Welcome to Quick Fill.

Wedding bells are ringing all over the place this month. Last weekend I made the journey to Andrews, North Carolina to celebrate Krista and Jason Hooper’s big wedding day. It was a pretty decent trip by car, something like 9 hours, but luckily fellow Racer X co-worker and friend Andrew Fredrickson was also going so I was able to jump in with him. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the weekend was a blast all-around. Huge congrats to Jason and Krista, who are hopefully enjoying their honeymoon in Italy at the moment!

Seeing as both the bride and groom have been a part of the GNCC Racing family for so long, there was inevitably a core group of racer-types hanging around the place. And I must say, GNCC-ers clean up quite nicely when the situation arises! Anyway, I spent some time hanging out with Kailub Russell and his fiancé Chandler, Charlie and Rachel Mullins and even Josh Strang was in attendance as the best man. I caught up with KR a bit and it sounds like they’ve been hard at work trying to get everything done in their new house. Kailub said he’s spent most of the break working on the house and just when he began to hit it hard on the training schedule, he got real sick. I sat next to him during the wedding ceremony and that guy definitely had some sickness going on! Needless to say, he said training is on hold for now until he can stop coughing so much and regain his normal breathing regimen.

Mullins has been back on the bike and it seems like everything is back to normal with him since his injury in the first half of the season. It will be nice to have Charlie back in the mix of things for the last half of the season and it’s crazy to think he hasn’t gotten a win yet this year, but surely there’s still time for that this fall.

Besides preparing for best man speeches, Josh Strang has been also doing a lot of riding and training. It sounds like he’s going to try and come back east for at least another GNCC before the season is over. Josh finally got his first WORCS moto-win recently and it sounds like the 2010 champ is finally getting back on track. Josh also plans to hit the ISDE next month so we’ll keep an eye out for him and see what’s to come for 2013 as far as GNCC goes.

Another guy noticeably prepping for Germany is Thad DuVall. I heard from the DuVall camp this week and it sounds like things are shaping up for Thad after a hectic summer of riding, racing locals, fishing and his latest project of prepping his ISDE bike, building the shipping crate and making sure all systems were a go to get that thing over to Germany. Thad is also hosting an ISDE spaghetti diner/fundraiser this Saturday, August 25 from 5-9 p.m. at the American Legion in Williamstown so be sure to stop out there and support his trip. Or you can head to Tomahawk Raceway on Sunday for ” Fun Ride With Thad” and you can also help out by purchasing t-shirts HERE and bike raffle tickets. The DuVall’s wanted to pass along a little note, “Our family is so appreciative of the help and support from everyone around. We couldn’t do this without the help of friends, girlfriend Maggie, family and sponsors”†it’s been a great experience so far!”Â

The month of August has been a tumultuous trip, and I’m pretty sure I’ve spent as much time in a car as I have at a stationary spot, both of which far outscore the amount of time I’ve slept in my own bed this month. Nonetheless, I’ve been lucky enough to see a ton of old friends, meet a lot of new friends, see my family and spend time with some very important people in my life along the way. This weekend I’m heading to Harrisburg, PA to celebrate with Traci Cecco and Jeff Pickens as they tie the knot, woo! Surely that will be a good ol’ GNCC Racing extravaganza, something most of us can’t seem to escape, even in the off-season (which isn’t a bad thing).

I received a link to this video today, so I’ll leave you all with a short clip of Justin Deutsh ”“ shot by Foxx Films. And here's Bolt-On.

@JaredBolton:

It seems like it was just yesterday that we were here bringing you a fresh edition of Quick Fill, and it’s already here again. In a way, it could be a good thing that the time is flying by like that. For those who are ready to get back to racing, it’s a good thing for sure. That’s coming up really quick too as we’re now less than a month away from Unadilla.

My trip to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National there last weekend definitely got me to thinking about returning to GNCC Racing and I’m pretty stoked. It rained on and off a little bit on Friday before the race and it made the track pretty close to perfect by the time the motos rolled around. I even snuck a peek at the woods and they were looking really good as well with a little bit of moisture in them. Maybe we can have the same kind of luck with the GNCC, a little shower before race day but not enough to make a swamp”¦ That sounds perfect to me. By the way, if you want to check out some of my Instagram images from Unadilla, head over to www.jaredbolton.com and see some cool stuff.

Of course, the racing action itself could be interesting as well. We’ve talked about the various championship battles shaping up such as the battle for the XC1 bike title. Of course, if you take a look back at the history of Unadilla, Kailub Russell took 2^nd overall there last year in what was his first season in the XC1 class, while Paul Whibley was third. In 2010 Kailub took 4^th overall while taking the XC2 class win. Whibs, on the other hand, could only muster an 8^th place finish in 2010 to back up his Unadilla win in 2009. Also in 2009, Kailub won the XC2 class win.

Prior to Whibley’s 2009 win, he had only been able to crack the top 5 a few times. Some may say that Unadilla isn’t exactly Whibley’s track, but don’t forget that it wasn’t until 2008 and 2009 that Whibley really found his groove in GNCC Racing and began contending for (and winning) titles. Also, his win in 2009 was no fluke as he landed on the overall podium last year and let’s face it, Whibs is good anywhere.

Of course, he’s still going to have to put up with Kailub Russell who has absolutely been on fire in 2012. Last year at Unadilla KR had a solid impressive ride and I’d expect to see him back up front this year contending for the win. He’s going to be tough to beat for sure as, much like Whibs, he’s good just about anywhere, and has a pretty good history of finishes at Unadilla.

