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The Unadilla GNCC
ATV Race Report by William Yokley
Round 11: New Berlin, New
York
New Berlin, NY (9/29/2008) -
William Yokley finished 24th Overall and 16th
in the XC1 Pro class today after a rough day at
historic Unadilla. There were 231 total entries
with 21 XC1 Pro Riders. Team Rider Mark Notman
had a great ride finishing 11th Overall and 3rd
in the 33 rider XC2 Pro Am Class.
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A long day in the New
York woods for William
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We arrived at Unadilla after an 18 hour haul
from KY; it seemed like we caught every traffic
jam east of the Mississippi River. Unadilla is
a world famous motocross track that has been putting
on races since the late 60’s. The course
features a pro-style natural terrain motocross
section, many technical woods sections with black
loamy soil, and lots and lots of rocks. It has
been very dry here in NY, but the forecast was
calling for some rain.
Saturday arrived and we did have some rain but
that just settled the dust somewhat. I headed
for the start anticipating a good day because
I like this type of terrain and conditions. The
flag dropped and I arrived in the woods in 10th
place. I worked my way up to 6th place by the
2 mile marker when my day literally took a turn
for the worse. I was following a tight group of
pro riders when one of them took a wrong turn,
and five of us followed. The GNCC officials put
a new, virgin section of woods for the afternoon
race, and the course arrows were apparently hard
to spot and follow, at least for us anyway. We
raced ahead for quite a while, when we realized
we were going the wrong way on the course. By
the time I found the correct trail, I was behind
riders that started eight minutes behind me. To
say that I was upset and frustrated is a big understatement!
There was no option but to put the hammer down
and try to salvage something for the day. At the
end of lap 1, I was in 137th place and mired in
a continuous stream of riders. I felt like I rode
well and the bike was running great, except for
some rear brake problems late in the race. I managed
to finish in 24th overall and 16th in the XC1
Pro class which was disappointing, but all I could
do under the circumstances. At least I got some
good practice passing riders! I really can’t
complain because only a few of us made the wrong
turn, and that just happens every now and then,
but it sure makes for a long day!
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Mark on the
podium for the XC2 Pro Am Class
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My teammate Mark Notman had a great day; he had
a very good start and ran in 2nd place for most
of the race. He ran with pro rider Brandon Sommers
for most of the 2nd lap, and then pitted for fuel
and fresh goggles. He kept a good pace with no
mistakes until the 4th lap when he got hung up
on a hill. On the last lap, he hammered a tree
and got passed by Tyler Lenig, but still finished
in 3rd place and 11th overall. He will remind
me many times that he beat me today! Mark is solidly
in 2nd place in the XC2 Pro Am class with two
races let to run. Congratulations to Chris Bithell
for the win, he has had a rough year on a new
bike, but he sure rode well and deserved it today.
We go to St. Clairsville, OH in two weeks and
I’ll be racing in the XC1 Pro ATV Class
as well as the Unlimited UTV Class on my Polaris
RZR. Should be a fun weekend, see you there.
Yokley Racing Team Sponsors:
The Army National Guard, Rocky Mountain
ATV, Polaris Industries, ITP Tires, Elka Suspension,
Roll Design, HMF Exhaust Systems, IMS/Roll, Tire
Balls, Andrews Cycle, Douglas Wheel Technology,
Baldwin Motorsports, CGR, O’Neal Clothing,
Panolin Lubricants, IMS, Hinson, 317 Graphics,
Intense Fabrication & Design, Tsubaki Chains,
Hardkor, Shoei Helmets, Axcalibar Axles, Streamline,
Powermadd, Moto Pro Training, and KG Clutch Factory.
www.YokleyRacing.com
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