AMA Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series
Parts Unlimited/Moose/Maxxis/Wiseco/Klotz/FMF/Pirelli/ITP

Bryan Cook Takes the biggest GNCC ever: Unadilla!
Bill Ballance rides to second with a broken leg

New Berlin, NY – It’s been a tough season for Four-Stroke Tech’s Bryan Cook, last year’s Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series Rookie of the Year, but he salvaged quite a bit with a historic win at the first-ever Unadilla GNCC in New York. Unadilla may be the most well-known motocross track in the country, and that’s why 1700 riders came out to make this the biggest GNCC of all time.

Cook came out on top in a wild fight, with Suzuki GNCC Series Champion Bill Ballance gutting out one of the toughest rides of his career by finishing second on his still-broken leg. Veteran Bryan Baker took third.

“It feels so good,” said Cook. “At the beginning of the year we had such problems with the bike, just straightening the little things out. Then it just brings you down. Finally at the Wisp we had it figured out, and I trained real hard over the summer. I just wanted it real bad.”

Ballance wanted it, too. The factory Yamaha rider saved his season with an amazing second-place finish, complete with 11 screws and two plates in his broken leg. Combined with a DNF from title-rival Chris Borich – who broke a tie-rod - and Ballance is suddenly back in control of the series.

“I don’t know how I did it,” said Ballance. “It was pretty rough out there. It started hurting before we even started, just putting the boot on and everything. When we would hit the rough stuff I had to back off of the throttle, but in the smooth open stuff, I could run my normal race pace. I’m glad it’s over!”

Soon after spraying champagne on the podium, Ballance was off to put his leg in a bucket of ice. He was in considerable pain, but he was tough enough to put major points on his rival. Going into the race he had ridden all of 15 minutes since the injury, and he said the pain after just that 15 minutes of riding set him back a few days. But this time, miraculously, Ballance grabbed the holeshot and led early while a battle ensured behind him.

“Going into the second lap I had the lead and we went though the first mud section,” said Balance. “I crossed some ruts and I actually spit myself off the bike. The only thing I could think of was to wrap my body around my leg. Some spectators got the bike all straightened out, and by the time I got my crippled butt over to it the guy even had it started up for me! For me, I was just counting it down and looking at the lap times, saying c’mon just three more laps, two more laps, one more lap.”

It was a wild, wild race at Unadilla, which is often considered the most historic motocross track in the country. With over two miles of motocross track combined with the tight, twisting New York woods, riders had to be both fast and smart to win. The crash cost Balance the lead and handed it to Chris Jenks, the winner of the previous GNCC in North Carolina. Riding a wave of confidence, Jenks had the lead and kept pulling it, with teammates Cook and Michael Houston behind him.

Then it came unravled in a big mud bog near a section of railroad tracks, when he got stuck. Cook took the lead from there and was never headed.

Ballance would have to fight his way back up, but other favorites were struggling. Borich bent a tie rod on the first lap and took nearly a lap to get it fixed. Matt Smiley crashed on his factory Polaris and injured his shoulder, and Yoshimura Suzuki’s William Yokley had transmission problems.

All of the attrition worked in the favor of Baker, who stayed in the hunt all day on his K&K Honda. Baker, the 2002 GNCC Pro Production Champion, hasn’t been on the podium in years. “It’s probably been seven or eight years since I’ve been up here. The whole day went pretty good, I got a half-decent start, and everytime I would see people stuck, like on the railroad tracks, I would just click them off.”

Just two races remain in the chase for the 2005 Suzuki GNCC ATV title, and Balance looks to wrap up his sixth-straight title in two weeks at the Power Line Park GNCC in St, Clairsville, Ohio. “Out of all the things I’ve had to deal with this year, all the injuries and coming back, I think this title would be the sweetest of them all,” explained Ballance.

The Unadilla GNCC was taped for an airing on the Outdoor Life Network. The series resumes on television on October 18, and the GNCC races air Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. EST.

The ATVA-sanctioned Suzuki Grand National Cross Country series is America’s premier off-road racing series. The 13-round series is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The nearly three-hour long GNCC races lead as many as 1500 riders through tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles in length. With varied terrain including hills, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC featured sponsors include Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Klotz, FMF and ITP, and riders compete for over $1.5 million in series prizes and contingency money. Associate sponsors include Moose Utility Division, Scott, Alpinestars, Öhlins, Cometic, Outerwears, Race Tools, Twin Air, SFB Racing, Thor, Motion Pro, MotoTee’s, Warrior and Laeger’s. Media Sponsors include Dirt Rider Magazine, ATV Sport Magazine and Racer X Illustrated. For more information log on to GNCCRacing.com.

Suzuki GNCC Series Results
Unadilla GNCC

ATV Top Twenty Overall

1 Bryan Cook Casar, NC YAM 02:06:31
2 Bill V Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:07:34
3 Bryan Baker Knob Noster, MO HON 02:07:38
4 Brandon Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:07:51
5 Michael S Houston Hickory, NC HON 02:08:31
6 Scott Barron New Cumberland, WV YAM 02:10:42
7 Andris Lagzdins Baltimore, MD ROL 02:10:49
8 Joshua Ribley Martinsville, IN YAM 02:11:05
9 Santo Derisi Casar, NC HON 02:11:11
10 Jeremy Rice Fombell, PA HON 02:11:43
11 Chris Bithell Irwin, PA HON 02:12:57
12 Rob Hertz Brookhaven, PA HON 02:13:27
13 Andy Klingworth Oldenburg, IN HON 02:13:39
14 Bryan Hulsey Washington, MO YAM 02:14:08
15 Brandon Sturdivant Montrose, WV HON 02:14:11
16 Chris Jenks Washington, WV HON 02:14:41
17 Craig Reed Crawford, TN HON 02:15:00
18 Taylor Kiser Alva, FL YAM 02:15:18
19 Jeffrey Pickens Lemont Furnace, PA HON 02:15:42
20 Rhett M Butler Oak Grove, MO HON 02:16:37

2005 Suzuki GNCC ATV Point Standings (After 11 of 13 rounds)

1. Bill Ballance (262/5 wins)
2. Chris Borich (203/3 wins)
3. William Yokley (178/1 win)
4. Chris Jenks (168/1 win)
5. Brandon Ballance (149)
6. Matt Smiley (146)
7. Adam McGill (118)
7. Andris Lagzdins (118)
9. Bryan Baker (107)
10. Jeremy Rice (94)