Weekly Updates (Chelsea Taylor)

After a successful ATVMX banquet this past weekend in Sandusky, Ohio we are ready to switch gears back and focus on Ironman! With so many different activities going on, we want to go ahead and start letting you in on all the goods so you can start planning your trip!

Yesterday we announced that the Ironman GNCC will once again be a “pink” race in honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Number plate restrictions will be relaxed and we encourage everyone to run pink number plates. You can get those HERE via Stuk MX Graphix. The purchase of a front number plate will result in a $5 donation, and a set of full backgrounds will donate $10 to the Montgomery County Free Clinic (MCFC), which is the same organization we partnered with last year. 

I also received word from Linda Zakowski that Zakowski Motorsports will be returning with their own fundraiser and I’ll let Linda tell us a little more about their plans – “Zakowski Motorsports will be at Ironman again full swing in PINK!! We’ve raised the bar this year; our new goal is $20,500.  In addition to $10.00 t-shirts and beanies, we have added pink tutu’s, pink fairy wings, pink sunglasses, socks, and much, much more. This year we will be selling chances to win an autographed jersey from the 4x4 Pro Racers!! We are so excited to have these guys helping us support Breast Cancer Awareness! We have jerseys from Bryan Buckhannon, Kevin Trantham, Michael Swift, Zac Zakowski, Robert Smith, Jordan Phillips, Ben Bruce, Corry Savage and Tanner Bowles.

We’ll have our bright pink Breast Cancer Awareness Canopy thanks to Spider Graphics. So please stop over and support our cause and help us reach $20,500 to donate 100% of all sales!!”

It sounds like Zakowski Motorsports will have you covered if you forget to bring out your pink items to the race! But remember to bring all your pink gear, hoodies, scarves and more so we can make this a “pink out.” We will once again be auctioning off the podium backdrop and I’ve also heard rumors of pros auctioning off some of their items as well to donate to MCFC. Once we can confirm that we’ll keep you up-to-date on Quick Fill and GNCC social media!

Majority of the fun will be happening on Saturday night so both ATV and bike racers can enjoy! The activities will kick off with trick-or-treating from 5-6pm around vendor row and the amateur pits. We will be using balloons to signify where the candy will be. If you’d like to participate in handing out candy at your pit you can get a balloon at rider registration.

Team Faith youth activities will run from 5-7pm and joining Team Faith will be Fuel Ministries. Together they will offer activities for young kids to teenagers such as music, the fun 9 Square game and a bouncy house. After trick-or-treating will be a costume contest also taking place at Team Faith at 7pm, after the contest will be chapel service with s’mores to follow.

Of course we can’t forget about the Parts Unlimited hospitality dinner that will start at 6pm. We’ll also be featuring a couple of great bands as well! That will kick off at 7pm with Stone Senate and the popular Davisson Brothers Band to follow. Since this is one of the larger GNCC’s make sure to pre-register so you won’t be standing in line when it comes time for all these activities. In addition to your $20 Race Gas gift card from Rocky Mountain you will also receive a commemorative poster!

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at the famous GNCC ten seconds call? Well here’s your opportunity…

 

The search is on for the best "TEN SECONDS" call! Submit a video giving us your best "TEN SECONDS" using the hashtag #GNCCTenSeconds and you could be a winner! Contest rules and info below. Rules & Info: 1) Must tag @gncc_racing 2) Must use the hashtag #GNCCTenSeconds 3) One video entry per instagram follower 4) Deadline: Oct 23rd 5) Winner Announced: Oct 26th at 5pm ET #GNCC #GNCCNation #GNCCLIVE #GNCCTenSeconds

A video posted by GNCC Racing (@gncc_racing) on Oct 12, 2016 at 2:07pm PDT

 

You have a chance to win four tickets and four MotoTees event shirts at the 2016 season finale at Ironman Raceway with you own rendition of announcer Rodney Tomblin’s “Ten Seconds.” Make sure to tag @gncc_racing on Instagram and use the hashtag #GNCCTenSeconds. The deadline is on Sunday, October 23, and we will announce the winner on October 26 at 5pm. Get to practicing and good luck!

Don’t wait to reserve your spot at the banquet. More information is HERE. 

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend there is a memorial ride/race for Steven Wotring at Sleepy Hollow MX Park in Fredericksburg, PA. I know there are a lot of ATVMX racers who are planning to attend including some pros, so this would be a great opportunity to just hang out and have a great time riding! If you’re thinking about going, you can get all the details HERE.

Happy Thursday!

Futures So Bright (Rodney Tomblin)

A look at the calendar and we see we are so close to the end of the 2016 GNCC Racing season. No matter how right, or wrong, any predictions and assumptions may have been, you cannot deny that this season produced some of the best championship battles we have seen in some time. I refer to the championships as a whole, from Youth to Amateur to Pros. I include quads, bikes, UTVs, Single Seats and Micros. All classes brought the best of everything everyone has this year.

