Riders: Paul Whibley Jordan Ashburn
Race Report: Amidst the horrendous weather conditions brought forth by Hurricane Irene, the Unadilla GNCC course was in almost perfect condition for Sunday's race.
AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley fired off the line, grabbing the holeshot and leading the rest of the pack into the woods. Whibley spent most of the first lap battling for the lead but the slippery rocks and roots quickly took their toll, forcing him out of the top position. For the next several laps Paul struggled to find his pace and the leaders started to gap the rest of the field. However, after a brief stop for fuel and some encouraging words from the team, Whibs put his head down and charged his Factory AmPro Yamaha YZ450F back to the lead pack ending the day with an outstanding 3rd place finish!
"This was tough one for me," says Whibley. "The course was covered in rocks that were still wet from the storm and that made line selection and passing rather unsettling. I knew I was off pace when I made my first fuel stop but Scotty and the team just told me to push... so I did and I'm pretty happy with how I ended up finishing. The bike worked awesome and the Vortex ignition system once again proved to be a valuable asset, allowing my YZ450F to start first kick!"
Obermeyer Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn put on one of his most impressive races of the year in the XC2 Class aboard his 2011 GYTR YZ250F. With a mid-pack start, Jordan new he had is work cut out for him as he charged into the first corner being blasted by rocks and roost. Ashburn kept his composure and continued to push hard, quickly working his way to the front of the pack and fighting for the lead position. The next couple laps would consist of an all-out battle between Ashburn and FAR Husqvarna rider Jason Thomas. Within 20 seconds of the finish Thomas got stuck in lap traffic allowing Ashburn to sneak around him for the win!
"This was a great race," says Ashburn. "I had a rough start but I eventually worked my way into second. I tried to keep Thomas in my sight from there on out... just waiting for him to make a mistake or get stuck...Well, as luck would have it, in the last corner he got stuck in traffic and I got by. The Obermeyer AmPro GYTR Yamaha YZ250F Worked awesome and I'd like to thank the team and my parents for all the help in the pits. This was a big win for me and the team!"
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