by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, September 22, 2016 | 7:30 PM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
It’s time to go GNCC Racing once again and this time we’ve got another set of back-to-back races coming up. This is something we’re used to with our opening rounds in Florida and Georgia but it hasn’t been done before at the end of the season. This will make things pretty interesting as only a week to recover from a tough and rocky Mountaineer Run GNCC before heading to Powerline Park will help to show whos the fittest of the fit. Speaking of the Mountaineer Run course, I’ve got some info on that coming up a little bit later so be sure to read ahead to know what you’re in store for this weekend!
Last week we mentioned the DC Vet Homecoming at High Point Raceway and we’d like to thank everyone who made it out! The threat of rain throughout the weekend actually stayed away and although the early practices and motos for Saturday’s GP Moto-X Country were a little slick, it eventually dug down to dry dirt and it got a little bit dusty in a couple of places. The second motos were absolutely phenomenal and everyone who made it out seemed to have a blast.
Alex Teagarden ended up coming away with the Pro class win after a hard fought battle with local motocrosser, Logan Martin. Unfortunately Logan would have a little issue in the second moto that handed Alex the win but they had a pretty good battle going early on! I think I turned about 20 laps throughout the day on Saturday between riding sweep and also making a little time to race the Open-A class, which was followed by sweeping the same moto I raced in! That’s a prime example of the fun and laid back atmosphere the DC Vet Homecoming offers, so make sure to keep an eye out for when we announce next year’s Vet Homecoming and mark it on your calendars!
Weekly Updates (Chelsea Taylor)
This edition of weekly updates comes from well, what I call home now, Morgantown, West Virginia. The office has been rather busy this week as we prepare for not only the Mountaineer Run GNCC this weekend, but also the Powerline Park GNCC that is also quickly approaching. The good news is it looks as if we are in store for a great weekend at Marvin’s Mountain Top.
We are looking at a great weather forecast for this weekend and I recommend getting to Morgantown early if possible to experience everything this cool little town has to offer! If you enjoy mountain biking check out either Coopers Rock or White Park which are both great places to go! You can also just check out the Coopers Rock overlook that’s only about a 500-yard walk from the parking lot if you don’t feel like biking or hiking. You could also check out the WVU campus, the famed High Street, or grab a bite to get at Oliverio’s, which happens to be one of our favorite places to eat at here at the office. If you need any ideas of what to do don’t hesitate to send me an email. Morgantown is one of the coolest, most different places I’ve ever experienced and I’m proud to call it home now!
Speaking of Morgantown, this Friday the On-Track school program will visit some local students at Eastwood Elementary and Mapletown Jr./Sr. High School with the help of Brycen Neal, Craig Delong, Emily Streets, Ian Flynn, Dustin Hendershot and Kaden Lambruno. Our program is typically focused toward elementary and middle schoolers, but we are excited to trying something new with high schoolers this week. Hopefully we will be able to turn this into a regular program and continue to branch out to even more students!
Two-time World Enduro E2-class Champion and former ISDE overall winner Johnny Aubert will try his hand at GNCC racing at the next two rounds. The Frenchman will ride his factory-backed Beta 300 RR this weekend and at Powerline Park. You can read the full release from Beta HERE.
Trevor Bollinger will also experience racing in a different country come November. We recently announced that we will be sending Trevor over to compete in the JNCC season finale AAGP race which will be held Sunday, November 6. For 11 years, GNCC and JNCC (Japan National Cross Country) have partnered together and we are excited to have Trevor represent us later this fall. Get all the details HERE.
Please note that campfires are NOT allowed this weekend at the Mountaineer Run GNCC. We have experience a very dry summer and as a result of that the fire alert is high. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but at this time we cannot allow campfires this weekend.
Make sure when you’re packing up your camper this weekend that don’t forget your four-legged fur friend. This Saturday, September 24, we will have the Mowgli Memorial Show at 8 p.m. right after the Team Faith church service. We will have lights on the start line creating the ultimate “dog show arena.” There is a total of seven categories: Pro Class (registered pedigrees), 4-Stroke (70+ lbs), 2-Stroke (<70 lbs), Lites (terriers, miniatures, foo foo dogs), Utility (Shepherds, labs, retrievers, service dogs), Senior (Dogs 10+ years), Pee Wee (Puppies less than 1 year). Each category will be judged on appearance, tricks and costumes.
Attention all golfers (or want to be golfers)! On Saturday, October 8, the 1SIX Foundation will be hosting the Ty Kesten Memorial Golf Outing in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. GNCC Racing would like to invited all racers and family members to attend. The day will be filled with fun, laughter and memories.
Players can register as a single player, and either request team members or be placed in a group. All proceeds will benefit the 1SIX Foundation, which was created in memory of Ty Kesten who tragically passed away due to a racing accident earlier this year. Ty’s legacy continues to live on through the 1SIX Foundation as they follow their mission to give back to those in need.
