Limestone Special Events (Jared Bolton)

As if a full weekend of racing isn't awesome enough, there's also a few special things in store for this weekend's Limestone 100. The US Air Force will have a set up at the track looking for new recruits. If you want to know more about what the Air Force does, have ever considered a career in the military, or just want to see what kind of cool set up some of America's heros have, stop by and check it out. 

Strider bikes have become wildly popular among the young crowd in the past few years, and people are beginning to take notice including Joey Still who recently hosted a Strider race at one of his local events. Well, Joey will be bringing the Strider race action to Limestone on Saturday evening after the Micro races.

The race will start on pro row and will make its way around the pro pits. The course will be marked with stakes and tape, along with some tree branches that will mimic trees to give it a true GNCC woods feel. Classes will be broken up based on age, and there's no cost to come out and race. If you have your own Strider, bring it on, but if not and you still want to race, there will be loaner bikes available. So if the little guys want to race too, head over to the pro pits a little after the Micro races end to get in on the action!

When you're in the Springville, Bedford or Bloomington, Indiana areas you may see some Limestone 100 posters around town. We've sent out posters for many years, but a new program we've started is the GNCC Hometown Heros program. With this program, we send local riders a stack of posters which they are tasked with putting up around town. If they meet their requirements, they'll earn 1 free race entry if they're a big bike rider, or 1 free race entry and 1 free gate entry if they're a youth rider. 

The Hometown Heros for Limestone were made up of Garrett Mundy of the 65 (10-11) bike class, Kenton Coleman of the 85 (7-11) bike class, Michael Myers of the Super Mini(12-15) ATV class and Corey Silverthorn of the College-A ATV class. Big thanks to these guys for all their help and if anyone is interested in being a Hometown Hero, stop by and see Debby Hawk at rider registration or drop her a line at [email protected].

Keeping Students on the Right Track Rolls Into Indiana! (Carrie Russell)

The GNCC “Keeping Students on the Right Track” School Assembly Program will be heading to Lincoln Elementary School in Bedford this Friday to talk to the kids about winning, losing and riding safe. New MC Chuck Lemaster will lead GNCC superstar presenters Johnny Gallagher (XC1 ATV), Ryan Sipes (XC1 Bikes), Rick Proctor (Vigilant Vet Racing) and Bedford native Austin Lee (XC2 Bikes), in discussions on topics such as bullying, teamwork and safety gear. 

Over 300 students from Kindergarten through 5^th grade are expected to be on hand to participate and learn from the GNCC Pros. Besides being a cool way to get out of class, the GNCC “Right Track” Program gives kids a chance to hear first-hand from some of our GNCC heroes about what it feels like to lose a race, what it takes to win, and how ‘giving up’ should never be an option. 

The kids will join the riders in team building activities and a safety gear contest, where kids will ‘race’ to properly put on racing gear, including helmets, goggles, chest protectors, boots, gloves, etc. Not only is the program entertaining and educational, but it introduces local kids to positive role models with a passion for what they do – role models who know first-hand the value of hard work, positive thinking/acting and goal setting. Thanks guys, for help making this program, now in its third year, a great success! If you know of a school that might be interested in hosting our program, contact Chuck. 

What Does The Rock Have Cooking? (Rodney Tomblin)

Heading into round 5 of the 2015 Amsoil GNCC we are nearing the midway point of the championship, and still there is not a lot set in stone. At least on the four-wheeled side as it is obvious that Kailub Russell is rolling through his two-wheeled championship without any issue. Will that change and will anything start to become clear cut for the ATV championship? Some of the questions may be unveiled at this weekend’s Limestone 100 GNCC, but as with the Big Buck two weeks ago, be prepared for more questions to arise than to be answered. There is a good chance this scenario may hold true through all 13 rounds; well at least we can hope it does.