That’s just one of the many battles to keep an eye on when we roll into Unadilla. Be ready because it’s almost here. I’m pumped because I’ll complete the “Unadilla Trifecta” by attending the ATV Motocross, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National and the GNCC event at Dilla. I’m sure there’s some spectator and definitely some Unadilla staff that can also say they did the trifecta but the only other person I can think of off the top of my head that will have been there for all 3 events is Rodney Tomblin himself. So, congrats in advance, Rodney for completing the Unadilla Trifecta with me!

That’s all I’ve got for this week. I’m headed out to the local NCHSA race this weekend in Taylorsville, NC to check out some of the racing action. We’ll see who all shows up for this one. I’m also stoked to be back at a woods race for the first time in over a month! Anyway, until next time, Bolt-On out!

Here’s @HotRodney22:

Do you see what I see? The figurative light at the end of the tunnel is finally starting to shine. Only three more weeks until we reunite and begin to settle the score for the 2012 Can Am GNCC Championships.

Winning a remarkable eight races through the first nine rounds of racing, Chris Borich looks to be in line to win his fourth consecutive championship if things go to par for the champ at Unadilla. In a conversation with Chris last night on Quad Radio Live, he stated that a win would seal the deal for 2012. He said that he wasn’t looking too far forward right now but if he can wrap the championship up we could see him experiment with a different brand or two in the final rounds of 2012.

Congratulations to Johnny Gallagher, Gabe Phillips and Walker Fowler on their big win in the annual Heartland Challenge. Johnny told us that he actually won the event with another team once before and finished 3^rd overall with Traci Cecco and Jeff Pickens only a couple of years ago.

The Heartland Challenge is a 10-hour team race that generally consists of a three-man team. In the end, the race was finished on Walker Fowler’s bike and Gabe took the checkers to capture the win for the team. It was also stated that Gabe was one of the big reasons they were able to win.

That is funny considering that Gabe said that he only got asked when Kevin Yoho had to back out because of a wedding he was attending. I asked him how he got asked and he said that they were all hanging with Chris Bithell at his lake house in the Deep Creek region. He said they were broke down on a boat with one ore and a long paddle ahead and that’s when they started talking about it.

I for one want to know more about this boat trip and what the heck Chris Bithell has been up to. I have seen him quiet and under the radar before but never like this. I spoke with his mechanic and things really seem to be top secret right now. I noticed Chris’ results leading into the break and also the kind of rides he had been putting together. I have to wonder if they may have found some magical combination that is ready to bring it all together in the final push of the season. Casey Greek would only grin and just say that the last leg of the season should get exciting.

Congratulations to XC1 Pro Jeff Pickens and 8-Time Women Champion Traci Cecco are set to tie the knot this weekend. Traci sounded excited talking about her spa day she spent in Hershey, PA. She said that even though she was getting ready for the wedding that she still thought about the championship battle she is in right now. She said that actually Jeff had been taking care of a lot of the details so she can focus on herself as a bride-to-be and racer. Rumors have also circulated that Johnny G was going to stand up with them on her side, but Traci said the dress didn’t fit and was afraid Johnny may not shave his legs.

Speaking of rumors, if you happen to hear one that Johnny G lost a bet and has to get a tattoo, you are heard right. Johnny made a claim that he would never get a tattoo but he would live up to his word and get one. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with. I am sure it will be a special one.

Westley Wolfe who rides the Schoolboy 13-15 novice class wrapped up a youth class ATV Motocross National championship a couple of weeks ago. Westley is aiming to be a double discipline national champion. Looking at the points right now, Wes sits 3^rd with 4 wins on the season and the string of inconsistency could prove to make it a tough championship to win. Wolfe has been plagued with some issues but when he is on things are good for the youngster. Wolfe sits 4 points behind Kody McClung in 2^nd and only 9 points behind the leader Blain Martin. These final races are going to be critical for all three of those riders as the championship will go down to the wire for this one.

Another class to keep an eye on in the ATV racing side of GNCC is the College A 16-21. Landon Wolfe who had a great interview in Tuesday Toolbox sits atop the leading rolling through the break. Wolfe is not sitting comfortably though as he has the battle of a lifetime for championship points lying ahead.

Chad Jones sits in 2^nd in the College A class and is only 1 point behind. Add to that Brycen Neal who has 5 class wins this season and sits a mere 13 points out of the lead and we have ourselves a very heated championship to keep an eye on.

The College B class is also a heated one. Jay Shadron who has amassed 7 wins this season sits 3 points behind Kevin McKeon who has only one win this season but consistency is keeping his hopes alive. Coupled with the fact that Shadron finished 13^th in Ohio heading into the long break. Not the way you want to head into the break but Shadron knows what he has to do and so does McKeon and the championship fight should be another fun one to watch to the end.

With that I will draw to a close this week. A few reminders before we go:

Make sure you remember that the Finale this year at Loretta Lynn’s will be run on bikes on Saturday and Quads on Sunday this year in consideration of the National Enduro Finals.

ISDE teams have been formed and several folks will be working to get some assistance to make the trip. If you are an avid off roader and you happen to see a fundraiser going on to help support some individuals, please help out any way you can to help make these folks dreams come true.

Kids don’t forget to study. School is back in session in most places and though you may love GNCC racing, don’t forget grades are much more important than trophies. So do your best and don’t give the teacher a reason to question you if you have to miss a day or two this fall to make the races.

That’s it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.