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Parts Unlimited/Moose/Maxxis/Yamaha/Wiseco/Klotz/FMF/Dunlop/ITP/Tire
Balls
Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series
Ballance tops Borich in yet
another Wisp Classic
Champion heads into summer break with
momentum
 Deep
Creek, MD – Many new pro contenders have arrived
in the 2006 Suzuki Grand National Country
Series, but only two could win on the ultra
rugged ski slopes of the Wisp Resort in Deep
Creek, Maryland. The Wisp hosted a classic
Killer B’s battle as Yamaha’s Bill Ballance and
Honda’s Chris Borich returned to the front of
the pack. The dup bumped and banged for two
hours, with Ballance finally pulling out a
clutch win.
 “This is the roughest track we race all year.
It’s like a toughman thing, it just beats you to
death with these rocks,” said Ballance, the
six-time and defending GNCC Champion from
Oakland, Kentucky. “It seems like any time we
get hooked up, we take it down to the end. Me
and Chris just went back and forth. I passed him
on the third lap, and he got me in a sweeper.
The last time I passed him, it was a bottleneck.
I tried a new line and couldn’t get too much
traction, but the lapper moved up a foot and
opened up a perfect line. I got the lead right
there, and I tried to pull away, but he was
right up to me. In that last open section I
don’t think I let off the gas even once. It was
a heck of a battle.”
Borich held the lead several times throughout
the day. He gave it everything he had down the
stretch, but came up just short.
“It was a lot of fun just battling all day,”
said Borich. “I wanted it pretty bad. On the
last lap we hit a bottleneck and Bill but by. He
put a good 20 seconds on me and I put my head
down and caught up to him. Around the ten-mile
marker I touched the front brake a little bit
and fell down. I thought I lost him. I got up to
him again and tried to dive inside in some of
these last fields, but I couldn’t get in like I
wanted to. I know I can trust him, so we can
just go all out!”
Early in the race, Ballance and Borich had to
fight with GT Thunder’s Chris Jenks. The
Washington, West Virginia rider was in podium
position until a broken suspension component
ended his day. The door then opened to a big
battle between a four-man pack, and Yoshimura
Suzuki’s William Yokley won it on his LT-R450.
“I was pretty far back at the end of the
third lap,” said Yokley. “I never gave up and
just tried to pick them off one at a time. I got
around Johnson, and me and Chris Bithell were
battling pretty hard for the whole lap My tire
was just grinding his nerf bar in one fast
section. We were banging bars! My elbows are a
little rusty, but I can still stick them out
when I have to. It was fun.”
 Fourth went to Bithell, who rode an amazing
race after tangling with Polaris’ Matt Smiley
early and starting way, way back. Running laps
at times faster than even the leaders, he nearly
pulled off a podium finish.
“It would have been good to get another
podium,” said Bithell. “But I’m happy with it
considering how far back I was.”
Fifth went to Duane “The Rock” Johnson in
another solid ride. Bryan Cook, Brandon Balance,
Santo DeRisi, Adam McGill and Michael Houston
rounded out the top ten.
The Outdoor Life Network crew taped all of
the Wisp action for the Racer TV Series on OLN.
Races air every Saturday and Wednesday at 3 pm.
The Suzuki GNCC Series now begins its annual
summer break. Racing continues in two months at
the Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC in Yadkinville, NC.
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.
Photos by Raymond Gundy, GNCCRacing.com
Results:
Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series -
Round 9
Parts Unlimited Wisp GNCC
June 25, 2006
1. Bill V Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:08:33
2. Chris M Borich Sunbury, PA HON 02:08:37
3. William Yokley Tompkinsville, KY SUZ
02:10:23
4. Chris Bithell Irwin, PA HON 02:10:26
5. Duane Johnson Trenton, MO HON 02:10:29
6. Bryan Cook Casar, NC HON 02:11:35
7. Brandon Ballance Oakland, KY YAM 02:12:14
8. Santo Derisi Casar, NC HON 02:13:43
9. Adam McGill West Union, WV HON 02:14:42
10. Michael Houston Hickory, NC HON 02:14:49
11. Bryan Baker Knob Noster, MO HON 02:14:52
12. Todd Demaree Varsailles, IN HON 02:14:54
13. Ryan Morphew Cookeville, TN HON 02:14:58
14. Craig Reed Crawford, TN HON 02:15:18
15. Matt J Smiley Kunkletown, PA POL 02:15:57
16. Tyler Lenig Shamokin, PA HON 02:16:11
17. James Wahl Shillington, PA HON 02:16:20
18. Jarrod McClure Kaska, PA HON 02:16:41
19. Taylor Kiser Alva, FL YAM 02:17:02
20. Kyle Martin Winona, MO HON 02:17:06
Suzuki GNCC Points Standings (After 9 of 13
rounds)
1. Bill Ballance 226/4 wins
2. Chris Borich 210/2 wins
3. Chris Jenks 166/2 wins
4. William Yokley 146
5. Duane Johnson 142
6. Chris Bithell 120
7. Michael Houston 90/1 win
8. Adam McGill 79
9. Brandon Ballance 78
10. Bryan Baker 75
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