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Borich and Ballance
Closer Than Ever as Can-Am GNCC Series Comes to
Unadilla
Tenth round of the Can-Am Grand National
Cross Country series visits New York on
September 15 & 16. Top locals invited to
compete against the nation’s best.
Chris Borich with Bill Ballance in
purcuit. |
New Berlin, NY – This
weekend’s third-annual Can-Am Grand National
Cross Country Series stop at the famed Unadilla
Valley Sports Center may become the biggest GNCC
ever, and certainly it will hold huge title
implications for Yamaha’s Bill Ballance and East
Coast ATV’s Chris Borich. A head-on collision
between Ballance’s search for a record-breaking
eighth-straight GNCC title and Borich’s quest
for his first championship has taken the series
to a new level, as the “Killer B’s” have never
been this close in points this late in the year.
Borich leads Ballance by three points with four
races remaining in the 2007 GNCC tour.
Further
complicating matters, young sophomore pros Chris Bithell and Adam McGill seem to find more speed
each weekend as Bithell finished in front of
Ballance at the previous race despite starting
in last. Throw veterans like Matt Smiley, Chris
Jenks and William Yokley in the mix, and the
stage is set for a wild weekend.
Unadilla
joined the GNCC tour in 2005 and drew 1800
riders—a record turnout. Last year’s event
matched those numbers, putting 1800 within sight
again this year. A full slate of amateur classes
is available with ATVs racing on Saturday and
bikes on Sunday—and each race will use portions
of the world famous Unadilla motocross track.
Ballance and
Borich will square off in a two-hour fight on
Saturday at 1 p.m. in the premier ATV division,
XC1 Pro. Ballance won the first two rounds of
the series in March and positioned himself for
another title run, but then Borich fired back
with four-straight wins, and one more at the
previous round in Pennsylvania. Last year at
Unadilla, Borich and Ballance dueled all day
until mechanical troubles sidelined Borich—he is
determined to prevent that from happening this
year.
The XC2 Class
for up-and-coming pros features GT Thunder
Yamaha’s Brandon Sommers, who has won all but
one round of the series this year. The GNCC
morning race at 10 a.m. is a start-studded
affair, with the Women’s class and the 4x4 and
Utility Classes competing for overall honors.
Warnert Racing/Can-Am has dominated the
proceedings in the 4x4 classes, sweeping the
podium at the previous race with Michael Swift
(Outlander 800, 4x4 Limited Class) Scott Kilby
(Outlander 800, 4x4 Open Class) and Cliff
Beasley (Outlander 500, 4x4 Lites) grabbing the
three overall morning race podium spots.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series
is the largest off-road racing series in the
nation. The top pro racers make a lucrative
living in the sport, reigning in six-figure
salaries and endorsements, as well as a share of
a $130,000 prize purse and over $3 million in
contingency and bonus money. GNCC events also
offer classes for amateur riders of all skill
and experience levels. Four-wheeled ATVs will
compete throughout the day on Saturday,
September 14, and dirt bikes will race on
Sunday, September 15. Riders can sign up at the
track. The amateur racer entry fee is $40.
Spectator passes run $12 for the full weekend,
with pro pit access and pro autographs at no
additional charge. On both Saturday and Sunday,
youth riders race at 8 a.m., beginner riders
race at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and the
pros race at 1 p.m.
For more information, check out the official
series website at
www.GNCCRacing.com or call 304-284-0084.
Directions:
Located on State Highway #8, five
miles north of New Berlin, New York. From the
north take NYS Thruway (Rt. #90) to exit 31
(Utica). After the tollbooth, begin following
signs for Route #8 SOUTH. Turn right after the
tollbooth and make another right at the first
light. You will go about 50 feet and exit to
your right. Continue about 1 ½ miles and you
will exit again at Route #8 south/ Route 5/12.
Approximately 4 miles later you will exit one
more time at “Route #8 South-New Hartford”. Once
you exit here, you will stay on this road right
to the racetrack.
From the south, take Rt. #81 north to Rt. I-88
east. Exit at exit #9- Sidney. At the top of the
ramp, turn left onto Route #8 NORTH. Do not go
to the Town of Unadilla.
Photo: Borich and Ballance duke it out at last
year's Unadilla GNCC
About GNCC Racing:
The AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Can-Am 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 1,800 riders through tracks ranging from
eight to twelve miles in length. GNCC Racing
airs weekly television shows on Versus (formerly
Outdoor Life Network) every Saturday at 3 p.m.
and Thursday at 4 p.m. beginning on April 14.
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 BRP Can-Am, Parts
Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco,
Acerbis, Elka, Geico, Klotz, FMF, ITP and
Weekend Warrior, and riders compete for over $3
million in series prizes and contingency money.
Associate sponsors include Alpinestars, Cometic,
EK Chain, HiPer Technology, Laegers, Moose
Utility Division, The National Guard, Powersport
Grafx, Race Tools, REM, Scott, Thor, Tire Balls,
Twin Air, and MotoTee’s. Media Sponsors include
Racer X Illustrated, ATV Rider, ATV Sport,
ATVRiders.com, Quadzone.com, Dirt Rider and ATV
Insider. For more information log on to
www.gnccracing.com.
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