As the racing kicks off with the Youth ATV on Saturday morning many folks will be watching “Rocket” Ronnie Rusch, a.k.a. Little Ronnie Rusch, as hehas set the pace for the 2015 season in this division. In talking with Ronnie and his family it is something they had hoped he could do, but they were not expecting to be in this situation. The reason is not because there is any doubt in Ronnie’s talent, but that there is confidence in the talent of the rest of the class. It is not without hard work and determination that we saw him fueled and developed over the course of the last few seasons that this program has prospered.

As far as Youth racing is concerned it may be one of the hardest working groups of racers throughout the weekend. These kids have big shoes to fill as each champion passes the torch to move on to bigger and better things. Look at the successes of past champions and contenders from this division like Walker Fowler, Brycen Neal and Jay Shadron are just a few of the former youth contenders. You must look at the successes of Cody Collier and Westley Wolfe who have been successfully working their way through the amateur ranks and each have had standout performances and each may surprise us even more before the season is concluded. If you look at the history of things Cody is one who likes to set records and has done so as the youngest rider to have ever won a morning overall race and title.

A rider hot on the heels of Collier and Wolfe is Hunter Hart. Hart captured the morning overall win at Big Buck last round, and as remarkable as anything he was the first non-4x4 Pro overall winner so far this season. Anyone that knows Hunter Hart knows that this is likely the first of many to come. Once he figures it out he does not like to do anything but win. It is a desire so deep rooted in his soul that he will invest every ounce of energy he has to make himself stronger, faster and fitter to win. Now that he has gotten his first morning overall he will be one to watch and this morning battle will only become even more interesting as the season rolls on.

This weekend’s Limestone is round 5 and basically we enter the midway point of a 13 round season. The difference in 2015 than any other season to date is the fact that we still have no clear visions of what to expect but the unexpected. So the big question is, what is the Limestone GNCC cooking? I’m sure it’s age old recipe for “excitement” with a little bit of “wow” on the side. Hold on folks, it could get rocky for some.

Superman is also Mr. Consistent (Jared Bolton)

While it’s no secret that Kailub Russell has absolutely dominated the first four rounds of GNCC Racing, he’s also been contesting the AMA National Enduro Series but get this, hasn’t won a single race! The third round of the 2015 National Enduro season took place last weekend with the Rad Dad National Enduro in Westpoint, Tennessee and those April showers that have been sweeping across the eastern half of the country the past week saturated the Rad Dad course.

While the woods of the Rad Dad bear a lot of similarities to Loretta Lynn’s, there’s also some big differences. Mainly in that the soil itself isn’t quite as rocky, so when it gets wet, it ruts up more. The National Enduros also tend to throw in some technical sections, and Rad Dad definitely had some of those. While the club that puts on the race re-routed some sections to stay on high ground, it was still a tough ride for those who raced.

Kailub Russell put in some solid test scores and looked to be on track to grab his first National Enduro win. However, in an extra-tough final section (which is reserved for Pro and A riders only), Russell Bobbitt would come from behind to steal the win away from Kailub. Superman Russell still came away with second place while Steward Baylor made it a KTM sweep of the podium in third.

After finishing fourth in the first two rounds, Bobbitt grabbed his first win of the season and made his way into second place in the National Enduro point standings. However, Kailub still holds onto the championship points lead after finishing second, second and second in the first three rounds. While there’s no doubt that Kailub would rather win, this kind of consistency is also key to coming away with a championship.

I’ve mentioned before that no rider has ever won a GNCC and National Enduro title in the same year, and while Charlie Mullins came close in 2013, it’s still never been done. There’s also never been a father and son duo to claim National Enduro titles. If Kailub can hold onto that points lead, he’ll end up accomplishing those two feats that have never been done before.

Looking Back on Limestone (Jared Bolton)

In a relatively short history as part of the GNCC tour, the Limestone 100 has seen its fair share of exciting moments. The first ever Limestone 100 event in 2012 set the bar high for future Limestone races. With near-perfect conditions that weekend, the racing action and wild situations that unfolded made for an incredible race day.

After one of Paul Whibley’s signature holeshots, Charlie Mullins worked his way into the lead on lap two and would control the lead until a mechanical issue would drop Charlie out of contention for the overall. They were able to get the bike fixed and Charlie continued on with the race, until the same thing happened again!

