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View Full Version : 2005 GNCC "The Penton" Round #7 Afternoon ATV Race Coverage



Admin
05-19-2005, 09:02 AM
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Millfield, OH was the destination for the 7th Round of the GNCC Series, and for yet another year the forecast wasn’t looking anything close to picture perfect with severe thunderstorms forecasted for Friday night into Saturday.

Friday Evening, the sun was quickly overtaken by the Clouds moving in from the west followed by intense lightning and hail the size of a nickel, which sent many running for cover. The rain continued on and off into the night with heavy down pours at times.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:06 AM
A continuous line of vehicles formed at entrance gate as many didn’t arrive to the track till well after dark, but with the majority of the remaining parking on the hill sides and the ground saturated, parking became a real challenge for many as they would begin to sink into the mud as soon as they drove off the gravel entrance road.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:08 AM
The Tireballs crew was busy late into the night remounting tires and installing Tireballs for new customers that didn’t want to risk a flat in the brutal conditions that would be instore for them tomorrow.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:09 AM
Many didn’t let the rain hamper there fun as they hung out together for a picnic.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:15 AM
This guy never even made it off the road before becoming stuck sideways, so they decided to make it their pits until someone came to pull them off the road. It became a real problem for those coming and going because of all the vehicles half parked in the roads which blocked traffic in either direction.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:18 AM
An umbrella or raincoat remained a necessity for staying dry Saturday morning, but the showers let up late in the morning and became even more sporadic by afternoon.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:20 AM
The little dozer was working overtime as the Racer Production crew was kept busy pulling people in to park

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:34 AM
The Pro Pits were setup in the same location as last year with the vendors setup directly across from the Pro Pits.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:35 AM
The majority of the parking was down over the hill in the bottom by the motocross track.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:38 AM
Also, many parked on the hill above the motocross track which was also near the new starting location for this year on the back side of the woods in another open field, which was easily over a 1/2 mile walk from Pro Pits

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:41 AM
The track was going to be a muddy mess once again, and everyone knew what to expect after watching the morning race.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:42 AM
If you planned on finishing this race, you better have a water proof machine and a little luck on your side because it was going to be a long day from some.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:45 AM
With the morning racers out tearing up the track, these little guys were busy cleaning the mud off of Frank Kendall's machine after Tech Inspection, and pretending that they were preparing to head out for the Afternoon race.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:50 AM
Bill's daughter also didn't miss the oppurtunity to sit on dad's Yamaha while it remained clean before the race.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:54 AM
The start of the Afternoon race was delayed 1 hour to 2PM to clear the track from of the stuck morning riders, and Big John was kept busy all weekend directing traffic and spectators in the right direction.

As the riders began heading to the starting area for the Afternoon race, light rain began to fall once again, and the fear was that it would be a repeat of last year when it downpoured during the start of the Afternoon race.

Admin
05-19-2005, 09:58 AM
With umbrella in hand, Alba Action's, Traci Cecco was all cleaned up and headed to the starting line to show her support for Afternoon riders after her incredible ride in the morning where she earned her spot on the podium with a 2nd Overall finish, which was the 1st podium appearance this year for any women's class rider.

Angel Atwell and Traci Cecco had a great race going into the last lap, but Angel's YFZ started to sputter and took away her opportunity for the podium as well.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:06 AM
Traci's Teammate, #3 Chris Borich, was called to line up his Honda 1st as he continued to lead the points in hopes of turning his #3 into a #1 for next season, but he was once again tied with current #1 Bill Ballance for the points lead as the battle for the championship remained the tightest it has ever been in over 5 years this late in the season.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:14 AM
#1 Bill Ballance was next to line for the start of the race, and even on the starting line, he showed why ATV racers are amongst some of the best sportsman in all off-road racing as he signed autographs for several fans only minutes before the race.

All ATV fans should be proud to know that we have a great group of Pro riders representing all ATV racers at the track, which will only help our sport grow to a new level beyond even what it is today or many of us even imagine.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:29 AM
#2 William Yokley once again volunteers to wear the helmet camera for the Racer Production crew, but with these sloppy conditions even with the Scotts Tear off system camera, I wouldn’t expect much useable footage after a few turns.

