5-6-09

Upon further review of video footage from lap one of the Titan GNCC Racer productions officials have concluded that three XC 1 Pro riders ventured more than the allotted 25 feet from the marked course boundaries, and as a result have been docked the number of positions that they gained in the incident as well as an additional "penalty position". The riders shown on the video Adam McGill, Donald Ockerman, and Taylor Kiser, went on to finish out the race in 6th, 4th and 1st place positions respectively, and now after these adjustments will receive final scores of  9th, 7th, and 3rd in the XC1 Pro class.

When asked of his feeling on the incident and resulting penalty GNCC #6 Taylor Kiser had this to say: "It's an unfortunate situation for me to have a win I worked so hard for taken away, but I agree that something needed be done and I feel the race officials have made the right call. Late in the first lap, I was following Adam and Donnie into a ravine section of the course when Adam made a hard left hand turn into an unused trail. Donnie and I instinctively followed his line and we reentered the worn in trail a short distance later and continued on to finish out the lap. It was not until having completed that same section of track on lap 2 and actually riding the original marked course that it occurred to me that the line I had taken on lap one while following Adam had been more than 25 feet outside of the course boundaries.

I wish it were possible to go back and redo that first lap because I honestly don't feel that the few seconds and one positioned I gained had any bearing on the eventual outcome of me crossing the finish line in first place. That being said I take full responsibility for having taken the line and am in agreement with the penalty issued to me by Racer Productions. I take with me a valuable lesson from this incident about choosing my own lines, and will focus all of my efforts on preparing for the fast approaching Mountain Ridge GNCC where I hope to put my Houser/Ohlins Yamaha YFZ450 in the center position of the victory podium."