BMW Announces Factory GNCC Team for 2008
by: Jason Weigandt
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 | 12:00 AM
Woodcliff Lake, NJ: BMW Motorrad USA and BMW XPLOR are pleased to welcome off-road riders Gordon Crockard and Glen Kearney to the BMW XPLOR Race Team. The riders will pilot BMW’s all-new sports enduro the G 450 X in the XC1 class in the 2008 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series.
BMW’s XPLOR Race Team is led by Scott Summers, a pioneer of professional off-road racing, who recently joined BMW for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons, after racing very successfully for American Honda for nearly two decades.
“The 2008 season holds a lot of challenges for me as a professional racer,”à observed Crockard. “I will be learning an entirely new style of racing, on a brand new motorcycle. In the past months, I've been able to spend time with Scott Summers riding the new BMW 450 bike, and I'm confident in both the motorcycle and Scott's ability to help me make the transition a success. As a competitor, I've always enjoyed challenges and never been afraid of hard work. I know how important physical conditioning, mental strength and proper equipment is to succeed in off-road racing. I know that Scott Summers and the entire team will support me 100%, and along with my new BMW motorcycle, I know I'll have one of the best programs in the paddock in 08 and the rest will be up to me.”Ã
“I'm looking forward to working with Scott on a professional level; we have been friends for a number of years now and get along great,”à added Kearney. “I'm looking forward to racing the new BMW and making the transition from two-stroke back to four-stroke machines, where I feel comfortable and aboard which I had some of my best success in Australia before leaving for the U.S.. The BMW I feel will help make this transition an easy one because it is designed to be so user friendly.”Ã
“We are very excited to welcome Gordon and Glen to our race team. They are tremendous competitors, and will definitely make BMW a formidable contender in the GNCC race series,”à said Arturo Pineiro, head of BMW Motorrad USA.”Ã
“Scott Summers has played a significant role in making the GNCC what it is today the most competitive cross country class in the world. Now, with the addition of these accomplished riders, BMW XPLOR Race Team is certain to energize the 2008 GNCC series, and make us even more competitive,”à added Dirk Biehler, Manager of Marketing at BMW Motorrad USA.