Yokley dominated last year at the Penton in the mud and won the race by over five minutes over 2nd Overall finisher #4 Matt Smiley with #5 Chad Duvall rounding out the podium 30 seconds behind Smiley.

With his 1st win of the season two weeks ago at Loretta Lynn’s, William Yokley heads into another mud race with confidence.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:37 AM
#5 Chad Duvall’s year has been far from memorable after dealing with issue after issue that has kept him off his game all season, but Chad is far from a quitter and take every race one at a time, in hopes that today will be his day.

He is known for his ability to ride in the mud, and he earned several of his podium appearances in the mud last season with his last appearance on the podium actually at this track.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:40 AM
Vise Versa to Chad Duvall’s mud success, #6 Bryan Cook and #20 Michael Houston haven’t been as fortunate in the mud this season as both of them finished out of the top 10 at Lorretta’s after having incredible rides at Big Buck with Bryan Cook even coming close to a podium finish, so hopefully their luck was going to improve today.

Admin
05-19-2005, 10:48 AM
#18 Johnny Gallagher has been off to a rough season, but instead of feeling sorry for himself, he decided that he had to make some changes in his program and give every race 100%.

Well, his planned quickly paid off at Loretta’s where he had his best race since 2003 with his 8th Overall finish and the best part is he had a blast doing it, but would he be able to have the same success this weekend?

Admin
05-19-2005, 12:29 PM
#20 Kim Kuhnle brought his Yamaha Banshee out of retirement atleast for one race after his transmission went out on his Polaris Predator at Loretta’s, which didn’t leave him enough time to repair it before the Penton.

Kim Kuhnle and many other Top Pros including Bill Ballance use to race the Yamaha Banshee in the GNCC series years ago with great success, but they were normally far from stock, and with huge selection of ATVs to choice from the Banshee is no longer the best choice for the woods especially since in the Pro Class the riders must use the Stock Frame, which doesn’t allow for the much wheel travel.

Admin
05-19-2005, 12:32 PM
With all the Pro Riders lined up, we were only a few minutes away from the start of the race after rider’s prayer.

Admin
05-19-2005, 12:33 PM
#23 Bryan Baker lowering his head for the prayer

Admin
05-19-2005, 12:36 PM
With the rain letting up and a cool breeze blowing, the flag danced in the wind during the National Anthem as a large crowd gathered around the start.

Admin
05-19-2005, 12:38 PM
#16 Santo Derisi with hand across his chest gazing across the field to the flag in hopes this would be the race that would get him back on a roll again after a great start to the season with two back to back Top 10 Overall and nothing but bad luck ever since.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:09 PM
With the conclusion of the National Anthem and the call of “10 Seconds”, the crowds attention drawn to starting area to see who would jump out to the early lead in this mud fest.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:20 PM
With the Start about to begin, The Racer Production Video Crew were ready to track down the riders and capture all the exciting racing action for everyone to view on DVD.

Check out www.mototees.com for more details.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:21 PM
#1 Bill Ballance jumped out to the early lead aboard his Yamaha YFZ450 with #2 William Yokley powering him Suzuki wide around the turn in hopes of catching Bill before the 2nd Turn.

#14 Andy Lagzdins, #10 Greg Trew, and #9 Brandon Ballance were also off to great starts behind Bill.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:35 PM
#3 Chris Borich was several quads behind #1 Bill Ballance heading into the 2nd turn and was hard on his breaks to make the sharp right head turn to avoid the slop in an attempt to pass #24 Rhett Butler, #20 Kim Kuhnle, and #6 Bryan Cook before the almost immediate hard left hand turn.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:51 PM
#18 Johnny Gallagher was off to a rough start heading into the 2nd turn he slide sideways and was forced to do a 360 spin to get himself back on track, which sent him back near the back of the pack before heading into the woods.

Meanwhile, #23 Bryan Baker stalled his 450R heading into the 2nd turn and had reach for his kick starter, which dropped him back several positions as well.

Admin
05-19-2005, 01:56 PM
After a series of quick turns the riders headed down a long straight away before making two quick right hand turns and coming back behind the crowd before heading into the woods.

