Sunday, May 19, 2013 | 1:40 PM
Fowler Claims His First Victory of the Season at Limestone 100 GNCC
Neal Takes Fourth XC2 Victory of the Season in Indiana
SPRINGVILLE, Ind. (May 19, 2013) – Round 6 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series descended upon the Lawrence County Recreational Facility on Saturday for the second running of the Dunlop Limestone GNCC. AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler broke defending champ Chris Borich’s five-race win streak this season by claiming his first victory of 2013, marking his second career win in the XC1 class. Additionally, Ohio’s Brycen Neal secured his fourth XC2 class win of the season in Indiana.
It was an exciting battle from start to finish in the two-hour Limestone GNCC as Fowler, Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell, Maxxis-backed Borich and Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill challenged the race-win all afternoon. But it was Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Pickens who took the early lead, grabbing his second straight $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. It wasn’t long before Fowler jumped out front, with the trio of front-runners close behind.
Pickens dropped back to the sixth place position on the opening lap, just behind JB Racing/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure, who maintained a solid fifth place position all afternoon. XC1 rookie Braden Henthorn didn’t get off to the best start but the Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing rider pushed his way into the top five battle, where he eventually landed sixth place overall.
HMF/GBC/Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher latched onto Pickens early the race and the Yamaha-backed duo worked their way through the pack. Pickens held on to take seventh place overall, while Gallagher finished a close eighth. Waynesburg Yamaha’s Gabe Phillips and BNR’s Kevin Yoho rounded out the top ten overall for the day.
Borich continues to lead the overall standings after six rounds of racing, while Fowler sits in second place. Bithell is only 10 points behind for third and then it’s McGill and Yoho rounding out the top five overall in the overall National Championship standings.
In the XC2 division, it was once again the rookie Brycen Neal who came out victorious at Saturday’s Limestone 100 GNCC. Neal put himself out front early on and managed to put a comfortable gap on the rest of the field as the two-hour race wore on. Indiana’s very own Fred Marley put himself in podium contention early on, going back and forth with Neal and Honda rider Nathan Wallpe around the halfway mark. Marley eventually settled into the second place position, where he bested defending XC2 champ Patrick McGuire in the finishing order.
McGuire got off to a bad start but eventually worked his way into the front pack by Lap 3. McGuire was able to secure yet another podium finish for the season with a third place in the XC2 division. Neal holds the points lead over McGuire in the championship standings after six rounds of racing and rookie Landon Wolfe maintains the third place spot after failing to score points toward the championship.
Pennsylvania’s Cole Richardson claimed an impressive 11th place overall to earn his first Top Amateur award of the season. Richardson topped a highly competitive College A class, in addition to scoring higher than any XC2 Pro Am finisher in the time adjusted overall.
The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series continues June 1 and 2 with the Wiseco John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com.
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.
XC1 Event Results:
- Walker Fowler (YAM)
- Chris Bithell (SUZ)
- Chris Borich (SUZ)
- Adam McGill (HON)
- Jarrod McClure (CAN)
- Braden Henthorn (HON)
- Jeff Pickens (YAM)
- Johnny Gallagher (YAM)
- Gabe Phillips (YAM)
- Kevin Yoho (YAM)
XC2 Event Results:
- Brycen Neal (HON)
- Fred Marley (HON)
- Patrick McGuire (YAM)
- Blake Kramer (YAM)
- Michael Lancaster (HON)
- Nathan Wallpe (HON)
- Josh Merritt (YAM)
- Thomas Koontz
- James Green (HON)
- Randy Hamilton (HON)
XC1 Series Standings:
- Chris Borich (171)
- Walker Fowler (123)
- Chris Bithell (118)
- Adam McGill (107)
- Jarrod McClure (86)
- Jeff Pickens (86)
- Kevin Yoho (86)
- Braden Henthorn (81)
- Johnny Gallagher (80)
- Gabe Phillips (71)
XC2 Series Standings:
- Brycen Neal (149)
- Patrick McGuire (134)
- Landon Wolfe (98)
- Fred Marley (95)
- Randy Hamilton (88)
- Chad Jones (81)
- Blake Kramer (81)
- Josh Merritt (74)
- Michael Lancaster (74)
- Nathan Wallpe (69)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Chris Borich (171)
- Walker Fowler (115)
- Chris Bithell (105)
- Adam McGill (96)
- Kevin Yoho (80)
- Jeff Pickens (79)
- Jarrod McClure (74)
- Braden Henthorn (68)
- Johnny Gallagher (67)
- Brycen Neal (59)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2013 National Champion.