Welcome to Quick Fill. 

It seems like January has flown by but this time next week, January will be gone, and we’ll be headfirst into February. That means that round one of the 2022 GNCC Racing season is now just a smidge over three weeks away. This final stretch of the off-season is when time really begins to fly right along and before we know it, we’re rocketing right into the new season. This also means the time crunch is on for everyone who is still getting their machines, or themselves ready for the new season. Hey, we’re no different either as we’re all wide open getting equipment, details and everything else squared away for the new season. 

Speaking of which, this week our staff went through our annual OSHA and First Aid training, and this time also included were several Pro Motocross staff members and promoters from RedBud, Budds Creek and Unadilla. This is always valuable training for anyone but is a big key for our GNCC staff as the track crew will always be the first responder in the event in an accident in the woods. We never blindly send medical staff out into the woods without someone from the track crew getting to the incident first to confirm the location and how to get there, so having that extra first aid and tactical medical type training and staying up to date with it is huge! 

We also recently announced the TBA event as the Tiger Run, which is a return to Big Buck. Now, first and foremost we do realize that this is not the most ideal situation. Even though holding two events at the same venues typically result in two very different racecourses, we know not everyone is always excited about the prospect of racing the same location twice in a season. We did look at several different scenarios to fill that TBA event and didn’t want to just simply race at Big Buck a second time but unfortunately given the date and travel patterns for that time, there really wasn’t another option available. We do have a possibility of a brand new venue for 2023 however, so bear with us for another season and we hope to change things back up next season. 

If you missed the announcement this week, pre-registration is open for a number of races in 2022! Save time at the events by utilizing pre-registration and once again Rocky Mountain ATV/MC will be offering up their $20 Race Gas e-credit once again. This means that pre-registration is definitely worth it. You pay for your entry fee, skip the post entry line at the event, and then you get $20 worth of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Race Gas in your Rocky Mountain account. This is per event as well, so those bucks do add up if you’re attending every race. For more details on pre-registration, check out the PR HERE. 

There was also an announcement this week regarding a change for the Warrior classes. The change comes with the numberplate backgrounds, so the Warrior classes will now utilize a tan camo background with a black number. Our friends at HBD MotoGrafx were not only able to mockup an example, but they’re able to print the particular colorway if you need. Check out the Competition Bulletin HERE for all the details. Now, keep in mind that we do request those who are racing the whole series to adhere to the numberplate color combinations for their respective classes but it isn’t required. So, if you’re in the Warrior class and already have new graphics and just aren’t able to switch yet, no worries. But, if you are able to make the switch, these look pretty darn cool! 

When the season gets rolling and we have that “between time” from the Florida to Georgia events, a lot of folks look to ride or race somewhere. In the past, many folks spent some time at Durhamtown but the folks at Durhamtown announced several weeks ago that they would be closing effective immediately. On the flip side, the folks from Daytona Dirt Riders in Florida will be hosting the Alligator Sprint Enduro once again. We received some info from those guys this week… 

Daytona Dirt Riders to host the 70th Alligator Enduro during Daytona Bike Week 2022 

The Daytona Dirt Riders (DDR) are pleased to announce that they will host the Alligator Sprint Enduro on Thursday, March 10, 2022 during Daytona Bike Week.  

Long a traditional event held during Bike Week, this will be the 70th annual running of the Alligator.  The event will be held on private property north of Destination Daytona and will be run using a sprint enduro format. 

Sandwiched between the GNCC’s Round 2 Moose Racing Wild Boar in Palatka, FL on March 5-6 and the GNCC’s Round 3 Specialized General event in Washington, Georgia the following weekend, the DDR is hoping to attract Bike Week attendees vacationing in the Daytona area as well as members of Florida Trail Riders and Southeastern Enduro & Trail Riders Association (SETRA.org) which is sanctioning the event along with the American Motorcyclist Association.

The Alligator Sprint Enduro will feature three tests, two in the woods and a third mainly in fields. Contestants will ride each section three times for a combined total of approximately 50 miles of tests.  

