Quick Fill #18: This Week in GNCC

Welcome to Quick Fill. Welcome to Yadkinville.

Should be a fun weekend, as the Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC has been bringing fun obstacles and dedicated fans to our series for a few years now. And North Carolina is arguably the heart of GNCC country, with plenty of racers hailing from there,  others moving there, and still more heading down there often for races in the successful Mid-East Series, run by GNCC leuitenant trail boss Buren Harmrick.

This weekend kicks off what has to be the coolest giveaway sweepstakes in GNCC history. The FMF Makita Suzuki team is giving away Josh Strang's Championship-Leading RM-Z450! No, not a replica, not a stock bike with Josh's graphics, but the very same bike he's racing on. After Snowshoe, he gives it up, Suzuki will freshen the bike, and someone gets to take it home! Rachel "Gone in 60 Seconds" Fluharty explains it below:

Remember that rumor we told you Josh Strang is trying to squash? Well, he's going to prove everyone that his bike isn't just some fancy schmancy bike but something attainable by anyone. So to prove that,  American Suzuki has offered Josh Strang's 2010 RMZ450, the bike he competes on in the GNCC series, to Racer Productions. Racer Productions will raffle the bike off at the Motorcycle-USA.com Snowshoe GNCC, and all proceeds will benefit the RiderDown Foundation.

Raffle tickets can be purchased during the next three rounds of GNCC Racing, beginning with this weekend's Motorycle-USA.com Yadkin Valley Stomp. The winner will be announced at Snowshoe, and the bike handed off to the winner after Strang crosses the finish line.

Sounds like exciting stuff!

You bet it is! Big props to Suzuki for hooking up RiderDown.org and one very lucky GNCC racer, who will get to take the bike that's leading the series. Strang started off by winning the first four races of the season, but Charlie Mullins turned the tables on him at Loretta's. That's one breakthrough win, and you know some other Yamaha riders like Paul Whibley and Thad DuVall are looking to get into victory lane, too. Poor Whibs seems to have cashed all of his good luck in last year, but he's still the champ, so you have to respect his skills-whenever he finally wins, it won't be a surprise. Also pumped for Nate Kanney and Chris Bach, who bounced back with solid rides last time out. Strang might be way out front in points, but the racing on the track has been really competitive.

Now let's turn this over to Rodney Tomblin.

Thanks Jason! I sit here this morning looking out my hotel room at the East Coast Wine Country in the beautiful Yadkin Valley. It is a beautiful morning and weatherman says it will be a hot one today. The temperature is expected to reach near 90 degrees. (I bet I find a shady spot to work today!) I spoke with Trail Boss Jeff Russell and Lt. Trail Boss Buren Hamrick and they tell me it is going to be a good one. They said that they have even changed the Motorcycle USA.com creek jump up. It is bigger and better. This should definitely be a good spot for the spectators.

There was a lot of rain that fell throughout the south last week and I know you have probably heard the stories of the flooding at Loretta's. I guess the 13 inches of rain made what had the week before look like a sprinkle by comparison. None the less prayers are definitely going out for those affected. Speaking of prayers, don't forget to stop by the Team Faith Chapel Services each race morning at 8:30. Chuck Lemaster leads a non devotional gathering each race day. It is a great way to start your day. Team Faith and Chuck will be available to chat with throughout the weekend at their spot on vendor row. Stop by and see them.

Don't worry, it seems the weather forecast is as about as perfect as you can have on a GNCC racing weekend. Temps should be down to around 70 on Saturday and Sunday and though the field sections will be dusty, the woods are perfect.

As perfect conditions look to be headed our way, there are 10 riders that are headed to North Carolina with a "Perfect Season" still alive. I thought it only right to recognize these riders on their efforts thus far:

Levi Cohen ATV 90 Mod (12-15)

Kevin Trantham 4X4 Lites

Clifton Beasley U2

Forrest Whorton Utility Senior (45+)

Braden Henthorn ATV Schoolboy (13-15) A/B

Cheyanne Shadron Women Novice

Grant Baylor Youth Bike Super Mini (12-13)

Triston Landrum Youth Bike 85cc (7-11)

Jason McCaskill Bike Open C Jr. (22+)

Jordan Ashburn Bike Open A

Way to go everyone and good luck!

Round 6 of the series sees us nearly halfway through the season and championship battles have really shaped up throughout nearly every class. As I scanned through the points I noticed that there are several riders that are leading their respective class and have not even taken a win yet this year. Consistency may prove to be a better formula to win a championship than going out and pushing it to the limit to win.

The 2010 GNCC ATV Women's Class has really proven to be a class where being consistent rides may be the only way to win the championship. It seems that for years we have watched two women battle it out race after race for the wins. It has been actually been coming down to who could capture the most wins would win the championship.

As the 2010 season shapes up, the women are extremely tight in points. The points race sees only 7 points separating the top 5 in the most competitive class of women to date. What is amazing is that any one of these girls could not only win a race or two this season, but could actually win the championship. Experience usually pays off in the end, so time will tell the whole story and should be exciting to see what happens as we wait.

