Wednesday, October 23, 2013 | 4:05 PM
In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Round 13 of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will once again “go pink” for the 19th Annual AMSOIL Ironman GNCC. Taking place October 26 and 27 in Crawfordsville, Ind., the legendary season finale has become more than just a race, as nearly 10,000 spectators are expected to attend what has arguably become the largest fall festival in Montgomery County.
Heading into this weekend’s season finale, 5-time XC1 Pro ATV Champion Chris Borich looks to tie a seemingly elusive record of 67 all-time ATV wins, currently held by 9-time XC1 Pro ATV Champion Bill Ballance. Borich holds 66 career wins thus far, seven of which he has earned this season. However, it’s interesting to note that Borich has only secured one overall win in the last five rounds, where he has still managed to finish atop the podium each race.
AmPro Yamaha’s Walker has arguably been Borich’s toughest competition this season with three wins to date, including the most recent victory at Round 12 two weeks ago. Fowler holds second overall in the championship standings, where he will most likely finish out the 2013 season.
Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill currently holds third place in the championship standings, only nine points ahead of Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell. McGill took the win in his home state of West Virginia at Round 8, only finishing atop the podium one time since then. McGill is always a strong contender each weekend but Bithell is coming off his first win of the season at Round 11 and that momentum could make for an interesting battle for the third place overall this season.
BNR’s Kevin Yoho will attempt to uphold the #5 ranking this season, where he currently tops Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing’s Braden Henthorn and HMF/GBC/Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher in the overall standings. JB Racing/Cheerwine/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure and Waynesburg Yamaha’s Jeff Pickens round out the top nine overall.
Ohio’s Brycen Neal currently holds tenth place overall after a highly successful rookie season, complete with the 2013 XC2 Pro Am Championship. Neal moved into the XC1 Pro Class last round, finishing ninth place in his Pro Class debut. Maryland’s Landon Wolfe stepped up last round in the absence of the champ, securing his second XC2 win of the season. Wolfe sits fourth overall in the class during his rookie season, just 11 points behind Indiana’s Fred Marley. Reigning XC2 Pro Am Champion Patrick McGuire sits second in the class, where he has battled with Marley all season long, sitting 13 points ahead with one round to go.
Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout the day on Saturday, October 26 and dirt bikes will race on Sunday, October 27. Local riders are invited to race the event as well, as GNCC racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur racer entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the track.
Spectator passes run $15 for the full weekend, with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge. On both Saturday and Sunday, youth riders race at 8 a.m., amateurs race at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and the pros race at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon will also feature the final round of Side by Side racing, taking place at 4:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit the official series website at www.GNCCRacing.com or call 304-284-0084.
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 2,000 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 and draw talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and airs every week on NBC Sports Network and www.RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.