Leading the way remained Bill Ballance with #2 William Yokley, #9 Brandon Ballance, #4 Matt Smiley, #10 Greg Trew, #5 Chad Duvall, #14 Andy Lagzdins, #3 Chris Borich, and #11 Michael Houston all in chase.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:01 PM
#13 Todd Knippenberg managed to get around both #6 Bryan Cook #23 Bryan Baker before he finally restarted his Honda as #7 Chris Jenks and #69 Thomas Barrett were almost last off the line kick starting their Hondas were in hot pursuit.

#18 Johnny Gallagher finally was turned around and headed into the woods all the way back in 17th place :(

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:04 PM
Almost 30 seconds later, #16 Santo Derisi finally got his Honda started and had the honor of starting in last place, which wasn't anything close to what he was hoping for this weekend.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:13 PM
The 17 Year Old, #66 Adam McGill is currently leading the way for the Pro Am Class with four wins this season and not one finish below 15th Overall.

The two young guns Adam McGill and Chris Borich take in some advice from Jim Stack of how not to race in a GNCC race if they plan on finishing.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:16 PM
#28 Chris Bithell is another young talented rider that is either out front or experiencing problems and their isn't much in between, but when everything is going right for him, he is always a threat for the win and is currently 7th in the class.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:18 PM
#17 James Wahl dropped back to 9th in the class after skipping out on all the fun at Loretta Lynn's, but with throw aways will should be able to quickly move back into the top 5 before the end of the season aboard his Laeger Honda 250R.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:20 PM
Tyson Thomas made his season debut at Loretta Lynn's but ran into some problems and only finished 2 laps, so he hoping for a better performance this weekend in the mud.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:23 PM
#454 Scott Samuels also made his return to GNCC racing since the series has finally headed north and closer to his home in Massachusetts where site sponsor, Ronnies mail order is also located.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:27 PM
Longtime GNCC racer, #19 Rob Hertz, hasn't been having the best of luck this season, but it hasn't dampened his spirits as he experienced the same luck in 2003, but came back strong again last season. Hopefully, he doesn't have to wait till next season to get back into his groove again.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:32 PM
The start of the Pro Am Race had last weeks Class winner and 4th Overall finisher, #63 Scott Barron grabbing the holeshot with #66 Adam McGill and #25 Brian Schmid in chase.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:33 PM
#28 Chris Bithell was also off to a great start in 4th out of 32 riders fighting for those front positions.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:35 PM
#36 Mike Lucas and #854 Noel Cook got pushed off into the mud on the outside of the third turn with Noel getting the worst of it as he wrapped his front tire around a stake in the ground.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:38 PM
While many spectators ran from the slinging mud, this spectator helped free Noel from stake and get him on his way again.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:51 PM
Meanwhile Bill Ballance continued to lead the way in the Pro Class with William Yokley remaining close behind in 2nd place with #5 Chad Duvall running near the front holding off #4 Matt Smiley, but with numerous mud holes and slippery hill climbs ahead of them positions were constantly changing amongst the pro riders every couple of miles.

Admin
05-19-2005, 02:55 PM
Also, it didn't take long for the Pro Am riders Adam McGill and Scott Barron to catch many of the Pros and begin moving their way up through the class early in the 1st lap, which put them a minute in front of each Pro they passed with adjusted time.

Admin
05-20-2005, 07:40 AM
By the beginning of the 2nd lap, William Yokley had taken over the lead with train of riders right behind him with Bill Ballance, Matt Smiley, Chris Jenks, and Brandon Ballance all within 10 seconds of each other as they headed into the Pits for goggles.

The Pros may have held the physical lead, but Pro Am riders #66 Adam McGill and #63 Scott Barron were actually running 1st and 2nd Overall with lap times of 21:24 and 21:27, which were faster than William's laptime of 21:33.

