All these festivities are a good reason for us to take some time away from “the grind” and focus on family, friends and fun. That being said, next week will be our last edition of Quick Fill for 2014, as the following Thursday is CHRISTMAS day. The following week is actually New Years Day so we’ll return with the first entry of the 2015 season on Jan. 8.

I know many of you are anxious to see the 2015 rules, classes and full schedule. Just hold tight a little longer. We had some things go through yesterday that will actually change what you may have already seen in the GNCC Awards Banquet program. We’re hoping to get those things announced by the end of the week so everyone can make plans, secure vacation time, etc.

Since everyone is all over the place this time of year, I would absolutely love to hear from you racers out there as to what your off-season plans are, where you’ll be riding, how you’ll be training and most of all: what will your 2015 program look like? We’re more than happy to share team announcements, press releases or even tidbits of information that you want to get out to the public (as well as impress your new sponsors with). And that goes for every skill/age level out there. You don’t have to be a pro to have a professional PR campaign! Email me at [email protected] or feel free to hit up [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].

Everyone’s Talkin’ About Blue’s Clues (Rodney Tomblin)

It is without a doubt a “silly season” in every shape and form. The rumors floating around are certainly not without foundation and I know this because I have been talking to a little birdie, or two, out there that has shared some very interesting information. And yes, there are some things that are working still for a few folks. The fact of the matter is, though, no one is really speaking on record yet. I have been asked not to spill the beans, as there will be an announcement coming soon. I will give you this; there will be a new name on a blue machine in 2015.

Now onto facing the biggest stir in the GNCC quad world at the moment. You may have read, you may have seen, you may not even know but the word right now is that Chris Borich has been riding a Yamaha recently. This has obviously stirred a lot of interest and created a host of questions. Is Chris Borich really going to make the switch?

In recent years the rumors have flown before, and each time they have had some substantial bases to wonder and form questions. It was only a few years ago that Chris was known to be testing on a Yamaha, Honda and a Can-Am. Owning each in his arsenal of weapons he tested in the off season and to the surprise of many, opted out of factory backing from at least two companies stating that it wasn’t time and when the new season began he was back to the familiar yellow of not only a non-factory supported effort.

When Chris started the new season after all the testing and rumors back on the same no longer produced machine he stated then that he was satisfied with his help he was receiving in parts from Suzuki to stick with the program. It was/is his hope that they would/will begin production again and resume a partnership back on the factory level again. The only problem is that it doesn’t appear to be heading in that direction any time soon. So what will Chris do in 2015?

I spoke with the 6-time Champion this past week and told him there was quite a stir around the industry. In the Chris Borich chuckle he laughed and said, “Yeah, I have been hearing quite a bit myself.” I then asked if it was true that he had himself a Yamaha. He laughed again and said, “Yeah, I got a bike to play around on.” I then asked him what was up with that, to which he said that he just bought it to “play on”. So is he really going to make the switch? Guess we may have to wait a little bit longer to know for sure. I do know someone will though.

The Resurgence of Husqvarna (Jared Bolton)

In the late 1960s, ‘70s and even into the ‘80s, Husqvarna was the go-to machine for motocross and off-road racers alike. The small, lightweight machines sprung to popularity even out-selling the previous must-have brand, Penton. In the off-road world, Husqvarna would claim 8 GNCC titles with Ed Lojak holding the reins to the championship winning machines. The success didn’t stop there either as Husqvarna wrapped up an impressive 17 National Enduro titles from 1969-1986.

After claiming the 1988 GNCC championship aboard a Husqvarna, Ed Lojak would end up making the switch to a Yamaha and eventually to an ATK, thus ending his Husqvarna days. Several other riders would make efforts aboard a Husky through what some refer to as the “dark years” for Husqvarna as ownership and management would transfer a couple of different times and the reputation of the brand suffered.

An initial resurgence of the Husqvarna brand in GNCC Racing would begin in 2008 with Glenn Kearney leading the charge in the XC1 class. After the 2010 season, control of the Husqvarna team was sent to Fred Andrews who was fielding a strong XC2 effort. From 2011-2013 the FAR Husqvarna team would frequently show themselves as front-runners of the XC2 class.

When KTM purchased Husqvarna in early 2013, there was all sorts of talk about what was going to happen. Some believed that Husky would exist alongside Husaberg and KTM, making the KTM brand a trifecta of power. Eventually, it was announced that the Husaberg and Husqvarna brands would merge into one and some believed that the often mispronounced “Huskyberg” or “Husavarna” would finally come true. Instead, KTM played it smart and dropped the Husaberg line in exchange for Husqvarna.

Fast forward just a little bit and the new Husqvarna is born and far different than the previous Swedish-made Husqvarnas, while also being a bit different than the Husaberg as well. This put a plan in effect for Husqvarna to become KTM’s premium brand, much like Cadillac is for General Motors, and basically see a full resurgence of the once-dominative brand.

In 2014 Andrew Delong would hand Husqvarna its first National Enduro championship since 1986, while also landing some solid GNCC finishes. After a successful first season as the “new” Husqvarna, the brand has stepped up even more for 2015. Not only with the addition Motocross/Supercross program, but now the GNCC runner-up Josh Strang will be aboard a Husqvarna as well.

It’s been since 1988 that we saw a Husqvarna claim an overall win at a GNCC event. Andrew Delong came close aboard a Husqvarna during his XC2 days, and also logged several great finishes in his rookie XC1 season as well. With a stacked roster for 2015, we very well could see the brand in the center of the podium once again.

The Mind Games (Rodney Tomblin)

If you have been involved in GNCC for any length of time then you know one of the exciting elements of the GNCC off-season is the “mind games”. It is especially prevalent on the two-wheeled side of things. Scott Summers, Shane Watts, Barry Hawk, Rodney Smith, Fred Andrews, Ed Lojack and even David Knight may be some of the more noted at this but don’t let it be said the four wheels didn’t and don’t have their fair share of game playing.

Bob Sloan, Barry Hawk, Stevie Holbert, Kim Khunle, William Yokely, Matt Smiley, Bill Ballance, Taylor Kiser and Chris Borich, among others, have all been known to work a little mystery in the past. We may have witnessed it most recently with Chris Borich and Walker Fowler. Walker had his share of guidance from one of the best, and may be one of the slyest at it in the end.

It is known a few years ago that Chris Borich had an array of machines he was testing and was searching to find a possible new ride. However, it was as much a ploy as it was a test. It certainly kept everyone guessing and hoping he would have to start fresh with a new machine and they may have an edge up leading into the season. But as we all know, nothing changed for Chris and he rolled to another championship.

The question though now is if this is another game Chris is playing or is he really looking at making a switch. As much as he says, “play around” you have to look at the big picture and say it is more likely to happen now than before. Suzuki has made no announced plans of resuming production of the sport model and Yamaha has a solid, proven and even championship on the ATVMX side of things with Chad Wienen.

Speaking of Chad Wienen, he and Chris have become somewhat close over the past year or so, and both have a number of the same contact and sponsors. Chad, Walker and even Johnny Gallagher have proven that the Yamahas are solid machines. They experience very few mechanical issues, they have an impressive contingency and they are in it to win it. The support they show has been unprecedented in recent years, and they seem determined to be the machine of choice for all sport ATV racing enthusiasts. So the question arises again, what will Chris Borich do in 2015?

Throwback Thursday (Jared Bolton)

More photos this week! While I’ve got a ton more to share over time, if anyone has some cool throwback photos to share, you can drop me a line at [email protected] and show me what you’ve got!