by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, September 3, 2015 | 2:40 PM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
The days continue to tick away and we’re getting closer and closer to returning to racing at Unadilla. The excitement is building more and more as everyone is anxious to return to racing. Unadilla is always an excellent way to return from summer break with a course that not only offers up great racing, but also a huge number of riders turn out to try their hand at the Unadilla terrain. Of course, there’s always the fact that, well it’s Unadilla! It’s one of the most legendary motocross venues in the world having hosted numerous Pro Motocross Nationals, USGPs, the 1987 Motocross des Nations, ATV Motocross and more.
Of course, the unique thing about the Unadilla GNCC is that it offers up one of very few opportunities for amateur riders to ride the same motocross track that is used for the Pro Motocross event. The majority of Unadilla’s amateur racing takes place on the amateur track known as U2. So, the opportunity to ride on the same track as many of the world’s greatest pro riders is yet another thing that makes the Unadilla GNCC so special.
Unadilla has also seen some great racing over the years in both the ATV and bike ranks and with an ATV championship battle shaping up to come down to the wire, it looks like this season could present some of the best racing Unadilla has ever seen. While we still have a couple of weeks between the race and us, the excitement is there and time flies, so we’ll be racing before we know it!
Summer Break Updates (Chelsea Taylor)
Pre-registration is currently open for not only Unadilla, but for all four of the remaining rounds. Go ahead, hit the Pre-Registration button, and get yourself signed up, because it will definitely make your weekend a little easier! You will still need to stop by the registration tent, but if you pre-registered you’ll hop into a special line under the big red tent instead of waiting at the white trailer. That’s where you’ll pick up your helmet stickers and anything else you should need, plus a transponder if you need to rent one
Also, while you’re browsing the Internet go ahead and like the brand-new Women’s Professional Motocross Instagram at @RaceWMX. As I wrote about last week, WXC racer Rachel Gutish made her pro WMX debut at the last round of the season at Ironman. You can stay up to date with her, Jessica Patterson and the other ladies next season by following the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Alco Cleaners is offering a “Summer Break Special” on their products from now until this Saturday, September 5, to make sure your bikes are looking good when you show up in New York. Just click HERE to start shopping and use the code “GNCC10” to get 10% off your order, and for being so awesome, the GNCC Racin’ National automatically gets free shipping on purchases over $60.
As Bolt-On mentioned last week, a few of us went to go ride last Thursday after work. There were four bikes, and six of us but we made it work and had an absolute blast! I haven’t had that much fun riding in a long time, and I think I speak for all of us though we I say we’ve got some work to do before we’re up to any level capable of racing a GNCC (we’re just a little out of shape). We may just stick to the work side of things!
Go ahead and check out my friends from KSR Motorsports in Grafton, West Virginia. They’ve been running some local Endurocross and XC races, and the last Endurocross is this Saturday! You can find out more information by clicking HERE. This would be a great opportunity to dust off your boots and to get back in the swing of things before the Parts Unlimited Unadilla GNCC.
With Labor Day weekend approaching, it makes me think back to how this has been the most eventful summer I’ve had in a long time, and it may even top the charts. From leaving my life in Tennessee, traveling every weekend and making new friends I have been truly blessed with this job and I’m sure that this summer will be one to go down in the record books. So with that being said, have a great and safe holiday and we’ll be back next Thursday!
What a Summer (Rodney Tomblin)
I almost feel like one of my kids right now traveling somewhere with lots of anticipations and high expectations. Good golly! How much longer is this summer break going to be? Thankfully, the answer is two weeks and from where we sit right now it feels like it will never get here. All the while in two weeks we will be wondering where the time has gone and it seems like it all went by so fast.
It seems like it has been a long time where so much has happened and to get back in the flow of things may or may not be easy. Most of the 2015 season championships have all been decided with the exception of a few, including GNCC. Pro Motocross crowned its two champions in Ryan Dungey and Jeremy Martin, ATV Motocross crowned Chad Wienen his fourth consecutive title and champions were crowned at the AMA Amateur National Championship finals at Loretta Lynn’s. To say the least, what a summer!
The long summer trip saw a number of sights along the way and a number of things happened. Some we caught while many we did not. Some of the highlights for me go like this, and in no particular order. It’s just like random thoughts on a long drive.
Chris Borich got married, and as we saw the pictures on social media it became very apparent that 2015 is a year of change for the ole bandit. Chris is shifting to a new place in life and though things may seem a little out of ordinary, they are choices wise men make.
Five-time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith made an appearance at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National where he finished second overall in the Masters 50+. It was also announced that Rodney will be inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame, an honor I know makes Smith extremely proud. He seemed to glisten like the old champ when he mentioned it to me at this summer and I know what it means to get this honor. Congrats goes to him!
