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Team:
Zakowski Motorsports
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Race:
GNCC Round
10 – Unadilla”
– New Berlin, NY
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Results:
2nd 4x4 Open
/ 15th Overall
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Menasha, WI (9/17/2010) -
After a very long but relaxing summer
break from the GNCC’s, Can-am X-Team
rider Zac Zakowski came back more ready
than ever to pick up where he left off.
Racing at the famous Unadilla National
Motocross Track, Zakowski came home with
a 2nd place finish after leading for a
large portion of the race and fighting
hard for the number one spot. Once the
dust settled and the tether cords were
pulled, Zac held onto a 15th overall position.
Zac Zakowski: Well,
it’s been a little over two months
since the last time I swung a leg over
my quad for a GNCC course and needless
to say, I couldn’t take it anymore!
I couldn’t wait to lay the hammer
down once again on my Janssen Motorsports/Ron
Woods Racing engine. Coming fresh off
our huge win at the 3rd annual Heartland
Challenge with fellow racers Scott Kilby
and Kevin Tranthem, I could not wait to
use what I learned at the Heartland Challenge
in New York this weekend.
I felt so strange upon arrival at Unadilla,
as I could barely remember what I used
to do on race weekends. After eating some
yummy snicker bars, Tranthem, Kilby, and
I headed out to walk the course. Yep,
just what I thought, jumps, jumps, and
more jumps. I knew this track was really
going to test our Zakowski Motorsport
differential braces on those landings.
I woke up to near perfect conditions,
nice and cool, moist track, and nice sun.
After some stretches and breakfast I was
off to the starting line. This starting
line looked as though it was going to
be interesting as it was long and straight,
over a hump, followed directly by an off-camber
corner to the holeshot line. Oh and did
I mention that we were on the front row?
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Zakowski
would come off the line in 3rd
place & begin to work his
way up to the front of the pack
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The ten-second call came and I felt my breathing slow, pupils dilate, and heart
pound out of my chest. The flag flew and
I watched as everyone took off while I sat
there with my bike refusing to start. Then
it took off with all four GBC Afterburn
Tires churning out the horsepower the Can-am
dished out. Luckily I still managed to tuck
into the woods in 3rd after getting pelted
in the mouth with mud.
We flew through the fast-paced New York
woods before hitting the open MX track.
I knew I could make good time out on the
track as I held it pinned around the sweeping
curves, hitting the edge of burms, throwing
roost, and clearing jumps so eloquently.
I dropped down into the “Gravity
Cavity” and back up I went. As soon
as I crested the top I knew something
really cool or really bad was about to
happen as I was going way too fast. I
flew through the air with my eyes practically
closed and everyone’s jaw dropping
around me. Then something strange happened,
as I landed so softly it was like landing
on pillows. “Wow, was that fun”,
I said to myself while promising to NOT
do that again.
I was right on Cecco’s tail until
he over-shot a corner while just hitting
the chain-link fence barrier. I cut down
low overtaking 2nd. I then found myself
running a very comfortable pace behind
Buckhannon. I settled into the groove
behind him waiting for an opening. The
opening came on lap two when I noticed
Buckhannon was beginning to slow. He pulled
over slightly almost to let me by and
I knew something happened. I was not about
to take a chance though as I have been
tricked by him before. I made the pass
and took off. I looked back and he was
nowhere so I knew something happened.
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Zakowski
would drop back to 2nd place after
a fuel stop but wouldn't give
up hope & would charge hard
to the finish line taking 2nd
place in his 4x4 Open Class &
15th overall at Unadilla
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This was my chance! For the next 2 laps I just pinned it, flowing effortlessly
through the woods over all the tree roots
as they appeared. My Bopp Racing High Clearance
A-Arms showed their stuff, as I was able
to stay above the ruts. I put around 35seconds
over 2nd place but then the lappers became
relevant. This race seemed to have just
endless amounts of traffic, by far the worst
race for traffic to date. I caught up to
two freight trains of quads, about 15 racers
deep, and knew this was going to take awhile.
I kept my pace steady but knew I was losing
time between 2nd place and I. Before I knew
it, Cecco was right back behind me; I knew
this was going to be one heck of a race
to the end.
A huge battle ensued between the two
of us as we swapped for the lead a dozen
times. I’d get caught behind a lapper
and he would pass me, then he would get
hung on a rut and I would pass him. I
have not had that much fun in awhile in
a good-ole-fashioned battle. We were just
about to start our final lap and go by
my pit. At this point I was directly behind
Cecco ready to take the paint off his
bumper when I came over the crest of the
hill and saw my pit-crew holding up a
board saying to fuel.
I knew that if I stayed on Cecco I would
be able to regain the lead. It wasn’t
a questioning my mind; I just knew I would
be able to do it. I also knew that if
I stopped to pit, it would greatly reduce
the possibilities of taking the win. After
arguing with myself for a split second,
I pulled in and got a splash of fuel and
was on my way. In those seconds in the
pit I fell behind about 15 lappers. I
put my head down and charged as hard as
I could to get passed them.
In the end I crossed the line in 2nd
after giving it my all to make it through
traffic. The race felt great, it just
seemed to come down to pit strategy. All
in all, we learned a lot this race, both
me as a racer and my pit crew/mechanics.
I really felt like we came away with the
most knowledge to date. Don’t expect
us to have silly little issues in the
final three rounds, as we are more ready
than ever. There will be some heavy mods
to the bike after this race. We are still
holding onto 2nd in points so lets keep
rolling. See you in Tennessee!!!
Thanks to the following supporters: Can-Am/BRP,
Countryside Auto Transport, Janssen Motorsports,
Bopp Race Components, All Terrain Research,
Tire-Balls, Rath Racing, Straightline
Performance, Frogz Skins, OMF Wheels,
Ricochet Skids, Ron Woods Racing, Amsoil,
Scott USA, Fasst Company, VP Fuels, and
Cycra.
