Weekly Updates (Chelsea Taylor)

Round seven, The John Penton GNCC, is upon us and it looks as if things are shaping up for another great weekend of GNCC Racing! As we mentioned last week, Wiseco will be presenting Rob Mitchell’s From The Other Side. There will be plenty of kettle corn, fruit and drinks so all you’ll need is a chair! The movie will be starting around 9 p.m. on the podium.

If you’re looking to get into the fun a little early you can stop by the Wiseco pit at 7:30 p.m. for the “Clutch Rebuild Challenge.” Wiseco is celebrating their 75^th anniversary in a unique way and will be giving out prizes to the top performers in the contest! 

The 12^th Annual KTM Youth Day returns this weekend. KTM will be focusing on the future of off-road racing this Sunday. Each motorcycle youth racer who enters The John Penton GNCC will receive a ticket to take to the KTM semi in which they can receive a free t-shirt. All racers and fans are invited to stop by the semi and check out Kailub Russell and Kacy Martinez’s bikes and talk with them in addition to Russell Bobbitt and Charlie Mullins who will also be around this weekend. Each racer will be present at the finish line to watch every youth racer cross the line and award them a finisher medallion. More information on this awesome event is available on our website.

Congratulations to Allie Spurgeon for signing with the KR4 team for the remainder of the 2016 season. Allie has been racing in the WXC class and putting in some consistent results, so hopefully with her new team she will be able to make her first podium appearance of the year! 

The SRT/KTM team will be at Athens Sports Cycles on Saturday, May 28, signing autographs from noon-1 p.m. This is a great opportunity to check out a local shop and see more of what the Athens/Millfield area has to offer. There will also be giveaways so if you’ll be traveling to the track on Saturday make sure to stop by and see Cory Buttrick and Steward Baylor Jr.!

As of now that’s all you need to know before this weekend. Safe travels to John Penton, we’ll see you there!

Update From the Woods of The Penton! (Jared Bolton)

If there’s one thing we know about The John Penton GNCC, it’s that there’s a little something for everyone. You like motocross? It’s got it! You like tight woods? It’s here! Fast woods? Yep! Rocks? Yep! Hills? There are a few of those! A pit full of piranha to jump over? Well, no, we don’t have that but it would be pretty interesting if that existed! This year’s John Penton course is about exactly what you would expect from the Ohio woods.

Once again we’ll be starting across the road. This time it’s at the end of the lap, but you’ll actually bypass the motocross track and finish line area off the start. From there you’ve got a mix of grass track with trackside pitting and a few short woods sections from the one to two mile markers. The 1PM races will be going up the hillclimb behind the concession stands once again, then work it’s way back down to tie back into the track everyone else will use. Going out to the three and four mile mark, you’ve got a good mix of some fast trails, some slower trails and a few up and down sections with a short little creek run thrown in for fun as well. 

The 1PM races will also have a couple more creek runs of their own. It’s the same ones we’ve done here before, but we’ll be running them just a little bit different than what we’ve done the past few years, so it will be cool to mix them up a little bit. From the four to five mile markers will have some more variety of trails, but this side of the property is a little bit on the tighter side. This will probably be the slowest part of the track for the quad races and a medium speed for the bikes.

At the six-mile mark, the quad races will continue on while the bike races will jump off into the tight John Penton single-track section we always run. I spent some time scouting trail out in there yesterday but it’s just a little too tough to navigate on a quad, so by the time you read this, I’ll probably be out cruising around the Penton section via two-wheels in order to find you guys a good loop over there. It will probably add somewhere in the neighborhood of one to two miles for the bike races. 

When it ties back in to head to the seven mile mark, things open up a little bit to some faster paced trails as the track works it’s way back towards the field where the start is. Around the eight-mile mark, you’ll cross back over the road by the start and do a little loop there before you tie back into the start. This side has a few good up and downhills in it, but nothing too major. There’s also a pretty cool grass track section that is going to be a lot of fun, and of course the famous mulch pile.

Once you tie back into the start, you’ll make your way to the motocross track and finish line. All-in-all it’s going to be just around 10 miles for the ATV races and depending on how long the John Penton section is, around 11.5 for the bikes. It has something for everyone so don’t miss out. It’s going to be a blast!

This Is Going To Be Big (Rodney Tomblin)

Last year’s running of the Wiseco John Penton GNCC marked it’s 25^th year and 26^th running of the now oldest standing GNCC on the tour. In it’s humble beginnings no one really knew that it would grow to such legendary status, but sitting nearly in the middle of Ohio’s off-road hot bed of riders it really is no surprise. The event has hosted some of the most memorable moments and likely some lasting moments we would like to forget. It has offered nearly every challenge a course can throw at someone, and yet the riders keep returning.

The John Penton GNCC, originally known as “The Burr Oaks 100,” began in 1990 and played host to the season finale that year. Chuck DeLullo won on the ATV side of things and then went on to win the 1991 ATV title. The following year a young gun from Pennsylvania name Barry Hawk Jr. scored his first of 68 overall wins and paved the road to eight GNCC titles. That first win set in motion one of the greatest off-road stories to ever be told aside from the John Penton story itself.

