Over 500 ATV racers headed to sunny Florida for the
opening round of the GNCC series, and many arrived a
day early to take advantage of the practice session
held on Saturday. Those that participated in practice
quickly discovered that the Florida sand was going to
provide a true test of physical endurance and machine
durability because the course would quickly turn into
endless whoops section, which had many riders reaching
to adjustments their suspension to smooth out the ride.
Youth ATV Race
Bright and early Sunday morning, the youth ATV racers
headed to the starting area to kick off the 2006 season.
For the inaugural Florida event, 50 youth racers signed
up to compete on a shortened version of the adult
course with plenty of field sections and also some
woods thrown into the mix for a great combination
of terrain for these up and coming riders.
The youth race was scheduled for 45 minutes with
the 90 Production Modified (11-15) Class leading the
way off the starting line. Out front, the battle for
the overall was intense early on as the 2005 Youth
Overall Champion, Walker Fowler, and Florida native,
Neal Conner were swapping the lead back and forth.
Fowler rolled over his Cobra, which cost him some
valuable time, but he was able to reel back in Conner
and take back over the lead. Conner’s chain
would derail shortly afterwards, which allowed Fowler
to get some breathing room as he walked away with
yet another overall and 90 Production Modified (11-15)
Class win.
Walker Fowler’s win also provided Cobra its
first GNCC podium appearance, and when Fowler was
asked why he made switch to the Cobra, he explained
“I simply out grew the Kasea and was getting
really beat up, so I made the switch to the larger
wheelbase Cobra, which made a real difference in the
sand whoops.” The Cobra definitely was working
well for Fowler this weekend as he is well on his
way to yet another Championship.
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| #1
Walker Fowler made the switch to the Cobra for
2006, and he wasted no time in putting the Cobra
on the Podium. |
Florida
Resident, Neal Conner never rode a 90 ATV before
giving GNCC racing a try and he finished 2nd
Overall in his debut. |
Neal Conner also turned some heads in his first GNCC
race with his second overall finish on the Unison ATV.
Conner has been a long time motocross racer in Florida
at Dave City, but only recently started racing in the
Florida Trail Riders XC Series, which turned him on
to woods racing. “I usually race on a 300EX and
this is my first time ever racing a 90 thanks to Tracey
Covil who built this Unison for me to race this weekend,”
said Conner. He isn’t sure if he will be able
to attend anymore GNCC events this year due to conflicting
races with his local motocross series.
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Stephen McCulloch dedicated his race to his
father in Iraq |
The final podium spot went to Stephen McCulloch on his
Honda TRX90 when he was able to make the pass on Jesi
Stracham for third overall in the final lap of the race,
which was really important to this young race. “The
track was real dusty and rough, so I was glad I didn’t
have stock suspension, and since my father is in Iraq,
he can’t see me race, so I am dedicating this
race to him,” said McCullough.
Other notable finishes in the youth ATV race was
Cam Covil taking the early lead on his Kasea and never
looking back as he lead from start to finish with
Andrew Thorsen maintaining the second spot followed
by Brian Thorson in the 70cc Production (6-11) Class.
In the 90cc Stock (11-15) Class, Hunter Kilby would
dominate the small class by pulling away to well over
a six minute lead over second place finisher Justin
Hellyer followed by Josh Terrell.
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Michael Farraro take the win in the 90cc Production
Modified (8-10) Class and finished 13th Overall |
In the 90 Production Modified (8-10) Class, Michael
Farraro would swap the lead back and forth early on
with Austin Findley, but Farraro would finally pulling
away from Findley after the fifth lap to take the
win with over a minute to spare.
Meanwhile, Jay Shardon would apply the pressure to
Findely to the checkered flag, but Findley was able
to hold him off with Shardon finishing in third place
just 2 second behind Findley.
Morning ATV Race
Just over an hour after the conclusion of the youth
ATV race, it was time for the start of the morning
race with Traci Cecco grabbing the Holeshot on her
Alba Action Factory Yamaha backed YFZ450 followed
by Polaris Factory Support Rider, Stephanie Parton
on her Outlaw. Cecco would pull a minute lead over
Parton after the first lap, which she would maintain
to the checkered flag with the Overall and Women’s
Class win.
Stephanie Parton had her hands full in the first
lap battling with Texan, Leslie Coulter for the second
spot, with Coulter making the early pass on Parton
in the second lap. “Yes she did, I got her right
back, and after that I never saw her again. I just
tried to ride smooth because we race again in less
than five days,” said Parton. Stephanie Parton
would go to finish out the race in second overall
followed by Angel Atwell, which gave the women a Podium
sweep for the first time in GNCC history.
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| Women's
Champion, Traci Cecco lead from start to finish
to take the win |
It
was a Podium sweep for the women's class with
Cecco, Parton, and Atwell |
Dirt Wheels Editor, Cain Smead just missed the Podium
after running in the top three overall while racing
the Polaris Outlaw in the Sportsman class for an upcoming
article in Dirt Wheels. He would end up bending a
tie-rod in the final laps of the race and eventually
ran out of gas on the final lap, which dropped him
back to an 18th overall finish.
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John Gallagher charged through the pack to take
the Super Senior Class Win on his new Polaris
Outlaw ride for 2006 |
Super Senior Champion, John Gallagher, would get caught
in a pileup in the first turn on his Polaris Outlaw,
but by the end of the first lap, he moved in on Brian
Vis in the lead, and he would make the pass early in
the second lap and extend his lead to several minutes
by the finish line with an 8th overall finish followed
by Brian Vis and Ken Vickered.
