Media Contact: Jen Kenyon
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For Immediate Release

 

Fowler Looks to Secure First 2012 Victory at the Wiseco John Penton GNCC

Borich leads XC1 Pro Class, while McGuire tops Pro Am field

 

Morgantown, W. Va. (July 4, 2012) ”“ After eight rounds of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, Pennsylvania’s Chris Borich holds a commanding lead in the XC1 Pro ATV division. However, the championship battle is anything but over as the top five contenders are still within striking distance with five races remaining in the 2012 season. This weekend the series heads to Sunday Creek Raceway for the Wiseco John Penton GNCC, and the Ohio natives might just have something for the 3-Time champ in their home state.

Ballance Racing Yamaha’s Walker Fowler is one Ohio native looking to score his first victory of 2012 this weekend in the Buckeye state. Fowler has a handful of podium finishes already and a close second place in Round 5 has given the Pro Class rookie a taste for victory that he is determined to get before the season is over. Sunday Creek Raceway hosts a variety of terrain that Fowler has grown up riding and racing and the familiar motocross track will give him an additional advantage over the field.

Fowler’s Ballance Racing teammate Taylor Kiser holds the second place position to Borich with one win under his belt. Kiser has put up a strong fight in the first eight rounds and sits with the most podium finishes (5) aside from Borich’s perfect sweep on the box.

Motoworks/Can-Am’s Chris Bithell put in a season-best second place finish last round, putting him only four points behind Fowler for third place in the overall standings.

Precision/Moto X Perts/ITP/Lonestar/RG Motorsports’ Adam McGill dropped a couple positions in the overall standings after last round due to a previous injury that kept him from finishing the race. McGill plans to be fully recovered for this weekend’s John Penton GNCC and currently sits fifth in points.

Other Ohio racers to watch include JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s Brian Wolf, BNR’s Kevin Yoho, and GBC/Cernics/Yamaha Racing’s Johnny Gallagher”†all of which are capable of mixing it up out front in their home state this weekend.

Tireballs-backed Patrick McGuire continues to hold the XC2 Pro Am points lead over DeRising Racing’s Braden Henthorn and Waynesburg Yamaha’s Gabe Phillips. Phillips secured his fourth win of the season in Round 8, but mechanical issues in other rounds have kept him back in the third place spot. Greg’s ATV & Cycle’s Matt Hanna isn’t far behind Phillips for fourth and DeRisi Racing’s Eric Hoyland rounds out the top five, only three points behind Hanna.  Â 

Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout the day on Saturday, July 7, and dirt bikes will race on Sunday, July 8. Local riders are invited to race the event, as GNCC offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur racer entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the track.

Spectator passes run $15 for the full weekend, with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge. On both Saturday and Sunday, youth riders race at 8 a.m., amateur riders race at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and the pros race at 1 p.m. Special races this weekend include UTV racing at 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, following the 1 p.m. ATV race.

To get to the track, take Route 13 North and continue for 10 miles to Jacksonville. Go right on Sixth St. for 2 miles, and then turn left. For more information, check out the official series website at www.GNCCRacing.com or call 304-284-0084.

About GNCC Racing:

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,500 riders through tracks ranging in length from ten to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed and draw talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and airs every week on NBC Sports Network. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.