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GNCC Racing Mourns
the Passing of Long-Time Competitor John
Gallagher Sr.
Morgantown, W.Va. (December 15, 2009) - The
Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series has
lost one of its most loyal family members.
Aurora, Ohio's John Gallagher Sr. passed away
tragically on Monday in a work-related accident.
He was 63-years-old. No one in the 35-year
history of GNCC Racing has competed in more GNCC
events than Gallagher, and probably no one has
won more, either. Gallagher competed and won on
both ATVs and bikes for a large portion of his
career. Most recently, he won the 2008 Super
Senior (50+) ATV Championship and finished third
in the class in 2009. The entire GNCC Racing
family mourns the passing of Gallagher, and the
racing community is urged to keep John Sr., his
wife Maryellen, and children John Jr. and Brooke
in their thoughts and prayers.
Gallagher's racing days date back to the
origins of the GNCC Series, and he often cited
series' founder Dave Coombs Sr. as a close
friend. Gallagher's loyalty to the series and
frequent championships resulted in a factory
ride with Polaris beginning in 2006, where he
delivered more Super Senior Titles and also
helped manage the manufacturer's racing program.
In 2004, Gallagher collected the ATVA Vet-Senior
Rider of the Year award at the AMA Sports
Banquet in Las Vegas. Gallagher also introduced
his son John Jr. into racing at a young age.
Johnny Gallagher Jr. won a GNCC Youth
Championship and now competes in the premiere
XC1 pro division for Yamaha, finishing tenth in
the 2009 rankings.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced
for Gallagher. Information will be posted on
GNCCRacing.com as soon as it is available.
For more information, check out the official
series website at
www.GNCCRacing.com or call 304-284-0084.
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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