Welcome to Quick Fill. I hope everyone is getting pumped on the VP Racing Fuels Mountain Ridge GNCC this weekend, I know I sure am. Somerset is a pretty short drive from the office here in Morgantown, so we're pretty excited to be in our 'hood' this weekend. There's actually a lot of excitement around these parts, particularly in the form of football fanatics as the Mountaineers are facing #2 ranked LSU this Saturday in Morgantown. Both teams are undefeated up to this point, warranting a visit from ESPN's Gameday and therefore creating an even BIGGER buzz to the already sold out game at WVU. Good luck to our Mountaineers, grab a W this weekend boys!
We were talking in the office today about RacerTV, and I'm excited to say that we're working on some really cool stuff for next year's shows. As you probably know, VERSUS is turning into NBC Sports next year so it will hopefully give our sport the attention and coverage it deserves. If you DVR the shows every Sunday, you probably came across our Loretta Lynn's Amateur MX shows and hopefully you stuck around to watch because they were intriguing, to say the least. Red Bull Media House produced two back-to-back documentary style shows that focus on a behind-the-scenes look at riders and their families at the national. Red Bull's partnership with MX has really taken RacerTV to another level and we're excited for GNCC Racing to extend it even further next year.
Photo By: Jason Hooper
Thomas is heading to Japan for the JNCC finale
It has been tradition for our friends over at the Japan National Cross Country Series (JNCC) to invite a couple of our GNCC racers each year to compete at the AAGP - the final round of JNCC racing in Japan. Last year Cory Buttrick represented GNCC and in years past Kailub Russell, Nate Kanney, Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins have gone over to experience cross country racing in another light. We're excited to say that F.A.R Husqvarna's Jason Thomas will be representing GNCC this year at the JNCC AAGP. I talked to Fred Andrews yesterday and those guys are super pumped for Jason and it's a great opportunity for both Jason and the team, for sure. President Masami Hoshino sends over a couple of his riders to race the Westgate River Ranch event every year and let me tell you, those guys are a trip! I think next year we should have a little shindig for those guys and show them just how hospitable we Americans are, because they always take care of our guys.
I know we like to focus on the XC1 and XC2 classes because they are the top tier of our sport, but it's always cool to hear what's going on in the youth and amateur classes as well. What's so cool about those riders is we KNOW they love what they do because let's face it - they pay A LOT of money to race in hopes of a little gratification, maybe better fitness, a plaque and possibly a future job in racing. So kudos to those racers and families, because you all make up the heart of GNCC Racing! I'd like to dedicate a section of QF every weekend to those non-pro riders, so please, fill my inbox with links to any stories, race reports, photos or any other updates on your rider and we will share them here.
Photo By: Patty Robinson
Pritchard (right) has a true passion for ATV racing
KYMCO did a cool feature on their GNCC race team and the preparation it takes to get everything and everybody ready for the races. It's on their KYMCO USA ATV/UTV FB page, definitely worth checking out! Husqvarna has a really great following on a forum online called Cafe Husky, where anyone can post their weekend race reports or any other Husky-related topic. It's a great outlet for riders to get their results online and that's just what Andy Powers and his crew uses it for. Here's a link to Andy's Unadilla GNCC race report on Café Husky. The Lincoln Journal did a feature back in July on Glen "Jody" Pritchard, who races in the Super Senior 50+ class. It's an incredible story on Pritchard's battles not only on the GNCC course, but also with race injuries - and even cancer. This is one tough cookie and we're proud to have him on board as a GNCC racer.
Time to start packing and head out to Mountain Ridge ATV Trails. A quick note from JR and the crew, though. They changed the entrance to the park because the previous road was pretty rough and unmanageable. So, if you're coming south on 160, go 2.6 miles past the old entrance and if you're going north on 160, go 5.3 miles past RT 31 and you will see the new entrance. There will be plenty of signage, but just a heads up.
I'm done rambling on; I'll give you over to Shan Moore with some race-related info. Safe travels, and I will see you all in a couple days!
