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Epic Battle Could Be
Brewing for ATVs Going Into GNCC Round 6
Lafayette, TN (April 28,2009) - Bill Ballance
made his way back into first place two weeks ago
at the Acerbis Loretta Lynn GNCC, but the road
to that first win of the season was tough.
Ballance was diagnosed with cancer just weeks
before the season began, and after surgery to
remove it and a rib, was not able to finish the
first two rounds. He then carded two third-place
finishes before his emotional win at the
previous race. Going into round 6 of the Can-Am
Grand National Cross Country Series at the
Weekend Warrior Titan GNCC, many are wondering
if he can pull off a comeback again.
While Ballance has been recovering, young
guns have been vying for the lead position. FRE
KTM's Adam McGill has consistently been on the
podium, and although he has yet to win a race,
he is the current point leader, with eight
points on Yamaha's Taylor Kiser.
Kiser and Chris Borich are within one point of
each other for second. Kiser won the
season-opener in Florida and has looked strong
on his Yamaha all season. Borich has won two
races and threatened to run away with the points
lead until he broke a chain at the last
race-just the kind of break Ballance needs.
Houser Racing's Bryan Cook is also in fighting
contention for the championship, and needs a win
this weekend to get in the top three. Cook won
at Steele Creek and has been at the front of the
pack ever since. If Ballance wins the next few
rounds, though, it lead to a repeat of last
year's competition between McGill and Ballance,
when McGill controlled the beginning of the
season but Ballance overtook him down the
stretch.
If Ballance, the nine-time GNCC Champion, pulls
it off again this year, after fighting cancer
and failing to finish the first two races, it
will go down as one of the all-time great
comebacks in sport. If he wins the title, he
also plans to retire at the end of the season.
In the XC2 class, a familiar trio has dominated
the podium. Brian Wolf, Josh Kirkland and Eric
Hoyland have been the three to watch since the
second round. Wolf and Kirkland have traded in
and out of the first and second place positions
on the podium, with Kirkland holding on to the
points lead by four points. Wolf, who started
out the season with a 5th place win at River
Ranch, has won the last two rounds and is just
four points behind Kirkland. Hoyland has
consistently placed 3rd the last four rounds.
AT the Weekend Warrior Titan GNCC, spectator
passes run $15 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.
To get to the track, from Interstate 65, take
exit 117 to Hwy 52 east 20 miles through
Portland and Westmoreland. Left on Leath Branch
Rd and straight across Old Hwy 52. Leath Branch
becomes Rocky Mound Rd. and it's 3 miles to the
track on the left.
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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