Medina, MN – Polaris hillclimbers used strong performances at the season’s final event to clinch season points championships in eight of the 12 Pro classes, including three Stock titles and all four Mod championships.
The 2016 Rocky Mountain States Hillclimb Association (RMSHA) season wrapped up with the Crazy Horse Hillclimb on April 22-23 in Alta, WY. That’s where Polaris racers on AXYS RMK sleds won five Pro classes, claimed 50 percent of all podium spots and swept all three Pro King of the Hill crowns.
Polaris hillclimber Keith Curtis won four classes at Alta, including three of four Stock classes and he won both the Stock and Mod King of the Hill titles. Luke Rainey won the Improved Stock King of the Hill crown on a Polaris sled and Kaycee Balls capped off a totally dominant season in the Women’s classes as she once again swept all four classes and won the Queen of the Hill title. She won season points championships in all four Women’s classes.
Polaris Racers Win Eight Pro Points Titles
For the 2016 RMSHA season, Polaris hillclimbers won eight of the 12 Pro class points titles as well as all four Women’s titles, one Pro Seniors title and the Junior class championship.
Polaris Pro racers won three of four Stock points titles, with Keith Curtis winning 600 and 1000 Stock and Luke Rainey winning the 700 class. Toby Shepherd was second in 700 Stock points, while Curtis was second in 800 Stock points and Rainey finished third in 800 and 1000 points.
Erin Beukelman won the 1000 Improved Stock points title and Justin Thomas finished third. Finishing second in Improved Stock points were Andy Thomas (600 class), Brandon Titensor (700) and Luke Rainey (800). Also finishing third in Improved points were Titensor (600), Aaron Sterck (700) and Beukelman (800).
Polaris racers swept the Mod class points titles as Keith Curtis won 800 and Open Mod, Justin Thomas won the 600 class title and Erin Beukelman was the 700 class champion.
Kaycee Balls won all four Women’s class championships (600 Stock, Stock, Improved Stock and Mod) and Tayler Meyers was third in Improved and Mod points. Jim Marshall won the Pro Seniors Improved Stock points title on a Polaris and Colton McCallum was the Junior class champion.
In the 7-race RMSHA season, Polaris Pro racers won 13 of 21 King of the Hill crowns. Keith Curtis won eight times (four Stock and four Mod), Luke Rainey won four crowns (two Stock and two Improved Stock) and Erin Beukelman won one Improved Stock crown. Kaycee Balls won the Women’s Queen of the Hill title five times and Shelley Heap won it once. Tanner Meyers won the Semi-Pro King of the Hill title twice.
Crazy Horse Results: Five Pro Class Wins, 18 Podiums
Polaris racers earned seven podium spots with top-three finishes in the Stock classes and grabbed six more podiums in Improved Stock.
In the Stock classes, Keith Curtis won the 600, 800 and 1000 classes, with Luke Rainey finishing second in all three. Jesse Hotchkiss took second in 700 Stock. Curtis then won the Stock King of the Hill crown.
Luke Rainey won the 800 Improved Stock class ahead of Erin Beukelman in second. Beukelman earned a second podium spot with a third-place finish in 1000 Improved Stock and Dolan Phelps, Aaron Sterck and Justin Thomas also had top-three finishes in Improved Stock classes.
In the Mod classes, Keith Curtis won the Open class and Justin Thomas finished second in 600, 800 and Open Mod. Erin Beukelman took second in 700 Mod and Curtis capped off the season by winning the Mod King of the Hill crown.
Three Wins in Pro Masters, Semi-Pro
Polaris racer Dennis Durmas won the Pro Master Mod class while Travis Zollinger took third and Sandy Sletten was third in Pro Master Stock. Johnathon Durmas, son of Dennis, made his family a 2-time winner at Alta as he won the Semi-Pro Mod class. He also took second in Improved, where Riley Sprunger was the winner.
In the Pro Sr. classes, Jim Marshall earned three podiums with wins in Improved Stock and Mod and a third-place finish in Stock. Dave Williams finished third in Improved and Mod and Bart Butcher took second in Improved Stock.
Kaycee Balls Sweeps Again
The results were familiar in the Women’s classes, where Polaris racer Kaycee Balls won all four classes – Stock, Improved, Mod and 600 – as well as Queen of the Hill honors. Balls won the season points titles in all four Women’s classes. Tayler Meyers took second in the Stock class at Alta.
Three Pro racers of tomorrow swept the top three spots in Juniors on Polaris sleds as Colton McCallum, Tristan Spencer and Hunter Johnson finished 1-2-3, respectively.