Photo By: Shan Moore
Wolf usually fares well in gnarly terrain like Somerset
Thanks, Jen. I think most of you know that Cory Buttrick was involved in an unfortunate crash at Unadilla and ended up with a mild concussion. I spoke to D-Butt this week via text to get an update on Cory and he told me they would probably not be racing Mountain Ridge because, as of Sunday, Cory was "just starting to get his speech back and his motor skills were still not up to par and his focus and train of thought was bad." For sure, concussions are a bad thing and we should all be concerned even when dealing with mild ones. Cory took a pretty good shot and I hope he takes the time to get completely over it before he gets back on a bike. That's not something to mess around with. I want Cory to know we're all thinking of him and we want him to come back when he's full speed. Get well soon, Cory.
Paul Whibley added another OMA title to his trophy case this past weekend with a win at the Moonshine round in Illinois. It was Whib's fourth-straight OMA title and he won it with two rounds remaining on the schedule. No doubt, a little pressure has been lifted off the Ax Man's shoulders and he can now fully focus on trying to catch Charlie Mullins and Josh Strang in the GNCC title chase. Paul told me at Unadilla that he's not a big fan of rocks, but he also said that just before winning the Rock Run, which is also in Pennsylvania. Maybe Whibs is using a little reverse psychology on us.
Brian Wolf told me he was pretty disappointed in his fourth place finish at Unadilla. The Wolfman was in the hunt for the win for most of the race but got stuck behind a lapper on that big, nasty hill and lost a lot of ground and couldn't reel the leaders back in. Last year at Somerset, Wolf was leading the overall from the XC2 row until the second-to-last lap, so he tells me he's looking to have a good finish at this year's round. Brian is one of those riders with a full time job but he said he worked really hard the last three weeks of the summer break and he came into the last half of the series feeling he could get a win. Somerset might just be the week.
Another racer disappointed in his finish at Unadilla was Taylor Kiser, who got flipped upside down in the first turn and had to work his way back through the pack to finish fifth. He also had to deal with a stick that got stuck in his nerf bar and through the frame, forcing him to get off the bike to remove it. However, Taylor showed plenty of speed when he finally got going, and Walker Fowler credited Kiser with helping him find a good pace en route to his overall win. "I just had a day of trials and tribulations that I had to deal with," Taylor told me. I know Taylor and the Ballance Racing Team got in a lot of hard work over the break and I think all it's gonna take is a little bit of good luck for a change.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Whibs is a rock-racing machine, contrary to his own belief
I know it's going to be 10 days removed from the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but I'm looking forward to visiting the Flight 93 memorial which is located near the Mountain Ridge venue. The attacks on our country and against our citizens and how we responded to them has had a big impact on my life and I want to visit the site and pay resects to everyone who gave their life or was impacted in anyway by those attacks. I've always been a patriotic person and that day reinforced that notion in me even more.
Thanks, Shan. Rodney has all the insight on Youth racing this week. Take it away, Rodney.
Thanks Jen. Heading into this weekend's VP Racing Fuel Mountain Ridge GNCC the excitement level builds as championships intensify in the closing rounds of 2011. The obvious battles with the XC1 and XC2 classes may go down to the wire at Loretta Lynn's in November. Maybe not so much in the XC2 Pro Am ATV championship as Ballance Racing/Yamaha's Walker Fowler has wrapped up the championship in that class but is looking at making history again this year by going undefeated in the class.
Fowler seems to be all about the "records" and "history" as he actually won the first-ever modern-era youth ATV race GNCC held at the Ironman only a handful of years ago. Now only a few short years later he has won 2 overalls and has yet to start on the front row. One has to wonder with the history he has racing if his rookie pro season in 2012 could be another record breaker. Of course we have the rest of this season and a few more records that Walker hopes to break before the end.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Kiser is gunning for his first win at Mt Ridge
Looking at the amateur side of things championships and position battles continue to build here as well. I especially noticed this in the Youth ATV point battles. At the top of the list in the 90 Open 12-15 class there is only a 6 point difference between the top three. Blaine Martin currently sits top of the points with 3 wins on the season. Only 4 points behind is the #3 of Cody Collier who has pulled off a couple of wins himself this season. And another 2 points back in 3rd is Josh Simmons who has accumulated 3 wins himself this season and is heading into Mountain Ridge with the hopes of topping the podium again after a win in New York at the 'Dilla.
