Appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's multiple news platforms in August 2019 as a preview to the upcoming MotoAmerica races. Ihe Post-Gazette's site is paywall activated and imposes a limit of free stories per month. This is the story as published. It can also be found on the Post-Gazette's site here.

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BY ANTHONY CONROY

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Wheelie Hill. Yes, it's as exciting as it sounds.

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It might not have the national recognition of, say, The Corkscrew (Laguna Seca, Calif.) or the global sexiness of the Parabolica (Monza, Italy), but for local fans of motorsports, the Wheelie Hill turn at Pittsburgh International Race Complex has fast become a great spot to watch motorcycle racers do what they do best: wrestle machines at ungodly speeds, one wheel up in the air, partly leaned over, flying by the seat of their pants.

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Officially, it's known as Turn 2 — a left-hand bend with its apex atop a hill, a characteristic that has led to the turn's more colorful nickname.

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"It's a unique part of the track, for sure," said JD Beach, who rides a Yamaha YZF-R1 in the Superbike class of the MotoAmerica road racing series, which continues through Sunday at the track near Wampum.

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"It's a weird feeling, because it's blind and you don't know what's on the backside. The [bike is] just moving around. When you come over, you're just hoping you stay on the track."

(Side note: Pittsburgh fans can instantly relate to Mr. Beach. He’s the one with the Troy Polamalu-esque locks flowing behind his helmet.)

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Mr. Beach questioned whether Turn 2 is even a turn.

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“I don’t even think of it as a turn. I mean, we don’t even get our knees down there,” he said.

Turn or no turn, the bikes scream through it. MotoAmerica has five classes, but it's the premier class — Superbike — that puts on the biggest show on Wheelie Hill.

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"With the horsepower, it makes it pretty incredible," said Hayden Gillim, who rides a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class but has ridden in the Superbike class at PittRace. “It's probably one of the fastest spots on the track. You're still turning, flat out in fourth [gear]. It's a ton of fun.

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Whenever the tires are new, it's easy going to be honest. But once the tires fall off and the grip goes away, that's when the fun starts. You come over the hill from Turn 1 and the bike's already moving around, but when you get over the hill in Turn 2, the bike wants to do its own thing."

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Fans perched atop the aptly named Spectator Hill can get a good view of several sections of the track, including Turn 2.

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"It's definitely a really unique part of the track," said Mr. Beach. "It's really cool for fans. You can stand and watch right there where the bikes are moving around. The bikes are wheelie-ing and sliding. You get to see a lot of action."

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"That little section is so cool for the fans. It's the No. 1 spot to watch," said Mr. Gillim.

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He added: "There are other tracks that have similar features, whereas [Turn 2] is like a little motocross jump. When we first get out there on the track, the first few laps are a little hairy."

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In motorcycle racing, when the front wheel comes off the ground and lands awkwardly, it can cause what's known as a “tank slapper” or "headshake" —  as the front end of the bike tries to regain traction, it causes the motorcycle to shake violently. It can be dangerous on the street, but on the track, it ups the degree of difficulty for riders and entertainment value for fans.

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"Butterflies and headshakes, flat out and no hesitation. Love it!" said Caroline Olsen, a Norway native who rides an R6 in the Supersport class, when asked about Turn 2.

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Ant West's wide ride at PittRace

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It was a headshake coming over Wheelie Hill that provided one of the biggest highlights — and biggest saves — in 2017 when rider Anthony West lost the front end and was bucked off the bike.

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But ...

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"Oh, man, I was behind [him] when he got spit off but managed to hang on," said Mr. Gillim. "I was just impressed, honestly. I didn't know what happened at first. I was just about to drop off the hill when I saw something and then saw his feet flying up in the air. I see him still riding, but he was off the bike. I mean, off. And he's riding the thing sidesaddle down the track. I was staring at him in amazement, that he managed to hold on and keep it on two wheels. To see someone do that in person was amazing."

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Different classes usually have different strategies for how they approach turns. On Wheelie Hill, however, the strategy is generally the same: Find your mark and keep the throttle pinned wide open.

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"I got to say, it’s a pretty scary but really awesome moment," said Jamie Astudillo, who races a Kawasaki Ninja 400 in the Junior Cup class. "The first few times, you get hesitant to really let that wheel come up, but once you get the used to it, it’s full throttle over the hill with the front tire up in the air and the bike wiggling underneath you."