Quick Fill #19: Indy 100

This week's Quick Fill is coming to you from the front steps of the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, Calif. as we gear up for the first Press Conference of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series.  Things have been pretty exciting so far - not only is this my first time in Cali, but I'm getting a crash course in Media 101 with some of the best in the business.

But anyway, back to GNCC.  Hopefully everybody has had the chance to recover from last weekend's muddy mess of a weekend in Indiana.  I know the bike riders are bummed about the weekend's outcome and let me tell you, we are too.  We've been working around the clock to come to a conclusion about the reschedule dates and I believe we have a pretty solid plan.  Most likely we'll announce the Loretta Lynn's and Indy 100 reschedules, as well as the TBA in September, before we head to Rock Run next weekend.

Speaking of Rock Run, we have a really cool event happening next Friday at Cernic's Suzuki/KTM in Duncansville, PA.  Josh Strang, Chris Borich, Charlie Mullins, Cory Buttrick, Kailub Russell, Traci Cecco and Johnny Gallagher will be at the dealership signing autographs and hanging out from 5-7 PM.  Froggy FM radio station will be broadcasting live from Cernic's, giving away a bunch of FREE swag - such as signed jerseys, event merchandise and event tickets.  A local BBQ place in town has been kind enough to provide food for the fans and riders at the event so don't miss out on a chance to hang with the riders, win FREE stuff and eat delicious food!

So GNCC University is quickly approaching, don't forget that if you want to sign up for the event, you need to go to the Snowshoe website at www.snowshoemtn.com.  It sounds like the Yamaha guys are getting vamped up for another good year at GNCC U.  Johnny Gallagher has already offered an ATV for me to hit the course, so I may have to see what that's all about.  But anyway, GNCC U, sign up now. Don't miss out.

That's all for me here on the West Coast, we just finished up with press day for the riders here at Hangtown and now I'm searching for Internet connection - which seems to be hard to come across today. Jason Weigandt has been has been begging me to have a beer with him all night, I think he just wants the GNCC dirt.

Thanks, Jen. What crazy weekend at the Indy 100. That track went from good to bad in a matter of minutes and the scene in the pits on Sunday morning was surreal - all the motor homes and big rigs trying to get out of that parking area. Wow, it was an unforgettable scene. But at least the racing on Saturday was good.

If you missed out on the big hill climb behind the pits it was awesome. There was a creek crossing at the bottom of it, with a pretty steep bank to traverse and then an all-out charge up a pretty long, steep and rocky climb. It's funny how the spectators always seem to find the best spots and when they got the word about the hill it was soon lined with fans. A few riders didn't make it and had to back down and some even cart-wheeled back down. But for the most part, the majority of the top guys made the climb with little problem, although it required a pretty healthy blast of power to get to the top. The sight of mud and rocks flying from the rear wheels as the riders flew to the top was amazing.

I saw our AWESOME media director, Jen Ken, tweeting while trying to climb down the big hill. Watch out girl! I thought I was going to take a tumble down the steepest part. Wouldn't that have been a funny scene - big 'ol me rolling down the hill with cameras and lenses flying everywhere? Anyway, I know Jen was keeping all the tweet heads up on the race in real time. Jen, you are too awesome.

How about Brian Wolf getting his first XC1 win? The GT Thunder-backed rider never looked back once he got into the lead. It's been a rough year for Wolf-man up until this point and he told me after the race that he didn't expect to get the win. He also said that after the disappointment of breaking down in Florida at the opening round he kind of fell off the bandwagon and stopped training. They had problems at the next two races as well and he still couldn't find the motivation to train. But after Big Buck, he decided to start training again and he said he trained hard for the Indy race and it all paid off. Brian says he has his head back in the game and so does his team, so look for more inspiring rides out of the Ohio rider.

All in all, the Indy 100 venue looked like a cool place and it was obvious the owners put a lot of effort into it, getting it ready for the race. Grass had been planted in some areas to make the "midway" more pleasing. That's what I like to call the area where the vendors are. There was a permanent building on sight where they were selling ice cream and other kinds of goodies and it just looked like a good home for a GNCC race.  Another good thing about it is that it's reasonably close to Indy, which means close to the hotels and restaurants... and for those of us that fly in, close to the airport. It's just too bad the bikes didn't get to run. It seems like forever since they've had a race, maybe the Rock Run in Pennsylvania will be nice.

Thanks Shan!  Now if it wasn't for Shan's help heading to the bottom of the uphill in Indy, there's no doubt I would have tumbled down the hill - tweeting from a pile of rocks at the bottom.  And here's Hot Rodney with a recap from Saturday.

Thanks Jen.  The obvious story this week is one that will be echoing through GNCC Lore for many years.  It's not often that conditions warrant the cancelation/postponement of an event, especially when most everyone that is going to be there is there and ready to go.  Back-to-back with the total postponement of Loretta Lynn's, I am quite sure this is a historical happening for Racer Productions.  I know a number of folks did not completely understand the decision but with all factors considered, it was the only thing to do.  I am sure the landowner was more than happy with the decision and Mother Earth sure appreciated it from an ecological standpoint.

The good news about all the craziness is that we did get to race the ATVs and UTVs on Saturday.  And these races too have their "lore" that will not soon be forgotten.  Heading into the weekend, the course conditions were on a thin line of perfection that had been afforded by the wet spring season that most of the U.S. has seen this year.  The wooded sections had the perfect amount of moisture.  The creek and mud crossings had plenty of water to present a true challenge.  The trails were very fresh and tight which was really kind of "Old School GNCC" and believe it or not - there was dust in the open field sections and off the start.  So in reality, this weekend was slated to have been the perfect GNCC weekend as far as the course was concerned.

