Traci Cecco Takes Points Lead in GNCC ATV Racing Series
Traci Cecco GNCC ATV Racing & Dustin NelsonYamaha / ITP Quadcross

Cypress, CA (4/26/2010) - Seven-time GNCC Women's champion Traci Cecco showed her form once again by winning her class at the fifth round of the 2010 GNCC ATV series in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. on Saturday morning, April 24. The YFZ450X racer simply mastered conditions on a dramatically muddy course, and in doing so moved into the points lead in her class. The winning continued for Yamaha in the afternoon XC2 Pro Am event as YFZ450s swept three of the first four positions, with GT Thunder's Gabe Phillips taking the win over rival Eric Hoyland and Yamaha-mounted Kevin Yoho and Walker Fowler. GT Thunder's Donnie Ockerman also podiumed in the premier XC1 class for Yamaha, with Taylor Kiser of Ballance Racing coming in fourth.

The long cross-country course at Loretta Lynn's famous ranch started on the MX track and then peeled into the woods, where a host of slippery hills, tight trees and other challenges awaited. Cecco was second at the start, temporarily slipped to third behind Angel and Kristen Atwell, and then took the lead. While battling for position with Angel on the final lap, Cecco used her experience to study the course and then executed a pass just three miles from the finish. "She had a plan and had picked out several places to do it," revealed Yamaha off-road coordinator Donnie Luce afterwards. "It was a gutsy move to wait until the final lap but she went for it and it worked. It was also great to see Bill Ballance at the event as he recovers
from injury in a practice crash earlier this month."

As usual, the afternoon XC2 Pro Am was combined with XC1 Pro and other top
classes. In XC2 Pro Am, Yoho led most of the way before finally getting stuck on one of the numerous slippery uphills, and then recovering to claim his podium finish. Fowler also suffered misfortune as part of a first-turn pileup, and rejoined the race significantly downfield. But he also rallied, impressively advancing to third place by the end of the first of three laps-only to slip two positions (also by getting stuck on an uphill) before ultimately finishing fourth. This left Phillips, who was only sixth on lap one but moved his Yamaha steadily through the field to take the lead-and his first GNCC victory of the year-on the final lap.

In Sunday afternoon's motorcycle competition at Loretta Lynn's, Charlie Mullins-fresh off his AMA National Enduro victory last week-took his first GNCC win of the season aboard his Obermeyer Am Pro Yamaha. While in West-coast ATV racing, ITP QuadCross champion Dustin Nelson won his first career WORCS desert race aboard his YFZ450R in Adelanto Calif., earning the top qualifying spot and then leading from start to finish. Great racing everyone!