Two different holes will feature special “Hole in One” prizes including a car and vacation. In addition, there will be multiple door prizes including: a set of golf clubs, a 60-inch television, Steelers football tickets, a Yeti cooler and much more, making this a don’t miss event. For more information, please click HERE.
Passion Driven (Rodney Tomblin)
The upcoming weekend of racing at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC is set to be another must see race as far as GNCC Racing is concerned. We know that every division has something exciting waiting and the only thing to wonder now is, can this intensity continue? If history is any indication, then it is likely you will leave the races shaking your head wondering how do they do it week after week. The only thing that one can deduce it down to is pure passion.
Passion is what keeps riders, families, crews and fans coming each week and each brings their own level to the table, which translates into amazing battles. The racing lives up to the hype it is given with each green flag waving and often times it reaches levels that one may think would be hard to duplicate but somehow it is and will likely be repeated again this weekend.
The focus of the races seems to be generally on the XC1, and that is done rightfully so. The passion driving these riders has brought them to the top level of the sport. While some have established themselves, there are some that are still looking for that one moment to separate themselves from the crowd. It is a hard feat to accomplish but it may look like we have another challenger on the horizon. Landon Wolfe has shown some great strides this season and what looks like his best year to date in the XC1 class.
Landon is a rider that worked his way through the ranks and has posted his most consistent pro season to date. He also recently posted his best results at Unadilla GNCC of fourth place overall and is expected to come into Masontown riding this wave of confidence. The confidence has been building all season for this rider and he may have gained even more this year racing some events on a motorcycle.
That’s right! If you haven’t heard, Landon took a near top twenty overall at the Rattlesnake National Enduro. Had it not been for a few little mechanical issues it could have been even more impressive. This strong performance, coupled with his consistent rides this season gave him all he needed to feel competitive. It is expected that this has inspired the young man to rise to the occasion this weekend to show it was all a part of the process and not just luck. It could be a rather monumental challenge though considering the track style and conditions heading into this weekend.
One class that seems to really be standing out heading into this weekend is the XC2 Pro Am ATV class. Early in the year a lot of attention was being paid to Westley Wolfe. Even though Westley is sitting third in points right now and not technically too far out of the hunt for the championship, it is not where he had hoped or wanted to be at this time. He had hoped to be contending for the championship but early season struggles will haunt him in the final tallies. Another thing haunting him is the war waging now in this class by two New York riders that are each out to make their mark.
Marty Christofferson and Greg Covert have set the pace heading into the final stages of the season. Each has consistent finishes all year long and neither has finished outside the top five all year and it is likely to see them on the podium for the class each round. At the moment, Greg Covert has a 27-point lead over second place Christofferson. Westley sits another 17 points back in third. The point spread alone tells a good story and it warrants a little attention during that afternoon ATV race while the XC1 Pros are battling it out as well.
Mountaineer Run Update! (Jared Bolton)
This year’s Mountaineer Run GNCC course promises to be one of the best that this venue has ever produced! Of course, don’t let the above photo fool you, we’re NOT riding in the river. In fact, it’s actually a very long way down to the river and it’s around 1,100 feet of elevation change from the top of Marvin’s Mountain Top down to the Cheat River. In other words, it’s incredibly steep, even taking the old switchback logging roads to the bottom.
The start will be in a different location this year, just below the Bike Pro Pits, which are located up on top where they were two years ago. The start is actually just beyond the one-mile mark. Once you start you’ll drop off into a little valley through some rocky trails before it opens back up to some faster trail to the two-mile mark. From the two you have some more open stuff out to your first big field section which will take you all the way to the three-mile mark, which is where you’ll get into some slower, slightly tighter trails.
These will lead you into your first rock section, which is actually pretty easy if you take your time and pick good lines through it. From there its some nice flowing trails out to the four and five mile marks. Past the five you’ll work your way up a long uphill section. The last bit of it gets a little bit steep but it has multiple lines and is very doable. From there you’ve got some more open trails with a couple of rocky areas out to the six, and then just past the six and a half you’ll hit a pretty good little rock garden section.
From there you’ll head out through some more open trail to the seven mile mark and then just past the seven you’ll have another big grass track section that will take you into a little piece of woods to the eight. From the eight you’ll work your way through some fun, flowing trails that will eventually get a little on the tight side out to the nine-mile mark. From the nine you’ve got some slightly technical, off-camber sections all the way to the ten-mile mark, which will bring you into another grass track section and up to the finish.
From the finish, it’s just over a mile back to where you started and that mile has a couple of short woods sections with some easy rock sections and another open grass track area around the pits. All-in-all it promises to be a lot of fun, so we hope to see you out on the trail this weekend!