Admin
05-20-2005, 07:57 AM
Also, #28 Chris Bithell was tied with Bill Ballance for 3rd Overall with both of them having laptimes of 21:35 as Chris Bithell was once again proving his mud riding skills.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:00 AM
#16 Santo Derisi also made a great comeback from a deadlast start and was back up into the hunt in 10th place and only 40 seconds behind leader William Yokley at the beginning of the 2nd lap, but his charge to the front would quickly come to an end as he found himself stuck in the mud and dropped back to 16th by the end of the 2nd lap.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:03 AM
Some of the huge hill climbs on the course tested the best of riders ability to pick the perfect line to make it to the top without getting stuck and sliding back down.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:08 AM
#18 Johnny Gallagher was able to catch and pass Bill Ballance in the Pits at the beginning of the 2nd lap and he gradually worked himself within view of William Yokley and Chris Jenks out front as they approached the powerline hill climb, and Johnny’s picked the faster line up the hill and beat William Yokley and Chris Jenks to the top of the hill as he took over the physical lead of the race, but #66 Adam McGill still lead the overall and was actually closing in on Johnny Gallagher.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:12 AM
#7 Chris Jenks was on a roll and running only a few seconds behind William Yokley in 3rd place at the beginning of the lap three.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:20 AM
#4 Matt Smiley had his electrical problems solved that plagued him at Loretta’s and was looking for another podium appearance in the mud this year at the Penton as he was running in 4th place and only four seconds behind Jenks heading into the 3rd lap.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:23 AM
#10 Greg Trew had moved up from 11th to 6th place behind Bill Ballance in the 3rd lap

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:30 AM
#3 Chris Borich was well off the pace of the leaders early as he dealt with his Honda 450R overheating after his vent tube was clogged which leaned it out and caused it to overheat, but it didn’t hamper Chris’s determination to try to catch back up to the leaders as he worked his way up from 9th to 6th by the end of the 3rd lap

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:34 AM
#66 Adam McGill continued to lead the overall with #63 Scott Barron in 2nd Overall heading into the 3rd lap, but Scott Barron’s quest for the podium would end when his front tire popped off the bead, which made steering next to impossible, but he didn’t give up and continued to ride around the track until he could get to his pits.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:38 AM
Scott Barron made it too his pits where his crew tried to make quick work of the tire change, but they were slowed down as they had to scrap out the mud from the wheel just to get to the lug nuts to take the tire off.

The total ordeal of riding with the dismounted front tire and tire change dropped Scott back to 15th in his class after a 42:49 lap time.

Admin
05-20-2005, 08:55 AM
#4 Matt Smiley takes over the lead after taking the white flap with a lap time of around 16 minutes, which was ten minutes faster than anyone else, so Racer Productions didn't count the lap and Matt was forced to complete the 3rd lap over again.

I later talked to Matt about what happened, and he explained that he was stuck in a bottleneck and started heading through the trees trying to find a way around it when he once again found the arrows of the track, but the only problem was it was several miles ahead on the course and he never realized the mistake until he noticed that he was already heading back across the road by the finish line, but there was no turning back, so he completed the lap and took the consequence of his misfortune.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:13 AM
After William Yokley and Johnny Gallagher swapped the lead back and forth several times without even realizing it because of all the different lines available, it was William Yokley out front taking the White flag in the lead in hopes of winning the Overall, but Adam McGill remained in the Overall lead heading into the final lap by 22 seconds over William Yokley.

In one lap, anything could happend and it did.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:19 AM
#2 William Yokley had a great race going and never had to get off his quad once until the last lap when he tried to get around a bottleneck and ended up in a ditch and William ended up having to flip his Suzuki over and gas it up out of the hole half on its side before he could remount it again and take back off, but it wasn't before #1 Bill Ballance was able close the gap and once again take back over the lead.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:22 AM
#66 Adam McGill continued his charge and actually caught up to and passed #1 Bill Ballance to take over the physical and overall lead of the race, which was a major accomplish for this 17 year old rider that started on the 2nd row, and it completely caught Bill Ballance off guard when Adam made the pass.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:36 AM
The lead would be short lived for Adam McGill because he would end up running out of fuel with only a few miles, but luckily he ran out of fuel in front on Stephanie Parton’s Pit area and not out in the woods where no one could help him.

The team fueled Adam’s 450R as quick as they could, but it wasn’t before both Bill Ballance and William Yokley would pass him and take back over the physical overall lead, but Adam would still have his chance at the podium and the overall if he could keep them within less than one minute of him at the finish.

Bill Ballance back out Front Again...

