Wiseco John Penton GNCC
Team PowerSports GrafX/KTM
Click here for the Team PowerSports Grafx/KTM Race Report
Team GDM/Husqvarna Official Race Report
Grand National Cross Country Series
Rd. #6, Millfield, Ohio
5/13/07
In the morning race we had “The Doctor”, D.R. Atwood, enter the Sportsman Class on one of Travis Green’s WR250 practice bikes. D.R. got the holeshot and started pulling away from the rest of the pack on the motocross track. Unfortunately, D.R. suffered a flat tire on the first lap and was out of contention. D.R. came back to the pits frustrated, but in good spirits.
We had both Travis and Morgan on the Pro XC2 Lites starting line for the afternoon race. Both riders got mid-pack starts. Travis and a few riders went down in the last corner of the motocross track. This allowed Morgan to pass Travis. Travis came by the pits and told us that Morgan had a hard crash in the woods. Minutes had passed before Morgan came into the pits. A large vine had knocked Morgan off his bike. He had a huge brush-burn on his neck from the vine and said his thigh was hurting. He went back out on the track, but quit before completing lap two.
Morgan came back into the pits and started taking off his gear. He had a puncture hole in his thigh, about the size of a quarter. We applied some first-aid medical assistance before his parents took him to the hospital. Morgan ended up receiving four staples in his leg. Meanwhile, on lap two Travis was in 13th position. On lap three Travis passed two more riders for 11th place. Travis pushed hard to catch the 10th place rider on the fifth and final lap. He made up over 30 seconds, but couldn’t make it happen. Travis was 13 seconds behind him at the finish line but had to settle for 11th place.
David Knight
Hoping to claim his third straight victory in this season's US GNCC series
reigning Enduro 3 world champion David Knight and his Red Bull KTM
Off Road Team traveled to Ohio for the John Penton GNCC this passed
weekend, round six of the '07 US GNCC series. Confident that he could
extend his championship lead David finished in fourth position having
once again had to fight his way from the back of Pro XC1 class before
running into problems as the ignition on his XC450 worked its way loose.
Making a much better start than he had at the two previous rounds of the US GNCC series Knighter went from mid-pack to last as he collided with Australian Shane Watts, who himself had tangled with Robbie Jenks. Forced to once again make his way from the back of the pack Knighter didn't need long to start catching and passing many of the front runners. But the Manxman's progress was then halted having closed in on the top three as his bike began to misfire and cut out. Later diagnosed as a loose ignition top coil David continued to battle on working his way back up to third after dropping to fifth following the mid-race pit stop.
Determined to at least finish on the podium Knighter caught and passed Jimmy Jarrett for a second time to move into the final podium spot but then came close to crashing out of the race as his bike cut out as he hit a section of whoops on the motocross track section of the course. Despite managing not to crash the impact badly buckled the front wheel of David's XC450. With numerous broken spokes, and with the wheel hitting either side of his forks, David continued pushing as hard as he could, and dared, but was unable to stay ahead of Jarrett and claimed fourth.
David now sits in second position in the overall US GNCC series standings, just four points behind Charlie Mullins and 11 points ahead of Garrett Edmisten.
David Knight: "I'm really disappointed with the way things turned out because the win was mine for the taking this weekend. I got a pretty good start, much better than the last two races, but then Wattsy decided to take out Robbie Jenks and I got caught up in it. I was last so I had a lot of work to do again. It didn't take that long to catch up with the guys near the front, but then I started having problems with my bike. It started popping and banging like the jetting was way out. "I dropped back to about fifth after the fuel stop but made my way forward pretty quickly. I got passed Josh Strang and I got up to Jimmy Jarrett in third. I actually managed to pass him briefly but then my bike stopped. I didn't lose much time and was able to catch him again pretty quickly. Then I nearly had a big, big crash. I could see Jimmy's helmet in the dust when my bike died again as I hit the whoops on the motocross track. I hit them so hard I buckled me front wheel. The wheel was rubbing against both fork guards it was so badly buckled. It was pretty scary too racing across the fast sections of the track.
