by: Jared Bolton
Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 11:45 AM
Welcome to Quick Fill.
We’re several weeks into the off-season and in a normal year, this is the point where we would all be getting ready for a traditional GNCC banquet. Unfortunately, as you already know, we’re unable to host a banquet this year due to obvious COVID-19 issues. We’re still on track to do the Virtual Banquets and yes, we know this isn’t the same and isn’t the most ideal thing, but it’s still the opportunity for you to showcase your accomplishments for the year and say thanks to those who helped make your season happen.
From the comments I’ve read on social media, I think there’s a lot of folks who aren’t sure how this Virtual Banquet thing is actually going to work. We’re not gathering thousands of people in a Zoom call. We’ll be broadcasting live, just like a regular RacerTV Live show. If you finished fourth through tenth, we need you to submit a video, under 45 seconds, thanking your sponsors, family, etc. Each class will be presented like a usual banquet and the tenth through fourth place rider videos will play. We’ll be inviting the top 3 of each class into a Zoom call when it’s time for their class, and like usual, we’ll interview the top 3. All the while, if you just want to watch, you’re able to do so just like a normal live show on the weekend.
So, if you finished fourth through tenth in your class we need your videos and we need them ASAP! The deadline is actually FRIDAY DECEMBER 3RD. Yes, that soon! We may end up extending it just a little but if you go to the form and it’s closed, just email [email protected] and ask about the banquet video deadline extension. However, don’t take that as an offer to just wait and do it later. We’ve got to have these done as soon as possible. You can find the form HERE.
This likely also makes you curious as to how and when you’re going to get your awards. We’re finishing up the design of the awards, and I think we have a winner. I don’t want to ruin it, but these look REALLY cool and are different than what we’ve done the last several years. Once we have the design finalized and these begin being built, we'll get them ready to ship out. To get your's you’ll need to fill out the form to confirm your shipping address (NO PO BOXES!) and we’ll be shipping them out, along with contingency prizes for the top five after the first of the year. We WILL be shipping them for free, but you MUST fill out the form. No form, no dice! Yes, I know, you put your address on every entry form you fill out but we can’t rely exclusively on that database because some of you may have moved, or put a different address than what you need shipped to, etc. You can find the form and more info HERE.
These will ship after the first of the year because 1: it’s going to take some time to get the awards made and ready, 2: it’s going to take some time to get your shipping info, get these packages put together and 3: all shipping services are incredibly busy this time of the year, and that’s accelerated even more due to the pandemic. So, instead of us trying to ship literally hundreds of packages just before Christmas, amidst the biggest shipping time of the year, we’ll get them out in early January. Just keep an eye out for the form and we’ll get your awards to you as soon as we can.
If you’ve attended the banquet in the past, you know that we host Riders Meetings each morning that allow racers to voice their opinions on class changes, rule changes and more heading into the new season. Since we’re not having a physical banquet this year, we’re hosting these meetings via Zoom, which we did for the first time with the Pro riders on Tuesday night and it actually worked pretty well. Tonight (Thursday 12/3) at 6PM we’ll host the Youth and Micro ATVs. Then we’ll do the Amateur ATV meeting at 7PM. Next Tuesday (December 8) we’ll have Bike Amateur at 6PM, followed by Bike Youth and Micro at 7PM and eMTB will be 6PM on Thursday December 10th.
For the full schedule of meetings, plus the links and info to each Zoom Meeting, check out the Competition Bulletin HERE.
Moving on from banquet info, it’s getting close to the time where we see some folks taking part in off-season races. Each year there are a number of events that see a large turnout of GNCC racers getting in some seat time during the off-season. Our friends at SETRA are hosting their last hare scramble of 2020 at GTR in South Carolina this weekend. This is a bike-only event as SETRA doesn’t have any quad classes, but SETRA races are always really fun events. I think I may even make the trek to GTR and do some racing of my own. My dad bought my 2020 GNCC sweep bike a couple weeks ago but I still have my trusty 2010 Husaberg FE390, yes, with the funky 70-degree motor. So, I’m looking forward to likely finishing last in the 30+ A class this weekend.
Down in the Georgia the SORCS folks are racing basically all winter long. They had a winter series for several years, but actually switched their regular series to an October through March schedule. This allows them to also run their CXC series in Tennessee in the spring and summer. Check out their website HERE for a full schedule of events this winter. Of course, if you venture all the way to Florida, the FTR folks host a number of races through the winter. Between this weekend and the start of the 2021 GNCC season, they’ll have several hare scrambles and they race both quads and bikes. Check out their schedule HERE.
Your next question is probably when you’ll hear the 2021 GNCC schedule. It’s coming. We’ve got a few more things to sure up but we’re pretty close to having a schedule. As always, if you know of anywhere down south (or even up north for that matter) that could possibly host a GNCC event feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know the details. We really need somewhere in excess of 500 acres with somewhere close to 100 acres of parking, but 75 acres is doable as well.
That’s going to do it for this week’s edition of Quick Fill but, before we go, Throwback Thursday is back! With the year end points finalized, we’ll begin a look back at the 2020 season beginning in next week’s edition of Quick Fill. Until then, enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you back here next week.
#ThrowbackThursday
It's been a while since we've done a Throwback Thursday, but it's back! This week's photos, well, there's no real theme. I just pulled some really random, really cool photos from throughout the years. As usual, if you have any cool throwback photos you'd like to share, feel free to send them to me at [email protected] and we'll try to share them in a future edition of Quick Fill.
