Welcome to Quick Fill.

This week’s edition comes to you from the comfort of our very own Racer Productions office here in Morgantown on the final day in February, but more importantly, the final Quick Fill of the pre-season! That’s right, it’s about that time to head to Round 1 of the AMSOIL GNCC Series, and just in time for most of us, as the snow, sleet and rain has begun to plague the north once again.

But first things first. We are getting ready to launch the brand-new GNCCRacing.com website for beta testing on Monday and we’re going to need a little help from you folks to make it as seamless as possible. As with any new project, especially website building, we know there are going to be issues and kinks that need to be worked out, so when we announce the beta testing link on Monday we’re asking everyone to head over to the new site and literally click and test every feature of the site. Then, send us your feedback (the good, the bad and the ugly) so we can hopefully go live with the new site by Wednesday of next week. Now during the testing period we will still have the regular GNCCRacing.com website active so you won’t miss any pertinent info regarding the series or event details. I can’t stress how excited we are about this huge upgrade and most importantly, we’re stoked to give GNCC Racers and fans an even better experience navigating the site and consuming all things GNCC. So stay tuned for the announcement Monday and let’s get this thing kicked off!

Speaking of new and exciting, GNCC announce its all-new Fast Track registration service brought to you by Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. There are too many perks to jot down in this column but the gist of the new program is this: for every event you pre-register online for, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC will send you a $20 gift card redeemable for any product at their online retail website and everything about the process has been made to be more efficient and timely for you, the racer. Rather than me explaining, check out the full details HERE and go ahead and pre-register yourself or your racer for the entire season!

The RacerTV crew has expanded immensely this season and we’ve got those guys full throttle in getting the last of the new equipment tested and ready to go. We’re going to be streaming GNCC LIVE from all 13-rounds of the series, during the ATV and Bike afternoon races, with a big emphasis on the pro classes. Rodney Tomblin will be hosting the live show and yours truly will be around as a sort of sidekick color analyst gal (yikes). With the new video equipment and satellite Internet we’re really hoping to increase the production this season. Again, there will definitely be kinks that need working out so be patient with us and please let us know if there are things we can improve on throughout the season. Our goal is to eventually have a kick ass show, but it’s going to take baby steps to get there.

Next Thursday the GNCC Media Team is headed over to Avon Park, Florida to visit with students at Park Elementary and Avon Park Middle School for a positive living assembly and of course, a little fun! ATV racers Adam McGill and Johnny Gallagher will join bike guy Thad DuVall in the presentations and we’re looking forward to a good time with those folks. We’ll be posting plenty of photos via our GNCC social networks, which if you aren’t following all of them you’d better get on it! Facebook, Twitter @GNCCRacing and Instagram @gncc_racing.

At this time next week, we will be in sunny Florida and even closer to GNCC Racing action. So until then, safe travels to everyone making their way down and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at River Ranch!

@JaredBolton:

We’re officially 1 week closer to the kick-off of the 2013 GNCC Racing season, and judging by the tweets, Facebook posts and personal interactions, everyone is really anxious to get things rolling once again. Personally, I’m pretty amped because as I sit here writing this out on Thursday morning, it hits me that I’ll be rolling into River Ranch on Sunday night, and that’s pretty soon!

The hype is definitely starting to unfold too. Last week Jen mentioned the title challengers on both the ATV and bike sides along with some of her predictions, which I felt were pretty spot on. Last weekend I attended the Atlanta Supercross and had a few GNCC followers speak to me, and they all had the same question asking who I think is going to be the one to beat this season.

It’s pretty funny because I’ve been asked that same thing a lot over the past couple of months at some of the various events I’ve attended over the winter and while everyone picks Chris Borich as the clear favorite on the ATV side with obvious challenges from guys like Walker Fowler, Adam McGill and Chris Bithell, when it comes to the bike side, I really haven’t been able to produce a solid answer for anyone.

I always take a look back at last year. On the bike side, we saw both the XC1 and XC2 titles come down to the final round, separated by 1 point. If anyone could tell me anywhere that’s ever happened before, and when, I’ll be pretty impressed. Anyway, that’s always the obvious lead-in to the new season is how the previous one ended. However, you also have to look at a few factors for 2013.

Last season in the XC1 class, Charlie Mullins had a string of bad luck, and an injury that kept him out of a couple of races. However, he came back with a strong performance and the win at The Ironman. To top it off, he’s been on fire this winter winning the opening rounds of the National Hare Scramble and National Enduro Series. Charlie will definitely be challenging for wins and we very well could see him gunning for his second title.

Then there’s the 2010 series champ, Josh Strang, who’s making his way back into the series. Strang knows how to get the job done as he’s proved that time and time again. However, this year could provide Strang with some growing pains as his comeback to the GNCC’s will be aboard a privateer Kawasaki effort, but you definitely can’t count him out. Oh, and you’ve also got the two guys who battled down to the wire for last year’s championship, Paul Whibley and Kailub Russell.