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:46 AM
William Yokley was giving it everything he could to reel in Bill and pull away from Adam as William's Helmet Camera wipes around in air after becoming partially detached from William's Helmet

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:51 AM
#18 Johnny Gallagher held onto 3rd place until #5 Chad Duvall moved in to make pass and take over the 3rd spot as Chad would finally get the oppurtunity to prove to everyone that he still has what it takes to run up front.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:54 AM
#7 Chris Jenks had dropped back to 5th place after his clutch began to fail on him, and he found himself stuck atleast once during the race.

Chris Jenks nevered finished the last lap of the race after his clutch burned up.

Admin
05-20-2005, 09:57 AM
#9 Brandon Ballance was on the move in the last lap of the race after dropping back to 10th on the 3rd lap, he put in the fastest lap time of any Pro on the last lap and moved all the way back up to 5th place with a 26:10 laptime.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:03 AM
#3 Chris Borich did everything he could to keep his Honda from overheating and even stripped off the tape on his front bumper connecting to his front fenders in hopes that it was blocking too much air, but it wasn't meant to be as Chris rode his way to a disappointing 6th place finish, which dropped him out of the points lead for the first time this season.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:14 AM
With the Checkered Flag out, #1 Bill Ballance claimed his 3rd win of the season and gained sole control of the points lead for the 1st time this season as he strives to win yet another championship.

The big question was if Bill had won the Overall with a minute to wait to see if Adam McGill would cross the finish line in time.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:16 AM
#3 William Yokley was the next rider to take the checkered flag with 2nd in the Pro Class, but if Adam would cross the finish line in less than 16 seconds behind William he would win the Overall.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:19 AM
36 Seconds later, Adam McGill was scanned, which was 20 seconds too late for the Overall, but it was plenty good for 2nd Overall in front of William Yokley by 24 Seconds.

The 17 year old, Adam McGill, had made the podium, and may be the youngest rider in GNCC history to ever earn an afternoon podium appearance.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:23 AM
Just under four minutes later, another Pro Am Rider,#28 Chris Bithell crossed the finish line in 4th Overall and 2nd in the Pro Am Class for his best finish ever.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:25 AM
Finishing in 5th Overall was none other than #5 Chad Duvall as he managed to work his way through traffic and the elements to finish his first race of the season.

Congratulations Chad, and it is great to have you back :macho

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:29 AM
#18 Johnny Gallagher improved upon his terrific finish at Loretta's with a 6th Overall finish at the Penton.


"I have the mud figured out, so now it is time for the dry"

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:32 AM
#68 Derek Litterini made an incredible come from behind race after dropping back to 27th in the Pro Am Class after the 1st lap, he charged his way all the way up to 7th Overall and 3rd in the Class ahead of #319 Wyatt Westmoreland who also charged his way up from 20th to finish 4th and 8th Overall as the Pro Am riders held 4 of the top 10 Overall spots.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:35 AM
Open A rider, Anthony Hill blew away his class by over 7 minutes and finished 10th Overall behind Junior class winner Jeffrey Vensel.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:39 AM
Vet Rider, Blaine Shick, didn't look too excited before the race after several disappointing finishes back to back for this highly talented rider, but today was his day as he rode his 250R to a 12th overall finish and class win.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:42 AM
Senior Rider, #31 Dave Simmons, finished less than a minute behind Blaine Shick for the Senior Class win and 17th Overall finish.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:45 AM
#24 Rhett Butler had his best Pro Race ever finishing 7th and 19th Overall, which was the 4th time this season that Rhett has finished in the top 20 Overall.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:48 AM
#81 Todd Rothermal rounding out the Top 20 Overall with his 4 Stroke A Class win, which has Todd Rothermel leading the points over Taylor Kiser who finished 15th, but Taylor has 4 wins under his belt, so the final six races should be interesting.

Admin
05-20-2005, 10:52 AM
Only 7 of the Pro riders finished in the top 20 Overall with #23 Bryan Baker finishing out of the top 20 for the first time this season in a race his completed.

