Ballance Builds
GNCC Comeback for Home Race in Kentucky
Weekend Warrior Spartan GNCC race will draw thousands
Sparta, Kentucky (5/29/2008) -
Once again Yamaha's Bill Ballance found himself
up against the ropes in the Can-Am Grand National
Cross Country Series, and once again the eight-time
GNCC Champion stepped up to the challenge. With
two-straight GNCC wins, Ballance finds imself
just nine points out of the series' points lead
heading into his home-state race this weekend.
"It's Kentucky, my home race," says
Ballance, a native of Oakland. "You know
I'm going to be out for a win there."
FRE KTM's Adam McGill would love nothing more
than to defeat Ballance here. Last year, competing
as a privateer Honda rider, McGill led most of
the race and appeared headed to his first career
overall victory, until Ballance passed him in
the next-to-last corner to steal a victory. McGill
is a different rider this year, though. He won
three-straight races earlier this season on his
new KTM, and holds the series' lead. The West
Virginia rider needs to stop Ballance's momentum
this weekend, though, in order to maintain his
points lead.
The rest of the GNCC XC1 Pro field looks at
Kentucky as a last chance to establish title hopes.
The seventh round of the tour means the series
passes through the halfway mark with this event.
Rockstar/Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris Borich finds
himself a disappointing fourth in points with
just one victory this season. In contrast, last
year he carried a four-race win streak into the
Kentucky race. Borich has shown speed, but small
mistakes seem to thwart him each weekend. On the
opposite end, Team Excell Motorsports' Bryan Cook
racked up consistent finishes to hold third in
series' points.
The rest of the field features a mix of persistent
veterans and eager newcomers. Veterans Matt Smiley
(XCBob.com) and William Yokley (The National Guard)
look as strong as ever, but young talents like
Taylor Kiser (FRE KTM) and Brandon Sommers (GT
Thunder Yamaha) have turned heads with strong
podium finishes this year. Can-Am's trio of talented
riders, Chris Bithell and Chris Jenks (Warnert
Racing Can-Am) and Brent Sturdivant (Team LTERacing.com
Can-Am) hope to rebound this weekend after tough
luck at the last few races. Privateer racers like
Ryan Lane and Jarrod McClure are looking for first-ever
podiums this weekend and could get it with the
right breaks.
The XC2 Pro-Am class features a battle between
the next generation of GNCC talent, with GT Thunder
Yamaha's Don Ockerman leading the charge. The
GNCC morning race features top talent in the Women's
and Utility GNCC Classes. Defending Women's Champion
Traci Cecco (Team Yamaha) is locked in a battle
with Tom Clark Motorsports' Angel Atwell for a
championship. Stefanie Verkade (Montgomeryville
Cycle Center) won the last race, with riders like
Lexie Coulter (Can-Am) and Stephanie Parton (Yamaha
of Troy) also in the hunt.
In the 4x4 Classes, Michael Swift, Cliff Beasley
and Bryan Buckhannon lead their classes on Can-Ams.
The race, held just past the Kentucky Motor
Speedway off of Exit 57 on I-71, is expected to
draw nearly 1,500 competitors and several thousand
spectators. Riders will race on a custom-built
track including jumps, mud, hills, rocks and trails.
Spectator passes are $15 for the full weekend,
with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional
charge. ATVs race on Saturday and bikes race on
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.
About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series
is America's premier off-road racing series. The
13-round championship series is produced exclusively
by Racer Productions and has run since 1973. Cross
country racing is one of the most physically demanding
sports in the world. The nearly three-hour long
GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through
tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles in length.
With varied terrain including hills, woods, mud,
dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events
are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC Racing
will air weekly television shows on the Versus
network starting August 2. GNCC featured sponsors
include Can-Am, Parts Unlimited, Moose Racing,
Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Acerbis, Elka, Geico,
Klotz, FMF, ITP and Weekend Warrior, and riders
compete for over $3 million in series prizes and
contingency money. Associate sponsors include
Alpinestars, Cometic, HiPer Technology, Laegers,
Moose Utility Division, The National Guard, Powersport
Grafx, REM, Scott, Thor, Tire Balls, Twin Air,
Ogio, Rekluse, and MotoTee's. For more information
log on to www.gnccracing.com.
www.gnccracing.com
122 Vista Del Rio Drive,
Morgantown, WV 26508
304-284-0084
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