After taking a two-month break over the summer, the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series returned to action on Saturday at the legendary Unadilla Raceway in New Berlin, Ny. The Can-Am Unadilla GNCC kicked off the fall season with Round 10 of the 13-race series, where Chris Borich bested Walker Fowler after two grueling hours of battle in the XC1 Class.

 

It was Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Jeff Pickens (12) who shot out to claim the $250 DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead Holeshot Award and the early lead but AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler quickly took over out front. Maxxis-backed Chris Borich jumped in right behind Fowler and the duo began their race-long battle for the lead.

Not far behind was the battle for the third place position between Precision/ITP/Lonestar/Axis/Baldwin Racing’s Adam McGill (pictured above) and Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell. McGill and Bithell were riding wheel-to-wheel until bad luck struck and Bithell encountered a mechanical issue on Lap 3 that forced the Pennsylvania native to forfeit the rest of the race.

Bithell’s misfortune opened up some breathing room for McGill as he continued to push toward the leaders. However, on the next lap McGill got tangled with a lapped rider and went down, allowing JB Racing/Cheerwine/Can-Am rider Jarrod McClure (pictured above) to make the pass for third. BNR’s Kevin Yoho (pictured below) eventually made the pass on McGill as well, taking over the fourth place position.

Borich and Fowler went head-to-head in the final laps of the two-hour race as they picked their way through the biggest obstacle of all – lapped traffic. The duo traded off the lead position throughout the final lap but in the end, it was the four-time champion Borich who claimed his 66^th career win at Round 10.

XC1 podium: (left) Jarrod McClure, Chris Borich, Walker Fowler

McClure held on to capture his first podium finish of the season, marking exactly one year since he finished atop the podium at Unadilla. Yoho maintained his position in front of McGill to capture fourth place, while Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing’s Braden Henthorn finished sixth. HMF/GBC/Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher came in seventh and Pickens took eighth.

XC2 Pro Am podium: (left) Josh Merritt, Brycen Neal, Nathan Thomas

In the XC2 Pro Am division, Michael Lancaster grabbed the $100 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award but it was Maryland’s Landon Wolfe who claimed the early lead. Current points leader Brycen Neal made his way out front by Lap 2 and the Ohio native immediately created a gap and never looked back, claiming yet another win in the Pro Am division.

New York’s Nathan Thomas made his first GNCC appearance of the season, grabbing second in the XC2 class, followed by Josh Merritt in third.

Pennsylvania’s Cole Richardson put forth an impressive ride at Round 10, capturing the College A (16-21) class win and fifth overall for the day. Richardson earned not only the Top Amateur honors but also finished higher than any non-XC1 rider in the race.

In the 10 a.m. race, young guns Westley Wolfe and Cody Collier battled it out for the Schoolboy (13-15) class win, pushing themselves into the top two positions overall. After a hard-fought two-hour battle, Wolfe captured the overall victory with Collier close behind and Super Senior (45+) winner GT Thunder’s Dave Simmons rounded out the overall podium in third.

The 4x4 overall battle came down to the final moments between U2 front-runners Robert Smith and Michael Swift. Team UXC Racing’s Swift made a late pass on BNR’s Smith in the final corner before the finish, grabbing the 4x4 overall victory and first place in the U2 class. Can-Am rider Bryan Buckhannon rounded out the 4x4 podium with yet another win in the 4x4 Open class.

The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Foxburg, Pa., September 21 and 22 for the Car-Mate Gusher GNCC. For more information on the series, please 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:

1. Chris Borich (SUZ)
2. Walker Fowler (YAM)
3. Jarrod McClure (CAN)
4. Kevin Yoho (YAM)
5. Adam McGill (HON)
6. Braden Henthorn (HON)
7. Johnny Gallagher (YAM)
8. Jeff Pickens (YAM)
9. Gabe Phillips (YAM)
10. Chris Bithell (SUZ)

XC2 Event Results:

1. Brycen Neal (HON)
2. Nathan Thomas (HON)
3. Josh Merritt (YAM)
4. Patrick McGuire (YAM)
5. Chad Jones (HON)
6. Nathan Wallpe (HON)
7. Fred Marley (HON)
8. Randy Hamilton (HON)
9. Matt Hanna (YAM)
10. Blake Kramer (YAM)

XC1 Series Standings:

1. Chris Borich (281)
2. Walker Fowler (212)
3. Adam McGill (194)
4. Chris Bithell (192)
5. Kevin Yoho (151)
6. Jarrod McClure (142)
7. Jeff Pickens (140)
8. Braden Henthorn (136)
9. Johnny Gallagher (136)
10. Gabe Phillips (116)

XC2 Series Standings:

1. Brycen Neal (250)
2. Fred Marley (180)
3. Patrick McGuire (175)
4. Landon Wolfe (162)
5. Randy Hamilton (146)
6. Josh Merritt (142)
7. Chad Jones (125)
8. Michael Lancaster (123)
9. Blake Kramer (121)
10. Nathan Wallpe (118)

*Overall National Championship Standings:

1. Chris Borich (281)
2. Walker Fowler (204)
3. Adam McGill (182)
4. Chris Bithell (168)
5. Kevin Yoho (145)
6. Jeff Pickens (126)
7. Braden Henthorn (119)
8. Johnny Gallagher (118)
9. Jarrod McClure (113)
10. Brycen Neal (97)

*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2013 National Champion.