Bryan ended up finishing 28th overall and 8th in the Pro Class.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:19 AM
#14 Andy Lagzdins managed to salvage another Top 10 finish in the Pro Class after working his way up from 17th after the 1st lap, but he had his worst overall finish of the season finishing 37th, which isn't anything to complain about.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:22 AM
A disappointed Matt Smiley ended up finishing 10th after his 3rd lap mishap that dropped him out of the top 5 back to 15th, but he never gave up and managed to move back up five positions on the last lap.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:25 AM
The look on #13 Todd Knippenberg’s face says it all about his 12th place finish.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:28 AM
#20 Kim Kuhnle muscled his Banshee through all four laps of the race and finished 13th, which was amazingly his 3rd best Pro finish of the season with two 11th place finishes in Florida and Georgia.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:34 AM
#6 Bryan Cook and #20 Michael Houston luck in the mud didn't change this in the mud this round as they both only completed three laps, and the pair of them are hoping for dryer conditions for the remainder of the season.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:43 AM
#50 John Rowling's dominated the Junior Class two years ago, but was plagued with problems when his switched to the A Class, but now that he is in the Vet Class, he is back on his game, which was the same experience that I had two years ago.

Nothing seem to fall in place in the A Class, but once I was in the Vet Class everything fell into place, and I consistently was able to finish out front, and John is having the same type of experience.

John is a top notch rider and it showed in his 2nd place finish in the Vet Class and another impressive overall finish in 27th :macho

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:45 AM
The Pro Am riders dominated this weekend in the mud as 12 of them including #454 Scott Samuels finished in the Top 30 Overall compared to only 8 Pros.

Congrats Scott on your great finish in your return to GNCC racing.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:52 AM
4 Stroke B Points Leader, #784 Brandon Sommers, proved that he could ride in the mud as he worked his way into the top 20 overall by the last lap, and took an extended pit stop to drop him out of the top 20, so he wouldn't be forced to jump into A Class for finishing in the top 20, which would have wiped out his B Class Championship.

If Brandon continues his winning ways the next two races, I am certain Brandon will be making his way to the A Class for the remainder of the season.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:55 AM
#218 Tyler Lenig finished 4 seconds behind Brandon Sommers to take 2nd in the B Class as these two friends and fellow competitors finished 30th and 31st overall and are 1st and 2nd in the 4 Stroke B Class.

Admin
05-21-2005, 09:57 AM
#83 Shane Benson had his best race of the season in the mud finishing 3rd in the 4 Stroke A Class behind Todd Rothermel and Wesley Kinsley.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:01 AM
My good friend, Jeff Brest, looks to have finally recovered from his wreck at Big Buck as he jumped out to the early lead in the Vet Class and was able to hang on to finish 3rd after working late into the night Friday making sure everyone's tires were ready for the race on Saturday.

Jeff has made a seamless transition in replacing Wade and Rod at the Tireballs booth, and it is great to have such dedicated people involved in our sport.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:05 AM
215 Dan Kiehl made a name for himself last year in the Stock Class, but the Penton was only the 2nd race he has attended this season since his transition to the Afternoon A Class, and he didn't have the best of luck in Georgia.

Before the race, him and Chad Duvall talked for a while, and I don't know what Chad told Dan, but it must have motivated him as he finished 4th in the highly competitive 4 Stroke A Class

Great to have you back Dan

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:07 AM
Pro Am Rider, Frank Kendall had his 2nd best race of the season in this mud fest, so if you see him dancing around strangely at the Mountaineer, you will know why :)

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:14 AM
#48 Frank Grimplin had a late start in life racing ATVs, and if I am not mistaken, he was in his late 30's or early 40's when he Won the Open A in 2002 over Mike Lucas.

Frank went on to finish 9th in the Pro Production class in 2003, and moved to Pro for 2004, but he just hasn't been able to get completely comfortable on his YFZ after great success on his 400EX.

This year I was wondering what happened to Frank, but with a race close to home, he couldn't resist and showed up for his 1st race of the season and managed to finish 45th Overall.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:18 AM
#30 Rob Zimmerman was able to conquer the mud and finish 3rd in the Junior Class behind Jeffrey Vensel and Greg Lott. Jeffrey Vensel had an incredible performance in the mud with a 9th Overall.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:21 AM
Mike Kyte finished out the day in 46th Overall and 5th in the 4 Stroke A Class.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:22 AM
#60 Scott Smalley remains in 5th place in the Vet Class with his 4th place finish

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:24 AM
Mike Lucas will use the Penton as one of his throw aways, but he did manage to work his way up from 30th to finish 18th in the Pro Am Class.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:25 AM
John Cunnigham Jr finished 2nd for the 5th time this season "the rock", Dave Simmons.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:27 AM
Darrell Bozarth earned his 2nd win of the season in the Open B Class as he is on his way to winning the championship.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:30 AM
After a tragic wreck last year in Texas and many months of rehabilitation, Dirk DeCesare is back to doing what he loves, but he is playing it smart and doing it on a machine he is accustomed to instead of the YFZ.

