Rider Updates
Jan 6 2007
Tim Hillsamer (8A) earned the overall AA win at the Kilauea Krusher II at mile marker 11 in Peoria, Arizona, on January 6. This was the Arizona Motorcycle Rider’s Association kickoff event for the 2007 series.
Hillsamer, a second-year Pro and local AMRA celebrity, was excited to start the racing year with his first AMRA overall.
“I had an absolute blast!” he exclaimed. “I love the qualifier format, and while I had a couple of minor tip-overs and an armful of cholla in the first special test, I felt good the rest of the day. The course was fun, varied, and technically challenging without being just a bunch of connected sand washes.”
Hillsamer noted that although the race was in the middle of the desert, his favorite part was the fourth special test, because it had a water section.
“It’s so unique to ride anything with water in it in Arizona,” he said, “and we got to splash around a little bit running up the creek. There were also a lot of small, rocky waterfalls to ride up and down, and it really suited my strengths – that makes it fun for me.”
Along with AMRA, Hillsamer said he will be racing some SCORE and BITD races. He said he will keep coming back to AMRA, though, because it’s where he has the most fun.
Bret Dooley, who took first place in the 250/450cc A class, agreed with Hillsamer.
“The race as a whole could not have been much better,” Dooley admitted. “The best word to describe this race is fun, and that is why I go racing.”
For 15-year-old Max Gerston, it was a great accomplishment to win his first race in the A class and land a 20th-place overall finish, beating more than half of the rest of older, more experienced riders who were in contention.
Max’s dad, Marshall, finished ninth in his Over 40 A class and 36th overall.
“The best part of the race is when Max and I were going through the A section together,” Marshall recalled, “and being cheered on