Welcome to Quick Fill. Today comes to you from the announcer's tower at the 2011 Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch. If you've ever been to Loretta Lynn Ranch before, then you know how bad the internet and cell service is, therefore you will forgive me when I tell you that there won't be any photos in this week's QF because they simply won't upload. So my apologies on that.
Anyway, this is the first time I've been to Loretta's in about ten years so I'm super excited to be back here and watching amateur motocross. The best part about this week, though, is the fact that we've got a handful of GNCCers actually racing here this week. And not only are they racing, they are killin' it! So far we have Cody Gragg sitting in 2nd overall in College B/C and 15th in the 250B Stock, Shelby Rolen is in 13th in Women's, Jed Haines is sitting 5th in 25+ and Aaron Plessinger 5th overall in Schoolboy 1 and 12th in Schoolboy 2. Congratulations to our GNCC Racers in their second and third motos and we'll try to keep you updated through the GNCC Facebook at www.facebook.com/gnccracing.
If you haven't watched the ESPN coverage of the Enduro X racing from X Games 17, I'm not sure what you're waiting for! Our very own Women's riders Maria Forsberg, Mandi Mastin and Ashley Crouch competed in California on Sunday as wonderful representatives of GNCC Racing and let me tell you, they rocked it! Literally, the course was gnarlier than anything I've ever seen and that was just what we saw on TV. I watched the race live at the Red Bull rig here at Loretta's with fellow GNCC enthusiasts Michelle and Donna Macan, Kendra DuPont, Kailub Russell, Chandler Welborne and Brandon Bolling - and I think we were all on our feet most of the race with excitement watching the girls. A HUGE congrats to Maria for taking the Gold and Mandi for her 5th place finish and Ashley for 7th.
Well, I'd love to go into more detail about how amazingly awesome our GNCC athletes are but right now JR has me pre-marking GNCC trails here at Loretta's for the November doubleheader. I knew my job load would grow the minute Barry Hawk got injured....
Anyway, GNCC updates will be back in full force next week when the madness of Loretta Lynn Amateur Motocross has calmed down and we all can get back to the normal routine of sleeping at night.
Here's Shan Moore with some info on our National Enduro riders.
Thanks, Jen. I just returned from the National Enduro in Pennsylvania where Nick Fahringer got his second win in a row on the 2012 Husaberg two-stroke. Seems that switching from the four-stroke to a two-stroke was a good move for the 'Ringer. Mike Lafferty was second making it first and second for Husaberg two-bangers. It's kind of funny how all the manufacturers were talking like they were dumping the two-stroke and now they are pushing the two-strokes. It sounds like Husaberg won't even be bringing in a four-stroke for 2012, just the two-stroke. There's also a rumor that Yamaha will be pushing a 250 two-stroke for woods riding next year, which is a big switch from the direction they were going the past few years in regards to the two-strokes.
Charlie Mullins finished a strong third at the Pennsylvania Enduro and he gained some ground on series points leader Russell Bobbitt, who was fifth on the day behind Cory Buttrick. Mullins, however, says his main goal is still all about winning a GNCC title, so he's still totally focused this summer on getting ready for Unadilla.
Speaking of Buttrick, the KTM rider flew out this week for the ISDE in Finland, along with Bobbitt and Andrew DeLong from the GNCC contingent. Sounds like this year's Six Days will be sandy with plenty of tight trail, which should favor the east coast guys, so I'm hoping our guys do well over there.
Thad DuVall had somewhat of an off race in Pennsylvania, but told me he was taking some time off before getting back into training mode for the rest of the GNCC schedule. Thad has had kind of an up and down year, but he's had enough speed all year, just no luck. I can't wait for Unadilla to see who ends up doing their homework over the summer break. Plus, it will hopefully be a little cooler in September!
And here's Rodney "2006 AMA Sports Broadcaster of the Year" Tomblin.
Thanks Jen. We come to you from the 30th Annual Red Bull AMA Amateur Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's and things are going great. As I sit and write my contribution the checkers are waving for the 2nd moto of the College 16-24 class and GNCC 250A Class rider Cody Gragg takes the checker flag. The moto win puts him in 2nd place in the overall standings and only one point out of the championship. The third moto will roll on Saturday and another moto win will mean a national championship for sure. Gragg finished 5th in moto 1 and inconsistencies from other moto 1 top finishers and a strong second moto finish has put him right in the hunt. If nothing else, Gragg is for sure making a great show for the GNCC Racing Nation.
Earlier in the week I ran into XC1 Pro Class Rookie Kailub Russell who has actually joined in the family business for a few days helping out around the track. Russell's father and GNCC Trail Boss Jeff Russell is in charge of track operations and Kailub decided to take a couple of weeks off golfing and training and check out the best motocross racing the planet has to offer.
Russell isn't the only GNCC XC1 Pro making his way down for the week. GNCC Championship contender and 2010 National Enduro Champion Charlie Mullins has been seen working the family business as well. Charlie is married to Moto Tees and Gear Racewear Manager Rachel "Ayers" Mullins. Charlie has been helping out "Slinging Shirts" here at Loretta's.
Though these two are here working don't think they didn't take advantage of an opportunity to do a little racing while down here. Russell and Mullins teamed up with Nate Larson and competed in the first ever TROC-Thor Race of Champions race, which was an industry invitational race. There were 6 teams competing on equally prepped machines and riders competed on an abbreviated Loretta Lynn's National track. It was a team race where one rider started and took two laps and then passed on to the next team member who then rode 2 laps and then passed the bike on to the anchorman, which took the final two laps.
The Thor GNCC Team took a 2nd in moto one and then in moto 2 on the final switch in the pass off area another team shut down the leading team by stalling their bike with the kill switch on the trade-off. In the meantime Kailub Russell, who was running the anchor and was in 2nd place coming out of the switch, was immediately attacked by another team trying to stall the bike. Russell saw two people step out in front of him and he just put his head down and powered through the two new obstacles. Then, without a missing a beat he blasted through the last two laps and took the checkers and the win for the GNCC team, which gave them the overall. Russell said all he saw were people standing in the track and like at a GNCC he said he just put his head down and powered through. Kailub said this is something he has to do at the GNCC sometimes when misbehaving spectators try to stand in the lines and block the track to send riders into a bad situation. "They get out of the way fast!" Russell said smiling.
Luckily no one was hurt in the little bump and bang but turns out one of the people hit was actually Larson who was wrestling with the other team trying to prevent them from hitting Russell's kill switch in this fun "free for all" that had spectators and racers enjoying a new twist to pit bike racing. And as long as there are "No Rules" it could get very exciting to watch these types of events in the future. Thanks to Ryan Holliday and the folks at Team Green Kawasaki for the KLX 110s they hauled in and prepped for the event.
So as you can see, things are exciting and slated to get better as the week rolls on. I will let you know just how fun it ends up next week.
I got a message from Amy McConnell from XCountry Photos who said she came across a pretty cool article on AM ATV Super Senior 45+ competitor Glen "Jody" Pritchard. Here a link to a story about a great man and great inspiration. Check out the link HERE.
Till then, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.
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