Team ITP Report - Steele Creek
Thursday, April 11, 2013 | 9:40 AM
Ontario, California - Team ITP Racers won three classes and the morning overall at round three of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in Morganton, N.C. Dave Simmons won the Super Senior (45+) class and earned his second straight morning overall. ITP pro Adam McGill raced to a hard-fought third-place finish in the XC1 class on his ITP tires.
"Dave Simmons continues to impress us with his winning performances. Posting 24 consecutive GNCC amateur class wins on ITP tires is an outstanding accomplishment in any class at any level," said Pat McGuire, Public Relations / Race Support. "I was happy to see Adam McGill rebound from a poor finish at round two to earn his second XC1 class podium this year. Overall, we had class wins in the youth, the morning and in the afternoon sessions, and that speaks to the abilities of both our racers and our tires."
Team ITP had seven racers earn at least a top-five finish or better at Steele Creek. Simmons led the way by winning the Super Senior class for the third time in three races this year. In fact, the defending Super Senior (45+) class champion has now won 24 consecutive GNCC amateur class races dating back to 2011.
Dave Simmons, winner of 24 straight amateur class victories, won the GNCC morning overall and the Super Senior (45+) class in North Carolina.
Jordan Digby, who won the 90 Limited (8-12) class, ended up 22nd in the youth ranks at round three of the GNCC series.
The other two ITP-backed GNCC racers to win their class in North Carolina were William "Duck" Lloyd and Jordan Digby. Lloyd, who also competes in the Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship series for Team ITP, took the Junior A 22+ class win in the afternoon and is a perfect 3-for-3 in 2013. After a disappointing race at round two, Digby dominated the 90 Limited (8-12) class on ITP tires, winning the class by more than five minutes.
William "Duck" Lloyd has won all three Junior A 22+ class events this year on ITP tires.
McGill, who finished out of the top 10 at round two, rebounded at Steele Creek with his third-place finish in the highly competitive XC1 ATV Pro class. McGill posted the fastest Pro class lap on the second lap of the race to climb into third place. From there, the ITP-backed pro raced a smart, steady race to finish on the podium and just eight seconds behind the winner.
GNCC XC1 ATV Pro Adam McGill put his ITP-outfitted sport quad on the Pro class podium for the second time in 2013, finishing third at Steele Creek.
Hilltop Motorsports Team racers Chad Jones and Nathan Wallpe finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the XC2 Pro-Am class to earn two of the other top-five class finishes for Team ITP. The final racer to place in the top five of his class was Kenny Rich Jr., who took fourth in the 24+ C and is the current class points leader after three rounds of racing. Bringham Patterson took seventh in the College B 16-21 class, but is second in class points. Sam Williams was sixth in the 4x4 Open class and is fourth in points.
Team ITP racer Samuel Williams sits in fourth place (only nine points behind the class leader) in the GNCC 4x4 Open class point standings after taking sixth at round three in North Carolina.
Round four of the 2013 Amsoil GNCC series is April 20-21, at Big Buck Farm in Union, S.C. It will also serve as round two of the six-round UTV schedule of the GNCC season.