out and chipped in. The course markings were awesome
and the clean up was without a doubt the best idea we’ve ever
had. The entire desert was clean by 2 pm. No fines from the district
this year. He had a monster turn out from club members new and
old. Thank you for taking the time to come out and help out.
A special thanks goes
out to Rob Meyer for the cookout on Saturday night. I am putting
this in the newsletter so everyone knows. We would like you to
cook at the GP and the desert race next year. You have an unlimited
budget. (Yes Harry, Unlimited) You know what needs to be done
and it was fantastic.
Thank you Danny F.
for running the sweep crew; sorry I started the quads up the
bomb while you were helping a downed rider from the beginner
line. OOPS! Just trying to keep you on your toes.
Finally, thank you
at all of the friends who came out and filled all the spots where
we were missing folks. Since our membership is still growing,
your assistance is invaluable.
We should have the
financial report done by the next news letter and will send out
the info so everyone can see how well we fared.
A note from
President Harry:
Hi Guys
Just a little update as to our next meetings for the Hilltoppers.
We will have a meeting Thurs. 12-18-03, No meeting this week 12-11.
2004 we will go back to our original schedule of the 1st and 3rd
Wednesday of the month, Jan. will be 1-7 and 1-21-04 until we start
having weekly meetings for our Grand Prix in February.
Hope this is helpful.
I'd like to Thank
all the Hilltoppers for their hard work for the club this year
its well appreciated by me, my staff and the membership.
Wishing all Hilltoppers and their Family's and friends a Merry
Christmas and fun, and safe Holidays.
Thanks again
Harry Klaus-Pres HTMC
Club
Elections
January
8th, 2004
It’s time to come
out and make your voice heard. The elections for officers will
be held at the first meeting of the New Year. If you like everything
that the club is doing, come support the guys that are working
for you. If you have some Ideas for change or would like to see
the club move in some new directions, come and make your voice
heard. Enough said.
Score
Desert Racing Series - Tecate Baja 1000
November 21, 2003
Provided By American
Honda-
The 36th-annual Tecate
SCORE Baja 1000 will go down as the toughest one ever, with just
153 of the 272 original starters able to finish. Despite the long,
dusty day and cold, foggy night, however, the Honda Off-Road Team
pairing of Johnny Campbell and Steve Hengeveld not only coped
well but thrived, resulting in a winning ride that saw them literally
run away from the entire field to take the overall victory in
15 hours, 39 minutes, 52 seconds. That gave them an average speed
of 51.58 miles per hour for the 808-mile course on their XR650R,
besting the first truck or buggy by some 45 minutes and the second-place
motorcycle by about 53 minutes. It also stretched Campbell's Baja
1000 win streak to seven in a row and gave Honda its 14th overall
motorcycle victory, also extending a record. In addition, eight
of the first 10 bike finishers relied on the XR650R, resulting
in four Pro-class wins out of five (of course, the 650 isn't eligible
for the 250cc class).
Though Campbell and
Hengeveld finished the three-race SCORE Desert Series with a perfect
record for the second consecutive year, don't think that their
Baja 1000 win was easy. Campbell was fourth off the line and grabbed
the lead just 20 miles later. Early in the race, however, he hit
a sizeable rock that sat hidden in the shadows, destroying the
front wheel. "I never even knew it was there," he said. "I've
been down that road a hundred times, but I hit it going really,
really fast! Right when I hit it, I thought it was over with."
Fortunately, Campbell
didn't crash, but besides the mangled wheel, he suffered a jammed
thumb on his throttle hand, an injury that would affect him the
rest of the day. "It kind of dampened my ride because I had a
really good rhythm going and everything was working really good
until then," he lamented. Still, Campbell managed to limp the
bike onward until he could get the broken wheel replaced by the
heads-up crew from the next pit. After that, "Basically, I just
had to maintain and ride 75 percent because my thumb was hurting
pretty bad," he said, and he handed the bike to Hengeveld after
205 miles.
Coming on strong and
determined to overtake them, the Christopher Blais/Chuck Dempsey/Andy
Grider/Beau Hayden team actually passed Campbell/Hengeveld when
the defending champs stopped for a scheduled tire change. That
lasted only until they reached the bottom of the course near Chapala
Dry Lake and turned north with Hengeveld moving back into the
lead for good. "When I passed them at Chapala, my goal was just
to ride as hard as I could to San Matias Pass (a distance of nearly
170 miles) because I figured I could put some time on them," Hengeveld
explained. "When I got to San Felipe (about 120 miles later) I
had six minutes and kept building."
Despite having to
avoid a herd of cattle and some wild horses in the dark in the
last 150 miles, plus needing to slow markedly for fog, Hengeveld
kept extending his margin while Campbell kept tabs via a satellite
phone he borrowed.
"There is no greater
thrill or accomplishment in our sport than to be champions of
the Baja 1000," Hengeveld declared after finishing back in Ensenada.
"Don't wake me up; it's unbelievable!
"We rode a couple
thousand miles in preparation for this thing. It all worked out
so it's okay," he laughed.
