Friday Entertainment (Jen Ken)

It’s not uncommon to have nightly entertainment at the bigger GNCC events and we’re excited to say that this Friday we will be hosting a ZUMBA PARTY with Kristen McGill (sister of ATV Pro Adam McGill) at the track. The zumba party will take place Friday evening at 7 p.m. and will run until 8:30 p.m. at the latest. Kristen is a licensed zumba instructor so she’ll be teaching all the moves for FREE to anyone and everyone who would like to join in on a fun time! This is all taking place at the GNCC podium, so come on down!

Also, if you have a young racer planning to participate in the Micro 50cc race we’ve slightly changed the way we’re doing the podium celebration and awards. Following each Micro race, we will invite the top three overall finishers (if they are known immediately) up to the podium. We’ll interview the top three overall and then after that, we’ll bring up any other racer who wants to talk about his or her day. Every Micro competitor will receive a participant medal following the race and if you win your class you may trade your participant medal in for a class winner medal at the red registration tent. All plaques will be given out at the red registration tent following each race. Good luck to all and we’re looking forward to round two of the Micro 50cc championship this Saturday!

That’s going to do it for me this week. We’re heading to two local schools in Morganton tomorrow (Friday) with riders like Kailub Russell, Josh Strang, Ryan Sipes, Steward Baylor, Trevor Bollinger and the Vigilant Vet Racing crew led by Rick Proctor. It should be a lot of fun and we hope to bring a few more GNCC Racing fans to Steele Creek this weekend. See you all soon!

Steele Creek Excitement (Jared Bolton)

It’s almost time to go racing at Steele Creek this weekend, and people are getting excited. Not just the usual GNCC racers, but the many local riders who come out to give their “close-by” GNCC events a whirl, and of course the spectators, local and regular attendees both.

Of course growing up in North Carolina, I know a lot of local racers that come out to this event, and I love seeing those folks get amped up for GNCC Racing. I’ve also got a little taste of the local excitement already as well. I walked over to McDonalds last night for a sundae and ended up chatting with a few Morganton residents who were excited for GNCC Racing to make it’s return to Steele Creek.

Sweepmaster Tommy Harris and I came down yesterday in Jeff Russell’s trusty Yukon, which is decked out in some GNCC and RacerTV logos, and had a few people wave at us on the interstate not far before we got off I-40 in Morganton. It’s really cool to see everyone welcoming the GNCC Racing Nation with open arms.

So of course, since they’re welcoming us, lets respect them by respecting the town of Morganton. Throwing away your trash, and doing the speed limit through town goes a long way. Plus, I know there’s quite a few people who will tell you first hand that speeding on highway 181 out of Morganton isn’t a good idea because there’s usually some eyes on the roads.

Anyway, let’s all get ready for another great weekend of racing at Steele Creek because if the first two rounds are any indication of what we can expect the rest of the year, then we’re in for some awesome racing coming up!

 Calm Before The Storm (Rodney Tomblin)

After a monumental start to the 2015 AMSOIL GNCC presented by Maxxis things have seemed to quiet down. It has been as if we all have been soaking it in. There were a number of unexpected things occurring and a few eye-opening moments that may define this year’s championships. It’s across the board in all classes, two and four wheeled. So much happened over the span of a week and to some it was a little mind-boggling.

The ATV Youth left nothing on the track to start the season. The intensity level is a high as it ever has been. Little Ronnie Rusch out of Pittsburgh has opened the season with two straight wins but not without competition literally to the wire with Turbo Tim Sroka, Rhett Cox, Michael Myers, Davis Brinson and more. The racing set the tone for the season and it continued right into the morning ranks.

The 4x4 Pro have dominated the 10:00am race on Saturday. Whether or not the conditions have played a role in this you cannot deny the level of competition that has been yielded the first two rounds. Kevin Trantham, Bryan Buckhannon, Michael Swift, Robert Smith, Rick Cecco, Zach Zakowski and Jordan Phillips have left everything on the track each race themselves. The level has raised so much in the past two seasons that it won’t be long that these guys may be getting a little more attention than already there. If you like a good race you must watch this one.

The XC1 battle is a battle of epic proportions itself. As mentioned in recent weeks, the new wave of GNCC hopefuls are more determined, more experienced and faster than anything we have ever seen in the history of ATV racing in our sport. There is a new era coming but don’t count out the crafty veterans. It should take some time before the young guns take control however the affect they will play in the championship race may be the biggest signs of their arrival.

