Morganton, NC -
Factory KTM rider Adam McGill rode an impressive
race to win his second straight XC1 Pro event.
The West Virginia native piloted his KTM 450 to
2 minute lead when the checkered flag came out,
marking his second consecutive race where he not
only won, but dominated the field with a commanding
win.
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KTM's
#5 Adam McGill didn't waste no time taking
over the lead as he grabbed the Holeshot
and checked out on the competition |
“I knew I had the lead, and when my crew
told me I had two minutes I just decided to
ride smart “stated McGill.
Adam went on to tell the large crowd surrounding
the podium just how well his KTM is working
and how much it is helping him get out front
and stay there! McGill fought for the holeshot
with Bill Ballance but soon pulled away and
by the end of the first lap was well on his
way to victory. The rain that fell throughout
the morning had an impact on how the track shaped
up for the 1pm race. The region has been without
rain, and while it was not a dry race, the course
tacked up and became rough with deep ruts and
sections that quickly set the stage for bottlenecks
and hard racing. These conditions were perfect
for Veteran Pro William Yokely who was upfront
and having his best race in several years as
he found himself in third with Ballance just
ahead of him.
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#1
Bill Ballance rebounded from an extremely
rare DNF at Georgia to finish in the 2nd
spot at Steele Creek |
At the end of the first lap, and with exception
of McGill out front, the chatter over the loud
speakers was like that of yesteryear with Ballance,
Yokely and Matt Smiley’s names being repeated
as the leaders dug in for the two hour event.
Matt Smiley has been on fire thus far, claiming
top ten finishes in the first two rounds and
backing it up with a solid 4th place finish
at Steele Creek. The tried and true set up he
is running on his Honda, combined with his years
of expertise behind the bars is playing to his
favor as many talented upstarts are having major
difficulties with new machines. Chris Bithell
stomped his way to the top three in points to
finish 2007, however he has not been a factor
in 2008 and round three was another disappointment
as he blew an engine on the last lap. Bithell
has the speed as his lap time’s show,
and hopefully with some better luck, he will
be back upfront soon. Teammate Chris Jenks was
another casualty of mechanical issues and was
out of the race at the end of the third lap.
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National
Guard's William Yokley intense training
over the winter has paid off as he returns
to the Podium for the 1st time since 2006,
and this probably will not be his last
in 2008 |
Yamaha mounted Brandon Sommers had another solid
race as he ran well inside the top 10, working
his way up to 5th at the finish. Sommers consistent
riding and reliable set up may play well to his
hunt for the championship if others continue to
mix it up and have mechanical issues. Chris Borich
was holding the 5th spot until the last lap when
Sommers skated by him to take the position. While
Borich is not having the dominate season we know
he would like, there is still much racing that
lay ahead as the season is still young. Fellow
KTM backed racer Taylor Kiser gave Factory KTM
their second top 10 finish as he rode a solid
race taking the 7th finishing position, keeping
his points position in second behind McGill.