Overnight camping will be available for contestants only on Wednesday night 3/9 and Thursday night 3/10.  

More information about the event will be posted on the Alligator National Enduro Facebook page and on-line entry will be available through Moto-Tally at:

(moto-tally.com/FTR/Enduro/PreEntry.aspx) 

Contact:
Ed Tobin
[email protected]
386-615-0722 text 

This is a good opportunity for bike racers to get out and do some more racing after we finish things up in Palatka before heading to Georgia. The Daytona Dirt Riders always do a fantastic job with their events and the Alligator Enduro has a long history as one of the longest running and more famous enduro events in the country. While it might be running as a sprint enduro at this time doesn’t mean you’re not getting a good bit of seat time and doesn’t mean it’s easy! This is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for some more seat time. 

Speaking of other events, the 2022 National Enduro season kicks off next weekend in Sumter, South Carolina. The Sumter National Enduro always draws a huge turnout of folks who are not only contesting the entire National Enduro and/or local SETRA season but also folks looking to get some seat time before the GNCC season starts as well. Much like the close racing we had at GNCC over the last couple of years, the same has been going on in the National Enduro series as well. Steward Baylor ended up winning the championship last season, but Josh Toth really gave him a run for his money claiming five wins out of the nine rounds. 

In addition to Steward Baylor and Josh Toth exchanging race wins last season, Grant Baylor and Ben Kelley also squeaked in some race wins of their own. This year the National Enduros are back up to 10 rounds and given the four different race winners last season, its shaping up to be another season of tight racing for those guys. Sumter is always a cool little teaser or first look at what guys bikes and gear will be looking like for the new season but doesn’t always give a great preview of how they’ll perform. Sumter is pretty unique with its tight, technical and twisty trails plus a few areas that open up ever so slightly. Some guys who are really, really fast seem to struggle at Sumter while other guys really excel in those sandy, tight trails. 

Regardless, it’s going to be pretty exciting to watch it all unfold next weekend and does give somewhat of a teaser of what to expect when we go GNCC Racing just a couple weeks later. I’m signed up to “race” Sumter but I fall under that “struggle at Sumter” category. I really enjoy the layout and terrain at Sumter but boy do I really suck at trying to get around that place with anything resembling “speed”. Of course, it’s so much fun that it’s worth the trip just to enjoy a great weekend of riding before the GNCC season starts. 

If you remember a few weeks ago I mentioned Zach Osborne doing some FTR racing down in Florida. He rode their AM race at that event but was actually back in action at last weekend’s FTR event and rode the AA (Pro) class. Zach led the opening laps of the race but it would end up being a couple of off-road regulars getting around him later in the race. Jesse Ansley ended up grabbing the race win over Ryder Lafferty in second and Osborne in third. If you remember, Ryder Lafferty joined the Coastal Racing GasGas squad for the last few races of 2021 and it sounds like Ryder is back with them once again for 2022, which is cool to see as he rode really well aboard the GasGas and seems to be off to a good start again. 

That same FTR event saw a pretty good quad race as well. Hunter Hart actually led each lap over Walker Fowler, but it wasn’t a runaway win. Walker was never more than 25 seconds behind Hunter. Hart would end up with the win over Fowler with Cole Richardson rounding out the podium in third. Hunter spends a lot of time riding down in Florida and is pretty darn good in the sand, but we all know that Walker Fowler is fast, well, anywhere. So, to see Hunter go out and beat Walker straight up is pretty interesting and leaves folks wondering how things will go once the GNCC season kicks back off.

One more thing from last week, Kayla and I attended the AIM Expo out in Las Vegas and it was pretty cool to see the industry come together for it's first real "big" expo show since 2019. While this year's AIM didn't have quite the participation as it has in the past, which was to be expected, there was still a lot of cool vendors full of new bikes, new products and more. We spoke with Bryan Kraham from Sherco while we were out there and those guys are really hoping to get back to GNCC Racing in the future. Fingers crossed because it's always cool to see more brands joining in on the fun! 

That’s actually all we’ve got for this week’s edition of Quick Fill. Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you back here next week!

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