by: Shan Moore
Thursday, June 10, 2021 | 9:20 AM
Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship
Round 5 Mason-Dixon GNCC Race Report
Mount Morris, Pa. (June 9, 2021) – The 2021 Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship series moved to Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, this past weekend for round five of its series where Nick Mackie (SPE) claimed his second win of the season after a tight and exciting hourlong race. In all, 90 competitors took part in eight classes on a hilly and hard-packed 3.4-mile course at the Mathews Farm venue.
Two-time world eMTB champion Charlie Mullins (SPE) took the early lead, as the XC1 Pro class got the green flag and headed into the woods for the first time. Mackie followed in second, with Kyle Smith (SPE) in tow.
Mackie, a former motorcycle racer, took the lead before the end of lap one and led Mullins and Smith for the next lap. On lap three, Mullins tangled with a lapper and lost time, allowing Smith into second. Once into second, Smith used lappers to his advantage to overtake Mackie and move into first, leading the field into the final lap.
With a strong final push, Mackie was able to regain the lead, passing Smith on the final lap for the victory.
“Charlie went hard that first lap and I knew we were in for a hard race,” said Mackie. “It was a lot of climbing out there and I was strong on the climbs today and it made for a good race. It was tough, though. The lappers made it a little interesting. We kind of lost the lead back and forth and ran into some lappers, but it is what it is.”
Smith, who won the Loretta Lynn event last year, was strong on the hills, and gave Mackie a run for his money.
“There was a lot of hill-climbing and I was able to kind of stay on them there,” said Smith. “They kind of gapped me on the first lap but then I was able to reel them in. I kind of got around them in a few laps. We battled back and forth and then Nick got me again.”
Mullins’ third place finish marked the first time he had not finished in the top two.
“Third lap, a lapper went down and my bike shut off and I had to unplug my battery and plug it back in, so I lost a bunch of time,” said Mullins. “At that point they were just going, but I tried to push. I was hurting pretty good, though. Those first few laps I was hurting. I gave it my best in the end and that’s all I can do.”
After five rounds, Mullins leads the XC1 Pro standings with 97 points, followed by Mackie with 95 and Smith with 91.
In the Amateur class, Ty Teasdale claimed his fourth win in five rounds with a fourth overall finish, as the AmPro Yamaha rider topped Canon Kuneff (SPE) and Cody Piviroto (SPE). Kuneff was fifth overall with Piviroto in seventh overall.
Callie Horwath (TRE) kept her record perfect in the Women’s class with her fifth-straight win of the series. Meanwhile, Floridian Ginny McFall (SPE) matched her best finish of the year with a second, while Suzanna Bishop (SPE) of West Virginia was third.
Gunner Shogren’s (CAN) first race of the year paid off with a big win, as the West Virginia racer topped Brad Myers (SPE) and Ralph Thorn (SPE) to the finish.
Gavin Garlits (SPE) claimed his second win in a row and third of the year with his victory over Talon Hawk (HAI) and Dalton Anderson (SPE) in the Youth (13-17) class. Mitch Hawkins (YAM), who finished fourth, sits just four points behind Garlits in the class standings, 79 to 75.
In the Senior (40+) class, North Carolina’s Ian Smith topped added a fourth win to his total for the year with a solid win over Specialized riders Colin Dierman of West Virginia and Maryland’s Jason Conlon.
Cooper Kuneff (SPE) continued his domination of the Youth (9-12) division with his fifth-straight win of the year. Camden Phillips (SPE) was second, while Abram Shields was third (SPE).
The Trail Bike class was won by Erin Hendershot (SPE), with Ben Brumage (SPE) finishing second.
Racer Productions, Inc., producers of the 2021 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, is proud to announce that the Loretta Lynn eMTB race, round 7 of the 8-round Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC Series, will once again serve as an FIM North American eMTB Championship. Equally exciting is that this unique round will boast a $10,000 Pro Purse.
The Loretta Lynn eMTB GNCC will be held on Saturday, July 31st, in conjunction with the 40th Annual Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship (August 2nd – 7th) at the home of country music legend Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, the largest and most prestigious amateur motocross event in the world.
Mason-Dixon GNCC Results
Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania
June 5, 2021
Overall Results
- Nick Mackie (SPE)
- Kyle Smith (SPE)
- Charlie Mullins (SPE)
- Ty Teasdale (YAM)
- Canon Kuneff (SPE)
- Connor Karkowsky (CAN)
- Cody Pivirotto (SPE)
- Rick Wetherald (SPE)
- Brad Esper (SPE)
- Gavin Garlits (SPE)
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
To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com.
How to Watch
Racer TV and MAVTV are the official homes for coverage of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opener in South Carolina to the finale, will air in taped-delayed telecasts on MAVTV, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 2 p.m. ATV and 1 p.m. motorcycle races from each event. Catch all the action at http://www.mavtv.com/ and http://www.racertv.com/.
About GNCC Racing
The Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized is the World’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 two and three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,400 riders through racetracks 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 live on 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 including hills, rocks, roots, and more. Limited to electric or pedal assist model mountain bikes only, the championship was added to the GNCC Series in 2019. Visit www.gnccracing.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. Visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.
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Media Contact
Shan Moore
[email protected]