 |
|
Yamaha's
Walker Fowler grabbed the GNCC XC1 Pro
holeshot & lead most of the race
at Mammoth GNCC
|
Cypress, CA (4/30/2012) -
Yamaha YFZ450R ATVs captured two of the three
premier-class wins at the fifth round of the
2012 GNCC series in Park City, Ky. on Saturday,
April 28. Yamaha’s Traci Cecco took her
third win of the year in the morning Women’s
class, while Gabe Phillips took his second victory
of the year in XC2 Pro Am – more than
any other competitor in the class. Making the
day even better for Yamaha, Ballance Racing’s
Walker Fowler took a strong second in the top
XC1 Pro race, his best finish of the year. And
furthermore, Yamaha YFZs swept five of the top
eight positions in XC1 Pro and four of the top
seven places in XC2 Pro Am – more than
50 percent of the top finishers in both cases.
Cecco’s win gives her the lead in the
Women’s championship, Patrick McGuire
is now second in XC2 Pro Am points, and Kiser
is third in XC1 Pro points for Yamaha.
The morning Women’s race was among the
closest in GNCC history, with Cecco and rival
Lexie Coulter vying for the lead throughout
four long laps and nearly two hours of racing.
On lap one, Cecco led rival Angel Atwell and
Coulter by less than five seconds, establishing
a fierce battle among the trio. By the halfway
point Coulter had a narrow 2.5-second lead over
Cecco, and the pair had gapped Atwell by some
20 seconds. Cecco then rallied back into a 5.4-second
lead over a resurgent Atwell on lap three, setting
up a dramatic sprint for the win on the final
lap. While Atwell ultimately faltered, Cecco
and Coulter raced closely all the way to the
checkers, with Cecco and her Yamaha prevailing
by just 0.069 sec. So fast was Traci that she
also finished second overall among 16 classes
in the morning race.
In the afternoon, Phillips became the first
XC2 Pro Am rider to take two races this year,
winning by a comfortable 21.4-second margin
over rival Eric Hoyland. But the racing spectacle
was truly in the XC1 Pro class as class rookie
Fowler grabbed the holeshot and led virtually
the entire race, fending off repeated attacks
from series champ Chris Borich in the process.
After 2 ¼ hours of racing, the contest
boiled down to the final moments of competition,
when Borich finally used his experience to slip
pass a flying Fowler in the final section of
the course. “For me to get the holeshot
and lead every bit of that race besides the
last 30 seconds is pretty cool, but second place
isn’t where I want to be,” Fowler
said on the podium. “I want to be on top
of the podium, and that’s what we’re
going to keep working towards.”
2012
GNCC ATV XC1 Pro Points
|
| Position |
Name |
Points |
| 1 |
Chris Borich |
141 |
| 2 |
Adam McGill |
92 |
| 3 |
Taylor
Kiser - Yamaha |
91 |
| 4 |
Walker
Fowler - Yamaha |
87 |
| 5 |
Chris Bithell
|
80 |
2012
GNCC ATV XC2 Pro Am Points
|
| Position |
Name |
Points |
| 1 |
Eric Hoyland |
115 |
| 2 |
Patrick
McGuire – Yamaha |
107 |
| 3 |
Braden
Henthorn |
104 |
| 4 |
Gabe
Phillips – Yamaha |
96 |
| 5 |
Matt
Hanna – Yamaha |
74 |
2012
GNCC ATV Womens Points
|
| Position |
Name |
Points |
| 1 |
Traci
Cecco - Yamaha |
97 |
| 2 |
Angel Atwell |
95 |
| 3 |
Kylie Ahart |
88 |
| 4 |
Kara
Merritt – Yamaha |
82 |
| 5 |
Lexie Coulter |
71 |
About Yamaha Motor
Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a
leader in the motorsports market, makes the
toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and
Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding
product offerings also include motorcycles,
outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles,
boats, outdoor power equipment, race kart engines,
accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products
are sold through a nationwide network of dealers
in the United States.
Headquartered in Cypress,
Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha
also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia,
as well as factory operations in Tennessee and
Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit
www.yamaha-motor.com.
