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Borich Battles McGill
to ITP Power Line Park GNCC Win
St. Clairsville, OH (October 3, 2009) -
Rockstar Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris Borich may
have wrapped up the 2009 Can-Am Grand National
Cross Country Championship, but that obviously
won't change the way he races. In yet another
full-tilt battle for ATV supremacy, the
Pennsylvanian out dueled FRE KTM's Adam McGill
to collect his seventh-straight win in the XC1
Pro class. Houser Racing's Bryan Cook took third
on a track that featured perfect conditions
through most of the course, but threw a few
bottomless mud holes at the riders as well.
Borich's day started poorly when he got stuck
in one of those holes on the first lap. "My crew
was down there pointing out the line, I thought
it was solid but I buried the nose," said Borich.
GNCC fans ran down to rescue Borich, hastily
throwing a tow rope onto the machine and giving
him a pull. But the rope became wrapped in his
rear axle and stayed there all day long.
"I didn't know what that might have damaged
flapping around back there, but I have to thank
all of those guys anyway because if they didn't
get me out, I would have been stuck there all
day," said Borich, who was back in ninth after
the incident.
Yamaha's nine-time GNCC Champion Bill
Ballance scored the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com
holeshot award and led early. His teammate
Brandon Sommers then made a pass for the lead,
and Ballance pitted on lap one. The pack kept
both Yamaha riders in sight, and eventually
McGill, Cook and Borich made it a five-way
battle for the lead. Ballance took the lead when
Sommers pitted, but then he got stuck in the mud
hole just a few miles before the white flag came
out. Borich found himself in the lead, but
McGill stayed with him in a wild last-lap
showdown.
"I wanted to stay up there with him, there
was a long straight and he was all the way at
the end just as I got into it, so I knew I was
really going to have to push to catch him," said
McGill.
McGill stayed close the whole lap and the two
came barreling into the finish line together,
Borich just edging ahead. "He latched onto me
and showed me some wheels on the last lap," said
Borich.
"I just want to stay consistent and keep
getting podiums," said McGill. "I want to win
one, but my real goal this year is to finish on
the podium every race. I guess it's not possible
to have a perfect season, but I'm trying and I
hope KTM sticks with me."
Cook rode well to take his first podium since
winning the Steele Creek in the spring. "I've
been having some bad luck on the last lap," said
Cook. "Those two guys took off on me, so I just
tried to stay smooth and no make mistakes. I had
some people down there helping me in the
mudholes and it really paid off."
Sommers ended up fourth and Ballance
recovered for fifth after getting stuck. Another
set of Yamaha riders, Taylor Kiser and Donnie
Ockerman, battled for the whole last lap with
Kiser edging him for sixth. Next came Warnert
Can-Am's Chris Bithell and Yamaha's Johnny
Gallagher.
The XC2 Pro-Am Title picture change
dramatically when FRE KTM's Josh Kirkland took
his second-straight win, and GT Thunder Yamaha's
Brian Wolf did not finish due to mechanical
issues. "It feels great," said Kirkland. "I had
a pretty bad start, I worked my way up to
fourth, and everyone was riding great up there.
I'm glad to have pulled it off."
XC2 rookie Parker Jones took the $100 Rekluse
Holeshot Award for the second-straight race, and
finished second. Third went to Yamaha rider
Kevin Yoho.
Super Senior (50+) racer Glenn Pritchard turned
back the clock again by winning the GT Thunder
Morning Race Overall on his Suzuki, topping
Women's Class riders Angel Atwell and Kristen
Atwell. Angel Atwell, on a FRE KTM, wrapped up
the Women's Championship one week ago, but still
fought hard and led the overall most of the way
before Pritchard turned it up and won.
Multi-time Women's Champ Traci Cecco got caught
on a vine on lap one and run over by a 4x4
machine, but recovered from way back to take
third in the Women's class.
Can-Am rider Zach Zakowski took the win in
the Open 4x4 class, and Can-Am riders Cliff
Beasley and Michael Swift took the 4x4 Lites and
Limited classes, respectively. Sam Williams took
the U2 class on a Kawasaki.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country
Series continues in three weeks with the Klotz
Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, IN. The ITP
Power Line Park.
GNCC
Results
ITP Power Line Park GNCC
St. Clairsville, OH
October 3, 2009
XC1 Class
1. Chris Borich (Suz)
2. Adam McGill (KTM)
3. Bryan Cook (Hon)
4. Brandon Sommers (Yam)
5. Bill Ballance (Yam)
6. Taylor Kiser (Yam)
7. Donnie Ockerman (Yam)
8. Johnny Gallagher (Yam)
9. Chris Bithell (Can)
10. Pat Brown (Yam)
XC2
1. Josh Kirkland (KTM)
2. Parker Jones (Hon)
3. Kevin Yoho (Yam)
4. Josh Beavers (KTM)
5. Blake Kramer (Suz)
GNCC Point Standings
1. Chris Borich (312/7 wins);
2. Taylor Kiser (232/1 win); 3. Adam McGill
(226); 4. Bill Ballance (212/1 win); 5. Brandon
Sommers (206); 6. Bryan Cook (191/1 win); 7.
Donnie Ockerman (163); 8. Jarrod McClure (145);
9. Duane Johnson (141); 10. Johnny Gallagher
(122); 11. Ryan Lane (113).
XC2 Standings
1. Brian Wolf (318); 2. Josh
Kirkland (301); 3. Eric Hoyland/Parker Jones
(188); 5. Kevin Yoho (139).
Photo By: Matt Ware
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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