As the Youth ATV racing began, the air seemed to be filled with the excitement of being back at the track for a GNCC.  It had been 5 weeks since last we raced at the Big Buck and the masses seemed happy to just be able to race.

The Indy 100 Youth course was probably the most technical so far this season and as anticipated these youngsters really rose to the occasion.  Starting on the second row, Indiana's own Charlie Welch was one riders that a lot people were watching as he has seen consistently strong finishes this season and being in his home state would give him even more incentive to take an Overall.  Welch battled with classmates, the other classes and the challenging course to the bitter end to finish his strongest race of the season with 2^nd overall.  Heading into the last lap, the race leaders were within only a few seconds of one another.  The battle consisted of Welch, New York's Hunter Hart from the 90 Open 8-11 class, Carroll Ohio's Cody Collier from the 90 Open 12-15 class and Mount Pleasant Pennsylvania's Alyssa Oplinger from the Girls 8-15 class.  Hart was able to edge the other riders out for the Overall with Welch finishing a season best 2^nd place.  Another rider posting a best finish of the season was Alyssa Oplinger.  Oplinger took 3^rd overall and was the first girl on the podium since Cheyenne Shadron graduated to the big bikes a couple of years ago.  I am sure this is only the start of something huge as far as battles are concerned in these Youth classes.

The 10 o'clock race was another of epic proportions with once again the Utility ATV classes dominating the morning Overall.  We have seen an extreme battle this season for these honors by not only the 4x4 and U2 classes but also the Women class and Super Senior 50+ class rider Dave Simmons.  Simmons got a strong start but mechanical problems took him out of the race quick.  He said it was a very simple part that wasn't tightened from some bike work he had done earlier in the week.  He said it was "one of those things" and as upsetting as it was he was healthy, the bike was strong and he would be ready to tackle the rocks of the Pennsylvania in a couple weeks.

4x4 Open Rider Michael Swift from Lewisburg Tennessee and the U2 Class Rider Clifton Beasley from the U2 Class eventually locked together physically in the closing laps of the morning race and battled all the way to the finish.  Swift had the over-all on time adjustment but these two have been good friends and competitors for some time and to hear them bench racing after the race was a bonus for me personally.  It amazes me how close these riders can sometimes be off the track and how fierce they are on the track. The rest of the morning overall was pretty exciting and we had the opportunity to see a number of different riders and classes in the top 10.

As always, the Women's class in the morning race was another heated battle and defending champion Kristen Atwell has had more than her hands full this season.  K. Atwell has finished no better than two class 2^nd places and sits only 8 points out of the lead in 3^rd.  This shows you how competitive the class is this year and consistency is going to be the key to winning the championship.  Current points leader and 7-Time Women's ATV GNCC Champion Traci Cecco has amassed two wins so far this season and sits only 1 point ahead of Warnert/Foremost Ins. Group/Can Am's Lexie Coulter.  Coulter also has two wins this season and has proven to be a true contender as the championship heats up.  The other factor in the Women's class is former champ Angel Atwell, who has seen some strong rides this season and currently sits tied with Kristen Atwell for 3^rd in points. I know there are few riders, pro or not - that are as dedicated as these ladies to this championship and the one thing to expect for the Women is that they're not going to give up.

A top 10 Overall look from the morning races shows some promise of exciting races to come.   One of the first things I noticed was that Super Senior rider Glen "Jody" Pritchard from West Hamlin, West Virginia took his season's best finish with a 7^th overall and class win in the S.Sr 45+ class.  Pritchard has been battling illness over the last year and was good to see Glen after the race looking stronger and more fit than he has since before his condition set in.  Keep Jody in your prayers as he still has a long road to travel.

The next pleasant surprise for me in the morning overall was seeing former Youth ATV standout Jay Shadron from Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania finishing 8^th - besting a 10^th overall at the Big Buck.  Shadron rides the Schoolboy 13-15 A/B class and could soon be a contender for a top five if continues his progression with his finishes.  If I were in Vegas, my money would be on him to do it before the seasons end.

Another class that catches my attention quite often is the 4x4 Super Senior 45+ class.  Though this class is not the most contested class among the riders, it always offers a great battle between two of today's most solid 50 plus men competing on Utility quads.  They are the legendary Mike Penland from Rabun Gap, Georgia and his newfound track nemesis Forrest Whorton from Castleton, Virginia.  Penland, as mentioned, is a legend and basically forged the path for the current Utility ATV racers.  Penland also laid a new milestone with the creation of the new 4x4 senior class offering some of the older riders an opportunity to shine against each other.  The thing is, no one expected these guys to be so competitive when it came to the Overall.  Whorton finally broke a top ten for the season, finishing 9^th overall and this could be the start of another rider's progression to top 5 Overall.

There is a lot more to talk about but I am headed out the door to Steel City for round 6 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship presented by DWT.  So I will save some thoughts for next week as we prepare for another new venue on the GNCC race tour.  I only hope that what Barry Hawk told me at the Indy 100 is not true.  He said, "The rain is not my fault! It rains at every new track!"  If we weren't cursed before, let's hope that it is not the case now.  But like Trail Boss Jeff Russell said, "At least Rock Run GNCC is going be rocky and we won't have to deal with so much mud no matter if it rains or not."

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