So where do I begin this week? If you follow me on social media, then you may know where I’m going with this. We see it a lot in GNCC Racing but this weekend I was especially affected by the true heart, desire and determination that we’re lucky enough to witness while working so closely with GNCC racers and their families.

I want to talk a little bit more about a story that I already know Rodney included in his entry (since I read theirs first, as you now know). Last weekend, the Youth ATV battle for the overall win was really intense and basically ended with one rider, who was previously winning the race, pushing his ATV through the final turns of the finish to take second, and the other rider taking a win that he was almost certain wasn’t his about five minutes prior. I’m talking about Carter Kerens and Brandon Frazier, and you’ll have to read below to find out which was which, but after the race I went over to interview the winner for GNCC Live and I listened closely to the father/son conversation that took place. The dad basically said they were for sure they were getting second place that day, and it was okay because they had to stop a few times to try to secure the exhaust that kept coming off the machine. They were so thankful to have gotten the win, not because of the circumstances, but because they worked so hard to keep that machine rolling for the entire race and they never gave up throughout the process.

Now on the flip side, the rider who came in second after leading on the final lap was very emotional after the finish. And rightfully so! But the first thing he did when he recollected himself was walk over to the winner and tell him good job, which cannot be an easy task to do. But even better, was that his mom came over and congratulated the winner and told him it was a tough break but that’s how racing goes. The same mom who literally exhausted herself helping to push that ATV through the finish. (I actually gave her a GNCC medal later that day for being such a champ. Don’t tell Rita!) Both riders once again congratulated one another on the podium and I believe they truly meant every word, which is so great to see.

Now fast forward to the afternoon bike race on Sunday, and you’ll see that Bolton talks about the series of events that unfolded with previous XC1 points leader Kailub Russell in his entry below. But what he doesn’t talk about is how the post-race events shook down. If you were watching GNCC Live on RacerTV.com you probably saw Kailub pull into the interview circle in a very abrupt fashion, ultimately dropping his bike on the ground and busting through the caution tape to leave the area. Now many people looked at that and called him a sore loser, a guy who can’t handle defeat and throws a fit when things don’t go his way. And while I agree that it appeared to be a little harsh when Kailub dropped his bike and stormed off, (editor's note: for those watching, Kailub apologized to me for the bike landing on my leg. I probably shouldn't have attempted to help out there) you have to think about the stakes at hand and for him, what it means to finish third instead of second, or first for that matter. That second place position that he fought so hard to capture was worth an additional four points in the championship chase, which could have lessened the points deficit to three behind Charlie Mullins, instead of seven. It’s also a situation that could determine the fate of the 2014 National Championship for either rider. Kailub stepped away from the cameras to gather himself, and when he returned he put his third place medal on and talked to me on camera about his crash. I’m sure it wasn’t easy but he gritted his teeth and made it through. To me, that seems much more commendable than stepping in front of the camera and possibly saying something harsh because he hasn’t been able to blow that steam off.

Why not keep your cool until you get back to your RV and nobody is around, you say? Well for him that would have meant at least another 45 minutes between RacerTV interviews, podium celebrations and anyone who stopped him along the way. Those riders don’t necessarily get personal time until the post-race activities are over, which is why KR took it upon himself to take some personal time.

I think for the most part the GNCC Pro racers conduct themselves in a way that portrays a positive example to the younger racers, which is a blessing because it’s pretty obvious they’re watching. I can’t even count how many “mini Borich’s” there are in the pits, or even the little orange KTM 50 that raced in the Micro class with #557 and a GoPro mounted atop his tiny little helmet. Professional athletes in every discipline are examined under a microscope all the time, and I think it’s the nature of the game. You make money to train, ride and perform as a professional athlete and it’s also part of your duties to conduct yourself in a positive manner, or at least in the public eye. That being said, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to show some emotion and passion to those watching, because after all, that’s what draws us all to this sport in the first place. With anything, moderation is the key here and I think in this particular situation, Kailub showed passion and emotion without crossing the line.

Which leads me to my next topic. Charlie Mullins captured his second victory of the season at the Limestone 100, reclaiming the points lead by seven. Some may argue that Kailub was leading Charlie when he crashed so maybe he may have won that race, or maybe not. Charlie was riding very well and it didn’t appear that he was settling for anything while riding in second behind Kailub. However, the post-race chatter has mostly consisted of KR, KR, KR, and I am the first person to admit that that’s been my storyline since Sunday. Because it’s just that, a storyline. Something to create excitement and anticipation around this championship chase, but in no way does that discount what Charlie has done so far this season. It couldn’t have been easy to watch his teammate win the championship and then go on a three-race winning streak in the early portion of the year. For Charlie, I think his heart and determination is a little less public, but it comes from deep inside. And that’s what keeps him fighting and consistently being there when it counts, and that’s what a champion does. People often ask why it seems like Charlie and Kailub are on another level compared to the other riders this season and I think a majority of the answer lies within their minds and in their hearts, and so far I’m really enjoying the front row seat in watching it all unfold.

So with that, I’ll throw a plug to RacerTV.com’s archived links to last weekend’s GNCC Live shows from the Limestone 100. You can watch the 3-hour bike race HERE, and the 2-hour ATV race HERE.

And here’s Mr. Bolton.

@JaredBolton:

We've blasted through another week and another weekend of GNCC Racing. I'd say the Limestone 100 didn't disappoint all around. The riders seemed to enjoy the track and the fans definitely got some great racing action throughout the weekend. Oh and it wasn't muddy, and it wasn't dusty either. How's that for awesome? However, it did rain Sunday night and Monday morning and I will say we were pretty darn lucky that the rain came then and not sooner because that place was incredibly slick on Monday. (Editor’s note: Bolton wasn’t just hanging around for fun. He actually helps tear down the event post-race.)

