by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, February 28, 2019 | 2:45 PM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
The extended off-season ticks off one more week and we’re now another week closer to finally kicking off the 2019 GNCC Racing season. While the past few years have proven to be successful kicking the season off in South Carolina, this year we unexpectedly return the opening round to the traditional sands of Florida. This means a long and grueling day in the saddle through the deep Florida sand to kick off the season. That sounds like a total blast to some folks, and for others it’s probably not something you’re not too excited about.
Personally, I love the sand. There’s something a lot of fun about just letting your front end float over the loose sand and then being able to slam a corner as hard as you can. At the same time, it’s very easy to see how people dislike sand, as it gets very rough and whooped out over time. There’s also a big difference in the types of sand and sand races. The Wild Boar GNCC is pure sand and always tends to get rough, develop deep sand whoops and some exposed roots. When we make our way to South Carolina for the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC, that sand has a lot of loamy black dirt mixed in and while it gets a little rough as well, it holds up better and is probably the most fun sand you’ll find on the GNCC tour.
The unique thing about GNCC Racing is you encounter a lot of different soil. We’ve got that sand I just mentioned, but we also find our way into the Georgia red clay. It’s slick when it’s wet and hard packed when it’s dry, and The General GNCC facility tends to hold water in some low-lying spots, so there’s always some wet areas. North Carolina is also famous for it’s red clay, but the Steele Creek GNCC sees a mix of brown dirt, black dirt, red clay and even some sandy soil along the creek banks. As the series moves north, you get to experience Ohio clay, which I still believe is the slickest soil in the universe and then there’s a unique mix of brown dirt, black dirt, clay, rock, and more as the series progresses. Of course, it all ends with the loamy brown dirt that everyone loves at the Ironman GNCC. It’s this kind of variety that people enjoy and it’s part of what makes GNCC Racing so exciting.
Moving on, in last week’s edition of Quick Fill I mentioned that we were in Georgia scouting things out for The General GNCC. We’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re doing there and while overall it will be similar to last year, we’ve also mixed it up a good bit and it should be a lot of fun. Once again, the start, finish, pro pits and everything else will be based out of the Aonia Pass Motocross facility and there will be additional parking and hookups over on the side we used to race on. If you make your way over there, keep in mind that the family of the original owner are the ones who still own that and they’ve converted a big chunk of it to farm use, so please respect their fences when you’re over there.
Speaking of these early rounds, I’ve had a few people ask and yes, we WILL have practice in Florida since it’s round one. You can find all the times and details on the event page. We’ll be starting work on the Wild Boar racecourse on Monday, so make sure to check back next week and I’ll be sure to give you the low-down on what to expect. We have a few ideas we want to try out to mix things up and run some new trail, but obviously we have to check those out to make sure it’s even possible first. So, no promises but stay tuned as we may have something really fun in store for you.
That’s going to do it for the intro this week. Hope you’re ready to go racing because the time is finally getting closer! Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you back here next week!
AMSOIL Moto Hero Nominations (Kayla Bolton)
This year AMSOIL is partnering with the series to bring a GNCC AMSOIL Moto Hero to each and every round. Racers, Fans, and Industry Personnel are welcome to nominate themselves or someone they know who are currently serving in the military, retired from the military, are a first responder or former first responder for this prestigious honor.
When sending in nominations please send the following:
Full Name
City, State
What branch of military or if they’re a first responder
What GNCC Race attending
What race to present before (i.e. ATV AM, Bike PM, etc..)
Please email your nominations and/or questions to [email protected]
Looking Back on 2018 Part 12 (Jared Bolton)
This week we bring in the final chapter of our look back at the 2018 GNCC Racing season. With both National Championships locked it, the Ironman GNCC seemed as if it would be a bit more laid back than some of the previous rounds. However, just because the championship wasn’t on the line didn’t make the Ironman event any less exciting. Many riders look to end the season on a high note and carry them into the off-season fresh on the minds of the competition and fans alike.
Saturday’s ATV race would be business as usual when Walker Fowler would jump out to the early race lead. Much like those who would like to topple the champ in the final round, Fowler himself would also be motivated to end the season with yet another win. When the pack completed the first lap, Fowler would hold the lead with Chris Borich less than two seconds behind. It would be the following laps where Fowler would put a gap on the rest of the pack. On lap two, Adam McGill had worked his way into the second place position and was able to ride there for two laps.
Unfortunately, McGill would suffer a mechanical issue that dropped him out with one lap to go. Borich would make his way back into the second place spot while Brycen Neal found his way into podium contention in third. That’s exactly how they would finish, as Fowler would end the day with the win over Borich and Neal. Jarrod McClure would end up with the fourth place position ahead of Cole Richardson rounding out the top five.
Sunday’s motorcycle race would be built up to be one of the most exciting races of the season. With the championship wrapped up and a shoulder injury requiring surgery, Kailub Russell would make the decision to sit out the Ironman event. Many were picking Thad Duvall to be the favorite for the race win, but his second turn crash at Powerline Park left him with a wrist injury and force him to sit out the Ironman as well. With the two riders who had claimed every overall win out for the final round; it was tough to pick a clear favorite for the win.
Interestingly enough, XC2 class points leader Ben Kelley had ran in contention for the overall win at a couple of points late in the 2018 season, so not only were folks looking at XC1 favorites such as both Baylor Brothers, Trevor Bollinger, Ricky Russell and others, many folks had an eye on Ben Kelley, who had a shot to make history as the first-ever XC2 bike rider to claim a GNCC overall win.
When the race got underway, it was Trevor Bollinger taking the early lead. He held that through the finish line at the end of lap one but it would be Steward Baylor taking over the lead on lap two. Around this same time, Kelley was putting on a charge from the XC2 class and on adjusted time, he would take the overall lead. Meanwhile, in the XC1 class, Stu Baylor was maintaining the lead while Josh Strang was the rider on the move, working his way through the pack. He eventually worked his way into podium contention and on the final lap would find his way around Trevor Bollinger to take the second place position.
As for Ben Kelley, his hopes for the overall win would unfortunately come to an end on the final lap as a wheel issue forced a front wheel change and while it was quick, it was just enough time to drop him from the lead. Steward Baylor would take the Ironman win with Josh Toth ending the day with the XC2 class win and a solid second place overall. Josh Strang would finish second in the XC1 class while Trevor Bollinger rounded out the XC1 podium in third. Ben Kelley would finish second place in the XC2 class, which was good enough to wrap up the 2018 XC2 250 Pro class title. Mike Witkowski would round out the XC2 class podium in third.
This would close the book on the 2018 GNCC Racing season. With some tight racing, exciting events and an overall great season, 2019 has some pretty big boots to fill. But with this same talent returning to the pro ranks, and even some riders switching things up, the 2019 season also promises to be just as exciting as 2018. Here’s to 2019; don’t let us down!
#ThrowbackThursday (Jared Bolton)
Here's a classic ATV show from the 2002 Loretta Lynn's GNCC!
And here's another great show from 2002. This time it's the 2002 Big Buck bike race.
