by: Shan Moore
Friday, August 6, 2021 | 8:00 PM
Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship
Round 7 Loretta Lynn GNCC Race Report
Kyle Smith Wins Again at eMTB FIM North American Championship
HURRICANE MILLS, Tenn. (August 6, 2021) - The second annual FIM North American eMTB Championship, round 7 of the Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC Series, took place on July 31, at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, where North Carolina rider Kyle Smith claimed the overall victory for the second year in a row.
Held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, the largest and most prestigious amateur motocross event in the world, the Loretta Lynn Specialized Turbo eMTB race saw riders competing for a whopping $10,000 in prize money, a first for eBike competition.
Although the win was Smith’s first of the 2021 season, the Specialized rider has been in the mix for a win all year with XC1 Pro front-runners Nick Mackie and two-time AMA GNCC eMTB National Champion, Charlie Mullins. Coming into the Loretta Lynn race, Mullins had claimed four wins out of the six races held so far in 2021, while Mackie had topped two of the rounds.
Californian Brian Lopes led the XC1 Pro contingent into the 3.9-mile course for the first time at the drop of the green flag, while Mullins, Mackie and Smith battled for second. Mullins and Mackie moved ahead of Smith when the frontrunners moved onto the fire road climb.
Cypress Gorry turned up the heat and took the lead at the end of the first climb, however the North Carolina rider bobbled in the first tight and technical section, allowing Mullins and Mackie back into the lead.
Later in the lap, Mullins slid out, taking Mackie with him, giving Smith all the room, he needed to move into the lead.
Near the end of the lap, Mackie lost his chain and dropped off the pace, while Mullins took a hard fall, allowing Smith to extend his lead.
On lap two, Mackie posted the fastest lap of the day in an effort to catch Smith. He was able to pass Mullins for second but he was not able to make a pass on Smith.
“Those last two laps, I did everything I could to get around Kyle, but I just couldn’t make it happen,” said Mackie. “I was putting up a fight, but he was shutting the door on me in every corner.”
At the finish, Smith took the checkered flag for the win, with Mackie second and Mullins in third.
Fourth place in the stacked XC1 Pro division went to Cypress Gorry (SPE), while fifth place went to Seth Zaluski (SPE).
Motocross racer Brad Esper grabbed the holeshot in the Amateur division and held the lead all the way to the checkered flag to claim his first win of the season. Esper ran as high as eighth overall during the race before settling into 11th overall at the finish and top Amateur.
Ryan Mullins and Brad Wray rounded out the Amateur podium in second and third.
Callie Horath (TRE) grabbed her seventh win in seven rounds in the Women’s division, beating out Suzanne Bishop (SPE) by 1:13 seconds.
GNCC motorcycle champ Tayla Jones (GAI) was third in the Women’s division, with Specialized riders Ashley Hendershot and Ginny McFall in fourth and fifth.
Troy Zimmerman (SPE) made his first appearance in the series and came away with the win in the Masters (55+) class, beating out Brad Myers (SPE) and Earl May (SPE) in the process.
Talon Hawk (HAI) was best in the Youth (13-17) division, taking the win over Gavin Garlits (SPE) and Tyler Scheels (SPE).
Ian Smith (SPE) grabbed win number five on the season in the Senior 40+ class. Colin Dierman (SPE) finished the day in second ahead of third-place finisher Jason Wallace (SPE).
Cooper Kuneff won the Youth (9-12) class, with Camden Phillips (SPE) and Jackson Fisher (SPE) finishing second and third.
The Trail Rider class saw Robert Green (INT) take the win over Julia Fisher (SPE) and Jesse Zimmerman (SPE).
The Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC Series returned to action on September 11 at the Mountaineer GNCC in Beckley, West Virginia. For more information on the series go to www.gnccracing.com.
Loretta Lynn GNCC Results
July 31, 2021
OVERALL RESULTS
- Kyle Smith (SPE)
- Nick Mackie (SPE)
- Charlie Mullins (SPE)
- Cypress Gorry (SPE)
- Seth Zaluski (SPE)
- Ty Teasdale (YAM)
- Connor Karkowsky (CAN)
- Ned Overend (SPE)
- Tim Zimmerman (SPE)
- Jamal Porter Jr. (BMC)
About GNCC Racing
The Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized is the World’s premier off-road racing series for motorcycles, ATV’s and eMTB’s. 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. 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.