Dirk didn’t waste anytime getting back into a groove as he earned a 2nd place finish behind Joey Margueria in the 2 Stroke A/B Class.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:34 AM
Another rider excited about being at the track is Jacob Jones who broke his leg while practicing before the start of the season and missed the five races before returning at Loretta’s.

The penton was his kind of race as he grabbed the Holeshot and finished in 2nd Place.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:38 AM
Tom Bobrowicz brought his wife along to the race for the 1st ime this season, and I don't know what she did to him, but it sure worked as he rode like a man possessed on his 300EX and was the only Sport Class rider to complete three laps and had a 20 minute lead over Jacob Jones.

Great Race Tom, and Congrats on your 1st Win!!!

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:41 AM
With many of the racers still out on the track completing their last lap or just sitting with their quad waiting to be towed in to go home, the celebration was about to get underway on the Podium with Bill Ballance burning off the rubber on his iRazr Maxxis tires.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:44 AM
A semi cleaned up Adam McGill was anxious to get this show underway as he had a Prom to attend this evening with his date patiently waiting for him at home in West Virginia, which might be part of the reason he had such a determination to finish the four lap race as quickly as possible.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:46 AM
Podium veterans William Yokley and Bill Ballance talk about the events they both encountered during the race, or what is up with this 17 year old, I thought we only had to worry about that young gun Chris Borich :D

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:48 AM
Adam McGill got his bottle of champagne to spray over all those brave enough to stand close the podium, but unfortunately for Adam he would be handed a bottle of water to quince his thirst after the celebration, which isn’t normally something Racer Production has to worry about.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:51 AM
Bill Ballance didn’t waste anytime showering down the crowd as he was on cloud nine having sole control of the points lead for the first time this season, but the season is far from over, and I expect to see Chris Borich back as strong as ever once we hit the mountains of West Virginia and Maryland.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:52 AM
William Yokley savored the fruits of his Podium finish once again, and as usual gave one of the best podium speeches for his sponsors

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:54 AM
With all the fun and excitement over for the ATV racers, it was time to head home for many, which might have been just as difficult as the race itself as many needed to be towed.

Admin
05-21-2005, 10:56 AM
This motorhome arrived only 15 minutes after I parked Friday night, and I was thankful I arrived when I did after seeing him being towed out, and I will be marking on my calendar next year to be sure to arrive early Friday instead of Friday night.

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:04 AM
I hope everyone enjoyed the Afternoon Race Coverage even though the format was different than usual, but with all the mud and finishes all over the place, I felt this method presented the best story from the event, so please let me know your thought and feelings about the layout and the coverage.

As many of you already know, I took hundreds of photos with the help of others and posted them in the Photo Gallery, which I will focus on uploading right after each event in the future.

Photo Gallery (http://www.atvriders.com/gallery/)

I will leave you with a few parting shots from the race before starting on the Morning Race Coverage in a few days.

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:04 AM
Drag race to the Top!!!

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:06 AM
Junior Class rider, Chad Miley giving himself a Mud Bath

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:07 AM
Poor Chad:(

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:07 AM
Bottlenecks

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:08 AM
What was I thinking to spend $40.00 to race in this mess:eek2:

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:09 AM
Christopher Stephens Helmet Bonnet

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:10 AM
I think I have a headache

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:11 AM
Ariane Starling was wishing he was on a 450R :grr:

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:12 AM
I knew that I should have put on more tearoffs before the race

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:13 AM
Determined

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:13 AM
Green Fields atleast

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:14 AM
Atleast I still have traction

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:15 AM
Which line should I choose???

