|
Parts Unlimited/Moose/Maxxis/Yamaha/Wiseco/Klotz/FMF/Dunlop/ITP
Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series
Ballance Pulls Out ITP
Loretta Lynn’s GNCC on the Last Lap
Borich second and Jenks third in another
amazing race
 Hurricane
Mills, TN – Another amazing GNCC race, and
another clutch win for Yamaha’s Bill Ballance.
The 2006 Suzuki Grand National Cross Country
Series has turned into one of the best battles
ever, and the ITP Loretta Lynn’s GNCC just added
to it. Ballance grabbed the ITP holeshot award,
but GT Thunder’s Chris Jenks sped past and went
fast, leading for most of the day. On the last
lap, he succumbed to the relentless pressure of
Ballance and East Cost ATV Honda’s Chris Borich,
and Ballance survived a scare with a lapper to
take the win.
Bill Ballance grabs the holeshot. |
“It was pretty cool out there,” said Ballance.
“Everyone has stepped up this year. You just
have to hold it wide open on every lap. It’s
intense. All day long I just wanted to get out
front. I had the lead, but Chris got by and he
was setting a good pace, so I just wanted to
stay with him. I’ve been riding and riding and
riding, so I wasn’t getting tired, and I was in
one heck of a groove. I was eager to get out
front on the last lap. I saw the white flag and
knew it was time to go. I started to push it
pretty hard. Chris made a mistake in some roots.
Then about four miles from the end, I tangled
with a lapper and hit a tree, went over the bars
and bent a tie-rod. I thought, “Here we go
again,” because I had a couple of these in the
bag this year and it got away from me. It made
me mad. I got back on, and I could hear those
guys coming, so I held on. I have a lot of
friends down here and it was time for a win.”
Borich suffered a few problems early,
including a miffed pit stop when he bobbled with
a fresh set of goggles. But he charged back to
second on the final lap.
“We hooked up and were battling,” said Borich.
“It was fun out there. I was leading a couple of
times. I came in that second lap, and I got a
rock jammed in my wheels, I had to get it out of
there and they got by me. I got by Chris, and I
tried to reel Bill in but I ran out of time.
It’s nice to have the points lead, but I would
rather win. We’re having the longer tracks here,
and it helps. Lapped traffic wasn’t a factor.”
Jenks has shown tremendous speed this year
and was happy to get on the podium. “Getting a
good start is the key, and that’s where I needed
to be,” said the West Virginian. “I was able to
put a little run on him, there were a lot of
lines out there. It was on the second lap, we
were in the woods where they had some new woods
cut in, and I just had a line and made the move.
But that’s what got me on the last lap, because
there were a lot of lines to get back around me.
Then I got stuck on the last lap and Chris got
around me. After two sixth places, I’m finally
back up here. This where we are going to stay
all year.”
Bill Ballance on the podium. |
Ballance had help right off the start when he
nailed the ITP Holeshot Award. “We’re going back
to some things we did last year when we got nine
holeshots,” said Ballance.
Pro Am racer Brent Sturdivant logged the best
race of his GNCC career by winning his class and
finishing fourth overall. Pro rookie Duane
Johnson rode very well again to finish fifth,
with Yoshimura Suzuki’s William Yokley in sixth.
Chris Bithell, Bryan Baker, Adam McGill and Matt
Smiley rounded out the top ten overall.
The ITP Loretta Lynn’s GNCC drew over 1000
individual riders between the ATV and bike
classes. The race was taped for an airing on the
Outdoor Life Network as part of the Racer TV
Series. GNCC TV airs every Saturday and
Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Alba Yamaha’s Traci Cecco topped Polaris’
Stephanie Parton to win the morning race ATV
overall.
The Suzuki GNCC Series continues in two weeks
with the all-new Showtime! GNCC in Seymour,
Missouri. For more information, 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.
Bill Ballance photos courtesy David Scearce.
ww.pbase.com/ktmrider
Results:
Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series -
Round 5
ITP Loretta Lynn’s GNCC, Hurricane Mills, TN
April 22, 2006
ATV Top Twenty Overall
Pro ATV results:
1. Bill Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 01:55:40
2. Chris BorichSunbury, PA HON 01:55:44
3. Chris Jenks Washington, WV HON 01:56:12
4. Brent Sturdivant Montrose, WV HON 01:58:10
5. Duane Johnson Trenton, MO HON 01:58:17
6. William Yokley Tompkinsville, KY SUZ
01:58:32
7. Chris Bithell Irwin, PA HON 02:00:44
8. Bryan Baker Knob Noster, MO HON 02:01:19
9. Adam Mcgill West Union, WV HON 02:02:01
10. Matt J Smiley Kunkletown, PA POL 02:02:39
11. Andris Lagzdins Baltimore, MD HON
02:02:45
12. Craig Reed Crawford, TN HON 02:03:12
13. Brandon Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:03:24
14. Sean Neidlinger Flagtown, NJ HON 02:03:30
15. Tyler Lenig Shamokin, PA HON 02:03:44
16. Jeremy Rice Fombell, PA SUZ 02:04:06
17. Ryan Morphew Cookeville, TN HON 02:04:28
18. Santo Derisi Casar, NC HON 02:04:30
19. Jarrod McClure Kaska, PA HON 02:04:44
20. Rhett M Butler Oak Grove, MO HON 0
|
