Team KTM/Powersport Grafx Race Report
GNCC Round 11 - New Berlin, NY

Cory Buttrick.

North Wilkesboro, NC - The historic Unadilla Valley Sports Center hosted Round 11 of the 2008 GNCC series. The Powersport Grafx team made the long trek from its base in North Wilkesboro, NC to compete in one of the most popular events in the GNCC tour. Unadilla is most famous for its motocross track, but its great GNCC course is gaining notoriety as well. Weather is always an issue in Upstate New York this time of year, and it was no exception for this race. The rain held off all day until an hour before the afternoon race when it began to pour, and continued to do so throughout the entire 3 hour event. Fortunately, the area had not seen any rain for 3 weeks so the track help up surprisingly well given the circumstances.

It has been two races in the XC2 Pro Lites class for Cory Buttrick, who moved up after wrapping up the 4 Stroke A Lites title at round 9, and in those two races Buttrick has landed on the podium both times. Cory held 2nd place position for the majority of the race until being passed on the next-to-last lap by Jason Thomas. Buttrick didn't back down though, and put on a last lap charge to regain the 2nd place position in the class. Cory finished an impressive 6th place overall--his best-ever overall finish.

Cory Buttrick.

Kailub Russell came to Unadilla looking for redemption after a tough race at the previous GNCC round at Snowshoe, WV. Unfortunately for Kailub, he was in for another tough day at the office due to the very muddy conditions. Russell fought hard the entire 3 hours for his 6th place class finish which landed him inside the top 20 with a 19th place overall finish. With two rounds left in the GNCC series, Kailub sits in a solid 3rd place position in the overall XC2 Pro Lites class standings.

Looking for a new challenge after wrapping up the 250 A Class championship the previous round, Jordan Ashburn decided to race a KTM 450SX at Unadilla in the Open A class. It was a great decision as Jordan rode to a first place finish in the Open A Class and a very solid 13th place overall finish, making Jordan the top amateur racer at the Unadilla GNCC.

Steward Baylor's day didn't start so well with a crash in the first turn. But,
showing the poise that made him the 2008 GNCC Overall Youth Champion,

Jordan Ashburn.

Baylor put his head down and charged for the entire 3 hour event and moved his way into a 3rd place position in the 200A class. Steward's ride was good enough for a 55th overall finish out of 300+ riders in the afternoon race.

Lee Rowland put in a great come-from-behind ride in the competitive 200B class. Rowland came through the first lap in 12th place in the class and managed to move his way into third place by the end of the race. Lee sits in 4th place overall in the 200B class standings.

Grant Baylor extended his points lead in the 85cc 7-11class with an impressive win. Baylor was the only rider in his class to complete all 6 laps, putting Grant into the top 10 overall with a 9th place finish out of the nearly 200 youth racers.

We would like to thank our sponsor partners: KTM, PowersportGrafx, KTM Hard Equipment, KTM Genuine Spare Parts, Pirelli, SCOTT goggles, Alpinestars, FMF, IMS products, Motorex, NGK, Synergy Seals, and CV4 products.

For inquiries, please contact Jason Hooper at [email protected]