Brian Wolf just set a GNCC record. He's the first XC2 Pro-Am ATV rider to win the afternoon overall. An added plus is that it was at the MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC, so he took home a cool $10K. Wolf works a full time job and even though he's on the path to take the XC2 Championship this year, he might not come back next year, making his family, also dedicated GNCC fans,  and work his priority. Let's hear about Wolf's run to the podium at Snowshoe and his plans for the future.

How does it feel to be a GNCC record-setter? First XC2 Pro-Am ATV rider to get the overall?
Geeze! You're starting right in! Well, it was pretty wild! I think I didn't have the pressure on me like the other guys did. I think the pro guys had pressure on themselves going for it. I didn't. Dave Simmons texted me a few days prior and said if you catch those guys, don't let them get away. When I saw Chris and Bill I remembered that, so I just hung on.

Tell me a little bit about your race? What did it take to catch up that much?
I think picking the right lines. It definitely helped all day.  Laz Sommers told me whoever kept moving through the day would win that race. I think that's what got me up there, picking the right lines on the first lap and just being able to hold on to it. Picking the right lines for sure.

Was there any part of the track that gave you any kind trouble that?
No, I was fortunate. I didn't get hung up all day.

Did you know you were in the overall? What was your strategy to stay there?
I thought that one of the guys in the pits and my wife said I was running first overall, which would have been about the second time coming through the pro pits. I thought I heard someone say that. But I didn't know for sure.

How did you feel when you heard that? Well, I think one thing is that the fans really drive me. When the fans get crazy it gets me all excited and pumped and the last two laps, people I didn't know they were rooting me on like crazy. That was after my pit stop and that's when I had some thoughts about it. The fans were just going crazy.

Did you use that as part of your strategy to stay ahead? Yeah for sure that was part of it. It drove my momentum to hold my speed and then I hooked up with Brandon Sommers, I ride a lot with him, so I knew I felt confident and comfortable running with him. That really helped me keep my momentum the second half of the race.

Do you feel like you ride better on tough tracks like Snowshoe? I think so for sure. The way my suspension is set up, the rougher the course I feel like I have an advantage over the rest of the guys because it works so well. On a flat out, fast track, I don't think my endurance is there yet.

Ok, so now, maybe some time for the hard questions.
Hard? I thought they were supposed to get easier!

Just a few I promise! Earlier you said you thought this was your last year racing GNCC and that you promised your wife some things. Do you mind telling us why you might not come back?

Well, on the podium I said something and people might have taken it the wrong way. My wife is my biggest supporter. I wasn't going to run this year because of the extra expenses involved. I promised my wife if I won or didn't win the XC2 we could stay with the sport but it wouldn't be my main priority. So it wasn't the fact that I promised my wife that, it's just right now my family and work is my priority and it's a lot of extra expenses for us going for the championship.

Do you think you would change you mind if you got factory support? For sure, that would change the whole scenario. It's tough to think that's possible because of all the factories making cuts but if we could get support we'd definitely be back next year to compete.

Even the big purse win at Snowshoe couldn't change your mind? It changes my mind just thinking I could run with these guys, but it's still the fact that if you're going to run for a championship it takes a lot more than what we can offer, financially.

Ok the tough questions are over. How and when did you get into GNCC? Let's see, I started racing motocross for several years. I kind of got out of it when my wife and I got married and bought a house. I was hanging out with Jeremy Rice and he used to run XC2, and this is my third year running. First year I ran Junior A class, and last year I ran XC2. It was such a big deal for me to go for the XC2 championship because my brother-in-law, Josh Upperman, has won some ATVMX. So he won three Pro-Am championships I think so it's a drive for me to win one.

How did your XC2 season go last year? I think I ran most of the season. Going into Snowshoe last year I think I was second in points behind Ockerman. I missed a lot of races, had a lot of breakdowns and I think I finished fourth.

I see your wife and your young son at the races a lot, and you said your wife helped you get ready for the races. Who else helps you get ready?
I work out of town four days out of the week, so I'm not home very much. So when I am home she wants to make sure we have enough time together and with Jeremiah, my son. So she cleans the house, and the trucks, mows the lawn. She does everything! It seems like when I am home we are always loading up for a race. She's a huge supporter getting things ready from the house to my practice bike. For my race bike at the track GT Thunder is the backbone to my program, prepping my machine and having it ready for race day. They do pretty much everything other than tire balls. I do my own tires and tire balls and they do everything else, prepping it for race day.

Do you get to practice the days you're out of town? I try to. But it's maybe one day a week when I'm gone. I try to ride on Tuesdays and when I get home I try to practice a lot with Brandon Sommers.

What's your training schedule like? I try to run and try to ride as much as possible but it seems like I only get two days of practice in a week. When I get home I try to do a local race a weekend.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you could practice as much as you needed? I want to think I could run with those guys every race. You know, I have some pretty fast lap times coming from motocross, because you let it all hang out once the gate drops. Cross country is a two hour race. The first lap for these guys is more figuring the track out. I go a little faster on the first lap to catch up to those guys. Once I feel like I'm first in the XC2 I normally let off. I'm not going for a high overall. I think I could run with them more. Everytime I try though I don't want to wear myself out or wreck. My goal is to win the XC2 Championship.

So your plans for after break? I can't give that away!

Well, I know you're probably getting ready to be a dad for the second time. We're having a little girl. We are really excited. We always said, well I've always said I only wanted two kids and I always tell my wife I read the instruction booklet right because we have a boy and a girl. She's due in a month.

That's hysterical. It sounds like you are pretty thankful. I'm out of town four days a week, and Annie has been going to school, she has one more semester this year before her RN degree. She takes care of Jeremiah and takes care of the house. She's awesome. If I got lucky anywhere it was meeting her.  And of course I want to thank my sponsors like GT Thunder, HLS Suspension, ITP Tires, HMF, Precision, Fly Racing, Cross Country Photos, PowerMadd, Fasst Company, JB Racing, State Eight, Hyper, Tire Balls, Pro Graphics, Phil Cole Fitness, Nate Gaskin, Laz Sommers, Brandon Sommers, and Taylor Kiser and of course, all the fans.