GBC Motorsports Report - The Mammoth
Monday, May 13, 2013 | 9:45 AM
Anaheim, Calif. - In what many are already calling the most severe conditions that GNCC Racing has ever endured, GBC supported racers shined through the rain and mud to make it a banner day. Torrential rains Friday evening and all day Saturday made the Mammoth GNCC course a virtual battlefield.
When the green flag waved to begin the Pro race it was Jeff Pickens who used the grip of his XC-Racers to grab the $250 holeshot award. Fellow GBC rider Johnny Gallagher assumed the lead before entering the woods and duo of Pickens and Gallagher would trade the lead back and forth during much of the early stages. Kevin Yoho pushed his XC-Racer equipped Yamaha through the sloppy conditions to join the top 3 about mid-race.
When the mud stopped flying and the checkered flag flew it was Jeff Pickens who grabbed his first ever podium with a 3rd place finish. “It was tough out there today but I couldn’t be happier with the way my tires hooked up,” Pickens said after the race. “They pulled me right through the nasty stuff and right up onto this podium.”
Following Jeff in was BNR’s Kevin Yoho who scored a career best 4th place finish, and Gabe Phillips who also had his best ever finish of 5th in XC1 competition.
One rider that thrived in the conditions perhaps more than any other was New Jersey native Randy Hamilton. Randy battled all day long for the XC2 lead and pulled through for the class win and impressive 4th place Overall.
Jay Shadron led the way once again as the top Amateur winning the College A class and breaking into the Top 10 Overall for the first time in his young career. Nathan Hornacek also grabbed the Junior A class win aboard his GBC XC-Racers.
In morning racer action Bryan Buckhannon used the grip of his Dirt Devils to keep his perfect season alive with another 4x4 Open class win. Rob Smith fought hard in the U2 race all day, ultimately coming up just short but still scoring a solid 2nd place and 3rd in Overall Utility. BNR team manager Ryan Smith notched the 4x4 Novice victory on his Dirt Commander equipped Can-Am.
Other standout finishes by GBC racers included: Kara Merrit 2nd (Womens), Forrest Whorton 2nd (4x4 Senior), Kevin McKeown 2nd (College A).
The next round of GNCC racing is the Limestone 100 which takes place may 18-19 in Springville, Indiana. Be sure to check in on the latest news from GBC Motorsports by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.