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Parts Unlimited/Moose/Maxxis/Yamaha/Wiseco/Klotz/FMF/Dunlop/ITP
Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series
Borich Dominates Suzuki GNCC
Opener in Florida
Tops Yokley, Brandon Ballance by over three
minutes; Champion Bill Ballance finishes eighth
 De
Leon Springs, FL – East Coast ATV/Honda’s Chris
Borich proved that he is serious about winning the
2006 Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Title,
as the young Pennsylvanian dominated the season-opening
Suzuki Orange Crush GNCC in Florida. Borich dove
underneath defending GNCC Champion Bill Ballance
in turn one to steal the ITP Holeshot, and then
pulled away from the field at an amazing rate to
win the race by over three minutes. It was one of
the most dominant wins in GNCC history.
“I knew everyone else would be strong, so I’ve
been training really hard and working at this,”
said Borich, who nearly won the GNCC title last
year. “I felt good. I just kept pushing and never
felt tired. It was only a couple miles in, and I
looked back and couldn’t see anybody. I was thinking,
“Cool.”’
Borich stayed cool while many top contenders
had problems on the ultra-rough and whooped out
track. But Yoshimura Suzuki’s ever-popular William
Yokley had a good day, marking the GNCC debut of
the Suzuki LT-R450 QuadRacer with a runner-up finish.
Yokley simply took a stock LT-R, bolted on Elka
shocks, a Yosh exhaust and ITP tires and finished
second.
“I just had my pace, and that was all I was comfortable
doing,” said Yokley. “This thing does pretty good
with just a couple of add-on parts. I got on one
with stock shocks, and it was awesome. I knew that
was the machine I needed to be on.” Yokley, of course,
was smiling on the podium as he said this.
The closest battle of the day was for third,
as Brandon Ballance and Chris Jenks dueled for the
final podium spot. A tired, but determined, Brandon
took the position.
“There were a couple of sections where you could
get on the top of the whoops, but most of it you
were going down in them,” said Ballance. “It was
rough. On the third lap, I went over the bars and
accidentally unplugged my kill switch. Chris came
up on me, he was really pushing me hard.”
Jenks finished fourth.
And what of Bill Ballance, the six-time and defending
GNCC Champion? Once again Florida did not go his
way. The champion was locked in a big battle early
with Jenks and ATVA National Motocross Champion
John Natalie, who was giving GNCC Racing a shot.
But Ballance bent a tie-rod on his factory Yamaha
YFZ450 and lost major time for repairs. It appeared
the champ would fail to score any points, but he
charged hard through the final two laps and pulled
off eighth, saving a ton of points in the process.
Natalie claimed a respectable fifth. His clutch
perch rattled loose halfway through the race, but
he battled back without a clutch and looked very
fast.
In the ATV morning race, Yamaha’s Traci Cecco
topped an all-female podium, with Polaris rider
Stephanie Parton in second and Angel Atwell in third.
The 2006 Suzuki GNCC Series continues next weekend
with the Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Georgia.
For more information on the Suzuki Orange Crush
GNCC, log on to GNCCRacing.com.
The AMA-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 1800 riders through tracks ranging from eight
to twelve miles in length. With varied terrain including
hills, woods, 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, ITP
and Tire Balls, and riders compete for over $3 million
in series prizes and contingency money. Associate
sponsors include Moose Utility Division, Scott,
Acerbis, Alpinestars, Cometic, Outerwears, Twin
Air, Polisport Plastics, Thor, Motion Pro, Hyper
Wheels, Elka Suspension, MotoTee’s, Weekend Warrior,
Owens Motorsports, Tom’s Marina Polaris, EK Chain
and Laeger’s. Media Sponsors include Dirt Rider
Magazine, ATV Sport Magazine, www.ATVRiders.com
and Racer X Illustrated. For more information log
on to www.GNCCRacing.com.
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