DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 24, 2012) - Vinny Nuzzolilli, Nate Redmann, and Chris Chartier, Jr were crowned AMA Pro Hillclimb Champions in Unlimited, Xtreme, and Pro Sport classes respectively in the final round at Oregonia. Just 18 years old, Nuzzolilli is one of the youngest Unlimited champions ever. Redmann came to Oregonia with the Xtreme Class championship already in hand. He raced anyway, taking a sixth on the day. Chartier, with an 18 point lead coming into the final round, won the Pro Sport hillclimb and the number-one plate.

The Unlimited Class championship came down to the final round with Nuzzolilli eight points ahead of rival Jay Sallstrom. Nuzzolilli, in eleventh after one ride, felt the heat from Sallstrom who was standing in second at the half. Nuzzolilli had to move up to clinch the championship. He did, placing seventh at the final, beating Sallstrom by just two points.

John Koester took the Wiseco Unlimited Class win, his first ever, with a very fast 6.535-second E.T. in the first half. He waited out the second half but never had to defend his position. Shane Green took third place, just a tenth-second behind Sallstrom.

Green took the win in Tilt-A-Rack Xtreme Class, leaping ahead with a 6.986-second time in the first half, only to see it fall to Phil Libhart's second-half ride by seventeen thousandths. Green held out, riding last, and laid down a blistering 6.777-second ride for the win. Nuzzolilli took the third step on the Xtreme podium.

Chartier took an early lead in Pro Sport and it held for the win. 2011 Champ, Ian Lau chased him, but crested a tenth-second off the winning pace. Alex Erickson took third in Pro Sport.

Results:
U/L: 1. John Koester (Hon); 2. Jay Sallstrom (Yam); 3. Shane Green (Hon); 4. Anthony DeHart (Hon); 5. Greg Dunbar (Hon).

Xtreme: 1. Shane Green (Hon); 2. Phil Libhart (Tri); 3. Vinny Nuzzolilli (Hon); 4. John Koester (Hon); 5. Anthony DeHart (Hon).

Pro Sport: 1. Chris Chartier, Jr. (Hon); 2. Ian Lau (Hon); 3. Alex Erickson (Hon); 4. Brandon Urban (Hon); 5. Jacob Crider (Hon).

Click here to view photos from Round Nine - Devil's Staircase