The 2010 AMA Pro Hillclimb Championship finished in fine style – only one #1 position was already determined going into the final round on 10 October at the Dayton Motorcycle Club’s Devil’s Staircase outside of Oregonia, Ohio.
In Hillclimb Xtreme, Yamaha mounted Nate Redmann came into the final with the series title already wrapped up. However, both the Hillclimb Unlimited and Pro Sport classes were up for grabs at Devil’s Staircase. To add some variables to the event, the event hosts altered the hill configuration beforehand; the jumps were much sharper and the benches wider. This made it more important to be smooth on the throttle and keep solid traction – relying only on raw horsepower and crazy air would cost riders all-important time.
In the Pro Sport class, rookie rider Josh Lingle had a very slim lead over second-place and Suzuki mounted Scott Hoke going into the race. Lingle had a good day, though he was beaten in the Devil’s Staircase run by Ian Lau, who took victory. All in all, the overall standings did not change much from where they were after Round 8. Thus, the final rankings were Lingle as Champion, Hoke in second (a two slot improvement over his 2009 finish) and Honda racer John Mosko in third.
Unlimited was a bit different; coming into this round, 2009 Champion Alex Benner, riding on Honda, led the points chase by four points over Suzuki rider Colby McCutcheon. Devil’s Staircase made this one very fun to watch. By the half-way point of this nail-biter, McCutcheon was in first place, but Benner was only down in third; if the event ended there, Benner would lose the series by one point. Right after that, Jay Sallstrom posted an incredible run pushing everyone down a spot and leaving Benner and McCutcheon tied in points. McCutcheon came charging back, though, and took over first place again to take victory and the 2010 Championship.
In the Xtreme class, Redman only had to cross the Start line to take home the 2010 title. So, he went out and brought home a fifth place on the day and the AMA Pro #1 plate.
This October weekend decided two class champions and awarded all three series trophies – and it was a very entertaining event in addition to the official awards. If AMA Pro Hillclimb is anything, it is tough to compete in and fun to watch. The 2010 Champions are Josh Lingle in Pro Sport, Colby McCutcheon in Unlimited and Nate Redmann in Xtreme. Congratulations one and all!
