We’re calling all members of the Class of 2014 (High School & College). Since we spend so much time with our racing families, we thought it was only fitting that we celebrate your graduation together. GNCC would like to recognize all the graduates (riders, families, etc.) on the start of every race at the John Penton GNCC this weekend. 

All we need is the name of the graduate, what race start time they want to be recognized, their GNCC affiliation (rider, friend, family) and what school they graduated from. Fill out and submit your form by clicking HERE! Please submit your graduate’s form by Friday evening to ensure we have you on the list by Saturday morning.

Moving on to more PSA’s….We are reaching out to the GNCC Racing family, since they have the best men, or women! Next weekend, MX Sports Pro Racing needs 30 men for caution flagging at the High Point National in Mount Morris, PA. The race is on Saturday, June 14. Here are the criteria: You must be at least 18 years of age, In good physical condition, Be able to pick up a 450cc motorcycle.

As consideration for your service, you will receive (2) MX Sports Pro Passes for your guests or family (these are the all-day pit passes and are good all weekend), free weekend camping, free race entry for Sunday’s amateur motocross race and free race entry to your next GNCC race. If interested, please email [email protected].

There will be a few special things taking place on Saturday morning during the 10 a.m. ATV race, all in memory of two very special people. The GNCC Racing community lost Laz and Mary Ann Sommers this year on the weekend of the Big Buck GNCC and I know there are many people in the GNCC community who are working hard to help carry on the spirit of GT Thunder, while remembering the wonderful folks who worked so hard so help amateur ATV racers. The Chirdon family contacted me this week to let me know that Blake Chirdon #695 will be riding Laz’s GT Thunder ATV Saturday morning in the Sportsman A/B Class in honor of him and it carries even more meaning as Brandon Sommers and his wife Eryca will be in attendance as well. GNCC announcer Rodney Tomblin is going to say a few words at the start of the 10 a.m. race and GNCC will be passing around about 200 red and black balloons to release into the air in honor of Laz and Mary Ann.

I also received a note from Hayley Henthorn this week and she wanted me to pass along that they just got a new shipment of GT Thunder t-shirts in and will be selling them for $15 in the McGill pits, in memory of Laz and Mary Ann Sommers. All of the money from the t-shirts will go towards the GT Thunder Memorial Fund. So if you’re interested, please stop over at the McGill pits on pro row, or find Hayley or Adam.

If you can’t make it to the race this weekend, don’t forget to hop on your computer and watch us on RacerTV.com! We’ll be broadcasting the Pro races LIVE on both Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

I’m looking forward to a fun weekend in Ohio, see you all soon!

Here’s J-Rod Bolt-On.

@JaredBolton

Here we go again! It's time for another weekend of GNCC Racing and as usual, I'm seeing everyone's excitement building. Don't worry though, as Kara Merritt pointed out in a Facebook posts, the days leading up to the next GNCC round seem to fly by so you'll be lining up before you know it.

In case you missed this week's Tuesday Toolbox, I took a slight departure from the normal interview format and instead gave a little bit of a history lesson on the event, which began as the Burr Oaks GNCC and became the John Penton GNCC in 2002 and it additionally served as a history lesson on the man it's named after, who is a true pioneer of our sport and is responsible for many of the simple innovations we still use today.

History could also be made this weekend. On the ATV side, Chris Borich and Bill Ballance tie for most overall wins at the Penton with 6 each. Borich has the chance this weekend to become the Penton's winningest rider. Not just on the ATV side, but as a whole because Paul Whibley, who holds the most overall bike wins, holds that title with just 4 overall wins. 

Speaking of Whibs, the word has been that he's once again been riding with a nagging injury, which is why we haven't seen him in the usual spot contending for wins. Whibley took the overall win at last weekend's Mid-East Hare Scramble and looked to be riding on form with how we're used to seeing Paul. With the history he has at The Penton, there's a chance we could see him return to the podium.

He'll have his work cut out for him though. Not only from Kailub Russell but also as mentioned before, Josh Strang has been riding excellent this season. You also can't forget Jordan Ashburn who nearly landed on the podium at The Mountaineer and of course, Andrew Delong who looked to be chasing Ashburn down for that podium spot last race.

