Catching Up With Ken (Ken Hill)

So Steele Creek is literally just a couple of days away and I hope this finds everyone ready to go because we are going racing! This facility is amongst the prettiest locations of the year to hold a GNCC and we will see some green trees beginning to bloom since spring has sprung. However, this place can be deceivingly beautiful while ripping apart your best plans. It gets rough, it gets wet, and it gets muddy. On top of this, there is always a huge crowd of racers and spectators alike. It can make for some additional traffic on the racecourse but it also means there will be a ton of mud fleas ready to take action when you need a little extra assistance in a muddy spot or a steep hill climb.

From a photographer stand point, having a ton of fans along the fence makes for great images so I hope to see as many faces as possible lined up on the perimeter of the starting line this weekend. Of course, I know that’s an easy order because the Steele Creek fans are a hearty bunch that doesn’t miss much action. It’s almost like a sixth, or maybe even a seventh sense for some of the spectators. They know its time to begin their trek back to the starting line to watch the race take off. You may ask what is that other sense I mentioned? Well, that of course is the ability to pick out the best vantage points along the track of course!

Speaking of which, there are a few good spots to break out a chair and watch the race here. The infamous bridge is a hot spot for spectators and it is worth a lap of viewing all the action. However, if you are outfitted for some water and mud, just down stream from the bridge is an area that can get really nasty, so don't forget to check that out. Most fans work their way along the stream to keep tabs of the action and the area around pro pits is good as well. Food vendors set up here at this round on both sides of the creek so be sure to give them some love and get a good lunch while you are waiting for the riders to make another lap. Beyond the creek, you’ll have to hike up the hills that peer down on the main parking area and they get slick and steep but are doable and afford you a good look at some of what the racers are dealing with.

I made a pass through social media to see how our pro riders are doing as we ramp things up to race day and it appears most had two main things they felt worth sharing. Easter pictures were everywhere as well as riding and racing videos and images from those catching some more seat time. Most of the Mid-Atlantic region had great weather for the weekend that led into snow that greeted everyone Monday. The IXCR series had a major snowstorm hit them and from the looks of things, it was an epic race! It is a testament to the resolve you all have and I applaud you for your efforts dealing with whatever comes your way. Of course, when just getting to the race is your biggest obstacle you know your weekend is not going to be forgotten anytime soon.

A few lucky souls, myself included, had the weekend off. For me, it was supposed to be a fairly easy few days catching up on chores and tackling clean up from the storms that hit our area while I was down south basking in the warm sun. Payback, karma, whatever you call it hit me as I slipped on a slick hillside while bucking up a fallen tree and my back went out. Luckily I did not do any damage to myself that required a trip to the ER, just the typical old guy back problem, again. I reckon when the good Lord wants you to sit down and relax he will make it happen one way or another. So its sweatpants, no boots and a few days rest before I saddle up and head out for a two week run that will have me going to Steele Creek, then to Texas for an ATVMX race then back to South Carolina for the next round of GNCC racing!

With that said, I will cut off my contribution here and get some rest. I hope everyone can get safely to this weekends race and enjoy your time at the track with friends and family. As always, be safe in everything you do and may God bless you all!

Steele Creek Preview (Jared Bolton)

Here we go! This is the part that most of you tune-in for each week prior to a GNCC event. We’ve reached the portion of Quick Fill where I give a quick run down of what to expect when you take to the track on the upcoming race weekend. I have to say, this year’s Steele Creek course is a little bit different than many will be expecting. Unfortunately, due to the mountainous terrain, its just not possible to cut in a bunch of new trail at Steele Creek, but we’ve mixed it up enough that it will feel like a different Steele Creek once you take to the trails.

This year the start will be located in the field directly behind the main food vendors. It’s essentially straight across from the front gate when you come down the “new” entrance road from highway 181. You’ll take off from the start and work your way through a small valley to a winding and long hill climb to the one-mile mark, so your first lap will be just a hair faster than the others. Once you hit the one, you’ll turn right and come down a valley and cross behind the old house that sits above last year’s start.

That drops you over to a back and forth section to the two-mile mark and a long downhill that brings you close to the pits, but that’s just a teaser as you’ll go back up the mountain once again through some open flowing trail to the three-mile mark. You’ll then come back towards the pits once again, but guess what? Yes, it’s just a tease once again as you’ll drop off a hill beside that valley you came down after the start and you’ll head out to the back section of the property. You’ll come to a quick uphill section that takes you across the ridge before dropping off a long, steep downhill that hasn’t been used in several years.

Once you come off that hill, you’ll be going right back up a hill again over to the four-mile mark. You’ll have some flowing back and forth trail that will bring you back downhill into a valley. That valley brings you close to a back section of the campground, but you’ll go back away from it once again and up yet another hill. Once you’re at the top, you’ve got some medium-speed trail that takes you to a downhill into a different valley before a very long uphill section to the five-mile mark and through the Monster Mile.

Naturally, you have to come back down that hill which brings you back beside that back section of the campground I just mentioned. From there, you’ll go up another hill and across the top of the ridge to the six-mile mark before dropping down into a short section of trackside pitting. From there, you’ve got yet another section to climb on top of the mountain again and into some faster trail to the seven-mile mark. This brings you off the mountain and long the creek for a bit before crossing under the infamous bridge and along the creek a bit further.

You’ll cut back away from the creek and head through some more trackside pitting over to the eight-mile mark. Just past the eight you’ve got a long and easy climb to another steep downhill section back beside that trackside pitting before climbing up the hill and back down once again to the nine-mile mark. That brings you into a faster section and to the wooden bridge across the creek. As you work your way past the bridge, you’ll come through a mix of some tighter and faster trail to the ten-mile mark.

At the ten-mile mark, you’ll come out to a section of trackside pitting that takes you through the field, back into some short woods sections and back into the field once again. This brings you all the way around to the finish line before entering pro pits and more field section back to the hill you went up off the start. Total lap distance will be just shy of 11 miles, making a full lap at just around 10.8 miles. So overall, this year’s Steele Creek course is a little bit different but still has all the sections that have made Steele Creek the favorite course it is. Don’t miss out!

Steele Creek Event Shirts!

Be sure to stop by and take a look at the Steele Creek event tees this weekend. As always, these look even cooler in person, and they'll go fast, so don't miss your opportunity to snag one!

GNCC Live on RacerTV.com

Tune in to RacerTV.com this weekend, April 7 and 8 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT for the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, round 4 – the FMF Steele Creek GNCC LIVE Broadcast from Morganton, North Carolina.

Saturday the ATV Pro riders take to the course, and we’ll see the defending champion, Walker Fowler, heading into round 4 with two wins, and a five-point lead over Brycen Neal.

Neal, who currently sits second in the points championship, earned his first-ever overall ATV win at The Maxxis General just three weeks ago. If Neal can keep his momentum going into this weekend’s race, he may just have what it takes to make it two-in-a-row. However, Fowler has managed to take home the win at Steele Creek the past two years and after finishing fifth at the previous round he is looking to redeem himself at this weekend’s GNCC.