Woodcliff Lake, NJ ”“ April 16, 2008”¦Celebrated off-road rider Scott Summers won the Vet A (30+) Class ”“ by an impressive seven minutes -- on a Husqvarna TXC 510 in the fourth round of the 2008 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series in Union, South Carolina, April 12-13.  It was the Husky team manager’s second victory in a row, having won the Veteran A Class in his Husky debut at the GNCC’s third round in Morgonton, North Carolina, March 29-30.  

Husqvarna rider Glen Kearney finished sixth overall, only seconds away from the podium and just 2 minutes behind winner David Knight, while Gordon Crockard finished thirteenth overall in the XC1 Pro Class on TXC 450 machines.  

“It appears that Scott, Glenn and Gordon are fine tuning their racing prowess on these bikes each week,” said Dirk Biehler, President of Husqvarna Motorcycles NA, LLC.  “Team Husqvarna has certainly demonstrated its strength as a newcomer in this competition and I believe that the best results are yet to come.”  

The 12^th running of the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC attracted about 1,240 racers and hundreds of spectators.  Rainstorms that rolled into the region late Friday night and early Saturday morning were expected to make conditions at the 12-mile track difficult for racers; but most commented that the rains made the ride even better.  The three-hour event was a bit more technical than typical GNCC races, with thousands of pine trees to weave through. 

Team Husqvarna will travel to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee April 26-27 for the fifth round of the GNCC series held at a ranch owned by the world famous “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn.  The oldest race on the GNCC circuit draws scores of riders from across the nation, as well as Ms. Lynn, if she’s not on tour. 

Husqvarna Motorcycles NA, LLC -- part of BMW (US) Holding Corp. ”“ announced a return to off-road racing competition earlier this year, after reaching an agreement with Scott Summers, Inc. to provide a two-man professional race team to compete in the GNCC Racing Series.  The riders pilot 2008 Husqvarna TXC 450 off-road models in the GNCC’s XC1 class. 

Crockard, of Petersburg, KY, is looking forward to continuing to do battle against the best GNCC riders in the world.  The 29-year-old former World Motocross Championship contender participated with Jean-Francois Goblet and Anders Erickson in an Öhlins suspension test in southern Spain, prior to arriving in America for the start of his debut season in the GNCC series, which attracts riders from the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

Kearney, of Antioch, CA, rose to prominence as an off-road racer in Australia, riding for the factory Yamaha team and earning top spots on the WR250F in several series.  In the U.S., the 26-year-old Australian Enduro Champion, has proven to be one of the hardest working riders in the GNCC series, adhering to a grueling training program and possessing considerable heart and determination on the track.  

Scott Summers, one of the most celebrated off-road racers of our time, is partnering with Husqvarna after racing very successfully for American Honda for nearly two decades. 

During his time with Honda, he earned nearly 100 overall national off-road event wins as well as 9 AMA Championships (five in the brutally competitive GNCC series and four in the far-reaching National Hare Scrambles Series.  During his career, Summers did much more than win races and titles.  He successfully transitioned from his role as a professional athlete to that of a businessman and the owner of his own race team.  Since then, Summers has mentored other young up-and-coming racers, helping them understand what it takes to win at the highest level of the sport.  During the 2007 GNCC Series, the most competitive Off-Road Championship in the world, Summers Racing earned podium finishes in 25% of the championship rounds. 

The AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Seriesis America's premier off-road racing series and one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The riders must navigate rugged terrain such as woods, mud, dirt, rocks and jumps for nearly three hours, while racing against the best talent in the world. The 13-round race series stretches through the eastern US, starting with the season-opener in Melbourne, FL in March and concluding with the season-finale in Crawfordsville, IN in October. Upwards of 1,500 racers compete at each GNCC round and the race action draws several thousand fans each weekend as well as a loyal following on television.