2008 GNCC Series-Round #2-"The General"-Pro ATV Race Coverage

[Pappy]

Round #2 of the Can Am GNCC Series rolled into the Aonia MX Facility for the second round of Pro ATV racing in the 13 round season. With 1 round in the books, quite a few of the Pro riders were eager to get back on the line to either redeem themselves from problems at the opening round, or to back up good finishes they found in the Florida sand.

Round 1 winner, Chris Borich was getting set up in the now water-logged Georgia clay.

[Pappy]

Heavy rain had pounded the area overnight setting the stage for a good old fashioned mud race

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The Racer Productions water truck would seem out of place at this round

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Jim Pinkston and the entire ITP tire crew worked non stop getting racers hooked up with new tires more suited for the muddy conditions

[Pappy]

Warnert Racing's Chris Bithell was all smiles as the day wore on. Bithell is riding super smooth and consistant and looked to do well at this round. His new Can Am DS450 suits him well and it appears he has it ready to rip!

[Pappy]

Adam McGill said he was so close to having it all together after round 1 that he knew good things were coming. McGill charged hard in Florida and had to settle for 5th. I had a feeling this young West Virginia native was about to come into his own as every time we chatted he remarked at how well Team KTM was working. Never I, or me, just we. His training program is working both with testing and in the gym and he would have another chance at glory as friday faded.

[Pappy]

The rain again hammered the area at around 3 am, and I know I wasn't the only one hunkered down wondering just how bad it would get. I could hear things blowing against the trailers, every once inawhile an eazy-up would crash....not good for sure.

Dawn broke and the sky lightened showing us all what had happened during the night

[Pappy]

The morning race had done alot to help the track. It wasn't dry, but it had wore in well in many areas. Riders were still shivering as the 1pm start time closed in.

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Jeff Pickens braces himself against the bitter wind that blew the entire race. Pickens had an incredible charge at round 1 and was looking to move on up the ladder at this round

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Chris Jenks has his DS sure looking good, and running equally as well. Jenks did not get the finish he was after at round 1 and wanted badly to get his Can Am up front

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Duane Johnson and Brent Sturdivant (and crew) await their call to the front row.

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McGill gets a pre race chat from Tim Farr. I could tell McGill was primed for a good race.

[Pappy]

Jackets were in short supply, and anything you could get your hands on was worth it's weight in gold. Borich was pretty calm at the start, knowing he has what it takes to repel all challengers these days.

[Pappy]

One rider who's name kept popping up as i cruised the Pro pits was that of William Yokely. Yokely has excelled in these types of conditions in the past and it would not be a surprise to see him running strong at this event

[Pappy]

Jarrod McClure is one of the quietest threats on the front row. He goes without a ton of fanfare or hoopla but man can this kid ride the wheels off a quad. In the off season, he rode non stop and even though we were faced with cold and nasty conditions, Jarrod just smiled and stated it was still better then what he had been riding in for months!

McClure was involved in a first turn tangle at round one, but kept banging away and finished 9th, that should say something for his ability on one tough course.

[Pappy]

Brent Sturdivant had high hopes for round two after suffering a DNF at the opening round thanks to a blown fuse. Sturdivant has the ability, he just needs a break and we should see him up front.

[Pappy]

Bryan Cook came out of the gate in 08 on fire, clinching a solid 2nd place finish in round 1. I spoke with Cook before the race about what he had done in the off season , and surprisingly he said all he did was ride some, bicycle some and worked alot at his job. Bryan lays block for a paycheck and it keeps him toned.

Cook's hands were hamburger after the first round but he said they were healing and he felt good about todays race.

[Pappy]

Brandon Sommers has a solid training program which mainly involves non-stop racing. Sommers wants on that podium in a bad way and has all the tools needed to make it happen.

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8 time GNCC Champion Bill Ballance strolls back from checking the first turn prior to the start. Bill snuck on the podium after a wreck at round 1 but you can bet he wanted to be the top dog instead of settling for 3rd.

[Pappy]

Johnny Gallagher celebrated his 30th birthday at this event and being he is well known as a mud specialist, this was shaping up for him to be a great weekend.

[Pappy]

Santo Derisi chats with some young fans before the start. Derisi sent a piston to the trash can at round 1 and had a new engine installed this week. I caught up with Santo at Durhamtown throughout the week as he broke in the engine and man did it scream! I was hoping for a good run for this long time GNCC racer

[Pappy]

The clock was ticking away as the opening ceremonies commenced. The starting area is a mob scene just before the start as fans, friends and family all wish their riders a successful and safe race.

[Pappy]

10 SECONDS blared across the near silent starting area as 25 XC1 Pro riders all made ready for two hours of racing action!