Yamaha's Traci Cecco posted her second win of the season at Loretta Lynn's and was able to edge ahead by one point over Can Am's Lexie Coulter. Coulter had held on to the points lead since her win at the season opener in Florida, finishing no worse than 4th on two occasions this season and posted a 2nd and 3rd in the other rounds. Cecco has 2 wins with 2 third places and a fifth.

How does Defending Women's Class Champion stack up right now? Not too bad at all. FRE KTM's Angel Atwell has posted two wins this season so far herself. Angel also has second and third place finishes as well as a 9th place at Steel Creek. The one thing to remember is that the Women's class also drops a few races and when that happens, it really tightens things up toward the end of the season.

Others to watch out for in this class are Kristen Atwell and Jennifer Albright. Each one of these ladies has captured wins in the class at some point. This means that the top 5 women all have experience winning and are going to continue to strive for that goal week in and week out. Point proven I feel with the way the championship is now.

One last thing I want to remind folks of is that we will have a special night for everyone courtesy of The Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC presenting sponsor, Motorcycle-USA.com. Looks like Ryan Merrill has got some big plans for the GNCC Racing Nation on Saturday evening down by the podium. If all goes as planned we will have a bon fire with some s'mores and such as well as some entertainment and a load of fun. Listen in to the PA or on the trackside radio for more details at the race.

Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs!

 

Thanks, Rodney. Here's Shan Moore.

Thanks, Jason. Sounds like Rodney's getting settled in at Yadkin Valley. Anyway, this will be my first trip to this venue, and I'm looking forward to seeing the creek jump. I took a look at some of Hoop's photos from last year and it looks impressive. I'm also looking forward to seeing what MotorcycleuUSA.com's Ryan Merrill has in store for the race. I first met Ryan when he worked at Cycle News and I think he's a great guy. I heard him talking to himself at LL about his plans for Yadkin Valley and it sounded like a lot of fun.

Looking back on LL, Adam McGill turned in an impressive ride in the ATV XC1 class, with a strong second place finish. I took the time to give Adam a call this week to see how things are going at Can-Am and he tells me that he's adjusting well to his new bike, and he particularly likes the fuel-injection. Of course, some of these races boil down to the start, and he got a good one two weeks ago. Adam also told me something interesting about when he and Chris Borich came together while battling for the lead. "It was pretty muddy and everyone was kind of freight training, trying to see the good lines and the bad lines," Adam said. "We started making moves on the second lap and that's when I was able to move into the lead. On the last lap, Borich and I were battling and we ended up colliding and he went off his bike. I let him get back on his bike and take off because I didn't want to pass him while he was on the ground." That's an unbelievable show of sportsmanship from one of our stars!

Adam also told me that Can-Am is willing to do everything it takes to make him feel more comfortable on the bike. "Of course, you have to learn to adapt to any new bike you ride," says McGill. "Every bike requires a certain riding style, and I had to adapt to the bike. Once I learned how it cornered, the shifting, the braking, and stuff like that, then I was able to start working on the little things that I wanted to change on the bike to suit me - like suspension. The fuel-injection is a big change, and it's way better in my opinion. You can submerge the bike and it keeps on going, where with a carburetor, get a little bit of water in it and it starts to sputter and it's over. We also have the suspension dialed in now and I'm feeling more and more comfortable every week. My hat's off to my team for giving me the best equipment week after week."

The Can-Am boys have also change up the training routine for the riders, and Adam told me that for the first time he has a personal trainer. "Can-Am hired me a trainer, and he is definitely kicking my ass," said McGill. "He is a nutritionist too, so we work with my diet as well."

So far, all the effort seems to be working for McGill, and it will be interesting to see if he can duplicate his LL performance in Yadkin Valley. According to McGill, he's going to need another good start. "Yadkin is a tight track and it's difficult to pass there," McGill said. "The track is slow and if you get a good start you're going to run up front. If it rains it gets really slick, so we will hope for a good start and see what the conditions are and see happens. I'm hoping to be on the podium every time, now."

Can't wait to see this week's race.

Thanks, Shan, neither can we.

GNCC TV producer Jason Hooper wants to remind everyone that the Maxxis General GNCC ATV race airs this Sunday at 3 p.m. Great racing there as Taylor Kiser looks to end Chris Borich's win streak, dating back to last year. We finished this show up last week and I can tell you the action is awesome-Chris Bithell, Bill Ballance and Bryan Cook also got in the mix to make this race interesting. Watch it on TV.

Also, don't forget to check out the Yadkin Valley Wine tours. In case you've forgotten, here's a message from Jamie Johnston.

Hey Guys - we look forward to your return to the Yadkin Valley!  Our Wine Industry continues to grow - we now have fourteen tasting rooms open in Yadkin County alone - and would love to put together some tours.  Shoot us an email if anyone is interested in tours or if you have any other questions.  Send the email to jamie@yadkinchamber.org or call us at 1-877-4YADKIN.

 

That's it for Yadkinville. Enjoy your trip!