Welcome to Quick Fill.

The first weekend in September has always served as the official sign-off to summer, filled with Labor Day activities, last-hoorah’s on the lake and what used to be the expiry of white pants (that was so 2010, duh) as the fall season begins its progressive merge into our lives. While I’m sad to see summer go, I couldn’t be more excited to begin the month with Round 10 of the GNCC Series. Here’s to hoping you all had an amazing summer and cheers to the return of the final four in 2013.

Unadilla Raceway is a legendary racing facility and to pair that with the co-sanction with the great folks of the Western New York Offroad Association (WNYOA), we couldn’t ask for a more explosive homecoming. Last year’s Unadilla GNCC recorded historic rider numbers for the weekend and this year’s weather forecast alone seems to promise a repeat. With that being said, keep in mind that a high volume of racers consequently leads to high traffic everywhere from the pits, to registration and even the race course, so please do your part to help the flow along in any way you can. The staff here has been making registration improvements all season to hopefully avoid the wait in line, including the freeing up of reserved numbers that have yet to be used and expediting the pre-registration process. Last year we ran low on transponder rentals so this year we’re prepared with more rentals but we do ask that if you’re renting in the Youth or Morning races that you return your transponder as soon as possible so we can ensure everyone in the following races can get one on time.

Another thing to note for this weekend’s race, and the rest of the co-sanctioned events this year for that matter, there has been an amendment to the rule in the Amateur rulebook stating: 1. Riders may only compete in one race per day.  Riders who violate this rule will be disqualified from both classes. Provided, that at the final round of the season, Youth riders may compete in two races per day; however, their results in the second race will not be counted.  Provided further, that UTV team members may compete in either the AM or PM ATV race and Youth ATV racers may compete in the Bike Micro race.

The amendment states that in the event of a co-sanctioned GNCC round, racers challenging points in both the GNCC Series and the co-sanctioning series may compete in more than one race per day upon approval of the proper co-sanctioning official. In order to be eligible, a racer must first be a member of the co-sanctioning body where he/she is actively challenging points in the respective series.

Upon approval from the co-sanctioning body, racers may receive points toward both classes in the co-sanctioning series, but only one race will count in regards to GNCC points. For more information, please refer to the most recently issued Competition Bulletin HERE.

This amendment is only in effect for Youth/Amateur racers who are approved as a participant of the co-sanctioned series and must be signed off by that series. If you are found violating this rule, the abovementioned penalties will take place. GNCC appreciates the relationship with all the co-sanctioning series and is more than happy to accommodate riders who are challenging points in both series. Another note, it is okay for a young tike to compete in both the Micro ATV race and the Micro Bike race, which will both take place on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

Speaking of WNYOA racers, New York’s very own Marty Christofferson wrote in last week with a few highlights of his season so far. In his first full season of GNCC, Marty currently holds third in points in the Junior A class. He also follows the entire WNYOA series, where he sits second in the AA class with two overall wins and a whole lot of battling with former XC2 standout Nate Thomas – who will be making his first GNCC appearance of the year this weekend, by the way.

It sounds like the four-time champ has been hanging out at the WNYOA races quite a bit this summer, bringing the whole crew along, including usual suspects Johnny G and Chris Bach. In a race back in July, it was Bach who took the overall in the bike race after a mid-race tire change. Quite impressive! Marty said he went back and forth with Johnny for the second place position, while Borich lead all the way to the finish, with Christofferson in second, Nate Thomas in third and Landon Wolfe came in fourth. Apparently Johnny had some bad luck on the last lap and tangled with a lapped rider.

Christofferson also said, “There’s been some great racing here in NY this summer and WNYOA is very excited for Unadilla.” Last weekend a race was held at Greek Peak Ski Resort in Virgil, NY where several GNCC regulars were in attendance for some last minute practice before Unadilla. On the bike side of things, FAR Husquavarna's Nick Davis narrowly took the overall ahead of Tim Murphy and Mark Fortner.

As for the quads it was an all out battle between Christofferson, Landon Wolfe and Nate Thomas. Nate ran into mechanical issues early in the race, which took him out of the overall but Landon and Marty swapped the lead several times before Landon ended up with the win by just one second after 1.5 hours of racing.