The green flag waved and from my position at turn two I watched as the riders streaked to the first turn. The left hander opened up as riders swung wide all struggling to find an advantage but it was KTM mounted Adam McGill hard on the throttle as they pulled out of teh first turn and set their sights on turn 2!

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McGill was charging for the woods as Sommers, Borich and Yokley sort things out as they head through turn 2

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Duane Johnson and Bryan Cook get through clean as Brandon Ballance gets snuffed on the inside

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Andy Lagzdins and Chris Jenks got tangled as Andy refires his Honda and Jenks gets his DS back on all 4 wheels

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XC2 had another huge number of entries at 44 as they were next off the line. Donald Ockerman piloted his Yamaha to the holeshot.

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With this many riders on the line, things get real busy, real fast at the start

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Senior 40+

Dave Simmons grabbed the holeshot and was the hunted in this game of chance and skill ...with a side of luck thrown in for good measure. Simmons is a machine finishing second in a hard foought battle in the opening round.

[Pappy]

College A

Parker Jones was out front with Ronnie Mills running him down as the class heads for turn two

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Junior A was next off the line and it was a Honda out front as rider #313 scored himself a holeshot

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Vet A 30+ charged to turn two and a familiar rider wasn't present contesting the holeshot.

[Pappy]

The missing rider was #44 Jeff Miller. He is usually an easy target for my lens as his candy red beadlock rings stands out and he is usually out in front sweeping through the first few turns. Miller put his head down and won his class for the second time this season and finished an amazing 24th overall!

[Pappy]

Senior B 40+ had Scott Gibson out front at the start

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it takes guts to try and run College B in reverse!

[Pappy]

You could mount a set of handy bars on your keyboard and make vroom vroom noises, but you will have to actually get out and race to feel the full effect!

[Pappy]

With the Xc1 and XC2 classes running so fast, it is all we can usually do to capture the starts and make a bee-line to a point where we can cut off the leaders. I caught up with them just prior to completing the first lap.

Bithell charges to the scoring tent

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I could hear Rodney Tomblin on the speaker system exclaiming that McGill had just checked in and was still out front as I caught Sommers dicing through the trees

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Bonnie Cook screams in support for Bryan has he had the hammer down!

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Borich came past me doing mach 3, and I know he wasn't having the start he wanted as he was behind and pushing hard to catch up.

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With the front runners way back in the Georgia woods, I made my way to one of the open field sections. I could see carnage already as many bumpers had been redesigned as trees were plowed as new lines around bottle necks were "created"

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The mud was flying and not having goggles was going to hurt! The rider in the rear takes a full shot of wide open roost!

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I could hear a Pro coming over the small rise in the field. Even without seeing the rider I knew it was the leader and when he popped into view it was McGill, wringing every single ounce of speed from his KTM that he could.

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Bithell was next as he zipped across the field with his DS on full tilt!

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Taylor Kiser wasn't in the sand this round, but he was deffinatley putting in a good ride early. I had already started thinking of 2 KTM's on the podium but there was sure some fast guys that could make that all wishfull thinking

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Brandon Sommers wasn't far off kiser as he put his factory backed YFZ through it's paces

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Bryan Cook was flying again as he passed me. The pace was being set and it was brutally fast

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Matt Smiley was right in the middle of things as usual. The man just refuses to quit and no matter what the conditions or who is on the race track, your money is wisely placed on Smiley to be there at the end.

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Borich was still running strong, but off the pace.

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Houston was running good, however he would only score 4 laps today to finish in the 18th spot

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lagzdins had overcome the accident at the start and was working his way up

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Sturdivant was riding as fast as he could, but by the looks of things he had dealt with some serious mud back in the woods

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I could hear I was close to a check point as the "beep" from the transponder could be heard. Riders were spreading out a bit and the action was a bit calmer as the fields were encountered

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Shawn Collins leads a pack of riders out into the fields

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McGill once again greeted another field section with a healthy dose of "hauling *** syndrome"! he was absolutley on fire and putting a huge lead on the field.

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The gap between 1st and 2nd was several minutes and it had me wondering what was going on. I knew McGill was checking out but to witness it first hand was insane. Kiser came ripping out of the woods in 2nd

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Bithell was holding 3rd and I was excited to see him up front on the new machine

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Sommers was riding ultra smooth as I watched him approach my position.

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Bryan Cook holding the 5th spot as he passed me, and I had a feeling that what ever lines McGill was using were no longer his own as the rest of XC1 was starting to close in on each other

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Jenks focuses on the high speed run to the next corner

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Once the mud gets under tear off or roll off systems, they are worthless and the riders must pit for a new set. Johnson heads to the next section.

