2017
GNCC Racing Series
Round #4 - Steele Creek
Morganton, North Carolina
April 8, 2017 |
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Walker Fowler Wins 4th Straight
at Steele Creek GNCC
Adam McGill & Brycen
Neal Round Out GNCC Pro ATV Podium
Morganton, NC (4/9/2017) - The
2017 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC)
Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship,
continued today, April 8, with the 18th Annual FMF
Steele Creek GNCC located at the popular Steele
Creek Campground in Morganton, North Carolina. Rain
from earlier in the week left the track a bit muddy
to begin the day, but it did not take long for the
conditions to turn around and create a near perfect
race track by the time the 1 p.m. pro race headed
to the start line.
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GNCC Racing
Pro XC1 ATV Podium (left to right)
Brycen Neal (3rd), Walker Fowler (1st),
Adam McGill (2nd)
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At the end of the two-hour race it was WFR /
Yamaha / Maxxis / Fly Racing's Walker Fowler who
emerged victorious setting himself up for a four-race
winning streak. As the green flag waved, it was
six-time GNCC champion, Chris Borich who jumped
out to the early lead claiming the $250 Wiseco
XC1 ATV Holeshot Award, but CST/Induction Solutions
/ LSR / HiPer / Spider Graphix's Adam McGill lead
the way into the woods.
With a shortened first lap, McGill continued
to hold onto the lead as they checked through
timing and scoring for the first time. McGill
was feeling pressure from Fowler as they were
wheel-to-wheel for first lap. Coastal Racing's
Brycen Neal was also in the mix and he began the
fight for third against Borich.
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Walker Fowler took
home his fourth overall win of the year,
along with stretching out his points lead
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Borich's shocks began to fade, providing issues
as he tackled the rough and rutted trails. Neal
capitalized on Borich's misfortune and took over
the third-place position by the end of the second
lap. The top-five front runners began to gap the
rest of the pack leaving Dillinger's Celtic Pub/GBC
Motorsports/Moose Racing's Marty Christofferson
a clear track while he ran in sixth.
McGill and Fowler continued to put on a show
where they were practically rubbing plastics as
they raced under the infamous concrete bridge.
McGill was able to fend off Fowler through the
second lap, until Fowler worked his way into the
lead right before the pits.
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Adam McGill finished
in the 2nd Spot on the GNCC Pro ATV Podium
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As the race reached its halfway point, different
pit strategies came into pay where Fowler elected
to forgo his pit, while McGill pitted. Shortly
after the pits, Neal was able to work his way
into the lead, but it wouldn't last long as Fowler
made his way back to the front after the Rocky
Mountain section of the race course.
Lapped traffic guarded the main trail to the
finish line just as Fowler, Neal and McGill came
by. The podium contenders successfully navigated
their way through and continued to push forward.
The racing action really heated up during the
third lap where the top three racers were suddenly
all in contention for the lead. With reports of
McGill's quad making sputtering sounds, the crowd
anticipated an extra pit stop but was shocked
when he decided to keep pushing. McGill didn't
let the possible mechanical issue bother him and
worked his way back into second by the time the
white flag came out.
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Brycen Neal rounded
out the Pro ATV Podium
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Fowler continued to ride his own race throughout
the last lap, with McGill holding onto second.
Neal would also carry his momentum through the
entirety of the race, rounding out the overall
podium. Borich finished just off the podium in
fourth, despite his front shock issues.
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Chris Borich Claimed
the $250 Wiseco XC1 Pro Holeshot Award
& finished 4th Overall just off the
Pro Podium
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Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came
with the fifth-place rider. After starting outside
the top ten, GBC/Fly Racing/HMF/Yamaha's Johnny
Gallagher worked his way through the pack to earn
a respectable fifth place in XC1 Pro and sixth
overall.
GBC/Canyon Motorsports/Fly Racing's Landon Wolfe
followed Gallagher in seventh overall, while Christofferson
had his season best finish in eighth overall.
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Landon Wolfe finished
7th Overall
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In the XC2 Pro-Am division, it was GBC/Goldspeed/Custom
Axis' Matthew Lindle who shot out to secure the
$100 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award and the early
lead. As the checkered flag waved it would be
M.R. Unlimited/Hygear Suspension/GBC Tires/Tire
Spine's Devon Feehan to see it first and return
to the center of the box. Feehan also scored a
top-five overall finish, and was followed by Lindle
who held onto second and Ithaca Recreation/Maxxis/Quad
Tech/Storm Peak Crossfit's Hunter Hart in third.
Coastal Racing's Drew Landers not only won the
College A (16-21) division, but also finished
12th overall where he was named the top amateur
of the day.
After adjusted time, Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) competitor
Ronnie Rusch came out with overall amateur honors
taking home to overall and class win in the 10
a.m. race.
The 4x4 Pro podium consisted of Cunningham Racing/Can-Am/Maxxis'
Kevin Cunningham who made it four-in-a-row. DeRisi
Racing's Robbie Pecorari placed second, and Team
UXC Racing's Kevin Trantham claimed third in class.
In the WXC division it was Yamaha/GYTR/Maxxis-backed
Traci Pickens who claimed gold with Custom Axis/Spider
Graphix's Angel Knox in second and Dillinger's
Celtic Pub's Katelyn Osburn in third.
The 8 a.m. youth race took to the North Carolina
woods to begin the day. At the end of the muddy
hour-long race it was Casey Simmons who took the
overall win. Layne McCormick and Devin Corrothers
rounded out the overall podium.
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