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The Mountain Ridge GNCC ATV Race Report
Somerset, Pennsylvania, July 5, 2008
Mark Notman on the Mountain Ridge Podium |
William Yokley finished 13th overall today
after experiencing suspension problems in the
rock infested mountains of Pennsylvania.
There were 252 total entries with 24 XC1 Pro
Riders. Team Rider Mark Notman finished on
the podium in 16th Overall and 2nd in the 29
rider XC2 Pro Am Class.
Summary
We arrived in the scenic Pennsylvania
mountains on Friday after a 9 hour trip.
It had been raining all day and looked like it
may be pretty messy for the race. This was
going to be a busy weekend with the Pro ATV race
and the UTV race running back to back on
Saturday, but I was pumped and feeling well
prepared. Mark Notman and his family had a
shorter trip since he lives a couple of hours
from here, and is sort of used to this type of
terrain. This track is in the high country
with lots of varied track conditions – tight
rocky sections, lots of elevation changes, and
some high speed open areas. The rock
garden sections can be pretty brutal, but at
least there will be no dust!
The rain ended on Saturday morning and the
temp was in the low 70’s, so the conditions were
looking ideal. It was good seeing my
friend Mike Cafro from California; he was here
taking a break from the desert racing scene to
try to dodge some trees. Mike and I were
teammates and competed in several Baja 1000s in
Mexico. The Pennsylvania National Guard
set up their recruiting display featuring their
Mobile Recruiting motor coach and a Humvee.
We headed over to the starting area to have some
fun for the next couple of hours.
The flag dropped and my National Guard Honda
fired immediately, and I arrived in the woods in
4th place. The first lap went very well, I
moved into 2nd right behind Bill Ballance as we
headed into Lap 2. I began to have some
serious problems with my suspension, causing me
to bounce all over everywhere and not able to
maintain a competitive pace. I also got
some arm pump trying to hold on so tight so I
wouldn’t get bucked off the bike. I went
from a strong 2nd to a fading 12th on Lap 2.
I stopped at my pit area to refuel and see if
there was anything I could do about the shocks;
I jumped off the bike and tried adjusting the
external settings, all while losing more time.
Lap 3 and 4 were not much better as I tried to
salvage a decent finish; I ended up 13th overall
which was a disappointment. But hey, we
all have those types of days occasionally and
you just have to do your best and accept the
results.
My National Guard teammate Mark Notman had a
great race, finishing 2nd in the very
competitive Pro Am Class. This is his 3rd
podium finish of the year. His Honda fired
quickly and was 3rd in the first corner, and
made a pass for 2nd in the first 2 miles.
Mark stayed in sight of the leader throughout
Lap 1, and on Lap 2, there was a 5 way battle
for the lead. They swapped positions
constantly, but he was able to take the lead as
they headed into Lap 3. Mark stopped for
fuel and fresh goggles, and found himself in
3rd. He passed the current points leader
Don Ockerman for 2nd and charged hard for the
leader. The leader’s bike quit as they
were in a nasty rock section, and Mark was back
in the lead. Ockerman got around him and
on Lap 4 and while passing lappers, was able to
get away from him a bit. He finished in
2nd, and sits 3rd in points heading into the
summer break.
So, I’m proud of Mark and his finish, but for
me, it was not the result I was hoping for.
I am currently 6th in National points in the Pro
Class as the GNCC Series takes their summer
break. Our next GNCC Event is at the
Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort on September
13. This is a really cool location where
you get to run right through the town on
pavement and also up and down the ski slopes and
adjoining woods.
I also raced in the
UTV race today and I’ll give you the low down on
a separate report, but I can tell you it was
wild!
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