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Borich Takes First
Run at Defending Championship at GNCC Season
Opener in Florida
Morgantown, W.Va. (February 25, 2010) - The
opening round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross
Country Series, America's largest off-road
racing series, is just days away and riders
around the country are revving their engines as
they make the long drive to the Parts Unlimited
River Ranch GNCC in Lake Wales, Florida. ATVs
will race on Sunday, February 28th.
The biggest surprise of the upcoming season is
the new GNCC Champion Chris Borich, who after a
phenomenal 2009 season broke the nine-year
championship winning streak of Yamaha's Bill
Ballance. Despite 10 wins and 100 point margin
over his nearest competitor, Taylor Kiser,
Borich wasn't offered a full factory ride with
Suzuki due to budget constraints. Now back to
his own program with some Suzuki support, he
will return on his familiar yellow machine
looking to repeat on his 2009 success. Word is
that the Pennsylvania rider has spent months in
Florida to train and prepare for the opener.
Last year at the opening round, Ballance had
just begun to recover from surgery just a few
weeks prior to remove a cancerous mass from his
ribs. Ballance still raced, but it was Alva,
Florida native Taylor Kiser who would go on to
take the win, with Borich in second. Kiser
continued on to complete a strong seaso,
collecting the "most improved rider" award at
the GNCC banquet. This winter, he and Ballance
tested and trained together on their Yamaha's in
hopes of challenging Borich this season.
The opening round will gauge which top pros have
been staying in shape during the off-season.
Ballance, who at first said he would hang it up
after 2009, will return in perfect health.
Fellow Yamaha rider Brandon Sommers, who
finished fifth in the XC1 class last year, may
not be able to race the first round of the
season. Sommers recently found out he has a case
of mono that may have come about after surgery
for the broken leg he sustained at the Ironman
GNCC in October.
West Virginia native Adam McGill, who finished
third in the points in 2009, will switch teams
this season with a move to Warnert Can-Am on the
DS450. McGill spent most of 2009 on the podium,
but a few midseason mechanical problems took him
out of the running for the championship. He
joins Chris Bithell on the Can-Am Team. New to
the FRE KTM team is former privateer Bryan Cook,
who had a solid season in 2009 with a win at
Steel Creek and had several top 5 finishes.
Veteran Johnny Gallagher will also be in the
hunt, as well as National Guard Polaris' new
recruit, Jarod McClure.
In the XC2 class, FRE KTM's Josh Kirkland will
return to battle against Brian Wolf and Parker
Jones, as well as Yamaha's Walker Fowler, who
won a A-class title last year and has been
training with Ballance and Kiser. In the Women's
class FRE KTM's Angel Atwell will defend her
championship win against biggest competitor,
multi-time champion Traci Cecco. The Florida
race also kicks off battles for Utility
Championships in four different classes.
The event will begin on Saturday, February 27,
with practice for the four-wheeled ATV racers,
and the ATVs will race on Sunday, February 28.
The amateur racer entry fee is $40.
Spectator passes run $15 for Saturday and Sunday
tickets, and $15 for a Monday and Tuesday
ticket. Children five and under are admitted
free. On both Sunday and Tuesday, 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.
On Monday, Parts Unlimited will be on site for
the first meal of their 2010 Dinner Tour. The
Parts Unlimited Dinner will start at 5 p.m.
The event runs as part of the massive Daytona
Bike Week scene, which includes competitions
throughout Florida in a variety of motorcycle
and ATV disciplines.
The Westgate River Ranch offers a variety of
activities beyond the race, including horse back
riding, fishing and hiking. Information is
available at
www.wgriverranch.com.The track is located at
the Westgate River Ranch in Lake Wales, Fl. From
U.S. 27, go south to S.R. 60 (Lake Wales Exit),
make a left and head east for approximately 25
miles. River Ranch is on the right.
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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