"The bike was really hard to control after that. I was having really bad tank slappers all the time as well as the bike dieing and cutting out. I knew that I couldn't stay ahead of Jimmy, I wasn't even sure that I'd finish the race even. Thankfully I did but like I said I'm pretty disappointed because I should have extended my points lead, not finished fourth."
Shane Watts
Fun Mart Cycles/Maxxis/cyclehutt.com team rider Shane Watts
endured a tough day at Rd. 6 of the 2007 GNCC series held in dry and
dusty conditions at Millfield, Ohio over the past weekend.
Entering the race with a severe bout of the flu, Watts was reduced to having to make his best attempt at trying to salvage some Championship points on a day where he was far below being able to perform at his best. Following a decent start Watts was relegated to the rear of the field when another rider collided with the rear of his YZ250 whilst he was stopped in the bottleneck that formed in the second corner. Once mobile again Watts struggled with being able to push anywhere near his normal pace due to a head full of congestion that not only affected his breathing but also more importantly his balance, and perception of the upcoming trail.
Shane Watts: “I felt so crappy, and everything in my head was real fuzzy. All of that congestion just had me to the point where I couldn’t think clearly, and thus I wasn’t able to push myself to a fast pace. By the time I got to the start of the last lap I was way outside of the top twenty points paying positions, and drained of energy, that we decided it was best that I leave it at that and head back to the trailer to start preparations on being 100% ready for the next round in 4 weeks.”
Shane Watts is supported by the following companies; Fun Mart Cycles, Maxxis tires, cyclehutt.com, Yamaha, Progrip goggles and grips, Spectro oils, Shift apparel, GPR stabilizers, DeCal Works graphics, Dirt Tricks sprockets, Race Tech suspension, Bullet Proof Designs radiator protection, Springfield Armory, Flexx handlebars, Synergy seals, Cycra plastic, Clarke fuel tanks, Alpinestars, FMF, and E-line guards.
For Shane Watts photos, go to click here.
Am-Pro Yamaha
MULLINS GETS FIRST WIN OF HIS CARRER,
TAKES OVER CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD. HAWK FOLLOWS TO A SECOND PLACE FINISH
The Team Yamaha boys were at it again this weekend at the first
northern race of the year in Ohio. The John Penton GNCC is located
in Millfield Ohio and has a diverse track that can be one of the toughest
if it gets wet. It offers a MX track, tight woods, grass fields, and
hills to challenge the riders each lap.
The weather was a very comfortable 70 degrees and the track was dry and dusty. The dirt is mostly clay, so it was blue grooved hardpack in the woods and MX track and dusty in the open field sections.
Charlie Mulllins
Charlie had a picture perfect day that ended with his first career
GNCC victory. "I came off the line great and when we went into
the woods I had the lead!" Charlie rode strong, consistent,
and mistake-free to increase his lead little by little over
the three-hour race. "It was an easy race for me and everything
just fell into place, I never fell, or had trouble with lappers the
entire race. I just rode my own race and it feels un-believable to
finally get the win after being so close so many times." Charlie
held it all the way to the finish and won the race by about 25 seconds
over his teammate Barry Hawk. His hard work and training all paid
off and he now believes and knows he can do it. This victory also catapults
him into the championship lead. "I just want to keep this
ball rolling, it makes me want it more than ever to win
again, getting second just isn’t the same."
Tires Used: Bridgestone M401A Front; M402A Rear
Barry Hawk
Barry's YZ250 fired on the first kick and he rocketed off the start
and around the first turn in second position behind Mullins. He
was right behind Mullins in the woods and had a good pace going.
They jockeyed through the woods section and then when they came to
the first field section the dust was so thick from just one rider
that Barry had to come to an almost complete stop and let the dust
settle to be able to see the course. "When we came to the first
field section Mullins just disappeared!" After that Barry kept
charging and just could never break the "dust" barrier
between himself and Mullins. "I would try to charge and get
up with him, but every time I seemed to make mistakes because I was
riding in the dust and couldn't see." The lead grew to 20 seconds
by the gas stop and Barry just couldn't seem to make up the gap between
himself and Mullins. "It was a pretty boring race; I started
second, rode in second all day and finished in second." Barry
rode a strong and consistent race for a great 1-2 finish for the
team, and showed that his suspension woes from the previous round
were behind him.