Anyway, as always, Rodney will touch on the ATV side of things but the bike racing was pretty great in my eyes. By now you've likely heard that Charlie Mullins came away with the win at the Limestone. Kailub Russell went down pretty hard and lost a lot of time in the pits while the FMF/KTM guys straightened his bike out and made a pipe swap. Now, I've seen some great rides before but the charge that KR put on when he got back on the bike was absolutely incredible. To come back from being buried in the pack, to finish third on second place's rear wheel was pretty impressive. Also impressive was Thad Duvall's ride to hold Kailub off through the final mile of the race. 

XC2 saw a great race as well with Ricky Russell taking his first XC2 win. He also had a solid overall finish and from my perspective, that had a bit to do with the misfortune of Kailub Russell (no relation). When KR went back out, he was behind Ricky Russell. When he got around him, it looked to me like Ricky was able to use Kailub's pace and line selection because there was a noticeable difference between the great ride Ricky was having in the early stages of the race, and the excellent one he had as it wore on. That definitely worked to Ricky's advantage because anytime you can jump in behind a faster guy and pace them, it's a big help. Grant Baylor put in a solid ride to hang tight for second while Jesse Groemm landed his first XC2 podium in third place. 

"The Southeast Legend" Vance Earl snagged the morning overall win from the Masters-A class, and even with the Sportsman A, Vance still physically finished second overall. For those who may only recognize Vance's name from dominating the morning ranks the past couple of seasons, Vance has been around for a number of years and has logged multiple overall championships in both the Mid-East and North Carolina Hare Scramble Series' over the years. Vance's son, Evan is also an up and comer in the 4-Stroke A Lites class. So what does Vance do during the week? Well, these days he runs a shop out of his backyard, Vance Earl Racing, and is retired from UPS. I must say, and I believe a lot of folks will agree, I'm jealous!

Speaking of the morning race, there was also another great WXC race. Kacy Martinez once again came away with the win but Mandi Mastin put in a great ride to finish second with Becca Sheets rounding out the podium. Jessica Patterson ran up front early but I talked to her after the race and she mentioned that she had a little encounter with a tree and smashed her hand. It was a bit swollen but she said she didn't really hurt and figured it would be all right with some rest, so don't expect that to hold her back any! 

Well, that's all I've got for this week. Until next time, Bolt-On out!

@HotRodney22:

­If you were looking for something wild and exciting out of this past weekend’s Dunlop Limestone 100 GNCC, you did not have to wait long once racing got underway on Saturday morning. It was a weekend of ups and downs, dramatic comebacks and few surprises that made for one memorable weekend of racing for a number of folks in the GNCC Racin’ Nation.

As expected this past weekend’s Youth ATV race was everything it was hyped to be and then some. Florida’s Brandon Frazier secured his fifth straight win of the season but not without an action packed, drama filled battle with West Virginia’s Carter Kerens. Frazier and Kerens were once again top runners and the battle actually went down to the final turns of the race in a drama packed ending that it seems movies are made of.

The story goes like this: Sadie Welch, who has been a top Youth racer in the Girls class the last few years and stepped up to the front row in 2014, took the hole shot for the third time this season, if I am correct. This was a bigger deal this time because Sadie was in her home state and she led the field the first lap with an 8-second lead over Carter Kerens and Brandon Frazier, who were virtually nose to tail at the end of lap one.

Kerens battled with Frazier all race and on the final lap Frazier experienced a problem where his pipe had worked itself loose and he became way down on power. Amazingly, as Carter passed Brandon, who stopped and pitted to work on his machine in the Kerens pit area, gave the thumbs up to Carter on his way to what looked like his first overall victory of 2014.

Unfortunately for Kerens though, a borrowed motor that had to be placed in the machine prior to this race gave out only three turns from the finish line, while Kerens was leading and looking face to face with his first win. Then as he pushed his way toward the finish only two turns away, Frazier rounded the final turns and ended up taking the win after all making it five in a row, and Kerens pushed his way to second. It was an emotional moment from one extreme to the other for these two young riders and each displayed the grit and fire that makes the GNCC so exciting. The heart displayed by both riders was without a doubt “what GNCC Racing is all about.”

The 10 AM race was another exciting race. Cody Collier showed why once again he wears the number 201 plate as he took top honors again over all sport and 4x4 quads. Westley Wolfe had another off day and only finished two laps, so it looks like Collier may be on his way to a repeat in class and if he stays consistent maybe another overall national championship.

As far as breaking down the class battles, one has to do a double take on this week’s 4x4 Pro class and the results as they go 2-3-4 overall behind Collier. Kevin Trantham snagged the class win while Polaris Factory rider and Coldcock Whiskey-backed Rick Cecco posted his best results this season so far with a third overall and second in class. Robert Smith, the 4x4 champ last year, took fourth overall and third in class.

If you scan down the results to fourth place overall you will recognize a familiar name in the WXC class that has been absent thus far this season. Lexie Coulter finally made her way from Texas to rejoin the fight in the morning class. I spoke with Lexie on Friday evening and asked her where she had been and such and she said, “I kind of just got burned out. Not on the racing so much, just all the traveling. Being from Texas the shortest drives I have are around 14 hours, so all the traveling gets old.” She said she loves to race and hopes to make more and with a big class win and nearly taking the WXC back to the overall top spot, Lexie could be what the doctor ordered to get the action heating back up in this class.