The duo of Whibs and KR557 were definitely on their own level last year and they actually squared off for the first time this year at last weekend’s OMA race in Alabama where Russell Bobbitt ended up with the win over KR with Nick Fahringer finishing third. Jordan Ashburn put in a solid ride as well for fourth while Whibs had one of his toughest OMA races in recent history with a fifth place finish.

Oh, then there’s the XC2 class as well. Last year Steward Baylor absolutely dominated early before his wrist injury that got progressively worse. Andrew Delong missed the first two rounds with an injury but when he found his groove, he capitalized on Baylor’s misfortune and snagged some wins along the way, but it still wasn’t good enough to take the title, which Jason Thomas was finally able to win. 2013 will see Baylor graduating from XC2, that is, once his wrist heals from a hopefully final surgery he underwent last week. This leaves a closer battle for Delong and Thomas but now they’re also going to have to battle with another Baylor, as Grant Baylor could very well prove himself to be a threat to the XC2 class as well.

Both the XC1 and XC2 classes have the potential to produce one of the most””dare I say it””EPIC seasons since the last time I overused the word epic in 2011. Not only for the bikes, but everyone knows that the 4-wheeled side constantly produces some of the closest wheel-to-wheel racing that you could ever hope to see and we know that 2013 shouldn’t be any different.

This weekend, we have one more teaser before the 2013 GNCC season begins. Round 2 of the 2013 National Enduro Series will be taking place with the Sandlapper National Enduro in Salley, South Carolina. With Cherokee still fresh on everyone’s minds just a couple of weeks ago, Sandlapper promises to be another interesting race to keep an eye on.

After his win at Cherokee, Charlie Mullins is currently the man that everyone is going to want to beat. However, Russell Bobbitt put in a solid performance to take the win at last weekend’s OMA race. You also can’t count out Nick Fahringer who will definitely want to return to the top step of the box, but if there’s one guy that you can truly NEVER count out in the National Enduros, it’s Mike Lafferty. Mike had a slightly off day at Cherokee with a fifth place, so you know he’s going to be hungry for a solid finish as well. Then there’s the others who looked great at Cherokee such as Brad Bakken who even won a test, Jesse Groemm, and Thad Duvall who from the sounds of things, has most of the kinks worked out of his 2013 ride.

Wow. Once again, I’ve gone on and on and barely scratched the surface of things buzzing right now in the off-road world. That’s a good sign of just how close we are to Florida, and I know I’m ready. That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll be racing (gooning) at Sandlapper this weekend, via row 68, before I head to Florida, so as always, if you’re there, feel free to say hi. Until next time though, Bolt-On out!

Here’s @HotRodney22:

The excitement of the 2013 AMSOIL GNCC season is reaching a fever pitch as we are only a little more than a week away from the green flag waving and quite possibly the best GNCC season of all time. It is going out on a limb to say this but last season may have only been setting the stage for what is to come.

The talent fields are so deep in every class and this is especially true for the XC1 and XC2 classes in both motorcycle and ATV divisions. Nearly every major player will return this season, which should make for an extremely challenging season. There are a number of riders moving up either into the XC1 or into the XC2 class which will add a whole new look and a feel to the season ahead.

As we are only a week away from the pilgrimage to Westgate River Ranch near Lake Wales, Florida, the news is starting to poor in. Many have been racing Mid-South and many will also be racing Mid-East and any other series that will present a challenge and give them whatever edge they are looking for in the new season.

I have been talking with a few folks the past week and from everything I can gather nearly everyone has had their nose to the grindstone and training for 2013. This is not unlike what we have seen in years past as the GNCC has become a big part of so many challengers lives from around the world.  

However, one rider it appears has returned to the old school ways and has been focusing on life and family this off-season. Brian Wolf, who has been a rising star of our sport for the last few years, went in a completely different direction with this season’s regiment. One might say he returned to his original ways of what helped build his success. If you remember, last year at this time, Wolf was touted as the possible big challenger for Chris Borich's title in 2012. As things would go, Brian was more prepared than he had ever been for anything in his life. Unfortunately an infection developed in his hand from a blister he created during his mad season of training. Although he was mentally and physically ready to go when round one rolled around last year, the pain and problems associated with his infection completely took him out the running for any threats to Borich's title.

I text Brian earlier to see how things were going this year and I received two picture messages. One was of a torn down quad in his garage and a picture of his son on a Side X Side. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and those two photos told the story. Working on getting ready and taking advantage of the time with the family and life itself. It is the combination that worked in years past and maybe it that magic can return for Wolf in 2013. One thing is clear though; he is out to have fun.

