With five wins in eight rounds, Team Maxxis’ Chris Borich continues to lead the way in the championship standings, but for the first time in recent history, the five-time champion has some pressure for the number one spot. Prior to round seven, Borich was on a four-race winning streak with one loss behind him, to Fowler. But in the last two rounds, Borich has been forced to overcome a few obstacles along the way, including an intense battle in the final moments of the Mountaineer Run GNCC, where Borich and Fowler accidentally came together in the final turn, sending Borich off the course just before the finish. Fowler claimed the win, while Borich took second. Then, at the following round in Ohio, Borich ran just outside of the top three all race long, before experiencing a mechanical issue that ultimately kept him from finishing the day.

Borich’s misfortune allowed Fowler to earn 30 points on the champ, thus closing the point-gap to only eight. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler has been the only rider able to beat Borich in 2014, with three wins behind him this season. To top it off, Fowler captured the victory at Snowshoe Mountain in 2013, where he looks to continue with the momentum leading up to this weekend’s race. 

RacingPowersports.com/CST Tires/PirateMX.com’s Adam McGill, who sits third in the championship standings, is a two-time Snowshoe GNCC winner, so there’s no doubt that the West Virginia native can handle the rough and tough conditions. McGill has yet to secure a win this season but he sits with five consistent podium finishes through eight rounds. 

DWT Racing’s Jarrod McClure moved himself up a notch in the championship standings with third place overall at the last round, marking his second podium finish of the season. After two straight rounds of unfortunate luck, Precision/Maxxis Tires Chris Bithell now sits in the fifth place position in the championship standings. Dave Bayless Motorsports/Dirtworks/DC Cycles-backed Brycen Neal holds the seventh place points position, followed by GT Thunder-backed Brian Wolf in eighth. Wolf is the only back-to-back winner at the Snowshoe event, capturing the overall win in 2009 and 2010. The Ohio-based Wolf is always a favorite to win this event.

SICC Racing/Maxxis-backed Marshal Goings holds ninth overall and DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead’s Braden Henthorn rounds out the top ten as he rebuilds from a recent jaw surgery. 

The XC2 Pro Am Championship is tied up at 200 points between N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Cole Richardson and Marshal Goings after eight rounds of racing. Richardson holds the current advantage with five wins behind him, while Goings has three wins for the season. The rookie duo has made the championship battle exciting thus far, and it only looks to get better. Meanwhile, Marty Christofferson holds third in the championship standings with a string of consistent finishes behind him.

With three wins so far, Can-Am X-Team’s Kevin Trantham holds a seven-point lead in the 4x4 Pro class. However, with four different winners through the first eight rounds, this championship chase is bound to remain close all season long. Coming off a big win at the last round, ATV Parts Plus/Can-Am’s Bryan Buckhannon sits second in the championship standings with two wins under his belt. Another race winner, BNR Motorsports/Loctite Can-Am’s Robert Smith, sits in the third place position, just ahead of Factory Polaris/Coldcock Whiskey’s Rick Cecco in fourth, while Factory Polaris/UXC Racing’s Michael Swift rounds out the top five.