|
Privateer Wolf Takes $10,000 Victory at
MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC
First-Ever XC2
Pro-Am Rider to Win GNCC Overall
Wolf took home a handsome chunk of
change and maybe hopes of returning next
year.
The Snowshoe GNCC start is unlike any
other round with a live engine start.
Ballance is back on the podium for the
first time since his win at Loretta's.
Borich might have a lockdown on the
point lead after his sixth win.
The XC1 podium had a new member today.
Wolf had two podium appearances at
Snowshoe. |
Snowshoe, W.Va. (June 27, 2009)-In an
unprecedented surprise, privateer Brian Wolf on
a Yamaha took home the overall win at the
MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC, round 9 of the
2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series,
making him the first XC2 Pro-Am ATV rider ever
to take a GNCC overall win.
Wolf was welcomed on the podium with wolf
howls and thunderous applause by the largest
podium crowd the 2009 season has seen so far.
Wolf, speechless at first looked around at
the crowd before making his victory speech.
"I'm so pumped, so excited to be here," he
said as he accepted his $10,000 purse prize from
MotorcycleUSA.com. "I'm really not going for the
overall. I'm going for the XC2 Championship.
This is just a bonus. "
Making the win even bigger, Wolf said this
would be his last year competing in GNCC and
when asked if he thought he would return for the
next season because of his big win, Wolf still
didn't have any definite answers.
"I always told myself, the pro guys are so
fast," he said. "Bill and Chris are so fast. I
said there would be no sense to keep racing if I
can't be up here with these guys. I guess I
stuck my foot in my mouth!"
"I just promised my wife some things though
so... but she's phenomenal so maybe she will let
me," he finished with a laugh.
Wolf took the first overall and first in the
XC2 Class, while Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Chris
Borich took first place in XC1, followed by
defending GNCC champion, Yamaha's Bill Ballance
in second and Ballance's teammate Brandon
Sommers in third.
Borich took the early lead, starting in the
first line of the modified start, where a
different line of riders started off every five
seconds with live engines on a paved road beside
the Snowshoe Resort Village. FRE KTM's Adam
McGill, Yamaha's Taylor Kiser and Sommers,
Ballance and Houser Racing's Bryan Cook battled
the roughest course of the year, taking on mud
bogs, fast trails and almost vertical climbs.
The twenty mile-double loop and the modified
start are unique to the Snowshoe GNCC, and the
Snowshoe race is considered as the toughest of
the season.
"This event is strange with the way it starts
and the time differences," Ballance said. "Maybe
this should be looked at as a money event- not a
point event. It was great to come up for this.
It was like a Last Man Standing type of event."
Borich, the current GNCC points leader, fell
back to 9th place in the second lap after he
missed a trail and had to retrace his steps.
Ballance also fell back in the second lap,
falling into eighth place while Yamaha's Donnie
Ockerman ran in first place physically on the
track. Wolf, who started on the 11th line in the
pack, roared to the overall lead with time
adjustments and had a 45 second margin over
Ockerman.
Ockerman fell back to fourth place in the
fourth lap, and Borich and Ballance began making
their recovery, with Borich moving back to
second place in the third lap. Borich crossed
the finish line physically first, less than a
second ahead of Ballance with Sommers in third.
"We had a good time out there," Borich said.
"I knew Bill was there. It was good to see him
out there. I just wanted to get out and worry
about the points. We're sitting pretty right
now."
Borich accepted a $5,000 purse prize and
Ballance earned an extra $3,000 with his for
their second and third overall positions.
"They threw about everything out at us that
they could," Ballance said. "I had a good time.
It's a unique event for us."
ATVRider.com Yamaha's Jarrod McClure started
the race in fourth, and held third in the second
and third laps to finish fourth.
Cook finished in fifth, followed by Ockerman
in sixth and Warnert Can-Am's Chris Bithell in
seventh. Ryan Lane finished in eighth place
while Taylor Kiser, who started the race in
third, place fell back to 4th, and then
eventually finished 9th. Duane Johnson on a
Honda took 10th.
McGill, the winner of last year's Snowshoe
race, finished the first lap in first, but broke
a footpeg in the second lap, taking an extended
pit for repairs. He didn't finish his second lap
until more than an hour later. McGill finished
the race in 19th place.
Wolf returned to the XC2 podium where he was
joined by the familiar trio of FRE KTM's Josh
Kirkland in second and Eric Hoyland on a Honda
in third.
Walker Fowler continued his streak as Top
Amateur.
Can-Am riders swept the A.M. race as Michael
Swift took the GT Thunder Morning Racing Overall
Award, followed by Jerime Duding in second and
Scott Kilby in third overall. Their 4x4 machines
took advantage of the rugged Snowshoe track.
In the Women's race, FRE KTM's Angel Atwell
took first, followed by Yamaha's Traci Cecco in
second and Jesi Stracham in third.
Overall Results
1. Brian Wolf
2. Chris Borich (SUZ)
3. Bill Ballance (YAM)
4. Brandon Sommers (YAM)
5. Jarrod McClure (YAM)
6. Bryan Cook (HOUS)
7. Donald Ockerman (YAM)
8. Chris Bithell (CAN)
9. Josh Kirkland (KTM)
10. Ryan Lane (Hon)
XC1 Results
1. Chris Borich (SUZ)
2. Bill Ballance (YAM)
3. Brandon Sommers (YAM)
4. Jarrod McClure (YAM)
5. Bryan Cook (HOUS)
6. Donald Ockerman (YAM)
7. Chris Bithell (CAN)
8.Ryan Lane
9. Taylor Kiser (YAM)
10. Duane Johnson (HON)
XC2 Results
1. Brian Wolf (Yam)
2. Josh Kirkland (KTM)
3. Eric Hoyland (HON)
4. Kevin Yoho (YAM)
5. Scottie Rich (KTM)
6. Parker Jones (HON)
7. Josh Konecheck (POL)
8. Gabe Phillips (HON)
9. Mark Notman (POL)
10. Josh Beavers (KTM)
XC1 Point Standings
1.Chris Borich (222/6 wins) 2. Taylor Kiser
(182/1 win) 3. Adam McGill (160) 4. Bill
Ballance (154/1 win) 5. Bryan Cook (148/1 win)
6. Brandon Sommers (147) 7. Donald Ockerman
(119) 8. Duane Johnson (111) 9. Jarrod McClure
(110) 10. Chris Bithell (89)
XC2 Point Standings
1. Brian Wolf (246/6 points) 2. Josh Kirkland
(233/3 wins) 3. Eric Hoyland (154) 4. Parker
Jones (124) 5. Rob Hertz (119) 6. Gabe Phillips
(96) 7.Scottie Rich (95) 8. Dustin Canipe (88)
9. Kevin Yoho (81) 10.Josh Beavers (79)
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.
|
