Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 2:30 PM
Six-Time GNCC National Champion Chris Borich is set to face off with fellow Factory Yamaha rider—and perhaps biggest rival—Walker Fowler this Saturday for the first time since their championship-deciding finale last October. The 41st annual AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, kicks off this Saturday, March 7 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC where Borich, Fowler and a deep field of XC1 Pro ATV riders will line up for the highly anticipated 1 p.m. start at Palatka, Florida’s Rodman Plantation.
Located just an hour north of Daytona’s “Bike Week” festivities, the season-opening GNCC round typically attracts enthusiasts from all disciplines of racing as the event promises to bring an action filled day of ATV competition through the mud, sand and grueling obstacles that make the AMSOIL GNCC Series America’s premier off-road racing series.
With only a five-point margin between Borich and Fowler in the 2014 National Championship, this year’s opener generates much anticipation as to who will take the first win of the new season. Following his sixth consecutive championship season, all of which were won aboard a Suzuki branded machine, Chris Borich recently made the announcement that he will be racing a Factory supported Yamaha for the first time in 2015. Borich’s recent brand switch and all-new race program only adds to the excitement of the championship battle as his closest competitor Walker Fowler enters his fourth year of XC1 Pro competition aboard the Yamaha machine, backed by his N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha/Maxxis/Lonestar race program.
West Virginia’s Adam McGill heads into the opening round with a national no. three ranking, although he runs a signature no. 521 on his CST/Lonestar/DeRisi/Tire Blocks/Spider Graphics-backed Honda. As the only rider besides Borich and Fowler to claim a victory in 2014, McGill closely contested the championship last season until bad luck struck at round ten. McGill is expected to once again be a threat in the championship chase.
JMR/ATVRiders.com-backed Jarrod McClure finished a career-best fourth overall last season and the Pennsylvania native enters 2015 with a confident outlook on the season. Last year’s XC1 Pro class rookie Brycen Neal will wear the no. six on his all-new Maxxis/B. Neal Motorsports machine this season, while Bithell Racing/Maxxis/Precision-backed Chris Bithell returns with much of the same program he had in 2014.
N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha/Maxxis/Lonestar’s Cole Richardson will return to the XC2 Pro Am class to defend his 2014 championship. Richardson earned a national ranking of no. five last season and will look to repeat his championship and increase his rank before moving into the XC1 Pro Class in 2016.
The weekend schedule begins on Friday, March 6 with ATV registration at 10 a.m. GNCC offers a practice session for all racers, excluding Micro 50cc classes, on Friday and Saturday before the event. Keep in mind, the practice course will be separate from the race course but it will incorporate a small preview of what riders can expect on race day. The cost is $20 per rider and there is a specific schedule according to discipline and race time.
On Friday, Youth ATV practice will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a 2 – 4 p.m. practice session for all other ATV racers, including 10 a.m. classes and 1 p.m. classes.
On Saturday, Youth Bike practice will begin at Noon, followed by a 1 – 4 p.m. practice session for all other Bike racers, including 10 a.m. classes and 1 p.m. classes.
For a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit the Wild Boar event page on the series website.
Saturday’s race schedule is as follows: Youth ATV racing begins at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs, 4x4 Pro and Women at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and pros begin at 1 p.m. Following Saturday’s afternoon race, 50cc Micro racing will take place at 4 p.m.
Adult (12+) gate admission is $20 for the full weekend and $10 for kids (6-11). Kids five and under are free. All admission includes pro pit access. Local racers are invited to compete at this event, 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.
Tune into RacerTV.com on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST to catch LIVE coverage of the Pro ATV race at Round 1. For more information on GNCC Live coverage, visit www.racertv.com.
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off its 2015 season March 7 and 8 in Palatka, Florida with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC. For more information on the series, please visit www.gnccracing.com.