Welcome to Quick Fill. How will the weather be this weekend? We've been racing the Wiseco John Penton GNCC for a long time--you folks that go way back may remember when the race was called the Burr Oaks GNCC. Sunday Creek Motocross hosts the event, and GNCC Trail Boss Jeff Russell and his family actually own the track. Since this is a home race for JR, he tries really hard to make things right--years ago they cleared out a ton of trees and leveled the pit area. Then they carved out an all-new section of pine forest and called it "The John Penton Section" so GNCCers could get some good single track. Single track is good for riding but unfortunately not so good for passing. But the riders seem to like it.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Nice crowd at our last race in Somerset. Hope to see it again this weekend!
Thanks Jason. I want to start off by talking about the Josh Strang Suzuki race bike raffle. My son follows the GNCC series over the internet and he's jacked about the idea of having a chance at winning Josh Strang's 2010 RM-Z450. I keep telling him not to get his hopes up, but he's still jacked about it. In fact, I don't think he believes he will win it; he's just excited that SOMEONE is going to win it. It's a super idea that the Suzuki guys came up with; it's a great promotional tool and it goes to a great cause - the RiderDown Foundation. Before the Somerset race, I talked to Suzuki Off-Road team manager Mike Webb about the details of the raffle.
"Josh will race the Snowshoe and immediately following the race, whatever lucky fan draws the winning ticket gets the bike. It's that simple," said Webb. "We will wash it for them, and if they want us to take the mousse inserts out of it and put tubes in it we will, but basically they get the bike as is."
Photo By: Shan Moore
Win the GNCC points leaders factory bike!
While we are on the subject of bikes that race the GNCC series, some of you may remember me talking about Jacob Moreland, a Swedish off-road racer who was competing at the Florida round on a Highland motorcycle. If you remember, I told you that U.S. Highland was setting up shop in Bixby, Oklahoma, just about 20 minutes from my home, and I was going to visit them when they got things situated. Well, that visit came this past Sunday over Memorial Day weekend, and I have to say I was pretty impressed. U.S. Highland plans to start delivering eight different models on August 15th, and included in that are 450cc and 507cc MX, Enduro X-Country and Desert X-Country models, plus 450cc and 507cc ATV Racer models.
U.S. Highland is a merger between ATK of Oklahoma and the Swedish Highland company, and according to U.S. Highland's Chief Operating Officer Chase Bales, 100% of the company's eight models will be built in the United States, down to the Ohlins shocks, some of which will be assembled in the Tulsa plant.
"We will be making our frames, sub-frames, motors, transmissions, and even some of our triple clamps here," says Bales. "Gas tanks, radiators, seats, and most sub-assembles are made here as well. Our plastic is formed in Kansas and trimmed here. Even forks and shocks will be assembled in the U.S., part in the Ohlins plant in Georgia and part here."
Another cool feature is that, according to Bales, all of the Highland motorcycles will be built to the customer's specifications, taking into consideration personal body dimensions, weight and riding style. U.S. Highland dealers will only stock bikes for demo purposes, and the consumer can go to a dealer to ride a bike and then order his specially built model from the dealer or over the internet on the U.S. Highland site, where the customer can choose engine displacement, seat height, footpeg placement and make other hard part choices. Bales added that delivery of the bike can be expected in about seven days.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Bales holds up a U.S. Highand engine.
That's all for me. See ya' at the races.
Okay, Shan. Now I'd like to turn this over to GNCC Announcer Rodney Tomblin. But first, a reminder to check out the superb Tuesday Toolbox interview he conducted with GNCC legend Barry Hawk this week. Click HERE. Some may think there's a rivalry between Barry, the seven-time GNCC ATV Champion, and Bill Ballance, the man who eventually eclipsed his title record. Well, it turns out Bill has actually offered Barry his own ATV to race this season, since Bill is out injured. Will Barry go for it? Remember, he sits just one race behind Bill for first on the all-time GNCC win list...Bil could end up knocking himself off with this move! Make sure to read the interview regardless if you're a bike or ATV fan.
Thanks Jason! The Wiseco John Penton is just a couple days away and riders ready themselves for what could be another one of those great racing weekends. Trail Boss Jeff Russell and I were talking last evening and he asked me when we last had perfect weather at this Ohio race. I'm not sure! It seems our memories are plagued with visions of the thickest, slickest, heaviest mud on the whole GNCC circuit. Then there are memories of dust so thick you can follow the riders on the first lap through the woods by watching the dust roll up through the trees. There are memories of berms of powder that would plug an air filter and choke the life from your bike or maybe even seize the engine like Rodney Smith did many years ago.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Cory B knows it could be muddy this weekend. But we bet his okay with that.
