A pair of big ATV endurance races are in the books, first, the GBC Heartland Challenge from Iowa. This was a ten-hour event and featured three pro teams with some familiar GNCC names going at it for the overall win. When it was all over, Team Dirt Works emerged as the winner, with Duane "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Burrows and Kyle Martin on board. The two-man team of Jeff Pickens and Jarrod McClure took second for Team GBC, and Team HMF Pro, with Don Ockerman, Brian Wolfe and Walker Fowler, took third.
Photo By: ATVRiders.com
The Winners!
We also had some familiar GNCC names competing in the Youth and Utility Classes. Here's a press release on a victorious youth team:
GNCC Youth Riders Take Heartland Challenge
Riding for the GT Thunder/BMC Racing team, Blake Chirdon (GNCC 12 - 15 Mod Class) and Blaine Martin (GNCC 8 - 11 Mod Class) took home the overall & the win in 90CC Production Class at the 3 Hour Heartland Challenge team race in Carlisle, Iowa on August 22, 2009. The race, which ran from 8:00 am to 11:00 am was simply awesome. The boys did a great job. There were a lot of emotional swings during the race. The Iowa team took a 1:40 second lead in the first hour. The GT Thunder team chipped away and ended the race with a 2:00 minute lead and the win. Seventeen youth teams competed in the event. GNCC Riders Caleb Johnston and Tyler McConnaughey finished 3rd in class, they also ran great. There is nothing like a team race. The boys did a great job and the event was run perfectly. Thank you to all our sponsors for your support.
-- Mike Chirdon & Homer Martin
Team GT Thunder/BMC Racing
Congrats, boys!
Photo By: ATVRiders.com
Night racing is part of the Heartland Challenge.
For full coverage of the race, use this link from ATVRiders.com
Over in France, the legendary Pont du Vaux 12-hour race is in the books, and all I know is that the two American-based GNCC teams didn't do too well. The Yamaha squad of Bill Ballance, Taylor Kiser and Brandon Sommers took 15th, and the KTM team of Josh Kirkland, Adam McGill and Paul Holmes took 28th! It's hard to get much info this early, as most of the stuff I've found is in French. The Ballance/Kiser/Sommers squad was second in the first leg but then ran into problems, and then later the McGill/Kirkland/Holes team was in the hunt but I believe they lost an engine.
We'll know more next week when the boys get home!
Hey folks, we need your help on the GNCC TV front. DirecTV is currently in negotiations with Versus to either keep or drop the channel from its lineup. If you have DirecTV, this means you may lose Versus, which means you lose GNCC TV! Not good! Our TV producer Jason Hooper sent me this link so you can email DirecTV and let them know you want them to keep Versus.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageIFnorail.jsp?assetId=P4960010#h:1109.647
Use that link, or call: 1-800-531-5000
On to some bike news. Had a good chat with Charlie Mullins last week, he was hanging out watching the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship race at Budds Creek (Hot Rod hits most of the rounds and race the A class for amateur day, and he's usually right up front). He said he was bummed about that fourth and fifth he got at the two WORCS races in Washington, he was actually leading both for a bit before a crash on a hill the first week sapped all of his energy and busted his brakes, in another race he lost his drink system when it broke. But speed-wise, he made a good showing out there. Also, Charlie and his teammate and Hickory, NC neighbor Josh Strang have been putting in motos at the Joe Gibbs Racing MX track in Huntersville, NC.
Of course, every week I get another race report email from Paul Whibley, who will always, always find a place to race. But somehow he took last weekend off, a rarity. Now he's back, and this week I'll paste his report from Crow Canyon, which you may remember hosted a GNCC up until 2003:
Photo By: DC
The GNCC points leader keep on charging.
Rider: Paul Whibley
Team: JG Offroad, GEICO, Monster Energy KawasakiBike: KX450F
Result: 1st
On an off weekend, we ventured down to Crow Canyon in Uhrichsville Ohio, to try a two-hour Extreme Dirt Series event.
The forecast was for fine weather but all it did all morning was rain. The hard pack track was turned into ice.
I lined up on the start next to Thad Duvall and Jason Thomas (XC1 and XC2 riders from the GNCCs). By the time the flag waved for the start of the race, the rain had stopped and there was a guarantee now of no dust.
Thad took the holeshot; I quickly moved into 2nd and followed him until he dropped it early on as we headed into the woods.
I led the way by riding pretty cautiously as it was easy to get caught out on the unexpected brown ice.
As the second lap started, Thad was behind me and a battle began as we slowly increased the pace and pushed past struggling lapped riders. We swapped positions often and it wasn't until just before the fuel stop that I was able to gain a little advantage and open up a lead.
