1952 Laconia Class C Hill Climb Championships 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1952 Laconia Class C Hill Climb Championships 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm) each page
Condition: Good
Laconia
Class C Hill Climb Championships
Novice 45" — Dora nee Johnson-Harley-Davidson
Expert 45" —John Martinolich — Harley-Davidson
Novice 80" —Aubrey Isham — Harley-Davidson
Expert 80" — Bart Baker —Harley-Davidson
September 7
NEW England saw a National
Championship Class C Hill Climb
for the first time when the NEMDA
sponsored the 1952 running of this
event in conjunction with their annual
2-day Fall Round-Up. The proceeds
from the Climb went to the Laconia
Hospital New Equipment fund.
The Climb was held on the 65° Tor-
ger Tokle ski hill, one of the steepest
in the East, and 300 feet of the hill
was used to give the climbers a chance
to stop.
Promptly at 2:00 P.M., Bob Finn,
Referee, started the Novice 45" event
with each man getting his first ride.
Five of the nine riders went over the
top, with Dorance Johnson, Har-Dav
beating the defending champion, “Booge”
Isham of Oakland, Calif, by 36/100 sec-
onds.
To give the Novice riders a chance to
change gearing and not hold up the
show, Finn next brought out the 45"
Experts. All riders but three went over
the top, with Willard Wolfe on his Indian
setting a new hill record of 8.10. Bart
Baker with 8.23 was just 2/100 seconds
faster than John Martinolich, so it was
going to be a battle for top honors.
Again with no delay, out came the
boys for their second ride in the 45"
Novice. “Booge” beat his first ride, but
could not touch Johnson. Vic Ascenzi
took third.
The 80" Novice was the next class
called, and “Booge” came out with a
determined look on his face. He roared
over the top, playing the button, in
7.57—another record for the hill. Again
it was their first rides that carried the
boys to their finishing positions, for not
a single rider bettered his first try.
Duane Housley was second with 8.13
and Dinty Moore third in 8.45.
As the 45" Experts made their final
try, we saw as pretty a ride as we’ve
ever seen when Martinolich went over,
straight as an arrow, in 7.88, beating
Wolfe by 22/100 seconds. Wolfe took
his second ride, shot out of the pits with
The w i n n a h s !
Booge Isham, left,
Dorance Johnson,
Bart Baker and
John Martinolich.
Behind them, the
workers, Bill Shie-
tinger, Chairman
of NEMDA and
red - hatted Fritzie
Baer.
Aldrich Photo
a roar and it looked good until he
looped just in front of the finish line.
Wolfe’s and Baker’s first rides of 8.10
and 8.23 respectively were good for sec-
ond and third positions.
As the Experts brought out their 80"
motors, the hill was getting good and
rough. Bart Baker went over in 7.93,
then Martinolich in 7.91. Wow! This
was close. Don Yoder did it in 8.21 and
Abie Haight in 8.26. Al Zeitlow and
Jim Kearney both looped around the
270 foot mark.
It was getting cool by the time Finn
called them back for their second and
last ride. There was no change in posi-...
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