Be on the lookout for a unique Can Am Demo ride area this weekend. The course will feature some of the coolest natural terrain yet to test an Outlander, Renegade or DS 450 ATV. Make sure and stop by, even if you have ridden before, this course will be fun.
Also don't forget to sign up for the Can Am Outlander that Racer Productions will be giving away at the end of the season. You can register at the Can Am Zone on Vendor Row.
A couple of races ago I was looking at the results and noted that there were 10 riders undefeated in their class as we approached the halfway point of the series. After Yadkin Valley we lost a handful and the list became shorter. And as we now head into the second half of the schedule, the list has become even shorter.
ATV AM
Clifton Beasley U2
Cheyanne Shadron Women Novice 15+
Youth Bike
Triston Landrum 85cc (7-11)
Photo By: Shan Moore
U2 riders are gunning for Cliff Beasley.
I also noticed that Grant Baylor of the Super Mini 12-13 class finished 12th in his class which also ended his win streak.
A couple of reminders for you this weekend:
I got this message from Bonnie Cook, the wife of ATV Pro rider Brian Cook from the FRE KTM Team. Looks like little "Steeley Ann" Amiee Cook is up for a magazine cover:
Please click on the link below and vote for my little girl to be on the cover of Parents Magazine!
You can vote every day this week!!!
Please help!
http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/306175
I also got this message from Shawna Bickley about a special practice coming up in July, with funds raised for the late Ryan Earley's family.
Breaking News:
All Fast Traxx riders and friends please mark your calendars for July 17-18 2010. We will host our 1st annual Riding for Ryan Fundraiser Event. Open Practice 10am - 6pm both Saturday and Sunday. Free Camping Friday and Saturday. No AMA or Dist cards needed. Supercross, Motocross & Grand Prix Courses will all be open for this weekend. $20 per rider to ride all day. We will have Riding for Ryan tee shirts and stickers for sale. All profit will go to Ronnie and Crystal Earley for medical expenses. If you're going to make one practice this year please make it this one. The tracks will be prepped, disked, watered and maintained throughout the weekend.
-- Shawna & Norm Bickley
Fast Traxx is located on US 33 near Nelsonville, OH.
This message came to me from Amy McConnell of XCountry Photos:
On this weeks Quick fill could you please mention that there will be donation cans placed around the registration area for Glen Pritchard? Glen & Ellen need our continued support!
Thanks,
Amy
GNCC Youth Rider Cody Gerhard will continue the "Hugs for Cheyanne" fundraiser, helping offset medical costs for our official GNCC photographer, Dave Smith's daughtr Cheyanne. He will be offering an opportunity for you to take home one or your favorite GNCC Pro Jerseys. Donations for tickets can be made at a special booth that will be set up on vendor row.
And as Shan mentioned, don't forget you can win Josh Strang's Suzuki RM Z450. Proceeds benefit Rider Down and you could win a cool bike too.
That is it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs!
That's it from Rodney, now GNCC TV producer Jason Hooper has a scoop.
After one of the best starts to the season we've ever seen, Josh Strang has struggled at the last two rounds of the series, and with his struggles his once 42-point lead in the series has been cut down to just three over his former teammate Charlie Mullins. Strang had a bad race at Somerset but has taken it in stride, realizing that it was nothing more than a bad day, maybe his worst ride since he started the series in 2007. Focusing on it will do nothing to help him continue his quest for a championship. So it will be interesting to see if Josh will be able to regain his winning form at the John Penton GNCC, a track that Strang has ridden well on but has been unable to find the top step of the podium. Just two years he seemed to have a muddy Penton race in the bag for his first-ever GNCC win but was beaten to the finish by then teammate Paul Whibley. Last year Strang rode strong all day but wasn't able to close the gap on Paul Whibley and Ohio-native Jimmy Jarrett, who had already checked out from the pack. Will Strang end his streak of bad luck for this season as well as his bad luck streak at the Penton? We'll know in just a few short days, but look for Strang to be focused and ready to challenge for the win on Sunday afternoon.
This is the first season since 2006 that after 7 rounds we've only seen two different race winners. Back in '06 Juha Salminen and Barry Hawk dominated the series with Juha winning 8 of the first 10 rounds and Hawk getting the other two. That year, the privateer ride of Nate Kanney won at Unadilla to become the 3rd winner of the season. Who do you think it will be in 2010? I posed that very question on a recent digitaloffroad.com poll and the overwhelming favorite for our next new race winner is the #1 Am-Pro Yamaha ride of Paul Whibley, which makes sense since the Axeman won 5 races last year on his way to the championship. And he seems to be getting more comfortable by the day on his Yamaha WR450. I dive a bit deeper into the subject on my site, if you're into bench racing check out the article HERE.
Okay that's it from Hoops and that's it from everyone here. Enjoy the races this weekend!
Share