Tires Used: Bridgestone M401A Front; M402A Rear
Thad Duvall
Thad's WR250F fired quickly and he rounded the first turn
about mid-pack. He too was struggling with the dust and he was about
40 seconds down by the end of the first lap. He put his head down and
pushed through the dust to be in the lead by the gas stop. He then
wanted to put some time on the four rider pack behind him and started
to pull away. But his charge stopped when he hit a stump on the side
of the trail and wrapped his shifter around his footpeg. When he came
around into the pits, the crew tended to it as quickly as possible
and bent the shifter back into a "rideable" position. After
the repair he dropped to fifth but was determined to catch back up
to the leaders. He was looking super fast and was making up ground
on the leaders when yet again his shifter found a trail side obstacle
and bent around the footpeg again. He was stuck in fourth gear and
was just trying to get back to the pits without frying the clutch.
He made it into the pits and this time while the crew that was bending
it into position in broke off, but there was enough of the shifter left
that he could shift with a little more effort. He rode it home with
his nub for a shifter to finish a hard fought fifth place. He was disappointed
with his finish and really wants to get that first win of the series,
but a fifth place finish was a great ride considering his troubles,
and it could have been a lot worse if he had burnt up his clutch.
Points Standings after 6 of 13
rounds
Charlie Mullins: 1st overall
Barry Hawk: 4th overall
Thad Duvall: 4th XC2 class (13th overall)
The entire team thanks all of our sponsors and fans for their help
and support. Check out Jason Raines' training website and do the
same workouts as the Am-Pro team and be stronger than your competition. www.jasonrainesfullcircletraining.com.
See you at the races!
Can-Am’s Warnert Racing Sweeps Loretta Lynn’s 4x4 Class
The Warnert Racing Team went in separation directions this past weekend with the Can-Am GNCC Series and WPSA QuadTerrain Challenge on the same weekend, so 4x4 Open Points leader, Scott Kilby, wasn’t in attendance to extend his GNCC winning streak. Also, missing from the lineup was U2 Racer, Brock Parker, as he remains sidelined with a shoulder injury for an undetermined amount of time.
Cliffton Beasley, Michael Swift, and Rick Cecco geared up and rolled out to the infamous Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Hills, TN to once again show their outright dominance aboard their Warnert Racing prepped Can-Am’s. The terrain would play into the favor of our riders and machines as the almost 12 mile course worked its way up and down the steep ridges and through the bottom land of the ranch.
In the 4x4 Lites class, Cliffton Beasley piloted his way around all competitors once again, taking the class win by over one minute ahead of the nearest competitor, another Can-Am mounted rider. This marks two wins in a row for Beasley placing him back in the points lead.
Once again, 4x4 Limited rider Michael Swift proved he is the rider to beat as he secured another stellar win with five minutes to spare between himself and his nearest competitor. Swift remains undefeated in 2007 with five wins on his Warnert Racing prepped Can Am Outlander 800. Swift’s victory extended his points lead to 16 points over second place as he is over half way to securing the 4x4 Limited Class Championship.
With Scott Kilby missing from the lineup, it was up to Rick Cecco to secure another win for the Warnert Racing Team, and he was up to the challenge. Cecco quickly took over the lead and was also contending for the overall lead until he made a wrong turn, which sent him off the course. After being held at the scoring tent to await his class to approach as a penalty, Cecco was once again turned loose to go back after the overall leaders. Riding in a remarkable fashion, Cecco chased down the leaders but time ran out as he finished 17th overall. The class win was dominance in every sense of the word, winning by over 11 minutes!