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:15 AM
I hate mud races

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:16 AM
And to think that this was at the start of the race

Admin
05-21-2005, 11:19 AM
Well that is it Folks, and Wes please don't aim your bumper at me next time because it is hard to run with a camera in your hand.

Klotz Director
05-21-2005, 01:03 PM
Outstanding coverage as usual, Harlen. I think I'll need some rubber boots next year!

Pappy
05-21-2005, 03:58 PM
Great job as always Harlen!

I sure wish I could have been well enough to be shooting pictures and taking in all the action of the PM race:( Since I knew you were on the job I spent 4 1/2 hours trying to leave the track so I could get home and back on medication. (I dont think anyone including Big John thought I could make it out without a tow but this is one West by God Virginia boy that knows how to put that cummins diesel to work;) )

Thanks for the coverage....I feel I didnt miss a thing and appreciate your hard work!

K_lvl_K
05-22-2005, 04:08 AM
Excellent Coverage as usual. The new format worked well. Great pictures, great action, great commentary. The next best thing to seeing it live or on TV. Thank you for all you ( and your helpers ) do.

MikeKyte
05-23-2005, 07:21 PM
Great job with the race coverage:cool: maybe next time you can have as much fun as I had(Harlen)tanx for all you do for our sport:D note this is my first ever reply. see ya at summersville.

05-24-2005, 12:07 PM
As always nice coverage harlen! <--------WAIT that's not what I said! my post have been altered!!!!!!!!

Vtr_Racing
05-26-2005, 10:29 AM
Awesome coverage! Thanks for posting this stuff for us. I gotta say you guys must be tired of racing in the mud. Mud= the great equalizer! Thanks for the coverage.

cdalejef
05-26-2005, 10:33 AM
Originally posted by Vtr_Racing
Awesome coverage! Thanks for posting this stuff for us. I gotta say you guys must be tired of racing in the mud. Mud= the great equalizer! Thanks for the coverage. I never get tired of racing in the mud! :devil:

quadrcr161
05-26-2005, 11:45 AM
great pics and coverage, i dont see how everyone made if through the mess, that was horrible. thats one thing that holds me back from looking into XC racing, i hate mud. i even dred going to the mx track when its muddy.

bwamos
05-26-2005, 12:20 PM
Originally posted by quadrcr161
great pics and coverage, i dont see how everyone made if through the mess, that was horrible. thats one thing that holds me back from looking into XC racing, i hate mud. i even dred going to the mx track when its muddy.

Oh, but a hot shower will never be the same after a muddy XC race. ;)

Awsome coverage and photos

madmud
05-27-2005, 12:39 AM
hi, this mud race pics are the best ever seen. what is offroad without mud?? nothing. I would like to have those possibilitys to ride here in Europe. Continue...great stuff :devil: :devil: :devil:

QuadJunkies
05-29-2005, 10:22 PM
I just cant get over the Amt. of Mud Ya'll race in...........! :huh :eek2:


Excellent pics and Coverage .. thanks Harlen!! :)

Arctic Cat Dad
05-30-2005, 05:36 AM
An XC race isn't a race if there isn't a ton of mud to go with it.:D My little guy does a rain dance and prays for rain before every race! The mudder the better. Great coverage.

quad_45
05-31-2005, 01:58 PM
Great coverage, but where is the Morning race coverage?:confused:

Admin
05-31-2005, 02:07 PM
Originally posted by quad_45
Great coverage, but where is the Morning race coverage?:confused:

I thought no one would ever ask, but it is coming together. I just need time to post it over the next week, but it hasn't been forgotten.

465Stroker
06-08-2005, 01:39 PM
Originally posted by Admin
I thought no one would ever ask, but it is coming together. I just need time to post it over the next week, but it hasn't been forgotten.


Let's go boy!:macho

Pappy
06-08-2005, 03:19 PM
Originally posted by 465Stroker
Let's go boy!:macho

i second that.

do i need to start calling at 5 am when us real men get up for work:chinese: :devil:

Admin
06-08-2005, 04:33 PM
Originally posted by 465Stroker
Let's go boy!:macho

it has already been started, in a hidden forum, but since you asked, I have now moved the it to the GNCC Coverage, and I plan to have it finished tomorrow.

Pappy
06-09-2005, 04:29 AM
sorry for the call at 5:devil: