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Ballance's Quest for
Tenth-Straight, and Final, GNCC Title Begins
this Weekend
Morgantown, W.Va. (February 23, 2009) -- The
words came as a shock to most. At the 2008
Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series
banquet, Team Yamaha's Bill Ballance announced
that he would retire from full-time competition
at the end of the 2009 season. The nine-time
GNCC Champion from Kentucky hopes to retire on
top by concluding a decade of domination, but he
also wants his competition to know he's leaving,
so they will be ready to get one last shot at
him. Ballance's charge for a final GNCC crown
begins this weekend at the 2009 GNCC season
opener, the Part Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in
Lake Wales, Florida. ATV riders will practice on
Saturday, February 28, and race on Sunday, March
1.
"I'm letting everyone know right now so they
can come at me hard for next season," said
Ballance at the banquet in November. "I'm 32
years old, and I'm going to try to go out on top
with ten-straight. I still have the fire in my
gut, and I'm still going to push it as hard as I
ever have. But mark it down, this will be my
last run as far as I can tell, so I want
everyone to get one last shot at me and give it
100 percent."
Of course, Ballance reserves the right to change
his mind and go for ten again in 2010 if he
fails this season. And a host of riders would
like to create that scenario. At the head of
that pack comes Rockstar/Yoshimura Suzuki's
Chris Borich, who won last year's Florida race
and took second in the 2008 standings-his
fourth-straight season as the GNCC runner-up.
Borich may hail from Pennsylvania, but he
possesses impressive sand skills since he spends
his winters in Florida.
KTM's Adam McGill broke out last year when he
won three-straight races early in the season and
looked like a championship lock. Bad luck
eventually derailed his title bid, but McGill
expects more consistency in his second season
with KTM. Last year's outstanding rookie, Yamaha
rider Brandon Sommers, carded fourth in the
final standings and showed a combination of
focus and consistency rare for a rider with so
little experience. Expect a big jump in speed
from Sommers this season.
Bryan Cook will fly the DeRisi racing
privateer flag again in 2009. Cook won a race
last season and stood closest to Ballance in the
standings at mid-season. Cook's strong run last
year gives him plenty of confidence for 2009.
Local favorite Taylor Kiser, who hails from
Alvord, Florida, switches back to Yamaha
equipment after a solid year on the KTM team
where he finished sixth in the standings.
The entire top ten of the final 2008 GNCC
standings featured riders capable of winning
races this season. GT Thunder Yamaha's XC2
Champion Don Ockerman will graduate full-time to
the XC1 class, and Ockerman already served
notice of his abilities by landing podium
finishes in both of his XC1 races last year.
Popular veteran William Yokley picks up a
factory Polaris ride this year, and the National
Guard-backed rider expects to run up front on
his new machine. Veteran Matt Smiley and
sophomore Jarrod McClure can't be counted out of
the running, either. And the Warnert Can-Am Team
sends Chris Bithell back into battle this
season. The 2007 series number three suffered
from plenty of bad luck last year, but also won
a race at Unadilla. Like McGill, Bithell hopes a
year of testing on his new machine will result
in more consistent finishes.
Ballance serves as the target. As a young
racer coming through the ranks, Ballance chased
seven-time GNCC ATV Champion Barry Hawk. After
Hawk landed the 1999 title, he announced he
would leave ATV racing to pursue the bike
championship. "If I have one regret, it's that I
wish I knew that was my last chance to beat
Barry Hawk," said Ballance at the banquet.
"Maybe I would have changed some things up
instead of trying to develop a new bike that
year. I want everyone to know this will be their
last chance."
The top pro riders will race as part of a
full four-day GNCC weekend, which also includes
amateur, Youth and ATV classes, all of which
practice on Saturday and race on Sunday. In the
amateur ranks, Yamaha's Traci Cecco will begin
her quest for an eighth GNCC Women's crown, with
competition from KTM's Angel Atwell expected.
GNCC Racing also offers four Utility and 4x4
classes as well.
A full slate of bike classes will compete at
the race, too. Bike riders will practice on
Monday and race on Tuesday. Pro races begin at 1
p.m. Two-day passes, which included full pit
access, cost $15, and tickets are available at
the gate. For more information on the event, go
to
www.gnccracing.com
About GNCC Racing
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series
is America's premier off-road racing series.
Founded in 1973, the 13-round championship is
produced exclusively by Racer Productions.
Cross-country racing is one of the most
physically demanding sports in the world. The
grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as
1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length
from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain,
including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and
motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of
both survival and speed. Riders compete for more
than $3 million in prize money, which draws
talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia
and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and
airs every Saturday and Thursday on the Versus
Network. For more information, please visit
www.gnccracing.com.
About Racer Productions
A West Virginia-based motorcycle and ATV event
production company, Racer Productions has been a
leader in the off-road racing industry for more
than 30 years. It's repertoire of events
includes the 13-round Can-Am Grand National
Cross Country Series, held since 1973; The
Kawasaki/Monster Energy High Point National in
Mount Morris, Pa., held since 1977; The ATV Dirt
Days at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills,
Tenn., held since 1985; The U.S. World Motocross
Gran Prix at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pa.
in 1987; The Monster Energy/Kawasaki Steel City
National, held since 1988; The ATV Stampede
National Motocross at High Point Raceway, held
since 1994; The AMA Pro ATV Open at Steel City
in 2007; as well as numerous other amateur
motocross events. In addition, Racer Productions
staffs the prestigious Air Nautiques/AMA
Amateur National Motocross Championship at
Loretta Lynn's Ranch, held since 1982. For more
information, please visit
www.racerproductions.com.
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