Paul Whibley
Race Report: Round 6 GNCC Series,
John Penton
Rider: Paul Whibley
Team: Parts Unlimited, Moose, Honda
Bike: Honda CRF450X
Cresting a hill on the drive into the John Penton GNCC on Saturday revealed a thick dust hanging in the air. The quads raced around the Sunday Creek MX track that served as the start and focal point of the GNCC course sending up blinding clouds of soil. I was hoping for rain but it never came. Sunday was a welcome relief with the temperature now at a more pleasant 65f/18c and less dust was being kicked up by the morning bike race. The track crew had been working hard and had made some gains in keeping the dust down around the MX track.
From the start it was destined to be a tough day. Being in the back of the pack of the start and trying to see through the dust was hard work. I managed to get up into about 10th on lap 1. I had a minor off track excursion when I went off line and over a bank into a mudhole. The grips were all covered in mud and slime but I only lost 1 position which was lucky. The track was 11 miles on the first lap but was pushed out to a 14 mile lap for the 2nd lap and the rest of the race. I think this was a measure to lessen the effects of the dust and it worked great as the lapped riders were spread out and not encountered until late in the 3rd lap.
We gassed at the end of lap 3, as it was to be a 5 lap race. I had caught Glen Kearney several times during the race but always lost contact again as we entered some of the real dusty sections and had struggled to find a place to try and pass. Finally on the 4th lap I squared up a corner out in a dusty field and shot past, with Glenn now in my dust he couldn't stay with me. Later that lap I past Jenks and Robinson in the pits as they stopped for a splash of gas. By the end of the race I had moved up to 6th.
Post race I was talking to Scott about how the race had gone. He mentioned
off the start, the last 3 bikes off the line were Garrett Edmisten,
David Knight and me. The three of us were the only 450s on the pro
line and we all had a terrible start. Knight managed to move up to
4th, I made it up to 6th and Edmisten managed 12th. In the thick dust
and limited visibility we were lucky to get that far.
Thank you to the following sponsors
for their support
Parts Unlimited, Moose, Honda, Honda Riders Club America, Honda Pro
Oils and Chemicals, Pirelli, Sunstar, Braking, RG3, Wiseco, Motion
Pro, EK, Tag, Cycra, WER, Powersport Grafix, Thumper Racing, IMS, CTi,
Smith, Alpinestar, Tire Balls, Vortex, Moto SR, Stringfellows, Darbi
Accessories.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
CORONA, Calif., (May 14, 2007)—The Monster Energy FAR (Fred Andrews Racing) Pro Circuit Kawasaki Off-Road Team wrapped up competition this past week in Millfield, Ohio, running the annual John Penton round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCCs).
Leading the charge for the Monster Energy FAR team was again Scott Watkins. Watkins, who finished 5th in the XC2 class at the last GNCC round (Loretta Lynn's, Tenn.) improved his position this past week with a hard-fought 4th in the hot and dusty conditions in Ohio. Starting in 3rd place and poised to make the podium, Watkins went down on the second lap and barely got back up in the top ten (8th), with Monster Energy FAR teammate Cole Calkins hot on his tail.
“It was bad out there, hot and dusty, and that mistake on the second lap cost me the race,” said Watkins. “It was really hard to see with all that dust, which made passing even that much more difficult.” Calkins was working his way up towards the top five himself when he suffered a nightmare of a crash, getting ripped off his bike by a tree branch he wasn't able to see because of the dust.
“I got going behind Scott (Watkins) and we started to pass riders and the dust got really thick, making it very tough to see,” said Calkins. “All of a sudden something hit me in the helmet and made me crash. When I got up I saw a low-hanging tree branch and that was it for me.”
Calkins did manage to stay in the top ten overall, finishing 9th.
In the premier XC1 class, Monster Energy FAR was led by Jesse Robinson with a 9th place overall finish. Robinson got out well and had moved up to 6th place when a crash after the two-lap board came up relegated him back to 9th.
“After the crash I wasn't able to see with all the dust,” said Robinson. “I didn't want to take any chances, so we'll re-group and work hard the next three weeks for when the GNCCs return to action in Kentucky.”
Noteworthy: Monster Energy FAR's PA Allen is out for the next 2 rounds with back problems.
Next up for the Monster Energy FAR Pro Circuit Kawasaki Off-Road is the Weekend Warrior Spartan, June 9-10, in Sparta, Ky.
