by: Rachel Gutish
Friday, March 29, 2019 | 7:00 AM
Specialized General Youth ATV Race Report
Hawkens and Buckhannon win at the General
Round two of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, took place March 16 and 17. The Specialized General GNCC is held at Aonia Pass MX in Washington, GA. Other than the motocross track and a mulch pile that always seems to make an appearance on the course, the most notable feature of the General is the red clay.
The youth ATV course in Georgia was approximately 4.2 miles. It cuts out some of the harder and more technical sections seen in the big bike races. As mentioned previously, the red clay is one of the most notable features, but near-perfect weather resulted in some of the best track conditions I’ve seen at the General – neither overly dusty nor super slick. While the course did develop large braking and acceleration bumps, that is to be expected here. The micro course contained similar conditions to the youth race, just on a scaled-down, 1.6 mile version. A total of 65 youth riders and 20 micro riders took part in the Wild Boar. Of these riders, Damien Hawkins was the overall winner in the youth race while Bodie Buckhannon was the overall winner in the micro division.
Although Damien Hawkins was fourth off the start, he worked his way into second place, behind Bryce Husband, at the end of lap one. On the second lap, Husband stalled his machine, allowing Hawkins to take the lead. Hawkins said “Once I realized I was in first I tried to run a clean, smart race. I rode without any complications to the checkered flag, getting my first youth overall win!” Parker Henderson battled through the pack, taking a second place finish after a slow start, while Paxton Dickerson came in third after running almost the entire race in that position.
Charlie Stewart took his second win of the season in YXC2 and placed 7th overall. He led the entire race, slowly but steadily increasing his gap over Nicholas Deering who was able to place second in his first GNCC this season. Shayne Crull made up several positions and was closing in on Deering but came up a single second short, finishing third. With his back to back wins, Stewart already has built up a 5-point lead over Crull, who is currently second in the points standings.
The overall non-YXC rider in the ATV youth race was Ty McGaughey (YAM), from Russellville, IN. He competed in the 125 JR. (8-11) ATV class and finished 12th overall.
In the Micro race, Bodie Buckhannon took a dominating win at his first GNCC this year. He was roughly a minute faster per his lap than his next closest computer, Garrett Cox. When asked about his race, Buckhannon said “I really liked the track. It was super fun and the dirt was perfect! Getting to stand on the podium with my friends, family and some of the pro riders watching was really cool!”
In the MXC2 ATV class, it looked as though it was going to be a good battle between Tyler McLaughlin and last round’s winner, Khyler Davis. Unfortunately, Davis experienced problems and did not complete any laps after her second. Likewise, Kayden Wasson, who was third, ended his race with a DNF after failing to complete a single lap. This stroke of misfortune left the race literally wide open for McLaughlin, who cruised to an easy victory. He finished 7th overall and is now sitting in the number-one spot in the MXC2 points standings.
The overall non-MXC rider in the Micro ATV race was Ryder McCormick (HON), racing in the 90 Stock (8-11) class. He had an excellent ride, finishing second overall!
The next round of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will take place on March 30 and 31 in Morganton, North Carolina with the Steele Creek GNCC. ATV and Micro racing will take place on Saturday while Bike racing will take place on Sunday.
For more information on the GNCC 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.
- Facebook: @gnccracing
- Instagram: @gncc_racing
- Twitter: @gnccracing
- YouTube: @racertv
Specialized General GNCC
Washington, Georgia
Round 2 of 13
March 16th and 17th
ATV YXC1 Race Results
- Damien Hawkins (YAM)
- Parker Henderson (YAM)
- Paxton Dickerson (HON)
- Bryce Husband (YAM)
- John Williams (HON)
National Championship Standings
- Parker Henderson (YAM) 38
- Damien Hawkins (YAM) 37
- Bryce Husband (YAM) 35
- Cooper Stewart (YAM) 33
- Paxton Dickerson (HON) 32
ATV YXC2 Race Results
- Charlie Stewart (YAM)
- Nicholas Dearing (YAM)
- Shayne Crull (OTH)
- Tyler Cox (YAM)
- Connor Walker (OTH)
ATV YXC1 National Championship Standing
- Charlie Stewart (YAM) 40
- Shayne Crull (OTH) 35
- Connor Walker 34
- Cody Whitaker (YAM) 31
- Landen Ostrich (YAM) 27
ATV MXC1 Race Results
- Bodie Buckhannon (DDR)
- Garrett Cox (DDR)
ATV MXC1 Championship Standings
- Bodie Buckhannon (DDR) 20
- Garrett Cox (DDR) 19
ATV MXC2 Race Results
- Tyler McLaughlin (DDR)
- Khyler Davis (DDR)
ATV MXC2 National Championship Standings
- Tyler McLaughlin (DDR) 39
- Khyler Davis (DPR) 39
- Reed Stevens (DPR) 18
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized 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 eMTB Racing
The Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship brings off-road racing and pedal-assist or electric bicycles together for an eight-round championship produced by Racer Productions. Much like a typical cross-country racing event, these races feature varied terrain featuring hills, rocks, roots, and more but are limited to electric, or pedal assist model mountain bikes only. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
How to Watch
Racer TV and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) are the official homes for coverage of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opening Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina to the finale at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, will air in 30-minute, taped-delayed telecasts on NBCSN, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 1 p.m. ATV and motorcycle races from each event. Catch all the action at http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.racertv.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.