Twenty-three national championships awarded at 2016 AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship
Twenty-three national championships awarded at 2016 AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship
Nathan Prebe captures 2016 AMA Hillclimb Racer of the Year
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — More than 300 amateur hillclimb entrants lined up at the 2016 AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship, hosted by the Pleasure Riders Motorcycle Club the weekend of July 29-31 at the Thunder Ridge facility in Neoga, Ill.
Eighteen-year-old Nathan Prebe of Frontenac, Minn., captured three AMA National Championships and took home the coveted AMA Hillclimb Racer of the Year Award for 2016.
Prebe won the 250cc, 450cc and Four-Stroke national championships. He also captured the King of the Hill Award — a one-run competition among the 10 fastest riders of the weekend at the end of the program on Sunday.
“Hillclimb racers from all corners made their way to Illinois to prove that they were the fastest and most tenacious racer in their class,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “Nathan dominated the competition this year, and the AMA congratulates him on earning the highly sought-after AMA Hillclimb
Racer of the Year Award.”
Lane Brookshaw, 8, of Ellsworth, Wis., secured the 2016 AMA Youth Hillclimb Racer of the Year Award thanks to his performance over the weekend. He took home AMA National Championships in the Micro Mini and 65cc classes.
“It means a lot to me,” said Brookshaw who’s been racing for four years. “It was a surprise.”
He hopes to continue working on his points for AMA Districts 16 and 23.
Senior class champion Junior Jackson, 44, of Bettendorf, Iowa, clinched the AMA Vet/Senior Hillclimb Racer of the Year Award.
Jackson said he has been building engines for hillclimb competition for several years and doing suspension work, but just started racing himself in 2012.
“I guess when I was a kid and won amateur titles at Loretta’s in motocross [at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship], I didn’t think I’d win another title at 44,” Jackson said. “It’s neat to be able to win one at this age, and you probably appreciate it a little bit more. I’m looking forward to doing more hillclimbs.”
Other AMA National Champions from the event include:
Mini Junior: Clive Brookshaw
Mini Senior: Bodee O’Neil
Mini Girls: Lilah McGurer
Super Mini: Bodee O’Neil
125cc: Gage Stear
200cc: Luke Cipala
600cc: Jacob Prebe
750cc: Travis Schroedl
Open: Joel Falde
Super Senior: Michael Pulver
Women: Samantha Jerls
400 Stock: Jacob Prebe
Open Stock: Joseph McGurer
Two-Stroke: Levi Peters
ATV 450: Zach Diercks
ATV Open: Brandon Novak
ATV Senior: Joel Diercks
For more information about this event, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com and www.pleasureriders.net.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
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