| GNCC
ATV Racing
Round 2 "The General" |
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Washington, GA - Out of the sand of
Florida and into the red clay of Georgia, the Can Am
Grand National Cross Country Series got back to its
"roots" at the General GNCC. With the inaugural
Triton GNCC in the books, everyone had blown the cobwebs
out of their machines and bodies and were ready to take
it to the woods at the Aonia Cycle Park in Washington,
Georgia. Bill Ballance had started his title defense
(and more importantly, his quest for an unprecedented
eighth consecutive championship) in good form, winning
the first round over a very determined Chris Borich.
Florida had also shown the promise of some new XC1 contenders,
with first year Pro riders Taylor Kiser and Ryan Morphew
finishing third and fifth respectively. Kawasaki came
back to full time GNCC racing with a phenomenal showing,
having unveiled the all-new KXF450 on the morning of
the event, and then proving its capabilities with William
Yokley's inspiring fourth place finish.
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After an impressive run at round 1, it appears
that Brandon Ballance is beginning to figure
out how to get rid of the "0" on his
jersey without wearing Bill's |
XC
Bob's Mike Lucas has been racing for years on
a Yamaha in the A Class, and this year he is
sponsoring Pro Rookie, Tyler Lenig, who also
made the switch to blue |
The conditions in Georgia could not have been better,
with a little rain soaking things down the week before,
and mild temperatures and sunny skies on race day.
A few small mudholes would keep things interesting,
and plenty of alternate lines would make the race
exciting for the spectators and competitors alike.
The mix of dirt and clay makes for a unique race course,
as the top layer of tractable soil gradually gives
way to a hard and slick clay base, making for great
flattrack-style sliding in the sweeping turns. The
many open flat runs favor those with some horsepower
on tap, while the tight, twisty sections through the
dense woods favor those having quads with user-friendly
power delivery. This race course is truly an all around
test of man and machine.
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#11 Ryan Morphew flips over in
turn one, but he was able to jump back on and
return the race unfortunately in last place. |
The XC1 Pro class lined up for the start with twenty
six riders ready to attack the woods in perfect race
conditions. Due to the opening round of the ATVA MX
series taking place this weekend in nearby Alabama,
no National Motocross contenders had entered this
race, as has been the norm for the last few rounds
of the GNCC series. As the start flag flew, it was
none other than Brandon Ballance grabbing the ITP
Holeshot Award followed by Duane Johnson and Bill
Ballance.
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#10 Brandon Ballance once again held the lead
after grabbing the ITP Holeshot, but it wouldn't
take long for Bill Ballance to claim the front
spot. |
Yamaha's
once again lead the charge into the first turn
as many Honda riders were busy trying to get
started with Chris Borich one of the several
riders. |
