![VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC Women’s Race Report]()
VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC Women’s Race ReportMarch 2, 2018The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, 2018 season opener took place this weekend, February 24th and 25th, in Union, South Carolina with the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC. One of the oldest rounds on the circuit (established 1997), the Big Buck celebrated 22 years of GNCC Racing. A total of 73 female racers lined up to compete over the weekend, with 10-time ATV champion Traci Pickens and 2017 defending bike champion Tayla Jones taking the wins in the premier WXC Pro classes.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Henry Turner]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Henry TurnerFebruary 27, 2018Big Buck is one of the oldest rounds on the GNCC circuit. Established in 1997, the race turned 21 this last weekend. The man who owns the property, Henry Turner, has been a friend to the series for a long time. I sat down and had a chat with him about how he got started working with GNCC, why he wanted to hold races here in the first place, and some of his favorite moments over the years.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Graham and Becky Widdicombe]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Graham and Becky WiddicombeFebruary 20, 2018Graham and Becky Widdicombe, the GNCC’s favorite couple from the United Kingdom, are some of the friendliest people and most dedicated racers you will meet. As a matter of fact, although I asked them both the same questions, I had to conduct the interview with them at different times on different days nearly two weeks ago, due to the logistics of everyone being in different time zones and in Graham’s case, a completely different country! It is really impressive to see what all they have done to make their racing dreams come true.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Eric Siraton]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Eric SiratonFebruary 13, 2018Eric Siraton is a familiar face for anyone who hangs around the GNCC pro row on a regular basis He is the head mechanic for JCR Honda, and has been on the east coast running their GNCC program for over two years now. The 42-year-old from San Diego, California, is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet at the track! I caught up with him to ask what a mechanic’s “off-season” looks like, and learn a little more about his past and future as a mechanic.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Dave Childers (Fuel Ministries)]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Dave Childers (Fuel Ministries)February 6, 2018Many of you have probably seen the big Fuel Ministries rig at the GNCCs. Some of you may have even stopped by. But I’m betting at least some of you don’t know that one of their major programs is a summer camp for kids who ride dirt bikes and ATVs. The ATV camp is a relatively new endeavor, and one of the major players involved, Dave Childers, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in doing an interview with him to talk about it. I was intrigued by the whole summer camp thing, and interested in what he had to say, so I agreed. Hopefully you all will be interested as well.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Sean Royall]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Sean RoyallJanuary 23, 2018Ever since the season ended, the Tuesday Toolbox interviews have focused on the champions of the elite classes and the overall winners. Now it is time to get back to the riders that make up the backbone of the series – the everyman riders without factory-level support who love racing but have a real job to get back to on Monday. Sean Royall happened to be randomly assigned to my table at the GNCC banquet back in December. I struck up a pleasant conversation with him and his wife, and decided to make a Tuesday Toolbox out of it. Sean is 32-years-old, lives in Sugar Grove, North Carolina, rides a KTM 350cc, and won the Vet B (30+) Class championship in 2017.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Cody Miller]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Cody MillerJanuary 16, 2018The top UTV racer of the 2017 season is Cody Miller, from Greenville, Texas. The 30-year-old started out racing ATV Motocross before making the switch over to a different type of four-wheeled racing. He competed on a Yamaha YXZ 1000R SS. Despite the major time commitment racing a UTV entails, he and his brother, Hunter, run a cattle ranch as well as an art glass company down in Texas.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Drew Landers]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Drew LandersJanuary 9, 2018Eighteen-year-old Drew Landers is the ATV Amateur Overall winner for the 2017 season. He hails from Monterey, Tennessee, and competed on a YFZ450 for the Coastal Racing/Waynesburg Yamaha team. This season he will be moving up into the XC2 Pro-Am class. We caught up with Drew to hear about his success in 2017, and his plans for the upcoming year!
![Tuesday Toolbox: Alex Teagarden]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Alex TeagardenJanuary 2, 2018Alex Teagarden is the Bike Amateur Overall winner for the 2017 season. He is 25-years-old, from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and won the 250 A class this season on a Husky FC 250cc. A recent college graduate, he plans to compete in FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class next season for Costal Racing.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Layne McCormick]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Layne McCormickDecember 19, 2017Layne McCormick does it all! Not only is he the 2017 ATV Youth Rider of the Year and an honor roll student, he also competes in a variety of sports for his school. Pretty impressive for a rider who isn’t even a teenager yet. This latest championship makes his fourth GNCC title, with many more likely to come. Be on the lookout for this rider from Hughesville, Pennsylvania tearing up the front row on his Yamaha 150 hybrid.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Zach Davidson]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Zach DavidsonDecember 12, 2017Despite being a relatively young 15 years old, this championship marks Zachary Davidson’s fourth GNCC championship. The rider from Iron Station, North Carolina is also the 2017 Youth National Champion. I caught up with Zach just after he accepted his award at the GNCC banquet to talk about his season, a recent knee injury, and his plans for next year, which include an Amateur support, ride with Husqvarna USA. Husky’s goal is to mentor Zack and provide him with all the tools he needs to get to the pro level. And that is something that Zach and his family is very excited about. We look forward to hearing more about this young man in the years to come.
![Tuesday Toolbox: Jason Thomas]()
Tuesday Toolbox: Jason ThomasDecember 5, 2017Jason Thomas, originally hailing from Machylleth Pow, Wales, United Kingdom, is a multi-time GNCC champion. The 34-year-old’s most recent title is in the brand new FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, with two previous titles in the XC2 250 Pro Lites division. This will also be his last GNCC title in a premier class, as he has recently announced his retirement from full-time racing. Expect to see him around though – he does not plan on returning to Great Britain, but will instead remain in Charlotte, North Carolina and focus on his riding schools, while perhaps occasionally hitting a GNCC.