On the two-wheeled side of the Burr Oaks, Duane Conner took the first ever bike win. He has quietly made his return to this track many times and had I never looked at the history of this event, I would have never known. Duane is still a great rider on the GNCC circuit and though he was once a top pro he always seems to live in the moment of now. You rarely hear him bragging of past accomplishments, but when he does you should listen because even though he is not known as one of the GNCC greatest champions, he is one of GNCC’s greatest nonetheless. He helped pave the way and build some of the biggest names in our sport and for that I feel deserves a pat on the back and hearty thank you.

The John Penton GNCC may also be ground zero for our next ATV Champion. Still in high school in 2005, Adam McGill was racing the Pro-Am class and scored his first ever 2^nd place overall podium. He immediately left for his prom after celebrations, but a little over a decade later he is in major contention for the title. He currently sits seven points out of first place nearing the halfway point, and this round could be play a key role in the title chase for 2016. Adam hails from West Virginia, but not far actually from Millfield and has always called the Penton his home race. The McGill Mafia is sure to be out in full force.

Though Walker Fowler has never had any real standout moments at his home state track the Ohio boy has won the last two times. The “Fowler Fanatics” are sure to come out of the woodwork for their home state boy. Fowler may have lost a few points in the title, but this is the point in his first title defense he has to prove whether or not he can not only win a championship but also defend a championship. The first true test Fowler is facing comes this weekend and could be a toe-to-toe slugfest for the rest of the season.

The line is kind of split with the fans when it comes to Fowler and McGill, but one thing is certain there may be a new piece to the Ohio puzzle that could split fans this round. The young Brycen Neal who races under the management of Barry Hawk and is quite likely the most true hometown boy when it comes to the location. Brycen was born and raised literally only minutes away in Bidwell, Ohio. To say that Brycen will have a large fan base on hand may be an understatement. Taking into account he has come so close to winning already, and the extra support since he is so close to home, the question remains will this be the place for his first win? If so, it could be monumental. It is his home track and it is where it all got rolling for Barry Hawk. What better omens could be looming?

Another thing to remember on the ATV side of things at this race is that Chris Borich who is now in a 19 race winless streak has won here six times. The recent events with the way Chris has been riding, many feel win 74 for the GNCC All Time Wins record holder could come here in Ohio. Chris also has the historic fact behind him that a rider from the Pennsylvania has won 12 times which is the most of any state. As far as how many Ohio riders have won the number is two different Ohio riders on three different occasions. Kim Kuhnle won once and Walker Fowler won twice.

The John Penton GNCC also is the site of the first and so far the only win of local racing hero Cory Buttrick. Cory won in 2010 during his rookie season. Since that time though Cory has had some major struggles with injury and recovering. Now back to speed, Cory has shown signs of him old self. Cory is truly the closet rider to this location on the two wheel side of things as the too lives only minutes out of the front gate of Sunday Creek Raceway. Cory may be a bigger factor this weekend than expected and if local fans have much to say this may be another breakout moment about to happen for Cory B.

The one to watch this weekend though may just be Thad DuVall on the bike side of things. Though Thad has never gotten a win here he is likely one of the fan favorites. He is nearly everywhere we go, but being only an hour from his home he likes to call Penton home as well. The crowd will be out in full force and this may be a game changing weekend for DuVall in the end.

The possibilities heading into this weekend are truly limitless and could hold many surprises when it’s all done. The historic importance may not be known or felt until a late time, but one thing is definitely certain; Something is brewing in all the GNCC Racin’ Nation and this is going to be big!

UTV Racing Returns This Saturday (Chelsea Taylor)

After a one round hiatus, UTV racing returns this weekend at The John Penton. UTV racing is continually growing, and this year we have seen some of the biggest numbers and best racing in a while! At the conclusion of the hour long race there is always a new face on the podium. As of right now, Cody Miller holds the lead position in the points championship with a fairly large point gap. 

At the last round Miller made history where he we became the first person to win the 4x4 Pro class and UTV race in the same day. Miller has had a pretty successful season in the 4x4 Pro class, but when it comes to the UTV race he’s faired off even better because he hasn’t finished off the podium with two wins and a second place. Miller actually used to participate in the ATVMX series, but is now full time on the GNCC circuit.

The defending championship, Kyle Chaney, has had his fair share of difficulties and mechanical issues this season. However, Chaney’s machine was able to stay together to get him his first win of the season. Chaney sits tied for second in points, but he will be looking to charge hard and gain the lead back this Saturday. 

Jamie McCoy is setting himself up for his best season. Much like Miller, McCoy comes from a two-wheeled motocross background, but recently made the switch to GNCC racing and the UTV family. McCoy finished just off the podium in Florida due to the time adjustment, but was able to rebound at Big Buck to get his first ever UTV podium. Just like Chaney, McCoy had issues at Camp Coker preventing him from being a player for the overall. 

However, these aren’t the only three drivers in the race. There’s a whole slew of drivers who are eagerly wanting to stand on the top spot of the box and the saga continues this Saturday at 4 p.m.!