While all of this was going on, Kailub Russell began working his way up through the pack, coming from as far back as sixth place at the conclusion of the first lap. KR would end up coming away with the win over eventual 2012 champion, Paul Whibley, while Jordan Ashburn claimed his first ever XC1 podium in third.

Of course, the action wasn’t limited to the XC1 guys, as the XC2 class saw an equally exciting race that day as well. Steward Baylor swept the XC2 class in the first five rounds of the 2012 GNCC season, and after working his way up through the pack in the opening laps, he looked to be on track for his sixth win of the season. However, Stu would end up breaking his wrist and only salvage a 10^th place finish. Andrew Delong would claim the win, and an impressive second place overall while Jason Thomas and Jed Haines rounded out the XC2 podium.

That break would ultimately require multiple surgeries and extended periods of time off the bike. Baylor didn’t let the break set him back too far that season as he was still able to come away with the National Enduro title. On the GNCC side, Stu sat out the next round at The Mountaineer Run and had some struggles in the rest of the season, which Jason Thomas capitalized on and would come away with the 2012 XC2 championship.

Last year, Kailub Russell looked to be checking out and on his way to another win at Limestone, but a hard crash would leave him with a mangled motorcycle, which took time to fix. Charlie Mullins came away with the win, while KR pushed back through the pack to battle down to the final inches of the race with Thad Duvall but Thad would hang tough and inch Kailub out for second place.

With this kind of history as part of the GNCC season, one has to wonder what lies in store for this year’s Limestone 100! 

The Great ABATE (Rodney Tomblin)

This weekend will mark the fourth running of the Limestone 100 GNCC. Like all GNCC races many wonder sometimes how or where the name for a race often comes from. Well it’s quite simple actually, and you probably already know that it is tied in with something local to the event. Some names are obvious while others aren’t. The name limestone is a no brainer, mostly because of the local rich deposits of limestone and the areas around that have been largely based upon this industry.

The one thing that many may not know about the Limestone GNCC is the location at the Lawrence Recreation Park operated by ABATE of Indiana. Most of us know or have picked up on the fact that they operate a really nice off-road park in Springville and it looks like they have some rather large events.

The Lawrence County Recreational Park is almost 400-acres of trails, rolling hills, meadow and wooded terrain where you can spend the night or weekend with your family and friends. There are over 60 miles of trails for the novice and experienced riders for both ATV and Motorcycles.

Located at the entrance to the park are the Indiana Motorcycle Safety Memorial and Walk of Remembrance. This memorial features the names and recognizes individuals of Indiana who have dedicated their lives to the sport of Indiana motorcycling. It is a really nice area, and is recognized by the state of Indiana as well.

The ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) of Indiana is a great organization that runs the park, as well as many programs to help advocate riding safety on and off  the road. The main goal is to help promote the sport and increase awareness and safety of riders. It offers many programs for training and as well operates the Lawrence County Recreation Park that plays host to many events including GNCC Racing and various riding schools. 

#ThrowbackThursday (Jared Bolton)

Not only do we have the usual super cool throwback photos, but this week we've also got a super special treat for everyone. Before GNCC Racing became the long two and three hour battles they are today, they were longer, more grueling, 100 mile long races, such as the famous Blackwater 100.

In the early days, it was known as the Hi-Point 100 Miler Series and in 1983, the series was lucky enough to have the entire season recapped on video, long before video coverage became a common thing. I was able to transfer the video to digital format, and we're proud to say it's now available to watch in it's entireity. So if you've got about an hour to watch some of classic racing, check it out at http://racertv.com/2015/04/23/1983-hi-point-100-miler-season-recap

It's pretty hard to believe that it's been 32 years since that video was shot. While a lot has changed since then, a lot has remained the same. While today's bikes, top riders, tracks, and unprecedented media coverage are a lot different, the passion and purse essence of GNCC Racing has remained the same.

Special thanks go out to Billy and Jimmy Artzberger who were pioneers in bringing off-road racing to television.