The Blais/Dempsey/Grider/Hayden
team ended up second overall on their XR650R, their ride slowed
by a broken light bracket. Third overall and first in Class 40
for riders 40 or older went to Craig Adams, Rich Binkley, Chris
Haines, Bob Johnson, Jack Johnson and Paul Ostbo. It marked the
20th Baja 1000 for Haines and gave him his 10th class victory.
Class 30 winners Gerardo Rojas and Sergio Vega took fourth overall
by just three seconds over Class 40 runners-up Jeff Kaplan, Jim
O'Neal and Tim Withers.
Baja 1000 overall motorcycle results:
- Johnny Campbell/Steve
Hengeveld-Honda XR650R-15:39:52
- Christopher Blais/Chuck
Dempsey/Andy Grider/Beau Hayden-Honda XR650R-16:32:44
- Craig Adams/Rich
Binkley/Chris Haines/Bob Johnson/Jack Johnson/Paul Ostbo-Honda
XR650R-17:37:30
- Gerardo Rojas/Sergio
Vega-Honda XR650R-17:43:18
- Jeff Kaplan/Jim
O'Neal/Tim Withers-Honda XR650R-17:43:21
Score
Desert Racing Series - Tecate Baja 1000
November 21,
2003
We left Wednesday
night and made it down to Ensenada just in time for a late supper
at El Ray Sol. Steve Vince, Christian Lee’s father, Olaf, and
myself went down to assist Pete Brown at his Honda Pit 10 in Gonzaga
Bay. We started at contingency Thursday and met up with all of
the big names at Honda Racing. Johnny, Bruce, Steve, Marty and
Tim Gomez. We headed south on Mexican Hwy 1 for a lunch at a place
called the Wet Buzzard. This place is right on the beach and on
same road as the La Pinta hotel in Cielito Lindo just south of
San Quintin. $1 tacos and burritos and $4 pitchers of beer. Worth
the stop.
If you have not been
to Pete’s House yet, what are you waiting for? Thank you, Pete,
for your hospitality. President Harry was down and did a great
job cooking up the vitals, as well.
We got to our pit
around noon on Friday. Christian Lee and Lee Hamby joined us at
the pit. The first bike showed at 4:19pm. Lee Hamby won the money
for that and made sure everyone was aware of it. After the first
two bikes went by we got prepped ourselves for a long 13-hour
day. This year Honda had sold 40 spots and we pitted on all except
8. The pit closed at 4:00 am. We made it back to Pete’s house
and pretty much laid around all day Saturday. Pete thanks for
the dinner at Alfonsinas. Everything was great.
Membership
Bernie Deal was voted
into the club this month. Congratulations Bernie. We gave him
his paperwork and membership card at the cook out on Saturday
before the race. He is a good guy and we’re lucky to have him.
2003
Elsinore Grand Prix - Elsinore
November
8th and 9th
I tried to get a picture
from photos by grumpy web site and put it in here, but there are
too many security features on it. Next time you see PeeWee, let
him hear it. He is the only one in the club with a finisher pin
from this years Elsinore classic. Good job Pee Wee
Thank
you to Bob and Nancy Daily
We drove by Bob and
Nancy’s house in San Felipe on the way home from the Baja 1000
for a cup of coffee. While I was there, they gave me two dump
cans for normal tanks to use on club members that are racing desert.
Bob said they are not getting out to pit much any more and would
like to see the equipment go to good use. So, for the 2004 season,
as long as you do not have a dry break system on your bike, we
got you covered. When you see them, let them know we all appreciate
the stuff.
Schedule
of upcoming events
Hilltopper Meetings
-2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at
7:30pm
January 8th, 2004
- Club elections will be held at our club house in Long Beach
at 7:30pm
January 11th, 2004
- Our desert race trophy presentation will be held at the Jackrabbits
Hare and Hound, Red Mtn.
January 11th, 2004
-
Jackwabbits Hare and Hound, Red Mtn.
January 18th, 2004
- UEA Enduro, Lucerne
January
25th, 2004 
- Desert M.C. Hare and Hound, Lucerne
January 31st, 2004
- Dirt Diggers Grand Prix, Taft
Buy and Sell
*1997 XR600-Bernard
Deal is selling this bike-He says it comes with too many parts
to list here. Let’s just say he works very near the source. Give
him a call and he might make you a deal. Pun intended.
*1996-95 ATK 350-
Pee Wee Thomas
– 560 Cam Ported
and Polished/Extra Dehoned 10.5 to 1 compression, Electric Start,
New Battery, Scott’s Stabilizer, Talon Hubs, Pro Taper Bars, New
tires, 3.8 Gal tank, street legal current, Green sticker, Lots
of extra stuff- $3500
*2001 Honda XR 650-
Scott Hamby- Heavy springs in front and rear. The stock suspension
is still in a box. Extra-stock tank and plastics. Lots of extra
stock parts. $3300.
*2001 Yamaha YZ 85-Jim
Coleman-Boysen Reeds, Head work, Ported and polished.
If you have anything
you would like to post, Buy or Sell, comments, suggestions, let
me know. 562 243-5561 or Scott_Hamby@ahm.honda.com
- UEA Enduro, Lucerne