Thad stopped one lap earlier than me for gas so I pushed hard and after my stop for gas, still had the lead and about a forty second buffer. Late in the race Thad had some bike problems and slipped back, allowing Jason Thomas up into 2nd. I maintained my lead and took the chequers with over a minute lead.
Thanks to my following sponsors:
GEICO, Monster Energy Kawasaki, Moose Racing, Shoei, Smith, Sidi, CTi, Pirelli, RG3 Suspension, Moto SR, Ohlins, Enduro Engineering, Renthal, Leo Vince, ProMoto Billet/Fastway, IMS, Vortex Ignitions, G2, PG Graphics, Silkolene, EBC Brakes, Tsubaki Chains, No Toil, WER, BRP, CV4, Rekluse, Works Connection, Motion Pro
More bike problems for Thad! Jeez. Anyway, congrats on the win, Whibs.
The ISDE is coming soon, on October 12-17 in Portugal. A variety of fund-raisers have sprung up recently, here is some news on those:
Piru, CA: On Friday, September 11, 2009 from 12p-6p TREMX.com is presenting a "Ditch and Ride Day For The USA". Ditch work Friday and come ride at Piru MX Park (in California) to support Tim Weigand, Kurt Caselli, and the USA. These guys are riding the ISDE for USA's trophy team and need our support to get there. The 2009 ISDE will be held in Portugal and each rider must come up with the money to get himself, his mechanic, and the bike to the race. Also in remembrance of 9/11, $1 from every rider will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project!
Gate Fee for riders will be $25, which includes lunch and 1 raffle ticket. Spectator gate fee is only $15 including lunch. Raffle tickets will be sold for 1 for $5 or 5 for $20. Some of the prizes include Asterisk Knee Braces, Troy Lee Designs Gear, DVS Shoes, Mini Camcorder, and a TomTom GPS. You can also take a shot at winning a SSR 110 pit bike. So ditch work and come support our riders and the USA! For more information call The Racers Edge at (805) 582-9495
We doubt many GNCCers will be in California in September, but spread the word if you have some friends out there.
Here's info on an eBay auction:
Bakersfield, Ca- 8/26/09: WORCS Racing & JR Publications announced their 2009 ISDE eBay support auctions for the 2009 ISDE-US Trophy Cup team. As most of you know, the riders are responsible for their own expenses on getting to the ISDE annual race. This year the riders will be competing in Portugal for the world title. The 2009 Trophy team consist of the Monster Energy/Factory Kawasaki off-road trio of Ricky Dietrich, Destry Abbott and Damon Huffman. JCR's Timmy Weigand will be the sole Honda rider & Shock Doctor/Factory KTM off-road pilots- Nathan Kanney & Kurt Caselli will round out the phenomenal US team. Riding for the US Junior trophy team will be Northland Kawasaki's/Precision Concept's Jamie Lanza along with KTM riders David Kamo, Russell Bobbitt & Cory Buttrick. This marks the second year in a row that the EBay auctions have become a hit. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the US Trophy team & Lanza's proceed will go to his Junior Trophy Team.
Each auction is for a full set of autographed gear including pants, jersey and gloves from
I encourage everyone to step up and support your American ISDE team while picking up a cool piece of memorabilia as well. Also included in each auction will be an 8x10 autographed framed photo of the rider along with a JR Publications T-shirt and a copy of Kurt Caselli's DVD "As the Gears Turn".
Ricky Dietrich's gear auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358472340&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Destry Abbott's gear acution: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358472786&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Tim Weigand's gear auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358473060&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Nathan Kanney's gear auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358473172&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Kurt Caselli's gear auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358473339&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Jamie Lanza's gear auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160358473464&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1153
Damon Huffman's gear auction coming soon.......
We'll give Huff-Daddy a break on not getting his gear in yet, he's actually a late replacement for the team now that GNCCer Jimmy Jarrett is out with a broken wrist.
This week Ohlins announced a real cool event set for the week before the Yadnin Valley Stomp GNCC, a ride day at Randy Hawkins' Ranch! Click here for details!
That would be it for this week's Quick Fill, but as promised last week, a few more retro photos. This time we're going all Blackwater 100!
See you next week (and we're only two weeks away from racing again!)
Photo By: DC
Blackwater!
Photo By: DC
The revolutionary machine: Suzuki's LT250R QuadRacer!
Photo By: DC
The old Blackwater fans were as hardcore as it gets.
Photo By: DC
The classic Blackwater scenario.
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