The arrival of the young guns may play the biggest favors for Adam McGill and Walker Fowler. These two have the upper hand on everyone right now including defending champ Chris Borich. As Chris Borich sits in 9^th place he has a road to travel to regain the points lead. His biggest hopes right now will be that the top two contenders find their own inconsistencies and take of advantage of the opportunities. The biggest problems then will be veteran Chris Bithell and sophomores Brycen Neal and Jay Shadron. The champ will have to rely on years of hard work and experience, and from a fan stand point this could not be a better scenario. How long has it been since our “Hero” Chris Borich has been down? Even Superman got hit with a little Kryptonite occasionally but he always found a way to come out on top. Can he do it again?

The pits this week will be a little different this weekend at Steele Creek for round three I think. There will be feelings of joy and excitement. Those will mix with nerves and anxieties. Some may seem very serious while others will be very light hearted. Saturday morning will seem like one of those odd mornings when you wake up and there is a feeling in the air. A feeling like maybe a storm is brewing. Some things will seem normal while others just a little different. You won’t be totally sure what it is but when the day is over, you will realize that it was the calm before the storm and this one is only getting started.

Some Racing Happened; Some Didn’t (Jared Bolton)

By now I think most people have heard that last weekend’s National Enduro in Texas didn’t happen. It’s extremely rare to see that happen but that area of Texas experienced heavy rains and there were portions of the course that were literally under water.

The decision was also made that the round would be dropped from the season schedule all together due to the fact that it would just be too hard to try to reschedule on a weekend that didn’t mess with other racing. So, the 2015 National Enduro season will now consist of only 9 rounds. With no racing happening last weekend, that means that Kailub Russell still stands as the points leader in both GNCC Racing and National Enduro.

That’s also a big plus for guys like Steward Baylor and Andrew Delong, who won the first two National Enduro rounds, but are both now sidelined with collarbone injuries. Baylor was going to race in Texas regardless, but now this extra time to heal will only help.

Some racing DID happen in Laurens, South Carolina with the Chestnut Corner Mid-East Hare Scramble. The most interesting thing about this race was the fact that Walker Fowler and Cole Richardson raced bikes first, then turned around and raced their quads in the afternoon. That’s a pretty impressive guy! What’s also impressive is that they both won their respective bike classes, and then turned around and finished 1-2 overall in the quad race, with Walker taking the win over Cole.

On the bike side, Jason Thomas followed up a Dirtwise School on Saturday with an overall win on Sunday, which I think racks him up to about 13248 local race wins in the past few months. He’s been racking them up! Yeah, my number may have been slightly exaggerated but he’s been still crushing it, and of course he came away with the XC2 win in Georgia. Could we see him go 2 in a row at Steele Creek?

 No Place Like Steele Creek (Rodney Tomblin)

Each year as Steele Creek approaches there is always a feeling of excitement in the GNCC Racin’ Nation. Steele Creek is woven into the fabric of GNCC like the Big Buck, Ironman and now even Snowshoe. There are some venues that are the perfect venues for whatever reason and what makes GNCC what it is. Steele Creek though not one of the best race tracks per say on the circuit but it is one of the most unique. It offers a rugged mountain terrain yet rider friendly trails. There are not a lot of options in some of the areas but when the opportunity presents itself on the mountain tops or in the valley, passing happens and it has offered some of the best finishes in recent history.

The lore of the mountain racetrack is without a doubt host to a number of personal triumphs and even misfortunes. It’s as if the spirits of Steele Creek steer the race in wild and eventful ways. Never expect this place to yield a normal race or anything you expect it to. Sometimes it does but more times than not the unexpected happens.

The fans may make this event as much as anything. Have motor? Have wheels? Have Mud? Have hill climbs?  Have a good time! That is the mentality of the North Carolina race fans. They are second to none. Thousands of folks from all around will be on hand as a part of a yearly ritual that seems to grow each year. It’s becoming tradition as many families and friends gather each year and tough it out in tents and pick-up trucks and vans and anything else they can use for shelter.

Anyone who has ever been to Steele Creek to experience what it is like is always left with a lasting impression. It has its own place in the GNCC Racin’ Nation. It is one the most picturesque being located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and with Steele Creek flowing through the heart of it all you will want to bring your camera. Take a moment if you can find one this weekend and enjoy the beauty of North Carolina you won’t be disappointed in it or the racing that will bring you back to reality.

From the amazing fans to the infamous bridge where Barry Hawk and several others have taken a swim to the crazy windstorms that postponed and even stopped races at their peak Steele Creek has the memories. Like the crazy finishes that left everyone in awe and some in the hospital with Barry Hawk and Glenn Kearney’s slugfest to the end. Or how about the Chris Borich, Taylor Kiser battle that sent quads tumbling and riders clawing their way to the finish for the win. The surprises keep coming and try not to be too surprised when something big happens.

#ThrowbackThursday (Jared Bolton)