Brian told me that he has been sticking close to home this year but "will be in Florida for the race." He said he is riding Yamaha's this season out of his own pocket. He said he will be buying and working on his own bikes this season and he’s getting a lot of help from GT Thunder where it is needed and that he and his wife Annie are teaming up to race a Can-Am Maverick Side X Side for Can Am's X-Team. And even though he said he has only been on the bike about three times since the season's end in 2012, he may be an even bigger threat this year without the hype. He has no pressure coming in this season and when Brian Wolf is having and doing it for just that reason, he is a huge threat to take wins.

Chris Borich has his sights set on some big goals this year. Not only will he be going after his 5th consecutive championship, he is as much looking at blowing the history books wide open. The all time win list has Bill Ballance listed with 68 total overall wins. Borich clicked off his 50th win at last season's opener and tacked another 9 on top of that putting his all time wins list at 59 and if all goes well could claim that title away from him by the season's end.

Chris Bithell, who is riding a Suzuki in 2013, has been busy training with a number of his friends and rivals at the Borich compound. Bithell says that he is feeling very comfortable on his new machine and he is enjoying being the mechanic and rider again. And amazingly this combination seems to work better for some. He says that he is looking for Suzuki's number one and two all year. However he did not distinguish which would be up front.

Adam McGill has been busy in Sarasota, Florida with fellow West Virginia Mountaineer and motorcycle championship contender Thad Duvall. It seems they have been training together and according to McGill, Duvall is looking "Hyper-Fast" on his Honda. McGill says not only have they been training, but they have been wild boar hunting and getting ready to head to Disney.

Gabe Phillips has been hanging out at the Borich compound along with two-wheeler, Andrew Delong, Johnny Gallagher, Walker Fowler, Nick Davis and Landon Wolfe. Along with the "many hours" of training and prepping for the new season, it appears that some airsoft gun battles have erupted amongst the crew and one can only hope they are wearing their goggles for this adventure anyway. Be careful boys, you'll put an eye out.

XC1 Pro Rookie Braden Henthorn has been busy too. Braden says he is heading back to Florida today to do some "Top Secret" last minute testing and fine-tuning of his race bikes at Billy Houpe’s training compound. Rumors are also circulating that Henthorn and McGill may have some surprises cooked up for 2013 that may leave many with their jaws on the ground. Henthorn says he is looking forward to making the step up and is sticking to his plan of using this season as a learning year to figure out where he stands against the big boys. He says he doesn't look to do much "but I am a fast learner,” he said.

I also have some intelligence reports out of another XC1 Rookie, "Hurricane" Eric Hoyland. Hoyland made the step up late last season to test the waters and has himself mentally prepared heading into this season. I asked him to let us know what's up and he sent this message:

I was just checking in letting you know what's been going on in my neck of the woods. I can start out with saying that I have been putting some time in on the two-wheeler and training with one of my new sponsors for the 2013 season. Boss and friend Travis Jones-owner of Go -Race Inc. and two-time VCHSS champion. I actually have not ridden my quad in a few months. This weekend at the Mid-East I will be getting all those first race jitters out and some much needed quad time. I am racing for Derisi Racing again and I am excited to have their support this season. So not too much but I will end on this note. If it's not fun it's not worth doing and I plan on going around the track this year with a smile on my face no matter the outcome and I guess everyone will have to wait till Florida to see what I can bring to the premier XC1 pro class.

I like his modesty about this and it will be good to see the Hurricane smiling. When he smiles he is usually having fun and when he is having fun he is usually doing well. So we will see for sure.

And before we go, Ole Sneaky Snake himself "J-Rod" Jarrod McClure is busy getting ready for this season as well. He sent this message to get us up to speed on what things have been like for him.

Hey Rodney how you been buddy? I'm just up here in Pennsylvania loading my trailer and getting ready to head south. I am heading to Florida a week early to get some testing done in the sand. I was planning on racing the Gatorback FTR but from what I'm told its been cancelled. The new Can-Am Ds450 has been working great! It is definitely a lot lighter and more efficient on the rider then anything I have ridden and I can't wait to try it out in the sand. The biggest surprise is how easy it's been to maintain even pounding it up here in the mud and snow! I wanted to get to Florida earlier but it took a little while to get everything sorted out and then I had a nasty cold, but as of now I feel great. Like always, I have been working with Marc Spataro and MotoProTraining to keep my fitness level up and ready for go time! I know I am dealing with a lot of change this year but I believe it is for the better and I am excited about change it always seems to open up new doors in the racing world. Jody Bateman from JB Off-road and Jimmie O'dell from Can-Am are the main guys I am dealing with and so far have been great. The program is really coming together full swing and I can't wait to get racing again!!!

That's all great news and I have more, but will save it for next week.

That'll do it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.