by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, September 27, 2018 | 8:05 PM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
Finally, its time to go GNCC Racing! This weekend we roll into the first-ever Mason-Dixon GNCC, which will be taking place on two former GNCC properties. It’s a bit unfortunate that it has been raining a bit on and off this week and it’s going to make for some wet conditions this weekend, but we hope that things just get better as the weekend goes on. The current forecast says we’re just about done with the rain and we’re looking to a good weekend forecast. It is going to be wet and slick but this is a fun course for sure, and a long one at that!
The start will take place on the Mathews Farm property, just around the two-mile mark. Off the start you’ll roll into a good section of woods that has some slow, tight, off-camber areas and some faster double trail for passing. That brings you by the three-mile mark where you’ll work through some faster stuff and climb back up to a field section. On the other side of the field, you’ll drop into a tighter section of woods that works its way to the four-mile mark.
Past the four, you’ll encounter some more off-camber stuff and lead you all the way to the Mason Dixon Line. The ATV races will actually run right on top of the Mason Dixon Line while there will be a bike-only section that will run a little way into West Virginia before coming back into Pennsylvania. When the trails tie together, there is a slightly more open section of woods that winds back and forth to the five-mile mark. After the five, there are a few more off-camber sections and some cool ups and downs. That takes you out to the six-mile mark to some more technical type woods. Just before the six and a half, you’ll cross the road and head to the High Point Raceway property.
When you cross over, you’ve got a big grass track that will run over to the woods and you’ve got a faster trail to the seven-mile mark. Past the seven is some slightly tighter and twisty trails that bring you back into the grass track and past the eight-mile mark. You’ll work your way across the grass track and into the woods again. This section of woods has a couple of little hillclimbs and some faster trail before it hits the nine-mile mark.
From there you’ve got some some twisty double track trail that takes you to the ten-mile mark, then you come out behind the motocross track and run a short section mixed with grass track and some woods. The grass track brings you out to the motocross track at the 11-mile mark. You’ll run around the motocross track and into another grass track section to the 12-mile mark. At the 12, you’ll cross back over the road into another grass track section that brings you into some tight off-camber woods before you pop out into a section of trackside pitting past the 13-mile mark.
That brings you into the finish and then you’ll have a mix of tight off-camber trail, field sections through the pro pits and another section of trackside pitting that brings you back to the start. Overall, its going to be a whopping 13.2 miles! This is going to be a good one, even though it’s a little wet.
As mentioned, we will be using the motocross track on the High Point Raceway property and we want to remind everyone of GNCC’s policy on motocross tracks. Due to the nature of off-road racing, there is generally no fence barrier around a GNCC Racing course. Team members and race fans are permitted trackside in most areas, but must maintain a safe distance from the course. However, in the event that all or portions of a motocross track restricted by a fence barrier is incorporated into the race course, then in that event team members and race fans are prohibited from accessing the motocross track. Trackside pitting is prohibited inside the fence barrier of a motocross track, and team members and race fans must remain outside the fence line. The infield of a motocross track is a restricted area, accessible by race officials and staff only.
So, this weekend please remember that you are NOT permitted on the motocross course while the races are going on and we thank you for your cooperation. That’s going to do it for me this week, as there’s a lot of work to be done. We hope to see you at the Mason Dixon, don’t miss it!
Catching Up With Ken (Ken Hill)
Can you believe it; we are finally going GNCC Racing! I was thinking last night that Snowshoe was the last GNCC so it’s been forever since the big show was up and rolling. Now the cancellation of Black Sky really makes it seem more on the forever side of things but after reading so many posts on social media about the excitement that’s building for this weekends event, I got even more amped up! I don’t really show my excitement on my sleeve but trust me, I’m looking forward to seeing how this all goes down after such a long hiatus, mainly for the ATV side of things. You bike riders seem to have a huge event every weekend all over the country while the ATV riders are hit and miss during the break so there are loads of folks just itching to get back to final rounds and cap off the 2018 season.
Now it’s been wet here and I am 3 hours south of the race and there has been lots of chatter about mud and doom and gloom and it may be justified. I will not know the status of things until I read Jared’s portion this evening or see for myself tomorrow. Pennsylvania is a bit hilly but water runs off those hills pretty well so it may end just being a few sections here and there that get gnarly, but that’s cross country racing! I expect we should get through the weekend without a major mud fest to deal with but as always, prepare for everything and anything!
In the press release earlier this week they mentioned Chris Borich winning the last round raced here in 2003 so I know he will be pushing hard to try and claim the win here to pad his record, as well as mark another notable in the history books. The time span he has been racing sure comes to mind when you think about all the miles he has logged as a XC1 Pro. It’s pretty cool to see that he still remains a fierce competitor capable of taking race wins. There will be plenty of riders doing their best to shut him down including Walker Fowler and Jarrod McClure who know this terrain all too well. Add Brycen Neal to the mix and this should be a heated two-hour battle.
That’s about all from me this week. I am just stoked for us all to get back to racing and give me something to write about! Its time to gear up and move out so as always, may God bless you in all you do and in your travels, see you all soon!