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The smell of antifreeze wafted through the air as machines radiators became clogged with the thick mud

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Borich checks in to his pit for clean goggles, fuel and a slight adjustment to his steering stabilizer

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In a flash the Rockstar Energy LTR was back in action

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XC2 rider Donald Ockerman ran into issues during the race, being docked a lap as he finished in the 19th position. David Crane would win this round, backing up a solid 2nd place XC2 finish at round 1.

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Smiley ripis down the Pro pit and finished the day in the 6th position! An excellent run for Matt!

[Pappy]

With the white flag out, the track was getting beat in many sections. Ruts, mud, and even dust would all be dealt with!

[Pappy]

The lead McGill had obtained was over the 5 minute mark as everyone started heading to the finishline to see if he could keep the pace up for just one more lap.

Many riders would have Adam pass by them on this day and I dont think any would discredit the amazing ride he was putting in. This race was throwing almost everything one could dream up as the conditions varied from section to section.

[Pappy]

In the KTM pit, emotions were higha nd nerves on edge as two KTM Team riders were poised to hit the podium

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Minutes ticked away as everyone wondered how this exciting event would play out. McGill had been close before, Sparta in 2007, but today could be his day.

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Sturdivant had called it a day after the 3rd lap do to a rear shock issue.

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After scoring 2 laps, Borich snapped a chain and his day was over

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Micheal Houston heads in to take the 18th spot in XC1

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When McGill rounded the corner to the pro pits, he was greeted by his dad who throws up his hand in support. Just a mile or so lay between McGill and his first overall!

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Team KTM can be seen in the background as Adam heads to the last woods section of the day

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McGill takes the checkered flag in one impressive win for himself and Team KTM.

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For Adam, this win wasn't a lone victory, but a team effort that started in the off season and their team efforts are now paying off.

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There is no doubt that Tim Farr's involvement in this team will have a huge impact on GNCC racing. Just watching from the sidelines, I can see the level of involvement and team work being brought to the KTM camp.

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Adam himself is a changed person since joining this team, and it would not surprise me if Farr molds him into our next champion.

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Adam isn't alone in this as teammate Taylor Kiser rode in behind him taking the number 2 spot. Kiser has loads of talent that is just now being developed into a tree slicing, rut carving machine aboard the KTM. Taylor just missed the podium in Florida but was solid here in Georgia.

[Pappy]

Taking the final podium spot was none other then Brandon Sommers. He put in a great ride at this event and it paid off for him. Sommers may be a "rookie Pro", however he has the skills and speed needed to strike deep into the top 5 at every event.

[Pappy]

There you have it folks, round 2 is now history! Menacing mcGill ripped apart all comers and his teammate has his back!!!! Who will be able to mount a charge at the podium at round 3 as we head to North Carolina in a few weeks? We have seen quite a few folks on the podium in the first 2 rounds and there are many more that want badly to get their chance so look for an all out war as we get 2008 cranked up!!!!

Bill Ballance will be wanting some payback as he toasted an engine after the first lap, and with Borich's chain going on strike we have our series two biggest names kicked square on the chin! What they bring to round 3 could be an incredible battle as both must mount a charge for the championship from positions further back then they are accustomed to.

Hopefully we will see more of you all there at the races!

[billdogg]

Where's the pic of the telephone pole bridge crossing I hear about?

[Scro]

Great coverage as always. One correction though - Crane won XC2, not Ockerman.

[Pappy]

Thanks for the correction, thats what I get for working so late but I am sure Ockerman would take it:D

[Simon MX49]

The level of support the KTM team brings to the track is amazing. I talked to one of the KTM reps for the better part of the afternoon race, and they all were cheering out of their minds for Adam and Taylor to sweep the top 2 spots. The race was a great one to watch.

I didnt get to race the morning class, but look for me in 16-19 C in North Carolina on a Yamaha

[Scro]

Originally posted by Pappy
Thanks for the correction, thats what I get for working so late but I am sure Ockerman would take it:D

Ockerman actually finished ahead of Crane, but he also finished ahead of Mcgill on the first or second lap...I don't know the exact details, but he was docked a lap for whatever happened. That's why he finished so far back in the pack.

I'm thinking that a big portion of the track was cut by quite a few folks. I know the winner of Vet B had laptimes of 36, 36, 27, 34...which would put his third lap on par with the pros:eek2:

Not saying it was intentional, but that's what it appears to be.

[BludgerDB]

More great photos Pappy. I was a bit shocked driving through a small white out in ATL on the way to the race, but the day turned out to be decent.

As you said, McGill was noticeably faster than everyone else this day. He was dialed in and didn't appear to make a single mistake.

I was hoping you caught a few of the people stuck in the mud holes on the course. I'm sure it sucked for them, but it was kind of funny seeing nothing but handlebars sticking out of the ground.