by: Chelsea Taylor
Friday, June 23, 2017 | 10:40 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chelsea Taylor
(304) 284-0084
[email protected]
Thad Duvall Continues Quest for National Championship on Snowshoe Mountain
11th Annual AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC To Be Held This Weekend
MORGANTOWN, W.Va (June 23, 2017) – The 2017 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, travels to the scenic Snowshoe Mountain this weekend, June 25 and 26, for the 11th Annual AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC. Modeled after the famed Blackwater 100 race, the Snowshoe GNCC is known for being “America’s toughest race” and the world’s most talented motorcycle off-road talent will tackle the rough and rugged terrain for the eighth round of the GNCC circuit.
Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Thad Duvall leads the way into the Snowshoe GNCC after a big win just two weeks ago in New York. Duvall has spent the first half of the season proving that he is capable of becoming a National Champion, where he only sits ten points out of the lead.
Duvall seems to be on a roll, but FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell still remains in control of the points lead. With two bad races behind him, Russell is more than eager to get back on the box. Russell, 2016 Snowshoe GNCC winner, will be a man-on-a-mission this weekend as he aims to return to the podium after a two-round hiatus.
SRT/KTM’s Steward Baylor is also looking to keep the momentum rolling this weekend and take his second win of the year. N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell is eager to return to the box after a rough ride in New York. The Washington State native is well equipped for the rugged terrain that the riders will face this weekend.
R Russell’s teammate, Josh Toth, will start on the first row as he currently leads the XC2 250 Pro class. This could serve as a springboard to an overall podium finish – something he’s set his eyes on.
JCR Honda’s Trevor Bollinger has yet to make a podium finish this year, but the rookie shouldn’t be counted out for this weekend due to his past results on the mountain. Just last year, he scored second overall – his best finish to date.
Sunday’s race schedule is as follows: youth bike racing begins at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs and women at 10 a.m. and pros and top amateurs at 1 p.m.
Adult (12+) gate admission is $25 for the full weekend and $15 for kids (6-11), with kids five and under free for the full weekend. Gate admission includes pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge in addition to a free ski lift ticket, so fans can enjoy the race action below as they glide through the sky.
Local racers are invited to compete at this event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is $50 and riders can sign up at the track. To learn more about GNCC Racing please visit the GNCC101 webpage.
Local racers expected to compete this Sunday will be Kenny Hawkins (Super Senior A 45+), Brenden Poling (4-Stroke A Lites), Alec Karlen (4-Stroke B Lites), father Larry (Vet B 30+) and son Coalton Raines (200 B), David Gibson (Open C College 16-24) and Tyler Haddix (250 C Junior 26+).
This weekend is also a Race for the Heart with Dr. Bob Beto and the Heart Nexus team. Heart Nexus is led by Dr. Beto, who has over 25 years of experience in the cardiology field. Founded just three years ago, Heart Nexus focuses on bringing cardiology care to patients in rural areas through telemedicine. Most recently, Heart Nexus has also begun to concentrate on athletics, and they will be set up in the Snowshoe Village on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., and then again on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each GNCC racer is encouraged to take part in a free EKG test and familiarize themselves with cardiovascular issues.
For a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC event page on the series website by clicking HERE.
Tune into RacerTV.com on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST to catch LIVE coverage of the Pro Bike race. For more information on GNCC Live coverage, visit www.racertv.com. A highlight show featuring the event will air Saturday, August 26 at 7 p.m.
For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.
Previous Round Results and Points Standings
Tomahawk GNCC
Odessa, New York
Round 7 of 13
Sunday, June 11
XC1 Open Pro Event Results:
- Thad Duvall (HSQ)
- Ryan Sipes (HSQ)
- Steward Baylor (KTM)
- Josh Strang (HSQ)
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (HSQ)
- Jordan Ashburn (BET)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Kailub Russell (166)
- Thad Duvall (156)
- Steward Baylor (139)
- Ricky Russell (105)
- Josh Toth (101)
- Josh Strang (89)
- Jordan Ashburn (83)
- Grant Baylor (75)
- Trevor Bollinger (72)
- Craig Delong (68)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2017 National Champion.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results:
- Josh Toth (YAM)
- Layne Michael (HSQ)
- Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
- Craig Delong (HSQ)
- Michael Witkowski (KTM)
- Jesse Groemm (KTM)
- Ryder Lafferty (KTM)
- Zack Hayes (KTM)
- Brendan Riordan (YAM)
- Trevor Barrett (YAM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:
- Josh Toth (188)
- Craig Delong (144)
- Layne Michael (131)
- Mike Witkowski (129)
- Jesse Groemm (109)
- Austin Lee (94)
- Ben Kelley (92)
- Zack Hayes (91)
- Trevor Barrett (65)
- Sam Evans (62)
FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am Event Results:
- Jason Thomas (HSQ)
- Hunter Neuwirth (HSQ)
- Mark Heresco (KTM)
- Nate Smith (HSQ)
- Devan Welch (YAM)
- Josh Adkins (YAM)
FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am Points Standings:
- Jason Thomas (186)
- Jack Edmondson (145)
- Mark Heresco Jr. (137)
- Hunter Neuwirth (125)
- Josh Adkins (86)
- Jaryn Williams (80)
- Paul Whibley (67)
- Dustin Gibson (61)
- Devan Welch (61)
- Nate Smith (47)
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.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.
-RP-