GNCC Racing

Coastal Racing ATV Team Report: Cannonball GNCC

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 | 11:20 AM

The Coastal Racing/Answer/Maxxis/Waynesburg Yamaha ATV Team earned all top five-finishes on Saturday for Round 3 of Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in Sparta, Georgia. XC1 Pro ATV racer Brycen Neal led a majority of the two-hour race where he looked to secure a career-first victory until a last-lap mishap caused him to finish 4th overall for the day. Team rider Drew Landers captured his second-straight victory in the College A (16-21) class, while his teammate Eli Kiger captured a top-five finish with 4th place in the class.

Neal was one of the last riders off the line as the green flag dropped in the XC1 Pro class but the Ohio native was able to climb his way to 4th place by the end of the opening lap. Neal continued his momentum into the second lap where he eventually made the pass for the lead by the end of the lap. From there, Neal focused his sights ahead as he tried to create a gap on the rest of the field. 

Neal led a majority of the two-hour race on Saturday.
Neal led a majority of the two-hour race on Saturday. Ken Hill

Neal entered the fourth and final lap with a two-second lead over Walker Fowler in the 2nd place position. With about four miles to go, Fowler made a big pass to take over the lead position and the duo went head-to-head in the final stretch of the race. However, Neal lost his front brakes and overshot a corner, throwing himself into a tree. As a result, Neal lost two additional positions to ultimately finish 4th overall for the day.

"I got another horrible start and came around the end of the first lap in 4th place," Neal said. "I was able to move into the lead at the end of lap two and held it until about four miles left to go but Walker got a good line on me and made the pass. We were wheel-to-wheel and all of the sudden I lost my front brakes and didn't even realize it until I had too much speed going into the corner and went over the berm and smashed a tree. By the time I got up and back going McClure and Borich had both gotten around me and I had to settle for 4th place."

In the College A (16-21) class, it was Coastal Racing/Answer/Maxxis/Waynesburg Yamaha's Landers who got off to the early lead after putting himself in a favorable 3rd place position off the start. Landers battled with John Glauda Jr. for the first two laps as the duo flip-flopped the lead position. Landers was able to make his final pass stick on lap three as he took over the lead position for good.

Landers battled it out for a hard-fought victory in the class.
Landers battled it out for a hard-fought victory in the class. Ken Hill

Landers ended the day with his second-straight victory in the class, where he also earned the Top Amateur honors with 16th overall. With two victories in a row, Landers has climbed up to 5th place in the championship standings after a tough season opener set him back in the overall.

"The race was great all around," Landers said. "I got off to a good start with 3rd place into the woods and I pushed my way into the lead for some good battles during the first half of the race. I made the final pass for the lead again at the beginning of the third lap and began a sprint to the finish. My Coastal Racing Yamaha was on rails all day long, I'm ready to start working for the next round!"

Kiger also got off to a great start as he came around the opening lap in the 6th place position. The Pennsylvania native was able to pick off two more riders in the second half of the race where he moved himself into the 4th place position. Kiger finished strong to earn a season-best 4th place for the day.

"I started off the race well, I went into the woods in 8th and made a few passes on the first lap," Kiger said. "After I made it up to 6th I just focused on riding hard to catch up to 4th and 5th place. When the two-lap card came out I made the passes and rode the rest of the race in 4th. I'm happy with the day, especially with such a brutal track in Georgia."

Next ATV Event: GNCC Round 4 - April 8, 2017

Results from the Cannonball GNCC - Saturday, March 25

XC1 Pro ATV Results

  1. Walker Fowler
  2. Jarrod McClure
  3. Chris Borich
  4. Brycen Neal (YAM)
  5. Adam McGill

College A (16-21) ATV Results

  1. Drew Landers (YAM)
  2. John Glauda Jr.
  3. Kalab Hagan
  4. Eli Kiger (YAM)

Overall ATV Championship Standings

  1. Walker Fowler (90)
  2. Jarrod McClure (68)
  3. Brycen Neal (64)
  4. Chris Borich (55)
  5. Adam McGill (53)

College A (16-21) ATV Championship Standings

  1. John Glauda Jr. (48)
  2. Eli Kiger (46)
  3. McCain Jennings (44)
  4. Kalab Hagan (43)
  5. Drew Landers (40)