Eddie Ray the mechanic, agent, supporter, cheerleader, moocher (haha) and husband of one of the greatest woman motorcycle racers in history, Jessica Patterson, competed at this year’s Loretta Lynn’s. He actually won a moto in the Plus 40 class. He had hoped to win but a couple of broken ribs and some rather stiff competition kept him from the title. He did win a moto but just couldn’t keep it together for three motos.
Jessica Patterson raced what may have been her final Loretta Lynn’s and her final WMX race. It is reported as well that this is her final season of GNCC competition as Eddie announced to me that they would be looking to start a family in the future. In his words, “start a daycare.” I think that this is a great time to make the transition. Eddie and Jessica will be such great role models for kids. Eddie even said it himself, “I would be a great dad!” This is something I believe to be true.
A top former GNCC youth, amateur and XC2 Pro Lites rider made a huge breakthrough in the world of motocross while winning big at the Ironman MX National. Aaron Plessinger claimed his first ever motocross overall win at the home of the biggest GNCC in history. It was a fitting place to see the transition from good to great occur on the familiar soils he grew up racing in the GNCC Racin’ Nation.
A couple of weeks ago Adam McGill teamed up with Baldwin Motorsports riders from the ATVMX world and headed to France for the 12 hours of Pont De Vaux race. It was stated heading in that it would be tough for the American team to prevail but they were going to give it their best shot. It seems that they were leading when the French began to penalize the American team, which ultimately took them out of contention. Then as luck would have it, the race had to be cut a little short and the French win again. What a surprise!
XC2 – Hot as the Summer Heat? (Jared Bolton)
While the weather may begin to cool down in the coming weeks, there’s a great potential that the XC2 class action may begin to heat up and be even hotter than the heat we experienced all summer. As things stand now, Jason Thomas holds the lead with 212 points over (ironically) the #212 of Ricky Russell. Ricky sits 55 points behind Thomas, and while that’s a fairly comfortable lead with 4 rounds to go, it’s definitely not over yet.
It’s a bit unfortunate for Ricky to have missed rounds two and three due to injury, but coming back with a win and never finishing worse than 4th place has ultimately helped Ricky push himself through the class points. With 4 rounds remaining, Ricky will be looking to end the season on a high note and hope to snag multiple wins before the season ends. There’s no doubt he has the ability to do so, but a win won’t come without a challenge.
Obviously, Jason Thomas is the man to beat but there’s a number of other challengers who want to make their presence known before the season ends. Nick Davis has had an up and down 2015 season. In the opening rounds it looked as if he would be a major thorn in the side of Jason Thomas as Thomas looks to claim his second XC2 title. However, a streak of bad luck would ultimately end Davis’ title hopes for 2015. On the bright side, Davis still has been able to claim 3 wins thus far in 2015 and has a shot to snag more before the end of the year.
As I’ve mentioned before, Craig Delong sits a very quiet 3rd place in the XC2 class point standings. I use the term “quiet” because Craig seems to fly under the radar most of the time, but has ultimately shown himself to be Mr. Consistent in the 2015 season. While he’s only landed on the podium once, he’s always in podium contention, has only finished outside of the top 5 twice and has stayed in the top 10 all season.
There’s a number of others who have shown they can run with the front of the XC2 pack, but just haven’t been able to put together everything to claim a win yet. Layne Michael has also put together an excellent 2015 season with 3 podium finishes with a couple of 2nd place finishes in there as well. Trevor Bollinger has had a slightly up and down season but has hung tough and also has been able to land on the podium 3 different times.
Of course, the thing about GNCC Racing is, you never know who might step up next and claim a win. There’s been multiple times where nearly unknown riders have stepped up to the plate and snagged a win, and the XC2 class is the most likely place to see this happen. With 4 rounds to go, anything can happen.
Time for the Showdown (Rodney Tomblin)
For those of us who feel as if the summer break has been a long one, imagine what is going through the minds of Adam McGill and Walker Fowler. Both have to be on pins and needles right now. How could they not be? Each is faced with the possibility of becoming the ATV champ in GNCC, which is a rather short list, a list that is hard to be on and one that everyone wants their name on.
A year ago at this time both Walker Fowler and Adam McGill had a chance to dethrone Chris Borich mathematically. Walker was able to go on a three race win streak heading into the final round which had it all but tied for the finale. When heading into Unadilla, McGill was mathematically a challenge however, his day would end a lap early resulting in a 12th place finish. It was then that I saw something in McGill I had never seen before. In his eyes I saw he realized he could be a real threat to win the title if things went right and he set out on a mission to minimize the problems and accelerate the positives. He matured and has continued to do so since that point.