Big thanks to Marty Christofferson for providing some cool insight on the summer happenings around the east coast! As always, send over any text or pictures you would like to see in Quick Fill and we’re always grateful for insider info!

If you can’t make it to the races this weekend, don’t worry. RacerTV.com has you covered. We will broadcast the ATV afternoon race LIVE online beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern on Saturday and the afternoon bike race will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday. You can catch all the action on RacerTV.com and each show will be archived in case you can’t make it to the computer in time. You can also see all past episodes of the RacerTV shows on NBC Sports and several other race related content.

Looking forward to a great event and can’t wait to see everyone this weekend in New York!

Now here’s that Bolt-On guy.

@JaredBolton:

Most everyone has gotten back into the swing of riding and racing already and many did so last weekend at the SETRA Little Brown Jug Enduro. The Jug is one of the oldest enduro events in the country with this year marking the 60th running. For the past several years the event has been held in the Sumter National Forest (Not the same place as the Sumter Enduro, confusing, I know) just outside of Clinton, SC. Well this year, the Greenville Enduro Riders who put on the event found out that they would not be approved for their permits to hold the race inside the National Forest again, likely due to liability from some logging in the forest. So, in an extremely short time frame, the club pulled together several pieces of private land and made it happen. Here’s the cool part: the parking, the start and the first section were all at the Big Buck Farm and from there you went up the road and raced a couple pieces of property that Randy Hawkins owns, before heading over to a venue that the NC Hare Scramble Association races on. There was one final section and then a nice road ride back to Big Buck. I raced, well, rode, until I had to withdrawal due to some bike issues (mostly rider issues) from row 25, so I had the pleasure of being passed by some of the pro guys in attendance.

When it was all said and done, Brad Bakken came away with the overall win by one second over Grant Baylor. And who rounded out the podium? Well, that would be Steward Baylor, who returned to riding just a couple of days prior. Of course, he did say that his wrist still hurt a bit so don’t expect to see him pushing it just yet. Zach Osborne also raced but ran into a mechanical issue in the second section (he passed me while I was sitting on the side of the trail, then a few minutes later I passed him back... Or well, I stopped to talk first and make sure he was okay).

Typically the Little Brown Jug draws an even larger turnout of pro riders but I think some of the guys are laying low and doing some “closet training” before Unadilla. I did hear a few rumblings at the race and after about some riders talking to people about 2014 plans but it’s still a little too early to give solid hints on those yet. However, I did hear some other cool stuff pertaining to Unadilla. I mentioned Zach Osborne racing the enduro last weekend and keep in mind that he’s already raced 2 GNCC events this year… Hint hint… I also heard of another fast motocrosser who might show up for Unadilla. This one is a New York native that rides a blue bike…

Although it’s nothing new, it’s pretty cool to have some of the top motocross talent come give GNCC Racing a shot. It goes to show you that it’s not just a job for those guys. They really enjoy riding their motorcycles and that’s what this entire sport is all about.

Of course, I haven’t delved into what we can expect at Unadilla. It could definitely be one of the best races so far this year as things are really beginning to tighten up, especially the battle for the bike championship between Charlie Mullins and Kailub Russell. I know that’s been discussed a lot but this is the point in the year where every little move, every little mistake, every position, every point becomes key for those guys.

We’ve seen it a million times. The thing about GNCC Racing is you just never really know exactly what’s going to happen. You can give it your best guess but anything really could happen. Mullins and Russell are separated but a mere 3 points, with Kailub winning the last 3 rounds before summer break. What each rider wants, is to establish a solid lead in the next two races so there’s a little less pressure in the final two rounds. However, what all of you fans want to see is an all-out dual all the way to the finish line at The Ironman, and folks, if the first part of the season is any indication of what to expect, that very well could happen.

Well, that’s just about all I’ve got for this week. Before I go though, here’s a little video of some last minute testing by Grant Baylor with some appearances from Chris Bach as well, enjoy!

Until next time, Bolt-On out!

And now let’s pass things along to Mr. Rodney Tomblin.

@HotRodney22:

What a lovely time of year to resume America's Greatest Off Road Challenge with the approaching Can-Am Unadilla GNCC. It's hard to believe that it is round 10 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series and fall actually seems to be looming in the air. After a quick check of the weather forecast it appears that perfect conditions will greet us as we roll into this weekend of racing.

