The Snowshoe GNCC ATV Race Report

Snowshoe, West Virginia, June 27, 2009

William Yokley finished 27^th Overall and 14^th in the XC1 Pro Class today.  There were 172 total entries with 19 XC1 Pro Riders.  Team Rider Mark Notman finished 28^th Overall and 9^th in the 22 rider XC2 Pro Am Class.

SummaryIt's always a privilege to come race at the Snowshoe Resort with the first class hotels and restaurants right by the course.  Snowshoe is very unique with a live engine Grand Prix style start and the 20 mile lap is the longest of all GNCC events.  Snowshoe is the highest elevation in West Virginia at 4848 feet, and the views are spectacular.  The Racer Production crew makes this event the most difficult one of the year, but with a $50,000 purse on the line, it should be tough!

I started in row 6 and was 15^th in the XC1 Pro Class at the end of lap 1.  The course takes you through all kinds of terrain.  There are many wet springs that make for deep ruts and mud holes; add to that the exposed tree roots that like to swallow up your wheels.  There are extreme elevation changes including a steep 1000 foot climb leading into the finish check.  One of the most challenging things about this area is the rocks, they are everywhere; the ones you don't see are the most dangerous!  I saw pieces of skid plates, heel guards and foot pegs scattered around the course after meeting up with all the rocks.  I got pitched over the handlebars once and was hung up several times in bottlenecks, but all the riders I talked to experienced pretty much the same thing.  I finished the race 14^th in my class and my Polaris was still running great and not too beat up!

Mark Notman had a good day running in the top 10 in his class the entire race.  He got a high as 5^th but was slowed by thick dust on some of the fire trails, and a rock smashing his heel guard into his back tire.  He hopped off the bike and was able to finally pull the guard off his tire.  He ended up in 9^th place in his class, even after getting stuck several times.  The changes he made to his bike the past few weeks really helped, and he is looking forward to working hard over the summer break to get things working even better.

We have a summer break until the next GNCC on Sept. 12 in Unadilla New York.  We will regroup and finally have some time to further develop our bikes.  As always, a big thanks go out to all our great sponsors and the fans that support us.  I'll be making appearances for the National Guard, Polaris and Monavie Energy Drink during the summer at fairs and promotional events.  It should be fun and I'll see you at the races soon.

 

Many Thanks to all our Sponsors!

Yokley Racing Team Sponsors are The Army National Guard, Polaris Industries, Kenda Tires, Elka Suspension, Roll Design, HMF Exhaust Systems, IMS/Roll, PURE Polaris Lubricants & Fuels, Intense Fabrication & Design, Douglas Wheel Technology, Moto Pro Training, Tire Balls, Andrews Cycle, Tsubaki Chains, IMS, Four Apparel, ASV Levers, CV4 Hoses, Hygh Octane Design, PIER Graphics, Universal Handlebars, Scott Goggles, ATVRiders.com, Hetrick Motorsports, Powermadd, Recluse Clutches, and Monavie Energy Drinks.