by: Kayla Bolton
Sunday, May 24, 2015 | 9:40 AM
Adam McGill Back on Top with Home State Win at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC
Cole Richardson Returns to the Center of the XC2 Pro Am Podium
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 23, 2015) – As the checkered flag flew at round seven of the 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, An AMA National Championship it would be CST/Lonestar/DeRisi/Tire Blocks/Spider Graphics’s Adam McGill claiming his third win of the season.
Adam McGill has shown that consistency is key and held the championship point’s lead since round two of the series, however it had been since round three at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC that McGill took the win. With this win, he now holds an 18-point lead, and having won in his home state, it also felt appropriate to have a Country Roads sing-along with McGill after the podium interviews were finished.
Bithell Racing/Maxxis/Precision’s Chris Bithell would claim the $250 AMSOIL XC1 Pro Holeshot Award, leading the XC1 Pro ATV class through the woods on lap one. McGill would work his way into the lead on the second lap, and hold the lead for the rest of the two-hour race.
After starting his machine early on the dead engine start, N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha/Maxxis/Lonestar’s Walker Fowler would suffer a time penalty at the conclusion of the opening lap. However, Fowler would put on a charge, working his way through the pack and gaining seven positions on lap two. Fowler would continue charging throughout the race coming up ten seconds short of McGill at the finish. After a start that put him towards the back of the pack, Team Maxxis’ Chris Borich would find himself working through the pack. As the white flag flew, Borich sat fifth and put together a last lap charge, making the pass for third just two turns before the finish.
Maxxis/B. Neal Motorsports Brycen Neal would have a good start heading into the woods fighting for third place. Neal would challenge for the third place spot throughout the race before Borich made his last minute pass on Neal. Neal would finish fourth overall, and is currently sixth overall in the championship points standings.
Although JMR/ATVRiders.com’s Jarrod McClure finished off the podium for the first time in four races, he continues his consistent season with a fifth place finish. Bithell would go on to finish the day sixth overall in the XC1 Pro ATV class, but would find himself on the podium as Kyle Chaney’s passenger for the XC1 Pro UTV class podium. Kyle and Chris finished first overall, and now hold the point’s lead in the XC1 Pro UTV championship standings.
Coastal/Waynesburg Yamaha’s Jay Shadron would start the day off in fourth place and hold that position until pressure came from Neal and McClure. Shadron would finish the day off seventh in XC1 and eighth overall. BNR/GBC’s Kevin Yoho didn’t have the greatest jump at the start, and would round out lap one in 10th place. Yoho would work his way through to an eighth place finish in XC1 and a ninth place finish overall.
Maxxis/BNR/Moose rider Josh Merritt had another impressive ride. Starting from around the eleventh position, Merritt would work his way back to finish ninth in XC1 and tenth overall. Fasttrax/Wolf Racing’s Brian Wolf struggled throughout the day, but would work his way into tenth place in XC1 and a twelfth place finish overall.
In the XC2 Pro Am class, N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha/Maxxis/Lonestar’s Cole Richardson found himself back in the center of the podium. After some unfortunate luck two weeks ago in New York, Richardson would return to his winning ways earning his sixth victory of the year. Honda’s Levi Coen would get a good jump off the starting line and earn himself the $100 All Balls Racing XC2 Holeshot Award. Coen would eventually feel the pressure, and finish fifteenth in the XC2 Pro Am class.
After a third place start, Dillingers/Hygnr/Moose’s Martin Christofferson would battle with RYCO Racing’s Cody Collier before Collier had an unfortunate crash. Christofferson worked his way into second place on lap three and would remain in second until the checkers came out.
JMR/ATVRiders.com’s rider Randy Hamilton started his day just outside the top five, but would soon work his way through the pack and make a last lap pass on Collier for third place in the XC2 Pro Am class. After crashing, Collier never fell out of the top five in XC2 and would rebound to finish fourth in XC2 and sixteenth overall. Yamaha’s Thomas Koontz would have his second best finish of the season this weekend in West Virginia with a fifth in XC2 and seventeenth overall.
The 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. races were broadcast LIVE in their entirety on RacerTV.com and can be viewed as archived videos now online by visiting the GNCC LIVE page online, and a highlight show featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, August 1 at 12:30 p.m.
The 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes June 6 and 7 with the Wiseco John Penton in Millfield, OH. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com.
Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
XC1 Event Results:
- Adam McGill (HON)
- Walker Fowler (YAM)
- Chris Borich (YAM)
- Brycen Neal (HON)
- Jarrod McClure (HON)
- Chris Bithell (SUZ)
- Jay Shadron (YAM)
- Kevin Yoho (YAM)
- Josh Merritt (HON)
- Brian Wolf (HON)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Adam McGill (177)
- Walker Fowler (150)
- Jarrod McClure (126)
- Chris Borich (111)
- Chris Bithell (110)
- Brycen Neal (108)
- Cole Richardson (86)
- Jay Shadron (76)
- Brian Wolf (75)
- Johnny Gallagher (69)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2015 National Champion.
XC2 Event Results:
- Cole Richardson (YAM)
- Martin Christofferson (HON)
- Randy Hamilton (HON)
- Cody Collier (YAM)
- Thomas Koontz (YAM)
- Michael Lancaster (HON)
- Brycen Hoppes (YAM)
- Fred Marley (HON)
- Blake Tornes (YAM)
- Wes Kinsley (SUZ)
XC2 Series Standings:
- Cole Richardson (173)
- Martin Christofferson (153)
- Cody Collier (150)
- Randy Hamilton (117)
- Blake Tornes (89)
- Michael Lancaster (76)
- Brycen Hoppes (73)
- James Green (70)
- Jonathan Fugate (68)
- Thomas Koontz (65)