by: Chelsea Taylor
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 | 5:35 PM
Fowler Leads the XC1 Pro ATV Battle Heading Into the
GNCC Opening Round This Saturday
The 2016 Championship Chase Begins for XC1 Pro ATV Class
The 2016 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship kicks off this Saturday, March 5 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka, Florida at the popular Rodman Planation. It has been six years since there has been a change in the National Champion heading into the first round, but N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha/Maxxis/Lonestar/MXP’s Walker Fowler will be sporting the No. 1 plate as he leads the rest of the XC1 Pro class in the Sunshine State.
Situated just an hour north of Daytona’s “Bike Week” festivities, the season-opening GNCC at the Rodman Plantation starts with action filled racing and plenty of fun activities. With so much momentum for one event, this round typically consists of action-packed racing while drawing fans from all disciplines of racing. This unique sand course mixed with mud holes and grueling obstacles is a staple stop in America’s premier off-road racing series.
For the first time Fowler will be heading into this year’s opener with a National Championship in hand and the knowledge of what it takes to add another championship to his resume. Fowler took home the overall win at the Wild Boar GNCC last year, but CST/LSR/Induction Solutions/Derisi/SG/Tire Blocks’ Adam McGill was right behind him crossing the finish line a mere two seconds after Fowler. The battle between these two continued throughout the season, and McGill will start the season nationally ranked second but will run his signature number 521.
JMR/ATVRiders.com-backed Jarrod McClure finished a career-best third overall last season, and the Pennsylvania native enters 2016 with a confident outlook on the season after winning his first career overall race win at the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC and the season finale race at the AMSOIL Ironman GNCC, earning him the Most Improved Rider Award at the 2015 GNCC Awards Banquet.
The first round is a true testament to a rider’s fitness, but is also the time for a rider to see where they stand in their preparations with their new sponsors. The six-time GNCC champion, Chris Borich, recently announced that he will once again be racing a Suzuki for the 2016 GNCC season. The Maxxis/Fly Racing/HMF/Ye Olde Cycle Barn/Suzuki-backed rider hopes to return to his winning ways in 2016.
After an outstanding rookie XC1 Pro season, Brycen Neal will return nationally ranked number five and join the brand-new Coastal Racing/MSR/Maxxis team managed by eight-time GNCC champion Barry Hawk. With the expert guidance from Hawk, Neal will be looking to earn his first XC1 Pro Overall class win on March 5 as he begins his quest for the National Championship.
The XC1 Pro line-up will be missing a familiar face. Chris Bithell finished last season ranked seventh, and has retired from racing to focus on his family and starting a new career. However, Chris will still be present as he continues riding as a UTV passenger for Can-Am/Chaney Racing/CT Race Worx/Maxxis/Fox Shocks’ Kyle Chaney in the XC1 Pro UTV class on Saturday afternoon.
With the absence of N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha’s Cole Richardson in the XC2 Pro Am class it leaves the door open for a new XC2 champion. While Richardson will be competing in his first full XC1 Pro season, many others will be fighting for the top spot on the box in the XC2 Pro Am class. Dillinger's Celtic Pub & Eatery/GBC Motorsports/Moose Racing’s Marty Christofferson, Pierce Performance’s Cody Collier and Ye Olde Cycle Barn/Walsh/Hetrick Racing’s Westley Wolfe will all be looking to capitalize on their off-season training and claim the first XC2 Pro Am win of the season.
Unique to any other GNCC round, this weekend’s schedule begins on Friday, March 4 with ATV practice and race registration at 11 a.m. GNCC Racing offers a practice session for all ATV racers, excluding UTVs, on Friday before the event. The cost is $20 per rider. Youth ATV practice will begin at 1 p.m. with all other racers practicing from 2 – 4 p.m. The practice course will be separate from the race course, but it will incorporate a small preview of what racers can expect when the green flag drops on race day.
Saturday’s race schedule is as follows: Youth ATV racing begins at 8 a.m., with Single Seat UTV racing at 9 a.m., followed by amateurs, 4x4 Pro and Women at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and pros race at 1 p.m. Following Saturday’s afternoon race will be Side-by-Side racing taking place at 4:00 p.m.
Adult (12+) gate admission is $20 for the full weekend and $10 for kids (6-11), with kids five and under free. Gate admission includes pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge.
Local racers are invited to compete at this event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the track. The local racers expected to compete Saturday will be: Cary Atkinson (Silver Masters 55+), father Jim (4x4 Senior 40+) and son Ryan Cain (70 CVT 6-11), Anthony Davidson (30+ C), Brandon Frazier (Schoolboy Sr. 14-17), father James (35+ C) and daughter Mikayla Hayes (Girls 8-15), Jacob Jackson (125 Jr. 8-11), Christan Jasperson (30+ C), Joshua Jeffreys (Schoolboy Jr. 13-15), Bryanne Parks (Women Amateur), Tre Seiffert (Schoolboy Jr. 13-15), Michael Shaffer (College B 16-21), father Michael (Super Senior 45+) and son Dylan Terango (125 Sr. 12-15), Cole Tucker (90 8-12), Cliff Williams (40+ C) and father Michael Sr. (40+ C) and son Michael Yodonis Jr. (50 CVT 6-11).
For a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit the Wild Boar GNCC event page on the series website by clicking HERE.
Tune in to RacerTV.com on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST to catch LIVE streaming of the Pro ATV race, and again at 4:30 p.m. for UTV racing. For more information on GNCC Live coverage visit www.racertv.com.
For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for exclusive content and to catch the latest news, and always be sure to hashtag #GNCCLIVE.