Both McGill and Fowler now have the defending champ right where they want him. They have Chris Borich down to a point that only a miracle could win this championship for him. They recognize the showdown will now be between them. If history repeats itself with Walker getting faster as the season end approaches and Adam wises up more as time rolls on, this may be an even more epic ending than last season.
Although there are four rounds left there are many things that can and likely will happen. There is no real way of knowing what these final rounds do actually hold but we can bet that ATV racing in GNCC will never be the same after this year. A new ear has begun the challenges were set and the challenges were faced. Only one can win and only one can begin the new era as the leader. It’s that time. It’s time to find out where we are heading. It’s “time for the showdown.”
More 4-Wheeled Action (Jared Bolton)
While the 4-wheeled focus may be on the championship battle shaping up, there’s also plenty of racing left to do in other classes, including the 4x4 Pro ranks. What started out as a fun way for people to come out and race their utility quad, has evolved into ultra-competitive factory backed racing and since the birth of a true 4x4 Pro class, things have only gotten even more exciting.
Last year saw Bryan Buckhannon emerging as the first-ever 4x4 Pro champion. So far in 2015, Bryan has shown that the title was no fluke as he has consistently landed on the 4x4 Pro podium at every round thus far. While he’s only claimed 2 wins, he’s proved himself to be Mr. Consistent in the hopes for 4x4 Pro championship number 2. Of course, as with any other class, he has significant challengers standing between him and the title.
The Polaris duo of Kevin Trantham and Michael Swift sit tied for 2nd place in the 4x4 Pro class. Each have had their off days, but they’ve both definitely had their days where they were on as Trantham edges out Swift in the tie-breaker with 4 wins to Swift’s 3 wins. While Buckhannon holds the lead, these two sit just 23 points behind and a combination of smart riding with a little misfortune from Buckhannon could very well tighten up that points battle before the end of the season.
Of course, the 4x4 Pro class challengers don’t end there as there’s a number of riders who could potential step up to claim podium finishes in any given weekend. Robert Smith sits 4th in the class points with 4 podium finishes throughout the season, while Zac Zakowski sits 5th in class points with a pair of podiums on top of consistent 4th place finishes so far in 2015. (P.S. Zac, if your mom brings more of those fantastic chocolates to any of the last 4 races, I’m sure the track crew can help make them disappear if she wants to get rid of any!)
With 4 rounds remaining, anything is possible and the 4x4 Pro class very well could shape up to be another class to watch battle down to the wire. There’s no doubt that these guys are already some of the most impressive racers to watch as they manhandle their machines through the woods, but a true championship battle could make things even more interesting. Stay tuned!
#ThrowbackThursday (Jared Bolton)
Everyone loves a good Throwback Thursday photo, but how about an entire weekend of throwbacks? The 25th Annual DC Vet National will be taking place at High Point Raceway September 26-27. This event is a great chance for everyone to come out and enjoy a great weekend of racing, and just generally having a great time.
Saturday will host a hybrid GP Moto Cross Country event which will incorporate motocross and grass track, with a few woods sections as well. There’s classes ranging from Schoolboy, to 60+ as well as Vintage and even a Dual Sport class. Saturday evening will be full of fun as well with a $5 BBQ dinner, vintage movies, a live band, corn hole and much more.
Then Sunday will be dedicated to motocross with the typical Vet National classes ranging from 25+ to 60+ in addition to Vintage classes and for the first time ever, there will be support classes for Schoolboy, 18+, 65cc and 85cc riders. There will also be an all-day Swap Meet so you can bring out your vintage shirts, gear, bikes and more to sell, trade or buy.
Check out the event page on the Racer Productions website to get all the info, then come out and join us for all the fun! http://www.racerproductions.com/2015/08/25th-annual-dc-vet-national/
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What's New on RacerTV.com?
Catch up on all the GNCC action before the summer break is over! Videos are archived on RacerTV.com for your viewing pleasure, or whenever you have a couple minutes to relive some of this years great races! Check out the GNCC ATV, Bike and even UTV races archived on RacerTV.com.
News from GNCC, Riders and Sponsors
Pre-registration is currently open for not only Unadilla, but for all four of the remaining rounds. Go ahead, hit the Pre-Registration button, and get yourself signed up, because it will definitely make your weekend a little easier!
Alco Summer Break Special for GNCC Customers
Itching to get back to GNCC Racing? Running out of ALCO Cleaner?
ALCO can help you with at least one of those problems!
Check out this special offer below, but act fast! Offer Ends Soon!
