A family from Lower Michigan made the 12 Hour trip to South Range worthwhile! The Father and Son’s Professional Motorcycle Hillclimb team from Morley, Michigan, didn’t find Whealkate Bluff as challenging as previous Hillclimbers did.

Chris Blain brought a trailer of bikes and bike parts for his two sons to take home close to $1,000 for 5 hours of thrills and fun at the Wildlife Refuge Cabins – Pat’s Motorsports Motorcycle Hillclimb. This was the sixth year that the Mid America Snow & Terrain Expert Racers (MASTERS) Racing Circuit brought the Motorcycle Hillclimb back to South Range. This was an event that drew thousands of fans in the 1970s and 1980s.

Caleb Blain not only won the M & M Powersports Pro Mod King of the Hill, but also won the feature Hillclimb of the day, the Havela Finishes Jesse Perry Memorial 450 Class.

“I had not run this bike all year until this hillclimb,” commented Caleb. “Plus I enjoy competing against my younger brother!”

Caleb also set a MASTERS Motorcycle Hillclimb record time of 10.14 seconds, which he accomplished during the Pro Open Mod Qualifying 2nd run of the day.

Repeating as the Timberline Sports Pro Stock King of the Hill was Crystal Fall’s Shane Bandola. Bandola used his ‘Pure Stock’ motorcycle to make it over the top of the hill in an amazing 13.62 seconds.

“Usually taking a fourth in any class is not something to write about, that is unless it is Shane (Bandola) not only competing in the Jesse Perry Memorial Class, which is for Pro Modified Bikes, but qualifying for the Final…in a totally stock bike,” exclaimed MASTERS official Joe Provost.

Bandola held off 14-year-old Kyran Blain and Marquette’s Alex Carter to win the Pro Stock King of the Hill for the second time.

“I enjoy this hillclimb. I’ll be back. I knew it was going to be a challenge in the Jesse Perry Memorial, but I was confident I could make the cut,” explained the talented motocross racer.

Kyran Blain took a second place to his older brother in Pro Mod King of the Hill, a second place to Bandola in Pro Stock King of the Hill, a second place in the Jesse Perry Memorial Class and another second place in the Diamond House International Junior King of the Hill.

It was Mass City’s Braedyn Kirtland who won the Junior King of the Hill with the fastest time ever set by a Junior II Racer under the sanctioning of the MASTERS. The soft-spoken son of the MASTERS previous No. 1 motorcycle hillclimber, and MASTERS Hall of Fame’s Mike Kirtland, ran an amazing 12.71-second run.

Lake Linden’s Jamie Moilanen repeated as the 906 & Company Queen of the Hill. She took her Forcia racing motorcycle up 123 yards.

While this year’s Hillclimb was a change from the past where very few made it over the “wall” at the top of Whealkate, a majority of the competitors set a time.

“The Riders are getting better. They know how to set the bikes up, plus they stayed in the groove,” commented last year’s Jesse Perry Memorial Winner, Brad Havela of Ishpeming.

That didn’t mean the fans were not treated to the coveted Moyle Construction Crash of the Day, which was won by Alex Rivard of Gwinn. All those that won in the Keweenaw Motorsports Pro Stock Division made it over the top. In the previous five years, only three stock hillclimbers in all the runs made it over the top.

“Due to the courtesy and commitment to helping the community of South Range, the landowner gave his permission to continue the MASTERS – Pat’s Motorsports – Wildlife Refuge Cabins Motorcycle Hillclimb. We will run this the third Saturday in July,” explained Provost. “Right now, we will turn our (MASTERS) attention to the snowmobile hillclimbs at Whealkate the first and fourth weekend in February.”

Last winter, every MASTERS hillclimb and Terra-X events were canceled, due to lack of snow.

Wildlife Refuge Cabins – Pat’s Motorsports Motorcycle Hillclimb 2024

July 20, 2024 Whealkate Bluff, South Range, MI

Havela Finishes Jesse Perry Memorial 450 Mod Feature: 1) Caleb Blain, Honda, Morley, 10.60l 2) Kyron Blain, Honda, Morley, 10.92; 3) Braedyn Kirtland, Yamaha, Mass City, 11.93; 4) Shane Bandola, Honda, Crystal Falls, 13.72; 5) Chris Blain, Honda, Morley, 17.16.

Timberline Sports Stock King of Hill: 1) Shane Bandola, Honda, Crystal Falls, 13.62; 2) Kyran Blain, Honda, Morley, 15.96; 3) Alex Carter, Husqvarna, Neganee, 199 yards.

M & M Powersports Mod King of Hill: 2) Caleb Blain, KTM, Morley, 10.19; 2) Caleb Blain, 10.73 ; 3) Kyran Blain, Honda, Morley, 10.78.

Diamond House International Junior II King of Hill: 1) Braedyn Kirtland, Yamaha, Mass City, 12.71; 2) Kyran Blain, Honda, Morley, MI., 12.72; 3) Gabe Kirtland, Yamaha, Mass City, (High Mark) HM.

906 & Company Queen of Hill: 1) Jamie Moilanen, Forcia Racing Special, Lake Linden, 123 Yards.

Diamond House International FASTEST Time of Day: Caleb Blain, KTM, Morley, 2nd Run in Open Mod Qualifying, 10.14 (Hill Record).

Keweenaw Motorsports Pro Stock

Division Qualifying (Top 2/Class Qualified)

Carpet Specialists Pro Stock I: 1) Kyran Blain, 15.01 (2nd Run); 2) Jack Goldsworthy, Honda, Ishpeming, 16.22 (1st Run).

Willies Tire Center Pro Stock II: 1) Carter, 14.16 (1st Run); 2) Braedyn Kirtland, 183 yards (1st Run).

Pat’s Motorsports Pro Stock Open: 1) Bandola, 13:04 (1st Run); 2) Braedyn Kirtland, 16.33 (2nd Run).

Moyle Construction Pro Mod Division Qualifying (Top 2/Class Qualified)

Wildlife Refuge Cabins Pro Mod I: 1) Brad Havela, Kawasaki, Ishpeming, 14.41 (2nd Run); 2) Mike Kirtland, Yamaha, Mass City, 14.91 (2nd Run).

Rockin Eagle Pro Mod II: 1) Mike Kirtland, Yamaha, Mass City, 13.75 (2nd Run); 2) Brad Havela, Kawasaki, 13.82 (2nd Run).

Eagle Country Pro Mod III: 1) Caleb Blain, 10.59 (2nd Run); 2) Kyran Blain 12.44 (1st Run).

Q-107 Pro Open Mod: 1) Caleb Blain, 10.14 (2nd Run); 2) Kyran Blain, 10.55 (1st Run).

Eagle Radio Junior Division

Qualifying (Top 2 Qualified)

Marquette Rockin Eagle Junior II: 1) Braedyn Kirtland,Yamaha,12.87 (2nd Run); 2) Kyran Blain, Honda, Morley, 13.70 (2nd Run).