Borich took the early lead, starting in the
first line of the modified start, where a different
line of riders started off every five seconds
with live engines on a paved road beside the
Snowshoe Resort Village. FRE KTM's Adam McGill,
Yamaha's Taylor Kiser and Sommers, Ballance
and Houser Racing's Bryan Cook battled the roughest
course of the year, taking on mud bogs, fast
trails and almost vertical climbs.
|
|
| Suzuki's
Chris Borich lead the way around the 1st
turn in the once a year grand prix live
engine style start with up to 5 ATV racers
per row. Yamaha's #1 Bill Ballance went
a little wide and off the pavement, but
he avoided a spill |
The twenty mile-double loop and the modified
start are unique to the Snowshoe GNCC, and the
Snowshoe race is considered as the toughest
of the season.
"This event is strange with the way it
starts and the time differences," Ballance
said. "Maybe this should be looked at as
a money event- not a point event. It was great
to come up for this. It was like a Last Man
Standing type of event."
| |
| Yamaha's
Donald Ockerman was all by himself as
he charged up the 1000ft long ski slope
to the finish line heading into the final
full lap with the Pro Class lead, but
issues in the final lap would drop him
back to a 6th place finish |
Borich, the current GNCC points leader, fell back
to 9th place in the second lap after he missed
a trail and had to retrace his steps. Ballance
also fell back in the second lap, falling into
eighth place while Yamaha's Donnie Ockerman ran
in first place physically on the track. Wolf,
who started on the 11th line in the pack, roared
to the overall lead with time adjustments and
had a 45 second margin over Ockerman.
Ockerman fell back to fourth place in the fourth
lap, and Borich and Ballance began making their
recovery, with Borich moving back to second place
in the third lap. Borich crossed the finish line
physically first, less than a second ahead of
Ballance with Sommers in third.
"We had a good time out there," Borich
said. "I knew Bill was there. It was good
to see him out there. I just wanted to get out
and worry about the points. We're sitting pretty
right now."
|
|
|
Suzuki's Motocross Team Manager, Kory
Ellis, made the short trip up from Muddy
Creek MX to watch the race on Saturday
& Borich scored the Pro Win for Suzuki |
Yamaha's
Bill Ballance brought along his 2 girls
(Leah & Lauren) to SnowShoe &
I am sure they could come up with plenty
of ways to spend that extra $3,000 |
Borich accepted a $5,000 purse prize and Ballance
earned an extra $3,000 with his for their second
and third overall positions.
|
|
XC1 &
XC2 Overall Podium (left to right)
Bill Ballance(3rd), Brian Wolf(1st),
Chris Borich(2nd)
|