The season has been so great, it makes one wonder if this is the peak or are we still climbing? I must say we are on the incline. It’s amazing too see that through the hard times the numbers have stayed as strong as any could considering the financial standpoint in our economy. This gives me so much hope for the future of our sport and helps to know that things will get even better in the world of racing.

It’s going to be hard to achieve a level of greatness higher than what we’re currently seeing in the world of GNCC Racing, but if we look at the big picture we are just now getting into the heart of the GNCC racers groomed for greatness from a young age. The wave began on the bike side of things with Charlie Mullins and has seen steady influx of riders working their way through the ranks to the Pro class. Kailub Russell may be considered the end of the first wave of talent harvested to the Pro ranks in GNCC. The next wave we see coming may be riders like the Baylor Brothers, Trevor Bollinger, Layne Michael, Jesse Ansley, Mike Witkowski and host of other riders working their way to the top.

On the ATV side, this is another very hard goal to achieve. However, if the levels of intensity shown by the rising stars like Walker Fowler, Brycen Neal, Landon Wolfe, Jay Shadron and others, on top of what some may say is the next wave with Cody Collier, Westley Wolfe, Greg Covert, Hunter Hart and more, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to come and I, for one, am elated at the possibilities of what the future of our sport holds. 

I guess in conclusion this week I am saying that the silver lining for GNCC is getting brighter and brighter. The future looks good. The competitiveness is off the scale and excitement continues to build. When the 10 AM race looks like a 1PM race, it tells me everything is moving forward in this sport and it appears to continue forward. The future is so bright you may want to grab your shades.

Ty Kesten Memorial Golf Outing (Andrew Fredrickson)

This past weekend Moon Golf Club in Moon Township, Pennsylvania played host to the 1SIX Foundation’s Ty Kesten Memorial Golf Outing and while the forecast was looking iffy at first, the rain stopped right as we got a few miles from the course and it was smooth sailing from there. Upon entry to the clubhouse, coffee, gift bags and donuts awaited as everyone geared up for the tournament. Along with the goodies, a silent auction and 50/50 raffle were setup for all to participate in. After a discussion about the rules (best ball scramble format, yes!), it was off to the tee box.

Our group consisting of myself, Chase Stallo, Bill Ursic, and Dan Carlson were positioned to start on the fifteenth hole, where the longest drive challenge was taking place. As luck would have it, none of us even hit the fairway, doh! While the drives weren’t anything to brag about, our approach shot was solid on the green and Bill drained a 40-foot putt to get our first hole, and birdie, out of the way. From there it was on to the 16th hole, a hole dedicated to Ty himself. The fairways were lined with signs, his bike was waiting beside the green, and there was a large “16” displayed beyond the green too. It was a sight to see and brought emotion and chills to all who took it in. As I’m sure Ty would have appreciated, there were a few ways in which the organizers made this tournament a little more fun. There were two luck of the draw holes, one where you spun a wheel to see how many times you were required to spin around your golf club before hitting your tee shot (within five seconds) and another where you picked a chip out of a bucket that dictated which club you’d be required to use all the way to the green. With Lady Luck on our side, we got a chip with 8-iron on it, which is pretty good considering every club in the bag was in there. As it worked out, we shot two perfect 8-irons and onto the green it was. More driving balls into the trees and taking big divots ensued, and we soon had 18 holes in the books. 

After the tournament was over a buffet dinner was provided for all who entered and silent auction and 50/50 prizes were awarded. All the money raised over the weekend will end up going to a charity of the 1SIX Foundation’s choice. It was all fun and games, while remembering the life of the young racer who lived life to the fullest in every way, Ty Kesten.  

ISDE Update! (Jared Bolton)

For the 91^st year, the legendary International Six Days Enduro is taking place this week with a number of top talent all in attendance. For those who may be a little unfamiliar with the event, or how things exactly work, here’s a little bit of a break down. Each country chooses one World Trophy Team, one Junior Trophy Team, one Women’s Trophy Team and a number of Club Teams. The World Trophy category consists of the best riders in the world from their respective country, as does the Junior Trophy category. The difference is that the Junior Trophy Teams are comprised of riders 23 years old or younger. 

Each rider also contests their individual classes; E1 (essentially 250Fs these days), E2 (250 2-strokes and 350/450 4-strokes) and E3 (300 2-strokes or big bore 4-strokes such as a KTM 500EXC). While each rider is in a class, the main focus is on the competition as a team. In year’s past the World Trophy teams consisted of six riders and the Junior Trophy consisted of four riders. Each day your rider with the lowest score, or DNF, would be subtracted from your results. However, this year saw some changes to that as the World Trophy teams were dropped to four riders and just three on the Junior Trophy. This also did away with the rule of dropping your worst score of the day, so it’s now extremely important that each rider on each team finishes all six days. The USA World Trophy Team consists of Kailub Russell, Thad Duvall, Taylor Robert and Layne Michael who was a last-minute replacement for Ryan Sipes after his injury at Powerline Park. The Junior Team is made up of Steward and Grant Baylor plus Trevor Bollinger, and there’s a number of familiar GNCC faces on some of the Club Teams including Jimmy Jarrett, Josh Toth and Ben Kelley. 