Today I am actually on my way to the world famous Unadilla Valley Sports Center. I am only about two hours away as I write this and I must say this is one of the most beautiful days I have been able to actually take a few moments and enjoy in a few months. Maybe this is what I love about GNCC so much, that no matter what there always seems to be a moment presenting itself that makes it all worth it. This day may not be what makes it all worth it, but is sure is a great start.

Last week I looked at the ever-mounting challenges that face some of our ATV classes. There is obviously a lot more to be said and the rest of the season will tell the tales that we will speak of for years to come. However, this week I will focus on the two-wheeled side of things and if you haven't been following along, you are missing out.

Nine rounds in and the XC1 Pro Class has seen three different winners. The KTM's of Charlie Mullins and Kailub Russell have four wins each with one win earned by the re-emerging Thad Duvall. The points are tied and for the most part the question is "will Charlie win or will Kailub win?" That is a great debate that will surely wage on for the remainder of the season. 

However, what if Thad Duvall gets on a win streak of his own and things fall into place for him, he may be able to contend the championship himself. Thad won here last year at Unadilla and the way he peaks in the late season, it is conceivable to think he could become a threat for the championship even sitting in fourth place in the point standings.

The one though that everyone seems to be overlooking right now is Chris Bach. Back sits third in the point standings and though he is several points down, a win streak for him could pay huge dividends toward the championship as well. Bach has ridden quietly and confidently, not making any big marks but consistently has pulled respectable and strong rides to secure the spot. Bach may not be a huge threat to win the championship but with strong rides out of himself, Duvall and Josh Strang, this could be a whole different season by Round 13.

Currently Paul Whibly sits fifth in the points race but if you know anything about Whibs’ condition, you know the likelihood of his resurgence this season is all but gone. After racing the first portion of the season with an underlying groin injury, Whibs opted to get surgery back in July and from the sounds of it he’s looking to be back in action this weekend. Although we’re not 100% certain his level of strength and recovery, there’s no doubt the Axe Man will hold his own regardless.

The heir apparent to the position in the point race should be Josh Strang. Strang has seemed to struggle a bit in his return to GNCC. It has been a tough road back but knowing Strang's fortitude I feel he will be a contender for wins in these last few rounds. Strang has had some time to let it all sink in and to formulate a game plan that may mix things up in the hunt for the championship.

The XC2 Pro Lites has been a relative dogfight this season. The early attacks by Lucas Oil Pro Motocross star Zach Osborne made things very exciting. Add to that GNCC star and motocross star Aaron Plessinger who has devoted himself recently to the MX discipline. Osborne also said on the podium at the final round of the Pro MX Nationals that he would be at Unadilla racing the GNCC when asked what his plans were. I am not sure about Plessinger, but something tells me we haven't seen the last of him this season either.

With the amazing championship battle going on right now with the young Grant Baylor and Jason Thomas it is hard to imagine what the Plessinger and Osborne assault could do to the championship. The one thing I feel it could do is bring Andrew Delong right back in the hunt if he has healed up from his early season injuries. Delong sits third in points in the class behind the Baylor and Thomas battle out front. The point deficit is rather monumental but with four rounds left to go, who knows what can happen. One thing is certain though, for anyone other than Baylor or Thomas to win the championship it is going to have to be a near miracle.

The Open A class has seen total domination by Trevor Bollinger. It is as if he is just going through the strides in the A class waiting for his moment to move up and mix it up in the Pro Lites class. Ultimately though I think Trevor may be looking ahead to the front row. A look at the points sees Bollinger in third place in the 4 Stoke A class; however, he missed the first two rounds and since then has won every round. Highlight the year so far was his ninth overall in Kentucky.

A good battle is going on right now in the 200 A class with former youth standouts Triston Landrum, Ryan Slopko, Mack Jones and Tristan Stumbo. The four are very tight in points and with drops figured into the class scores, things could get very interesting here in the class championship. As it stands Landrum has come on strong lately stringing together four wins and a fourth heading into the break. Although, I would say keep an eye Slopko, who has been most consistent and took a very important win heading into the break.

There are many more battles shaping up throughout the other classes and we will try to look closer at them in the coming weeks. Right now though, I am heading back out on the road to Unadilla and am looking forward to what the weekend holds.

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