2016
GNCC Racing Series
Round #3 - Steele Creek
Morganton, NC
April 2, 2016 |
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Walker Fowler Wins Third Straight
at Steele Creek GNCC
Adam McGill &
Brycen Neal Podium at GNCC Round 3
Morganton, NC (4/3/2016) - The
2016 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC)
Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship,
continued today with the 16th Annual FMF Steele
Creek GNCC located at the popular Steele Creek Campground
in Morganton, North Carolina. Yesterday's rain left
the track a bit muddy to begin the day, but it did
not take long for the track to dry out and create
near perfect track conditions by the time the 1
p.m. pro race took to the North Carolina woods.
At the end of the two-hour race it was N-Fab/Maxxis/AmPro
Yamaha/Lonestar/MXP's Walker Fowler who emerged
victorious setting himself up for a three-race
winning streak. Fowler jumped out to the early
lead claiming the $250 Wiseco XC1 ATV Holeshot
Award while starting to slowly pull away from
the rest of the pack. However, Precision/Axis/Maxxis-backed
Jay Shadron was following closely in second.
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GNCC Racing
Pro XC1 ATV Podium (left to right)
Adam McGill (2nd), Walker Fowler (1st),
Brycen Neal (3rd)
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As the first lap wore on, Fowler and Shadron
began to separate themselves from the rest of
the pack while the racing tightened up behind
them. CST/LSR/Induction Solutions/DeRisi/SG/Tire
Blocks' Adam McGill and Maxxis/Fly Racing/HMF/Ye
Olde Cycle Barn/Suzukis Chris Borich began the
fight for third.
On the second lap of the four-lap race, Fowler
had pulled a twenty second lead on Shadron who
still maintained the second place position until
McGill was able to work his way around him. The
racing action really heated up during the third
lap where the top three racers were suddenly wheel-to-wheel
all battling for the lead. With reports of Fowler
looking down at his quad, the crowd anticipated
an extra pit stop but was shocked when he decided
to keep pushing.
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Walker Fowler
makes it three-in-a-row and extends his
points lead
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"My quad was starting to run hot,"
said Fowler. "After the race we pulled the
cover off and noticed a lot of leaves and mud.
The lapped riders were brutal this race and I
got a little close a couple of times and it just
packed the radiator in, but Moto-Xperts and Evans
Cooling Systems held everything together."
The decision to keep racing and avoid an extra
pit stop paid off in the end when Fowler crossed
the finish line first. He was followed by last
year's Steele Creek GNCC winner, McGill, who made
his first podium appearance of the season.
"It feels great to be back on the podium,"
said McGill. "I felt like the bike was there
the whole time this season and I just personally
haven't been ready, but now it's all fitting together
and it's good to be back where I know I'm supposed
to be."
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Adam McGill
made his first podium appearance of the
season with second overall at the Steele
Creek GNCC
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Unfortunately, Shadron suffered a mechanical
issue on the last lap ultimately putting him out
of the race. Coastal Racing/MSR/Maxxis' Brycen
Neal capitalized on Shadron's misfortune and moved
up into the third place position. As he crossed
the finish line third overall, Borich was right
on his back bumper in fourth.
CST/LSR/Induction Solutions/DeRisi/SG/Tire Blocks'
Cole Richardson had his season best finish crossing
the line in fifth, followed by BNR/Moose Racing/Maxxis-backed
Josh Merritt in sixth and Show Hauler/Canyon Motorsports/GBC's
Landon Wolfe in seventh overall.
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