There are also some other rules that make this event very special. Riders must do nearly all their own bike work and they’re only allotted a little team each day to do so. At the end of the day, you’ve basically got 15 minutes to change both of your own tires. Your support crew can help with handing you tools, but it’s all up to you! This makes it even harder from a team standpoint as not only do you have to ride to the best of your capabilities, but you also have to be prepared to do your own bike work in a short amount of time. A strong rider and a strong motorcycle are huge key parts of the ISDE. There are six test sections each day for five days, which consist of large grass tracks or tight, technical wood sections. The sixth and final day typically consists of a motocross race or something similar, which is scored on a special formula that is a little difficult to explain, so we’ll stay out of that.

Historically, the American teams have struggled slightly at the ISDE. Here in the USA, we’re used to long, endurance type of racing. The European style of enduro, which is the format the ISDE follows, consists of short, sprint sections with plenty of time in between to make your transfers from test to test. USA has never been able to claim and World Trophy victories at the ISDE, but the Junior Trophy teams have claimed the win on three occasions over the years. With three days of racing complete, this year the USA is looking as strong as ever. 

Currently in the World Trophy category, USA leads the way with a total time of 8:08:42. Italy sits second with 8:10:18 and Spain holds third with 8:10:27. On the Junior side, Sweden holds the first place spot with a time of 6:12:18 while the USA moved into second place on day three due to some misfortune for the Spanish team. The USA Junior team has a total time of 6:14:15 and Italy sits third with 6:15:50. The key to success at the ISDE is keeping all of your riders on two wheels, staying within the allotted time and putting in their best, consistent finishes. It’s not uncommon to have a test score here and there that you’re not happy with, but the good news is that someone on nearly every team is having that kind of disappointing ride at some point in the week.

As far as the individual overall is concerned, Taylor Robert leads the overall ahead of Australian rider Daniel Sanders and putting together a very impressive ride so far is Josep Garcia Montana, a Spanish rider who is actually on their Junior Team! Kailub Russell currently sits fifth overall while Thad Duvall is 19^th and Layne Michael 27^th. Essentially, these guys have the best shot of any American team at winning this year’s World Trophy. With the help of Team Manager Antti Kallonen organizing some team training camps earlier in the year, and gradually getting better and better the past few year, this year’s USA World Trophy is poised to make their mark in the history books. There’s still a lot of racing to be done, but if these guys keep doing what they’re doing, then the USA could very well see their first-ever World Trophy victory on the horizon. Best of luck, guys!

The Rookie Champ (Chelsea Taylor)

Since 2014 we have witnessed the 4x4 Pro class continue to grow, but this year the class has majorly expanded past what anyone could have imagined. When all the guys lined up in Florida, there were a few new faces including Ben Bruce, Cody Taylor and Matt Hanna, while both Kevin Cunningham and Cody Miller made their return after trying out a few races in 2015. 

The duo managed to not only fit right in with the rest of the class, but they also quickly became contenders for the class and overall wins after they decided to devote themselves to all 13 rounds. It wasn’t long before everyone turned their sights to Kevin Cunningham. Kevin showed great promise when it came to the National Championship, and even though he was able to wrap the championship up early the road to success wasn’t easy.

Kevin not only had to fight off former class champion Bryan Buckhannon, but he also had to surpass many of the class veterans such as Michael Swift, Kevin Trantham and Jordan Phillips. Throughout the first twelve rounds Kevin’s consistency played to his advantage where he only finished outside of the top five once. After the series hit its midway point Kevin kicked it in overdrive and never finished off the podium.

As we discuss how much the 4x4 Pro division is growing and the changes that the class has seen, we just had another new rider join the lineup at Powerline Park. After clinching the 4x4 Senior championship early, Justin Wood voluntarily moved himself up into the 4x4 Pro ranks. Justin finished just inside the top ten with ninth, but it won’t take long for the Vigilant Vet team racer to be fighting inside the top five and possibly for a podium position.

Along with racing the full 4x4 Pro series, Cody Miller and Kevin are also a driver and co-pilot in the XC1 Pro UTV class. With only one round remaining Cody is close to closing in on the championship in that class. But anything is possible with UTV racing and as we head into Ironman the anticipation only continues to build. Will Cody be able to secure the Overall UTV National Championship? Will Kevin earn his fourth 4x4 Pro class win of the season? We will all find out on Saturday, October 29.

 #ThrowbackThursday (Jared Bolton)