As another race weekend fast approached, and our riders made their way to Snowshoe, WV; for a short while it looked as if there would be no Round 9. The whole area was hit by severe thunderstorms causing torrential rain and flash flooding. This washed away many bridges and roads, stopping many riders making their way up the mountain. However, as a beautiful dawn broke on Friday morning we were thankfully able to continue our journeys blissfully unaware of the true extent of the tragedy of the previous few hours. 

On arriving at the mountain top, it was clear that the GNCC crew had worked wonders building and rebuilding the track. However, the damage caused by the heavy rainfall was going to make this a tougher event than normal. For Team UXC's 4x4 Pro racers, Swift and Trantham, getting a good result before the summer break was essential. Confident in our package, a little luck is always needed on race day. 

As Ricky Towery made the 10 second call, the mountains of West Virginia came alive to the sound of four-stroke engines and the note of our Big Gun exhausts! Swift and Trantham got a little wheel spin off the start but, after making the first turn safely on the asphalt, within a few corners they were pushing for the lead. After completing 2 laps of both sides of the mountain, Trantham took the lead from Cunningham after he had to make a goggle change. Swift also took advantage and tucked in behind Trantham. Unfortunately, Miller had made a good start off row 2 and was leading on adjusted time. Trantham and Swift pushed each other hard to make back that time. Now well into the race, lappers were a significant problem, but the WV mud fleas in Howard's Hole guided the 4x4 riders to the best lines. With Trantham out front, Swift was also pushing hard. A Polaris 1, 2 looked on the cards, but an unfortunate collision with Miller caused some substantial damage to Swift's radiator. Trantham was left up front to take an intense battle to Cunningham and Buckhannon right to the finish line. Bringing home 2nd with Swift in 4th, Trantham said 'it was a great result for the team and put Team UXC Factory Polaris back in contention for the championship. 

Young Tayton Swift also rode a smart race and despite some mechanical issues finished in a strong 5th. In Senior 4x4, Widdicombe learnt from last year and kept his eye open for clean lines. This tactic served him well and gave him his highest placed GNCC finish in 2nd place. 4x4 A/B rider, Wright, had the full tree and mud experience for his first Snowshoe and finished in a very respectable 8th. 4x4 C rider, Snyckers, had a tough race but thanks to some mud flea mechanical help brought home a 9th place finish in his class. All riders said they were impressed with the clutching mods set up by Swift to compensate for the altitude. The STM Powersports/Airdam combination comes in to its own in conditions like this and continues to deliver strong results with our package. 

A last minute addition to the team for Snowshoe saw Bryan Hulsey compete in the Super Senior (45+) class on Trantham's spare Polaris Scrambler 850XP. Hulsey had a superb ride and finished 1st in class after working his way through the field against sport quads. Hulsey said he was amazed how the Custom Axis suspension/Teixeira-Tech combination really gave sport quad-like handling to such a big machine. 

With just 4 rounds left, the team heads in to the summer break in a strong position and ready for a well-earned rest. We have a few special events to keep us dialed in and will return to GNCC racing at Unadilla in September. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more info. 

As we go to press, Team UXC would like to send our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the families who have suffered tragedy in the wake of the terrible weather that affected WV.