by: Chelsea Taylor
Thursday, November 17, 2016 | 3:20 PM
GNCC Hometown Hero Program Expands to all 13 Rounds
Local Racers Deemed Ambassadors for GNCC Racing
With the 2016 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, season now complete, Racer Productions is pleased to recognize the 2016 Hometown Heroes. GNCC Racing partnered with 52 amateur racers throughout the season in an effort to connect competitors to their communities in a unique way.
Now in its second year, the Hometown Hero Program is designed to allow local GNCC racers an opportunity to help promote and grow their favorite sport by participating in local grassroots marketing campaigns. Participants were equipped with ready-made press release templates to fill out and submit to their local media outlets, school newspapers and websites. In addition, participants hung up posters at various local hangouts such as restaurants, bars or grocery stores, and then use social media outlets and the official hashtags of #HometownHero and #GNCCracing, for proof of involvement and to receive their gift of a free race entry at their hometown event.
Just two weeks ago the 22nd Annual AMSOIL Ironman GNCC became the largest rider attended event in 42-year-long GNCC history with a total of 2,442 ATV and motorcycle competitors. This record setting event is due in part to our Indiana Hometown Heroes: William Witty (Martinsville, IN), Paxton Dickerson (Vevay, IN), Rod Marshall (Lebanon, IN) and Luke Preston (Bedford, IN).
Sadie Welch, Dalen Lane, Cameron Abee, Kendall LaFollette, Colby Davis, Emily Street also participated in the On-Track School Program that travels in conjunction with the GNCC circuit. The school program gets involved with local communities and brings GNCC racing to the next generation by speaking about ATV/motorcycle safety, goal setting, perseverance and anti-bullying. This well-established program, now its fifth year, reached over 3,700 students at 11 different schools across several states.
For more information on the Hometown Hero Program and GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Also follow the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for exclusive content and to catch the latest news
Congratulations and thank you to all our participating Hometown Heroes, please see below to view the full list of 2016 GNCC Hometown Heroes.
Round 1 – Wild Boar – Palatka, FL
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Bryanna Parks | Rockledge, FL | ATV | Women Amateur |
| Dylan Terango | Plantation, FL | ATV | 125 Sr. (12-15) |
| Jesse Ansley | Myakka City, FL | Bike | 200 A |
| Amanda Richardson | Largo, FL | Bike | Women Amateur |
Round 2 – Cannonball – Sparta, GA
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Dwight Pollard | Clayton, GA | ATV | Junior A (22+) |
| Dylan Walraven | Dallas, GA | ATV | Super Mini (12-15) |
| Woody Bramlett | Dalton, GA | Bike | Golden Masters (60+) |
| Josh Lee | Statesboro, GA | Bike | XC2 Pro Lites |
Round 3 – Steele Creek – Morganton, NC
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| James Glauda | Waxhaw, NC | ATV | 125 Jr. (8-11) |
| Roger Iwerks | Forest City, NC | ATV | Silver Masters (55+) |
| Harry Engelhart | Charlotte, NC | Bike | Super Senior A (45+) |
| Hunter Williams | Sophia, NC | Bike | 4-Stroke B Lites |
Round 4 – Big Buck – Union, SC
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Cameron Abee | Union, SC | ATV | Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) |
| Prestin Raines | Travelers Rest, SC | Bike | Girls (8-15) |
| Vance Earl | Blacksburg, SC | Bike | Super Senior A (45+) |
| Chris Venditti | Fort Mill, SC | Bike | 250 A |
Round 5 – Camp Coker Bullet – Society Hill, SC
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Kayla Norris | Aiken, SC | ATV | WXC |
| Johnny Thomas | Charleston, SC | Bike | Elite Masters (65+) |
| Andrew Segars | Sumter, SC | Bike | 65 (7-9) |
| Kendall LaFollette | York, SC | Bike | WXC |
Round 6 – Limestone 100 – Springville, Indiana
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Sadie Welch | Shelbyville, IN | ATV | Women Amateur |
| Dalen Lane | Martinsville, IN | ATV | 50 Open Sr. (7-11) |
| Robert Williams | North Vernon, IN | Bike | Masters A (50+) |
| Rachel Gutish | Terre Haute, IN | Bike | WXC |
Round 7 – The John Penton – Millfield, OH
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Ayden Konkler | New Lexington, OH | ATV | 90 (8-12) |
| Kamren Bobb | Bainbridge, OH | ATV | WXC |
| Collin Ghearing | Jackson, OH | Bike | 85 (12-13) |
| Darin Darmos | Amherst, OH | Bike | Senior B (40+) |
Round 8 – Tomahawk – Odessa, NY
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Jonathan Henry | McGraw, NY | ATV | 90 (8-12) |
| Austin Conklin | Elmira, NY | ATV | 50 Open Jr. (4-6) |
| Colby Davis | Berkshire, NY | Bike | 85 (12-13) |
| Michael Johnson | Lockport, NY | Bike | Super Senior B (45+) |
Round 9 – Snowshoe – Snowshoe, WV
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Haden Nicholson | Morgantown, WV | ATV | Super Mini (12-15) |
| Forrest Whorton | Ammisville, VA | ATV | 4x4 Senior (40+) |
| Kenny Hawkins | Elkins, WV | Bike | Super Senior A (45+) |
| Brenden Poling | Grafton, WV | Bike | 4-Stroke B Lites |
Round 10 – Unadilla – New Berlin, NY
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Serenity Clark | Elmira, NY | ATV | 50 Open Sr. (7-11) |
| Keaton Henderson | Wattsburg, PA | ATV | Super Mini (12-15) |
| Michael Beeler Jr. | Waterford, NJ | Bike | Super Mini Jr. (12-13) |
| Frank Tussel | Scotch Plains, NJ | Bike | Senior A (40+) |
Round 11 – Mountaineer Run – Masontown, WV
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Logan Waugaman | Junior, WV | ATV | College A (16-21) |
| Greyson Kuhn | Bruceton, Mills, WV | ATV | 90 Limited (8-12) |
| Emily Streets | Grafton, WV | Bike | Women Amateur |
| Layne Morris | Frazier, WV | Bike | 50 Sr. (5-7) |
Round 12 – Powerline Park – St. Clairsville, Ohio
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| Casey Simmons | Coolville, OH | ATV | Super Mini (12-15) |
| Glenn McConnell | Sherrodsville, OH | ATV | Silver Masters (55+) |
| Albert Chuppa | Northfield, OH | Bike | Elite Masters (65+) |
| Tanner Collins | Crooksville, OH | Bike | 85 (12-13) |
Round 13 – Ironman - Crawfordsville, Indiana
| Name | City, State | ATV/Bike | Class |
| William Witty | Martinsville, IN | ATV | 70 CVT (6-11) |
| Paxton Dickerson | Vevay, IN | ATV | 90 (8-12) |
| Rod Marshall | Lebanon, IN | Bike | Super Senior A (45+) |
| Luke Preston | Bedford, IN | Bike | 200 C (16+) |
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,400 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.