Then there's the XC2 battle at hand between Ricky Russell and Grant Baylor. These two have already flip flopped the points lead several times this season and with Russell taking the win at the last round and Baylor finishing third, Grant will be motivated to take the win and close up that points gap. Of course, these guys also have a challenge from Trevor Bollinger. After a few races that didn't go how he had hoped, Bollinger returned to the podium with 2nd at The Mountaineer. Bollinger has already snagged 1 win in 2014, and he's hungry for more. 

Well, I hate to cut myself short but there's work to be done in the woods! Until next time, Bolt-On out! 

@HotRodney22:

Aside from being the second oldest GNCC on the tour now this year’s Wiseco John Penton GNCC will celebrate its 25^th running when the green flag drops on Saturday morning. Over the past two and a half decades the GNCC has seen a lot of change and this venue has endured every one of them. It is certainly one of the most notorious on the schedule with stories of and memories of some of the most extreme dust, mud, heat and perfection a championship round can produce. It is to say the least a true staple of our culture and has evolved with every step the GNCC makes.

As always the big question heading into a race weekend is the weather. Here it seems to mean more than most places because it can literally throw anything at you. I remember the some of the muddiest conditions in history taking place here. It is not just the mud but more so the type of mud this place can produce. It is a thick clay based soil once you break through the topsoil and it produces the stickiest and the heaviest mud the GNCC knows. Johnny Gallagher often speaks of a time when after the race they weighed his quad and gear after the race and the difference was well over 400 pounds to what a dry quad weighs. So if it rains, survival will be as key to finishing as anything.

An opposite of mud is the dust and I have seen the John Penton GNCC produce the most dust I have ever witnessed a race produce. Though I cannot recall the year exactly I remember actually following the races first lap simply by watching the dust flumes billowing over the trees as the riders made their way around the course. Rodney Smith, Fred Andrews, Mike Keidrowski, Steve Hatch, Shane Watts, Barry Hawk, Jimmy Jarrett, Robbie Jenks and Randy Hawkins are a few names that standout in my memory from that time. I couldn’t tell you who won but I do remember Rodney Smith busting a silt berm and sucking dust straight into his machine ending his day nearly immediately. It was a day when just making it to the finish was nearly as good as a win.

Of course there has been heat. Only a few years ago we were faced with the most intense heat we have ever raced in a GNCC. The heat index near 120 degrees and a battle that left riders spent completely leaving everything they had on the racetrack. If memory serves me correct, Paul Whibley passed Kailub Russell in the final turns to steal the young rookies win at his home track. That may actually be the hottest on record in the history of GNCC and even if not, it certainly burned a memory that will not soon be forgotten by many.

As far as this weekend goes on the weather front, like much of the nation some rain showers and storms the past couple of days have hit us. It actually has been a blessing because it could have very well been an extremely dusty event had this not happened. It was a true blessing as the showers left the area yesterday it took with it much of the humidity that was present early in the week. Forecasts that I have seen this morning are looking to be near perfect till around Sunday afternoon when a chance of shows is expected to move into the area. Temperatures will be hovering around 80 for highs and in the mid-50s for lows.

The racing forecast should be much stormier than that though. As Chris Borich comes off his second defeat of the season, Walker Fowler gains momentum heading into his home state. Fowler is also heading into some of his best territory. He has had some good rides in Ohio and also at Snowshoe, WV, which may put Chris Borich a little against a fence in this part of the season. I did some calculations and on the off chance that Walker Fowler was able to win every round the rest of the season and Chris Borich were to finish second, Fowler may be able to win the championship by a mere 2 points. That would be an amazing feat and one that many may deem next to impossible. I only mention it though because at this juncture, it is still within the realm of possibility.

On a side note this and upcoming races, I heard a little wagering going on in the youth ranks. It appears that the #15 little miss Sadie Welch who races the 90 Open (12-15) has a running bet with the #5 of Carter Kerens. If she beats him she will get to shave his head on the podium for everyone to see. And if you have seen Carter lately then you know that Mom and Dad may be hoping for this to happen soon. He is starting to look a little like a hippy! I honestly think Carter is hoping for it to happen soon too as it is starting to get pretty warm out there and getting rid of some of that hair may just what he is looking for about right now.