In addition to their support on ATVs, Can-Am will also be hosting a slew of UTV competitors. In the XC1 Modified UTV class, JB Racing / Can-Am will field Tim Farr and Larry Hendershot Jr., but Buckhannon, Zakowski, Kyle Chaney, Treavis Poynter and Jack’s Excavating’s Shannon Pratt will also pilot Can-Am Maverick vehicles. The XC2 Limited UTV class will include Can-Am racers Mike Penland and Jack’s Excavating’s Marcus Pratt. It’s interesting to note that in addition to Zakowski, two more Polaris drivers made the switch to yellow this year, as Shannon and Marcus Pratt both drove green cars in 2013. Shannon (or Mouse as most people know him) finished third in XC1 last year; while Marcus claimed the XC2 Limited title so there’s no doubt that these boys can drive!

This week we sent out a two-part email blast to all GNCC Racers registered in our system called GNCC’s Gear Up Newsletter, basically giving you all some last minute information before heading to Round 1 in a few weeks. If you didn’t see the emails, the gist of them is this: take advantage of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Fast Track by pre-registering for every event this season. You do pre-register now by clicking HERE and not only will you avoid the lines but you’ll get $20 worth of credit to use on Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s website!

The next topic is the AMA membership. Yes, GNCC is back with AMA in 2014. There are four different membership options: $49 Annual Adult membership; $29 Annual Youth (4-11) membership; $98 Annual Family membership for up to five members, and a $20 Single Day membership for our riders who only compete with us once a year. Renew or get your membership online in advance by clicking HERE. The $49 Annual Adult are available online. You will need to call AMA for the $29 Annual Youth (4-11) membership and the $98 Annual Family memberships at 1.800.AMA.Join. Make sure you tell them you are a GNCC Racer joining under the Racer Productions Affiliate program or sign up HERE. Under this new program, each AMA membership sold to GNCC Racers (new or renewal) through our website earns money for our new GNCC Foundation. A new membership earns $5 and a renewal $2.50. The GNCC Foundation will determine where best to spend these funds (i.e., ISDE support, Team Faith, injured rider, etc.). For 2014, the GNCC Foundation Board members will consist of Tim Anderson, Mark Hyde and Chuck LeMaster.

Check your transponder expiration date to ensure it's still good. Transponders are good for two years after activation - not from the date you bought it. So be sure to verify the expiration date on the transponder itself. The last thing you need is for your transponder to expire during a race. You worked hard for those laps and you don't want to lose them over a bad transponder! Decoding the expiration date can be tricky. It looks like a clock with the year of expiration in the middle and the months on the outside ring, with an arrow pointed to the correct month - sort of like a decoder ring.

If you have a minor rider (under 18 years of age), make sure to get a GNCC Annual Release card. Simply download the form, have your signatures notarized, and forward it to AMA. It's not a requirement, but if you have an Annual Release card, your kid does not have to attend Rider Registration. Just think, you get to stand in line all by yourself! 

Click to download: Annual Youth Release / Annual Adult Release 

Most OEM's, tire companies and other industry brands offer valuable contingency programs for GNCC racers. Although not all programs have been announced for this year, continue to check in on the GNCC Contingency page for these valuable programs. Many require registration either in advance or at the track. We will forward race results directly to the companies so you don't have to. All you need to do is register for their program, use their product and ride your heart out!

Order your graphics now! We have a cool new logo and we want you to show it off on your bike! Long-time GNCC sponsor Powersport Grafx has our specs and can make you anything you like. You may not win every race, but you can sure look good trying. Also, with new sponsors come new graphics and a new front number plate sticker that we ask all series contenders to use. We will have them available for you at Rider Registration, or PG can incorporate it into your graphics package. Just let them know which color you want. To find the new GNCC logo and specs, click HERE.

I think that’s enough of an information overload for this week. I’ll pass it along to Jared, who is experiencing his first traumatic snow of the season. Stay safe out there buddy.

@JaredBolton:

Normally the southeast is full of riding, racing and good times this time of year but a good portion of those areas are currently covered with an amount of snow that would make northerners feel at home. My house here in North Carolina currently has about a foot of snow and as of this morning, it’s still coming down. I believe that means any sort of riding around here this weekend is out of the question. The good news for some, though, is that it’s still good down in Florida with temperatures reaching 60 degrees, even in the northern parts of the state. I’m jealous!

Speaking of Florida, the FTR series is always abuzz this time of year. However, I saw that their hare scramble for this weekend has been postponed. As for last weekend’s race, Garrett Edmisten remains undefeated for the 2013-‘14 FTR season, taking the win over Chris Bach and Takeshi Koikeda. Bach said he was dead last off the start and spent the day playing catch up, where he managed to lay down a few good laps. You can never count Edmisten out in the sands of Florida though. I also heard that Garrett has some big plans coming into the opening GNCC round at Mud Mucker. Don’t want to give away too much but keep an eye out for the 217.