The 90 Mod (12-15) division has a tough one brewing as well. Zachary Jones and Charlie Welch have battled all season and don't look to lighten up on each other any time soon. These two also have seen some challenges especially coming from the #12 of Maryland's Westley Wolfe. Wolfe had mechanical failures and mistakes plaguing him early in the season but seems to have turned things around a bit since the summer and may be a threat for podiums and wins for the rest of the season. Thomas Ulrich is another rider that has potential to win in this class and looks to be focusing his efforts late in the season.
The 90 Limited (11-15) division has another tight points battle with only 1 point separating Thomas Owen and Brendan Golding for the championship in that class. Owen has 6 wins so far this season and with the drops that are afforded for the championship may have the championship all but wrapped up.
The Girls 8-15 is another class that is offering some great battles. Alyssa Oplinger has 6 wins and a 12-point lead in the point battle for the class. Though she has the points lead a battle wages on behind her with Darcy Johnson and Kira Campbell. Campbell has two wins this season in the class herself and with a little consistency may prove to be a thorn in the side for Oplinger in the battle for the championship.
The 90 Open (8-11) looks to be another tight one and last year's overall champ Hunter Hart sits second in this class. Hart, who is 6 points behind in that class, has 7 wins and was spotted at Unadilla sporting a cast from a broken arm over the break. Hart stated that he would be back at Mt. Ridge if he had to cut the cast off himself. Anyone who spoke with him knows he was not happy to have to sit that one out.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Mullins won here last year, can he do it again?
Another tight battle in the youth ATV classes includes the 70 CVT (6-11) with Sadie Welch and Bryanne Parks. Welch has been plagued the last couple of years with broken bones but has somehow been able to muster 5 class wins and has pulled to within 6 points of Parks. Bryanne Parks is another tough competitor in the youth classes taking 3 wins and riding very consistent to keep a strong season going late in the year. One other name to watch out for in this class is Saylorsburg, PA's Hannah Hunter. Hunter has a win along with two 2nd place finishes after starting out the series in Patton PA for the Rock Run GNCC only 4 rounds ago.
A look at some tight battles in the morning ATV ranks sees few points separating some of the battles in the 10:00am race. A quick scan looks like this: Michael Swift and Bryan Buckhannon have only 2 points difference and each have won several events this season. Swift who sits in the points lead has only 4 wins to Buckhannon's 5 wins but more consistent finishes thus far has him with only a slight advantage.
Traci Cecco seems to be securing her place back at the top of the points in the Women Class. Cecco has 7 championships and is hoping to make it number 8 after a couple of years off the top of the Women Class ranks.
Another class of interest heading into the final rounds is the Schoolboy (13-15) A/B Class. Brycen Neal and Jay Shadron sit only 1 point apart. Neal has 3 wins to Shadron's 2 wins and the season is far from over. Both of these riders are only a couple of years removed from the youth ranks and will be ones to watch as they continue there rise through the GNCC ATV.
Another class featured as a stepping-stone for the youth ATV racers is Schoolboy (13-17) Novice. This class sees more former youth ATV racers battling for the top spot with Colton White and Brayden Schick only one point apart. Another to watch in this class is Xander Auth who has seen strong rides this season and appears ready to become more of a threat before it's over this year.
Thomas photo is the only thing we can read on the website, but pretty cool nonetheless!
The 40+ C has been tightening up as of late also. Wayne Brown who sits 2 points behind the lead in 3rd place has won 3 rounds this season and has his sights set on more. Steve Taylor and Kevin Wright are tied for 1st with 4 rounds left for the ATV racers.
Well looks like there is so much going on this season that you are going to have to hang on and see what is going to happen. One thing I forecast is good racing and one of the best seasons GNCC has ever seen. So hopefully we will see you this weekend and you can check it out for yourself. Till then God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.
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