"Unadilla" GNCC ATV
Pro Race Report
Bryan Cook Takes the biggest
GNCC ever: Unadilla!
Bill Ballance rides to second with a broken leg
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#1
Bil Ballance pulls the Holeshot |
New Berlin, NY (09/25/2005) – It's
been a tough season for Four-Stroke Tech's Bryan
Cook, last year's Suzuki Grand National Cross Country
Series Rookie of the Year, but he salvaged quite
a bit with a historic win at the first-ever Unadilla
GNCC in New York. Unadilla may be the most well-known
motocross track in the country, and that's why 1700
riders came out to make this the biggest GNCC of
all time.
Cook came out on top in a wild fight, with Suzuki GNCC
Series Champion Bill Ballance gutting out one of the
toughest rides of his career by finishing second on
his still-broken leg. Veteran Bryan Baker took third.
"It feels so good," said Cook. "At the
beginning of the year we had such problems with the
bike, just straightening the little things out. Then
it just brings you down. Finally at the Wisp we had
it figured out, and I trained real hard over the summer.
I just wanted it real bad."
Ballance wanted it, too. The factory Yamaha rider saved
his season with an amazing second-place finish, complete
with 11 screws and two plates in his broken leg. Combined
with a DNF from title-rival Chris Borich - who broke
a tie-rod - and Ballance is suddenly back in control
of the series.
"I don't know how I did it," said Ballance.
"It was pretty rough out there. It started hurting
before we even started, just putting the boot on and
everything. When we would hit the rough stuff I had
to back off of the throttle, but in the smooth open
stuff, I could run my normal race pace. I'm glad it's
over!"
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#6
Bryan Cook, Four Stroke Tech, earns Overall win
for the second time in his career, but this time
it was extra special because it wasn't a result
of any time penalties |
Soon after spraying champagne on the podium, Ballance
was off to put his leg in a bucket of ice. He was in considerable
pain, but he was tough enough to put major points on his
rival. Going into the race he had ridden all of 15 minutes
since the injury, and he said the pain after just that
15 minutes of riding set him back a few days. But this
time, miraculously, Ballance grabbed the holeshot and
led early while a battle ensured behind him.
"Going into the second lap I had the lead and
we went though the first mud section," said Balance.
"I crossed some ruts and I actually spit myself
off the bike. The only thing I could think of was to
wrap my body around my leg. Some spectators got the
bike all straightened out, and by the time I got my
crippled butt over to it the guy even had it started
up for me! For me, I was just counting it down and looking
at the lap times, saying c'mon just three more laps,
two more laps, one more lap."
It was a wild, wild race at Unadilla, which is often
considered the most historic motocross track in the
country. With over two miles of motocross track combined
with the tight, twisting New York woods, riders had
to be both fast and smart to win. The crash cost Balance
the lead and handed it to Chris Jenks, the winner of
the previous GNCC in North Carolina. Riding a wave of
confidence, Jenks had the lead and kept pulling it,
with teammates Cook and Michael Houston behind him.
Then it came unravled in a big mud bog near a section
of railroad tracks, when he got stuck. Cook took the
lead from there and was never headed.
Ballance would have to fight his way back up, but other
favorites were struggling. Borich bent a tie rod on
the first lap and took nearly a lap to get it fixed.
Matt Smiley crashed on his factory Polaris and injured
his shoulder, and Yoshimura Suzuki's William Yokley
had transmission problems.
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#23
Bryan Baker, K&K ATV,wasted no time in 2005
getting back into the swing of things after a
year off in 2003 and racing the Kawaski Vforce
last year in the Open A Class |
All of the attrition worked in the favor of Baker,
who stayed in the hunt all day on his K&K Honda.
Baker, the 2002 GNCC Pro Production Champion, hasn't
been on the podium in years. "It's probably been
seven or eight years since I've been up here. The whole
day went pretty good, I got a half-decent start, and
everytime I would see people stuck, like on the railroad
tracks, I would just click them off."
Just two races remain in the chase for the 2005 Suzuki
GNCC ATV title, and Balance looks to wrap up his sixth-straight
title in two weeks at the Power Line Park GNCC in St,
Clairsville, Ohio. "Out of all the things I've
had to deal with this year, all the injuries and coming
back, I think this title would be the sweetest of them
all," explained Ballance.
The Unadilla GNCC was taped for an airing on the Outdoor
Life Network. The series resumes on television on October
18, and the GNCC races air Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Thursdays
at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. EST.
The ATVA-sanctioned Suzuki Grand National Cross Country
series is America's premier off-road racing series.
The 13-round series is produced exclusively by Racer
Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most
physically demanding sports in the world. The nearly
three-hour long GNCC races lead as many as 1500 riders
through tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles in
length. With varied terrain including hills, mud, dirt,
rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests
of both survival and speed. GNCC featured sponsors include
Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Klotz,
FMF and ITP, and riders compete for over $1.5 million
in series prizes and contingency money. Associate sponsors
include Moose Utility Division, Scott, Alpinestars,
Öhlins, Cometic, Outerwears, Race Tools, Twin Air,
SFB Racing, Thor, Motion Pro, MotoTee's, Warrior and
Laeger's. Media Sponsors include Dirt Rider Magazine,
ATV Sport Magazine and Racer X Illustrated. For more
information log on to GNCCRacing.com.
Suzuki GNCC Series ATV Racing
Results
Round #11 - "Unadilla"
ATV
Top Twenty Overall |
1. Bryan Cook Casar, NC YAM 02:06:31
2. Bill V Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:07:34
3. Bryan Baker Knob Noster, MO HON 02:07:38
4. Brandon Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:07:51
5. Michael S Houston Hickory, NC HON 02:08:31
6. Scott Barron New Cumberland, WV YAM 02:10:42
7. Andris Lagzdins Baltimore, MD ROL 02:10:49
8. Joshua Ribley Martinsville, IN YAM 02:11:05
9. Santo Derisi Casar, NC HON 02:11:11
10. Jeremy Rice Fombell, PA HON 02:11:43
11. Chris Bithell Irwin, PA HON 02:12:57
12. Rob Hertz Brookhaven, PA HON 02:13:27
13. Andy Klingworth Oldenburg, IN HON 02:13:39
14. Bryan Hulsey Washington, MO YAM 02:14:08
15. Brandon Sturdivant Montrose, WV HON 02:14:11
16. Chris Jenks Washington, WV HON 02:14:41
17. Craig Reed Crawford, TN HON 02:15:0
18. Taylor Kiser Alva, FL YAM 02:15:18
19. Jeffrey Pickens Lemont Furnace, PA HON 02:15:42
20. Rhett M Butler Oak Grove, MO HON 02:16:37
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2005
Suzuki GNCC ATV Pro Point Standings
(After 11 of 13 rounds)
|
|
1.
Bill Ballance (262/5 wins)
2. Chris Borich (203/3 wins)
3. William Yokley (178/1 win)
4. Chris Jenks (168/1 win)
5. Brandon Ballance (149)
6. Matt Smiley (146)
7. Adam McGill (118)
7. Andris Lagzdins (118)
9. Bryan Baker (107)
10. Jeremy Rice (94) |
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