Round 10 of the GNCC series took place this past weekend in the West Virginia mountains at the Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort.

The venue is very unique with many amenities to greet the racers and fans, many activities took place over the course of the weekend and the weather was very cooperative. A good rain shower came through on Friday night to put an end to any chances of a dusty race. The race is started via a grand prix style on the pavement just like the old Blackwater 100! Five racers to a row lined up according to their standings in their respected classes. Each row is started 10 seconds apart.
 
The terrain on the mountain is very deceiving. It looks as though it would be fun from the view at the top, but once you get into the woods the scenery turns and the terrain becomes very challenging. It has nasty hills, never ending bike eating swamplands, water covered and slick rock gardens, ridiculously long fire roads and everything in-between.
The track covered around 14 miles and it was lined with bike pulling, mud covered, screaming West Virginia fans. 
 
The Am-Pro Yamaha squad was poised and ready for the challenges of the day, Jason was on row 2, Thad on row 3, Barry on row 7, Joe on Row 13 and Ryan on row 44. 
 
Jason Raines:
Jason's day started out slow, after the first lap he had to make an un-expected pit stop due to dirt in the carburetor. At first the mechanics thought it may be either jetting or ignition because the bike would barley run, but found it was rather a piece of trash in the float bowl! After a 10 minute pit stop, he was back on the track to try and gain any points he could. Jason kept picking away riders one by one and was just hoping to get inside the top 20 overall but after 3 hours of charging he crossed the finish line in 7th (XC1) 11th Overall. He was happy with the result considering how far back he started. The points he gained moved him closer to the top 5 in the XC1 class points standings.
 
Barry Hawk:
Barry started out very fast and moved up through the rows quickly. By the end of lap 1 he was up into 5th place. As the race wore on he maintained his position and made many advances toward the front but mistakes on the challenging course kept him from making any advances stick. At the end of the 3 hour battle he had to settle for 5th place (XC 1)and 6th overall.
 
Thad Duvall:
Thad had an unbelievable race that many won't soon forget. He started on row 3, and by the halfway point of the first lap he was not only pulling a massive lead on the XC 2 field, he was leading the race overall! Thad battled with David Knight the entire afternoon and it was a nail biter on the last lap waiting to see who would win the war. Thad came up just 3 seconds short of winning the overall. Finishing 2nd overall on a 250F is a feat no other rider in the history of  GNCC competition has ever accomplished. Not only did he finish 2nd overall, he won the XC 2 class by 14 minutes! This marked Thad's 7th win this year and he looks to wrap up the XC2 Pro Lites Championship at the next round of the series at the Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New York.
 
Joe Scherer:
Joe was another member of the Am-Pro squad that had a stellar day. He started out strong and Joe excels in the tougher conditions so he took the Snowshoe Mountain GNCC course by the horns and wrestled his WR 450 through the tough conditions to extend his lead each and every lap. He lead his class from the first lap on, but he wanted more. He was looking to gather a good result in the overall standings too. By the end of the race he had amassed a  8:30 second lead over the next Open A competitor, finished a career best 8th overall, was awarded the "top GNCC Amateur" for the day and if that wasn't enough, he was able to extend his points lead in his class too! This marked Joe's 7th win of the season in the Open A class. 
 
Ryan Belue:
The youngest member on the AM-Pro squad is quickly learning the ropes and following in the footsteps of his teammates. He started out the day in the lead, but a few mistakes kept him on his toes and digging to re-gain the lead. On laps two and three Ryan ran 2nd and 3rd. But after the halfway mark Ryan's hard work and hours spent in the gym paid off as the compeition saw nothing but the taillight of his WR 250F getting further out of sight. After the 3rd lap Ryan never looked back and charged all the way to the checkers. By the time he crossed the finish line he had built up a 5 minute lead on his compettiors. And to cap of his day, this win (6th of the season) made it possible for him to clinch the 4-Stroke B Lites Championship with three rounds remaning. He will move up to the Four Stroke A lites Class for the rest of the season to test the waters and better prepare him for the 2009 season.
 
Race Results:
 
Jason Raines: 7th (XC 1) 11th Overall
 
Barry Hawk: 5th (XC1) 6th Overall
 
Thad Duvall: 1st (XC2) 2nd Overall
 
Joe Scherer: 1st (Open A) 8th Overall
 
Ryan Belue: 1st (4 Stroke B lites) 44th Overall
 
GNCC Points Standings 
 
Jason Raines: 7th (XC1)
 
Barry Hawk: 11th (XC 1)
 
Thad Duvall: 1st (XC2)
 
Joe Scherer: 1st (Open A)
 
Ryan Belue: 1st (4 Stroke B Lites)*
 
*:Clinched Chapionship
 
Thanks to the efforts of our team members, family and friends the Am-Pro Team had a good weekend on the mountain and with 3 rounds remaning in the series we are not going to let up until the checkers fly at the final round.
 
Thank you for all your support, have a great day, talk to you soon!
 

  - Jason Raines
www.jasonrainesfullcircletraining.com