The sand whoops would prove to be brutal on the Utility
racers as many of them were blowing out their shocks
and struts trying to push their bodies and machines
to the limits through the sand whoops. In the end,
Woodie Terrell would take the Utility Stock win from
a 7th place start followed Chad Hill on the Honda
with Ken Robey finishing in 4th behind Florida resident
Josh Fronckowiak. Ken Robey’s Struts blew out
early on in the race and his upper shock mounts bent
to the point that he may also need to replace his
frame before Georgia . Brock Parker would make his
return to GNCC racing known in the Utility Modified
Class as he took the win by riding smart and smooth.
In the second lap, Jim Stack would take over the lead,
but a blown rear shock would end his charge out front
with Brock Parker taken over the lead to the checkered
with a 24 second lead over the reigning champion,
Scott Kilby. In the Utility Unlimited Class, Former
four stroke stock class racer, Jonathan Bowers, worked
his from a 7th place start to take the win by 16 seconds
over the 2005 champion Kevin Johnston with Ty Blair
finishing in third place.
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| Former
Utility Champion, Brock Parker returns to GNCC
racing with the opening round win in the Utility
Modified Class for the Looney Tuned Exhaust
Team |
John
Bowers took a season off from racing to help
Jarrod McClure and Harlen Foley in 2005, but
he comes back on top with the Utility Unlimited
Win. |
With the Stock Class split into an Afternoon and
Morning Class, the Novice C Stock Class only had six
racers with TJ Whited taking the win over Shawn Collins
with Michael Scott finishing in third.
Billy Good was determined to continue racing in the
morning, so he made the switch to the Sport Class,
and he jumped out to the early lead on his hybrid
250EX. Good was in Podium contingency until he lost
his clutch in the third lap, which forced him out
of the race and allowed Bobbly Ousley taking over
the lead and the win.
Afternoon ATV Race
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Sean Neidlinger has a career best finish in
the Pro Am Class, and he serious about the 2006
season |
The final race of the day would be the Afternoon race
with Chris Borich taking the win in the Pro Class and
the Overall Win, but the Pro Am riders were charging
hard as well in the opening round of the season with
Sean Neidlinger leading the race from start to finish
on his Honda 450R with a 10th Overall finish followed
Jeffrey Pickens in 12th Overall. Ryan Morphew originally
held the second spot, but a missed turn on the track
caused him to be docked a lap.
Floridian David Bailey’s sand racing experience
would pay off as he would take the Open A Class win
over another Southerner, David Crane who made the
trip over to Florida from Mississippi with Ryan Lane
finishing in third. Cory Vickerd would take the 4
Stroke A Class win over Donald Ockerman with his new
Houser Slicast A-arms as he continues to chase after
the 4 Stroke A Class Championship.
The two strokes continue to fade away from the race
track as only three racers signed up for the 2 Stroke
A/B Class with Chad Lucarelli taking the win over
Ryan Shockling in a race to the finish with the pair
only finishing ten seconds apart at the checkered.
Phil Cole jumped out to the early lead in the Junior
Class and held the lead to the checkered with the
2005 2 Stroke A/B Champion, Wes Stone finishing in
second place on the new Polaris Outlaw followed Kevan
Logston only six seconds back in third.
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| Phil
Cole transition to the Afternoon went extremely
well as he took the Junior Class Win |
Brentz
Foltz was on the charge as he tried to track
down John Cunningham, but was forced to settle
for 2nd Place. |
John Rowling made the transition to the Vet Class
mid season last year and dominated the class till
the end year, but he didn’t have enough races
for the championship. For 2006, he picked up where
he left off with the win after making the pass on
2005 35+ Class Champion, Thomas Wright in the second
lap to take over the lead. Ken Tincher would go on
to finish in third place just two minutes behind Wright.
John Cunningham would take the win in the 4 Stroke
B Class over Brent Foltz, and Nathan Wallpe would
run away with the win in the Open B Class over Daniel
Eger.
The 4 Stroke Stock Class split, the A/B were sent
to the afternoon with Matt Hanna picking up where
he left off in 2005 at the Ironman by taking the win
in the opening round with a commanding lead over Todd
Rothermel in 2nd Place on the Polaris Outlaw.
The opening round of the GNCC attracted a record
crowd of ATV racers to Florida, and round two is less
than one week away in Georgia, which will attract
even more racers as the series begins its march north.
The
AMA-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 1800 riders
through tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles
in length. With varied terrain including hills, trees,
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 $2.8 million in series prizes and contingency
money. Associate sponsors include Moose Utility Division,
Scott, Acerbis, Alpinestars, Cometic, Outerwears,
Twin Air, Polisport Plastics, Thor, Motion Pro, Hyper
Wheels, Elka Suspension, MotoTee's, Weekend Warrior,
Owens Motorsports, Tom's Marina Polaris, EK Chain
and Laeger's. Media Sponsors include Dirt Rider Magazine,
ATV Sport Magazine, www.ATVRiders.com
and Racer X Illustrated. For more information log
on to www.GNCCRacing.com.
www.gnccracing.com
122 Vista Del Rio Drive,
Morgantown, WV 26508
304-284-0084
ATVriders.com
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