GNCC Racing

Warnet/Can-Am Big Buck Race Report

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Thursday, April 17, 2008 | 12:00 AM

Cliff Beasley Takes 4th Consecutive Win at Big Buck

Union, SC ”“ Rough and muddy are the two words that best describe round four of the GNCC race at Big Buck this past weekend, but obviously that’s the way Cliff Beasley likes it, as he ran away with his 4th straight win of the season in the 4x4 Lites class.

 

Beasley’s win did not come easy, as he was last off the line and had to work his way to the front. “It took some patience,” said Cliff in regards to his long charge for the lead. Being last off the line is nothing new to Cliff as this was the same scenario for him as round three just a couple of weeks prior. While the mud took its toll on many racers and their rides, Cliff attributes a good part of his success to the Warnert crew. “They have done an awesome job for me so far. My bike ran great!” he said.

 

“Maybe next time I should do what Cliff does and start from the back and work my way up. It seems to work”¦for him at least!” said 4x4 Limited class racer, Michael Swift, as he joked with teammate Beasley. Swift got the holeshot aboard his Outlander 800 and checked out from the rest of the pack, taking his 3rd win of the season, giving him the points lead in his class. “I felt really good out there and the bike has handled it well, even though it’s mostly stock,” he said. Swift’s time of 2:02:38 also earned him the number five spot overall in the A.M. classes.

 

Scott Kilby claimed a 2nd place finish in the 4x4 Open class this weekend. Kilby came off the line in 2nd place and held that spot for 5 laps without any serious challengers. Kilby’s overall time was 2:07:36 (about 6 minutes ahead of 3rd place), which earned him a 13th overall finish. Scott Currently hold second place in the 4x4 Open points race with 72 points, only 8 points off the lead.

 

Rick Cecco was off to an amazing start in the U2 class and was leading the pack until his clutch went out in the 1st lap and he was sidelined for the rest of the race. “I think we have all the bugs worked out now and I’m really looking forward to the next round at Loretta’s,” said Cecco who has his sights set on a win for round five.

 

Meanwhile in the XC1 class, Chris Jenks made an appearance in the top 10 taking the number nine position as he fought his way through the mud and brutal ruts that had developed on the track. In the first couple of laps, Chris found himself battling back and forth with William Yokley and Bill Ballance. “All three of us were going back and forth for a while until we hit a bottle neck and separated,” said Jenks. Chris’s overall time of 2:04:41 earned him 11th overall for the day. Unfortunately, Chris Bithell did not fair as well as Jenks, as his motor blew shortly after leaving the starting line.  

 

Round 5 will be heading to Hurricane Mills, Kentucky to Loretta Lynn’s, which has a reputation of being a tough track and will definitely put the Can-Am/Warnert GNCC racers and their machines to the test. Loretta’s is also the home track for both Cliff Beasley and Michael Swift, who are hoping it gives them an advantage in keeping their winning streaks going, while the rest of the Warnert team will also be bringing their “A” game in hopes of claiming a spot on the podium.