Wednesday, May 1, 2013 | 12:20 PM
Borich Leads the Field Heading into Round 5 of GNCC This Weekend
GNCC Returns to Park Mammoth Resort for The Mammoth
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (May 1, 2013) – When it comes to winning races, Maxxis-backed Chris Borich is as close to flawless as they come. The 4-Time GNCC champ has proven to outsmart and outlast his competition time and time again, sweeping the first four victories of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series. Borich has a long season ahead in order to capture his fifth consecutive title, but the Pennsylvania native is also working toward a feat of his own as he continues to become one step closer to being the winningest GNCC racer of all time.
With 63 career wins to date, Borich is attempting to dethrone 9-Time champion Bill Ballance—who has 67 wins—to become the winningest ATV racer in GNCC history. Seven-Time ATV champ and 2003 bike champ Barry Hawk currently holds the all-time win record with a combined 68 wins between both disciplines, an achievement that could be reached and exceeded by Borich in 2013.
Borich and the rest of the field will head to Park City, Ky. this weekend for Round 5 The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mammoth GNCC. In just its second year hosting a GNCC, the Park Mammoth Resort offers some of the freshest trail on the circuit with plenty of single-track sections and technical terrain. Borich took the win at the inaugural event in 2012 but it wasn’t without a fight from AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler as the duo ran side by side through the final turns of the race.
Fowler holds second place in the overall standings but Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis rider Chris Bithell only trails Fowler by five points heading into this weekend’s race. While Fowler has put in a more consistent string of finishes so far this season, Bithell has shown the kind of speed and determination that could land him a race win very soon. However, as a former resident of the Park City area, Fowler has acquired a Kentucky fan-base that could give him the edge he needs to top the field this weekend.
And then there’s Lonestar/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill, who sits fourth overall in the standings. McGill is still adapting to a new race program and machine set up but the West Virginia native has shown the speed to contest race wins.
The battle for the fifth place position has been intense all season long. Yamaha/GBC/HMF’s Johnny Gallagher leads the fight by just one point over BNR’s Kevin Yoho, while XC2 Pro Am rookie Brycen Neal sits only three points back in the seventh place position. Neal’s impressive performances this season have landed him in the XC2 Pro Am class lead over defending champ Patrick McGuire and rookie Landon Wolfe heading into Round 5 this weekend.
Less than 10 points separate seventh through tenth place in the overall standings so far this season. Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing’s Braden Henthorn holds eighth place overall, just ahead of JB Offroad/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure who sits in ninth after failing to score championship points at one round this season. Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Jeff Pickens rounds out the top ten overall, and still sits within striking distance of fifth place.
Youth ATV racing will take place Saturday at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs, 4x4 and Women at 10 a.m. and the top amateurs and pros at 1 p.m. 50cc Micro racing returns to the schedule this weekend, taking place on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com.
Tune in Saturday at 1 p.m. EST for the GNCC LIVE webcast from The Mammoth, providing audio and video coverage of the ATV Pro race. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the 2013 AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL 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 eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.