by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, June 11, 2020 | 6:00 PM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
It’s time to go racing! For the first time since 2002, we’re officially having a High Point GNCC. Yes, everything will be based out of the Mathews Farm property where we host the Mason-Dixon, and yes, there’s a good bit of racecourse on the Mathews Farm property as well, but it’s still been 18 years since we’ve had an event called the High Point GNCC, and it’s really cool to be back. While it might be heavily based out of Mathews Farm, don’t expect it to be like Mason-Dixon. Everything has a very different feel, and its pretty cool to see all the trees so green.
Obviously we’re crazy busy this week getting everything ready, so we’ll keep this a bit on the short side but I will give a quick run down of what to expect out on the course this weekend. First off, expect dry conditions. It might not get quite as bad as last year’s Mason-Dixon but it is pretty dry in a lot of areas. There’s some moisture to be found in the woods, so hopefully it stays and keeps that deep silt away.
The start will of course be on the Mathews Farm property, and is in the same spot it was in 2018 if you were here for that event. You’re starting at the two-mile mark, so the first lap will be a bit quicker, and once you’re off the start you’ll drop into some twisty woods. It works its way up and down the side of some hills before opening up a bit at the three-mile mark. This brings you to a long, steep uphill before popping out into a short field section and back into some slightly tighter and twisty woods all the way to the four-mile mark.
Those twisty woods actually continue all the way to the five. There’s nothing overly difficult in there, but it’s good trail with some turns and not super fast. A bit after the five you’ll cross over the paved road and head out to the High Point property. You’ll run a little bit of grass track before dropping back into the woods. There’s a faster section that tightens up before dropping off a long downhill to the six-mile mark. From there, you’ll run some slower and twisty trail before heading through another grass track and into a short woods section to the seven-mile mark. After the seven, there’s just under a quarter mile of trail before popping into a big field section.
You’ll work your way through this big field and drop into the woods next to the motocross track. This is another really fun woods section over to the eight-mile mark, where you’ll then drop down to the lowest point of the property, then work your way up to the highest point on that side of the property, then drop right back down to that low point again. Since you went all the way back down, guess what? Yes, you’ll head back up once again and head over to the nine-mile mark. So basically, between the eight and nine, you’ll be going up and down hill a good bit.
After the nine, you’ll zig-zag between woods and open trail underneath the powerlines for a bit, then work your way back into another section behind the motocross pro pits. This will drop you down to the ten-mile mark before popping out into an open section and running the water truck road around the back of the motocross track.
Now, this is the part that will disappoint some, but we’ll be skipping the motocross track this weekend. Unfortunately it’s just entirely too dry to put everyone out there. Yes, we have some very nice water trucks but its’ unsafe to water during the race and even watering between races, then leaving it sitting for over two hours at a time would result in extremely dusty conditions, which is just too dangerous on a motocross track.
Anyway, once you cross that water truck road you’ll head through another grass track and cross back over the paved road and head into a couple of other short woods and short field sections to the 11-mile mark. After the 11, you head up to the finish, run through a little grass track, then drop back into some really cool, slower woods sections to the one-mile mark. You then cross back and forth through a few short field sections and woods sections that will lead you all the way back to the two-mile mark where you started.
This weekend is looking beautiful! Don’t miss out because this is sure to be a fun race. Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you at the track!
The Yamaha GNCC University Returns!
Calling all ATV and motorcycle off-road racers! Are you looking to hone your riding and racing skills? Want to learn hands-on with the best-of-the-best past and current GNCC racers and champions?!
Then sign up for the 2020 Yamaha GNCC University, returning to Snowshoe Mountain Resort September 23-25, 2020. We’re bringing together Yamaha’s ATV and motorcycle racing elites to instruct in-depth courses on the fundamentals of racing and riding!
During the Yamaha GNCC University, students will participate in lectures about sportsmanship, training, proper nutrition, and mental preparation, along with hands-on skills and drills designed to improve your riding and confidence in a variety of terrain and situations.
Reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis with limited openings evenly split between the disciplines. For more details and to register, call the Snowshoe Mountain Resort at 877-441-4386. We look forward to seeing you at the top of Snowshoe Mountain, then on top of the podium!
Keeping Up With Ken Hill
Holy cow has it been two weeks already! Camp Coker already seems like forever ago as I write this admittedly in a very hurried fashion! I know this is a close round for me, just over two hours, however it seems that the closer races tend to jam me up as I push through work here and for the series. The time seems to be set on warp speed until something lassos it and drags it down to slow motion. That could be bad weather, bad timing or just plain bad luck! Maybe its the fact I tell myself I can get just a bit more done here because I don’t have an 8 + hour drive but whatever the reason its a love/hate thing for me. Some years I’ve driven to the race in the wee hours of Saturday morning, returned home and repeated the process on Sunday. Hey no one ever claimed I was the sharpest crayon in the box! In any event we have us another round and I am positive it will be a very heated race as these rounds are centered in the heart of the majority of what folks consider cross country central!
Maybe some saved energy will give a few riders that extra needed element to have their best race yet or even find a few struggling racers find something they have been missing! The pro class on the ATV side of things is a mess for anyone behind Walker Fowler and by mess I mean in shambles! No not really but it seems that only a handful have been able to keep Fowler in sight as we muster through this insanity of a season. Cole Richardson had my attention right from round one but at Coker he had issues and he knew it heading to the line. He commented to me he felt something wasn’t right and sure enough, he was back in the pits watching the action. Cole will be itching for redemption for sure. Coles status as MIA at Coker opened the door for a very hard charging Adam McGill who found himself a podium finish as he took home the third spot. McGill has the drive and talent but hasn’t been able to put it all together in a string that would mean a chance at the championship. He says he doesn’t worry but you can see it, you don’t take a warrior out of play and turn the emotion, energy and focus off. If anything, it should be strengthening his resolve so we will have to see what he brings to the line this weekend.
Still others are making headway despite changes or problems. Brycen Neal, Jarrod McClure and Chris Borich all seem to be fighting for position amongst themselves but I have a feeling we are about to see some big changes in the coming rounds. The Pro class is littered with talent and it could be someone like Hunter Hart that steps up and starts a new era as I know he is not satisfied with just running the status quo!
Now the morning races have been fun to watch as the 4x4 pro class ranks right up there with any race of the weekend. Landon Wolfe is definitely the man to beat, but his competition might find it easier to beat him in the pits with a stick! Since making the switch from sport quad to 4x4 he has been all but untouchable and only a select few have been able to give him a fight. The WXC class is a different story as big changes up front have set this class on fire! Hannah Hunter was improving in the 2019 season and her youthful exuberance has helped her push very hard to start off the 2020 season with a bang, no make that an explosion! Marking four wins and a second, she has stomped her way to the top of the hierarchy and is starting to rule the roost! Katelyn Osburn and Traci Pickens have had their moments and are currently behind Hunter in the points, but the wind is most definitely in the Honda riders favor. A big turnout means more racers which could become very relevant in this class so watch the next few rounds closely.
Thats all from me this week, I am harvesting Beets and need to get back to work before charging batteries (mine and the cameras), packing and rolling out for what is sure to be another beast of a weekend! As always, be safe in all you do and may the good Lord continue to bless us all!