On the quad side of FTR, it was definitely a stacked field! Chris Borich came away with the win over Adam McGill and Walker Fowler. Cole Richardson was fourth ahead of Johnny Gallagher, Josh Merritt and Landon Wolfe. Looking at the lap times, Cole Richardson put in a heck of a ride early on, coming around just two seconds behind Borich on the first lap. It’s great to see such a stacked field of GNCC contenders getting together to do some pre-season racing.

It sounds like the FMF KTM folks had a fun day of testing yesterday and they were also contending with the snow I mentioned earlier. It started coming down in the early afternoon hours but at least they were able to get some riding in before the snow hit too hard. It’s good to know that they’re getting into the swing of testing and getting prepared for the 2014 season. That’s just another sign that we’re just a few weeks away from go-time.

I caught up with Adam Bonneur for this week’s Tuesday Toolbox. Adam won back-to-back Open A titles in 2011 and 2012, before making the jump to XC1 for 2013. He’s back for 2014 and aboard a new machine, riding with support from Woodstock KTM. Bonneur logs a ton of miles on the road, too, as he travels to each GNCC from western Illinois. In 2012 I made the trip from the Limestone GNCC to Bonneur’s house to hangout and ride for a couple of days before heading over to nearby Walnut, IL to shoot a round of the ATV Motocross Series for RacerTV. Well, the drive back to North Carolina kind of put it into perspective for me just how far it really is. So I have to give Adam a big kudos for making those long drives! Check out that Tuesday Toolbox HERE.

Outside of all that, it’s been fairly quiet. I know Thad Duvall and Layne Michael have been in Florida for a little while now doing some riding. I’ve been seeing quite a few Snapchat stories from Thad while he’s been in Florida and every time I see one I can’t help but wish I was somewhere warmer, riding my motorcycle, but hey, I’m not fast enough for that!

Well, I hate to cut myself short this week but the snow has really put a damper on the riding, racing and other incoming info. As always, if you have any cool stories to share, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. That’s all I’ve got for now! Until next time, Bolt-On out!

Thanks Jared. Here’s the man himself, Rodney Tomblin.

@HotRodney22:

The 2014 season is literally only days away at this point and the GNCC Racin’ Nation is about to burst at the seams with anticipation for Ricky Towery waving that green flag to start what could possibly be one the most epic seasons of GNCC racing ever. Chris Borich stands to become the most winning GNCC Racer of All Time and Shane Watts could certainly mix things up with his return to XC1 at 41 and the new powerhouse team he has assembled.

The silence has been broken out of the 5-Time GNCC Champs camp near Daytona, Florida. Chris Borich, who has been training as hard if not harder than ever, made an appearance at last week’s FTR race. Actually it was a near GNCC season preview as many of the national competitors made their way out to check the pre-season speed and knock some rust off. Chris Borich took the win with Adam McGill in second, followed by Walker Fowler in third, Cole Richardson in fourth and Johnny Gallagher in fifth.

We told you in recent weeks that things have been pretty quiet thus far out the Borich compound this season. (At least quiet by Borich Compound standards anyway.) The Baylor Boys haven’t been around as much yet so things could change. Right now AMA Pro ATV Champ Chad Wienen has been working hard with Borich this season and one has to wonder the connection there. One thing I do know is that they are both driven individuals and I am sure it is benefiting both riders.

Even though the Baylor’s haven’t terrorized the neighborhood so much (at least no reports yet), a few of the two-wheel experts have been spending some time in Borich Land. Chris Bach, who is a new factory-backed Honda rider, forged a friendship with several of the four wheel guys a couple of years ago. Bach actually sat through the entire ATV GNCC Awards Banquet this past year and honestly I don’t even know if there were many more people that did the whole show but Bach did and I thought to myself then what a great guy. It looks like some good friendships have been forged there and the barriers and walls of two and four wheels has been broken and these guys ride together, train together and dream together. It kind of reminds me of the Beatles song Imagine. And no I was not around for the “invasion” that took place 50 years ago this week but I do appreciate good music.

Andrew Delong is another self-proclaimed ATV racing fan and is also expected to make an appearance at the Borich Compound and is actually expected to stay there until the race, which is just a little less than a month away now. It appears that Andrew is in good health and with the regiment the boys are working right now all should be more than prepared when we roll into the Mud Mucker GNCC. Andrew is another wild element to the XC1 Pro bike class that should really mix things up there for that whole class.

As far as other ATV riders with Chris Borich at the compound include the legendary Johnny G who continues to awe fans the longer his career goes on. Johnny is a great ambassador for the sport but he is in my opinion one of the “Greatest of All Time!” Johnny has yet to get that elusive overall win and may never get it but I feel he will show us even more than we have ever seen in the future. Last year Johnny had his best season ever and it has only fueled him to strive for more. Will he ever get that win? I don’t know but I am excited at what the chances could be this season with the amount of competition and how hard these guys will be pushing each other in 2014.