Mountaineer
Run GNCC
Round 7 - GNCC Racing Links |
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Masontown, WV (5/26/2014)
- N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Walker Fowler earned his second victory of the season at the third running of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC, which took place on Saturday in Masontown, West Virginia. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, reached its halfway mark this weekend with Round 7 of the 13-race championship series, and Fowler proved that there's still plenty of racing left to go in 2014 as he closed the points gap on current leader and reigning XC1 Pro ATV Champion Chris Borich.
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Jay Shadron captured his first-ever $250 Twin Air/DeRisi Racing Holeshot Award |
It was XC1 rookie Jay Shadron who captured his first career pro class holeshot to earn the $250 Twin Air/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. From there, the Waynesburg Yamaha rider held an impressive lead over the seasoned veterans of the class, including five-time champ Borich, Brent Sturdivant, Fowler and BNR Motorsports/Loctite's Kevin Yoho, who all ran inside the top five early on.
Around the halfway point, things began to heat up as Fowler took over the lead, with Team Maxxis' Borich hot in pursuit. The duo battled back and forth for the lead position in the final laps of the two-hour race but in the end it was Fowler who prevailed with the Round 7 victory.
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Walker Fowler captured his second win of the season in West Virginia |
"Chris is really hard to beat straight up. I could see myself on the box but I knew the win was going to be tough," Fowler said. "When you can get out with a good start and get a lead and make him chase you, then you have a better chance. But to beat him straight up, it's not easy at all."
Borich finished a close second place, marking only his second loss through the first seven rounds of the season. The five-time champ holds the lead in the championship standings as the series heads into the eighth round of the series.
"I caught Shadron at the end but he was rolling really well," Borich said. "I tried to put my hammer down then and tried to catch up. I tried to be smooth but it got sketchy in some spots out there."
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Chris Borich finished second overall at Round 7 |
Meanwhile, a battle for third place ensued between Shadron-who was looking to capture his first career podium finish-and West Virginia native Adam McGill, who won the Mountaineer Run GNCC in 2013. RacingPowersports.com/CST Tires/PirateMX.com's McGill made a valiant charge from outside the top five, where he caught and eventually passed Shadron on the final lap. McGill held on to finish third overall for the day, where he currently sits third in the championship standings.
"I started putting the hammer down, and I felt really good all day," McGill said. "I kept pushing, pushing and pushing but I just couldn't catch up to these guys."
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Adam McGill finished atop the podium in his home state of West Virginia |
Shadron finished fourth overall for the day, which is a career best for the Pennsylvania native. West Virginia's very own Brent Sturdivant had a stand out ride in his home state, where he finished a season-best fifth place in the class and sixth overall for the day.
