by: Rachel Gutish
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | 4:20 PM
Hannah Hunter is from Saylorsburg, PA, finished third in WXC at The General and is just sixteen years old. Making this feature even more impressive is the fact that The General GNCC was her first ever race in the WXC class! I suspect that this is just the first step in what will be a long and successful racing career for Hunter.
GNCCRacing.com: First off, congrats on competing in the WXC class for the first time, and even further more congrats on earning your first-career WXC podium finish. What does it mean to you to finish on the podium in your first WXC race?
Hannah Hunter: It is still mind-blowing to me…. But I’m super excited to have accomplished that and I can’t wait for more podiums in the future!
So many of your competitors congratulated you in their own race reports – do you feel like the ATV WXC class is a pretty supportive environment?
Off the track, I feel like our class is a big family, but when we are on the track everyone wants to win, so it makes for some great battles.
And clearly you were ready for that level of competition, given how well you performed. But what made you decide it was time to move up?
Last year, I won six races in the Women’s Amateur class. Even though I had some bad luck towards the end of the season and ended my year in third place, I knew I had the speed to compete. I just needed to work on a couple thing over the off-season. And here I am.
How did you get started riding and racing?
My dad used to race GNCCs, and worked in the industry. He was Matt Smiley’s mechanic and also worked for Maxxis tires. My dad is the one who taught me to ride. I started out on a little Kawasaki 50 with my dad holding on to the back and running around the backyard with me.
Can you tell me a bit about your race at the General?
I had a pretty bad start because I was a little nervous, even though I knew I could get a top 5 finish. Once we started all the nerves went away. It took me a lap to get up to speed. And then I started picking them off one by one. On the white flag lap I passed third place and was able to hold it the rest of the race.
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
My goals are to stay consistent with a top-five finish at every race, and to not have any breakdowns. I’m also hoping to get a WXC win this season.
Do you have any long-term goals for your career?
I definitely want to win a WXC championship, that would be epic! Then if I can do that I want to try and break the all-time WXC championship record that Traci Pickens holds. That’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid!
Well, if you want to break that record, it’s a good thing that you’re starting so young! Last question – what is one interesting, non-motorsports related thing about you?
During winter break from GNCCs I wrestle for my high school varsity team. It keeps me in shape and helps me keep my cardio up during the off-season.
And who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank my dad and mom for everything they do, Texiera Tech, Ye Olde Cycle Barn, Maxxis, JMR for the countless hours he puts in on my bike, MIKA Metals, Hinson, Fly racing. Elka Suspension, Impact Solutions, Spyder Graphics, Kellner Motorsorts, Stone Concepts, Powermist, Precision Racing, Tireballs, RJR, DP Brakes, Renthal, Matto Cycles, and everyone out there cheering me on!