2008 GNCC Series-Round#11- Unadilla ATV Race Coverage

[Pappy]

Round #11 of the Can Am GNCC Series headed north to the world famous Unadilla MX facility for what would end up being one of the most exciting races of the season. The fall foliage was turning the landscape into a brilliant display of oranges, yellows and reds, however you would have to wait for the clouds to lift to see them!

Photo Galleries (http://kenhill.smugmug.com/?preview=1)

Results and Reports (http://www.atvriders.com/atvracing/gncc-xc-atv-racing-2008.html#11)

[Pappy]

Saturday morning would dawn with mist and light rain bringing in the new day. The forecast was for rain, and the Unadilla soil would gladly take it. This is one of the few GNCC races where rain is a good thing in moderation and we would see just about the full range of weather throughout the event.

[Pappy]

With only 3 rounds of competition remaining in the season, many classes are wrapping up the points chase, while others remain up for grabs. The racing can intensify as we close in on crowning our class champions and as a fan of GNCC racing, I couldnt wait to get the thing started!

Micheal Benson gets ready to make his V-Force sing in the U2 class.

[Pappy]

Womens class racer Kristen Atwell is all smiles as she sits in the rain awaiting the start. Kristen has been running strong all season long and currently sits 3rd in class points.

[Pappy]

Jesi Stracham moved from the Schoolboy class to Womens Novice at the Yadkinville round, and claimed her first class win at that event. This round, we would find Jesi sitting a few rows closer to the first turn as she made the jump to the Womens class.

[Pappy]

Defending Womens class champion, Traci Cecco, is always a pleasure to see so early in the morning and I think may even brighten a dull and dreary sky! Cecco is locked in the points battle with Angel Atwell and would be looking at doing everything she could to pull off a wn this round.

[Pappy]

John Rowling would be running for fun in the 4x4 Open class this round.

[Pappy]

Joe Borich would be racing for the 3rd straight round in 4x4 Open. Joe isnt a slouch when it comes to racing, and todays course would be right up his alley aboard his 4x4 machine!

[Pappy]

WAAAYYYY in the back, on the very last row sat Cody Hill, who would be racing his first race since Big Buck. His leg is all healed up and he was just looking to have a good time and enjoy being back in the mix!

[Pappy]

274 riders await the start as the family and fans find their vantage point for the start.

[Pappy]

The first class off the line would be U2, and Micheal Benson would provide the excitement as he gets sideways in the first turn.

[Pappy]

Cecco had a clear line to the inside and grabbed the holeshot, as Robert Smith swings wide to avoid Benson.

[Pappy]

Jennifer Albright would get the holeshot as Stephanie Verkade gives chase.

[Pappy]

John Gallagher Sr would lead out Super Senior

[Pappy]

4x4 Open would see Scott Kilby rounding the first turn with a hard charging Bryan Buckhannon closing in.

[Pappy]

4x4 Limited

Micheal Swift would grab the holeshot with Mike Penland hot on his grab bar

[Pappy]

I would say that this qualifies as a close call!

[Pappy]

David Grabiec would lead out the 4x4 Lites class.

Kevin Johnston would suffer a wreck on the first lap and be taken to the hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery!

[Pappy]

They changed the start around this year and there were far fewer wrecks, but still a few!

[Pappy]

Schoolboy

Hunter Dalrymple grabs the holeshot and heads out to fend off the other 36 entries in this class!

[Pappy]

Chivalry is not dead:p

[Pappy]

The 9 mile course would be run in reverse of last years race, and would incorperate the amatuer and pro mx tracks at the facility. With mulitple lines almost everywhere in the woods, and open mx track, passing would be available for those that could make things happens.

Traci Cecco had worked her way past the U2 class as she heads in to score her first lap.

[Pappy]

Rick Cecco had dropped the hammer as he was running in the 2nd overall position, and with Traci in sight, he would be pushing even harder to try and take the number one spot away.

[Pappy]

Benson heads down the drop off as his roll offs stream along behind him.

[Pappy]

Robert Smith has been knocking on the door for a class win for several rounds, yet the win has eluded him. This round would see Smith ride smooth and hard to teh checkers, taking his first U2 win!

[Pappy]

Angel Atwell found herself dead last off the line, but wasted no time in moving through her class and U2 as she ran down the race leaders.

[Pappy]

Jesi Stracham would race to an 8th place Womens class finish, and an outstanding 26th overall!

[Pappy]

Jamie Bougher pours on the power as he runs to a 5th place finish in 4x4 Limited

[Pappy]

Greg Condon has been fighting his Yamaha Grizzly all season, well fighting the set up and the trees he tends to bulldoze over! I thought Greg had possibly injured his arm, but later found out that his seat kept working loose, forcing him into his pit for repairs.

[Pappy]

Cody Hill's day ended when he blew a rear tire off the rim. A big thanks to the ITP crew and Tireballs Jeff Steoss who did all they could to get it repaired, which they couldnt:p A new tire was installed, but his day was over. I was glad to see him back in competition after almost 5 months of rehab and we are looking forward to Powerline park!

[Pappy]

4x4 Open racer Bryan Buckhannon was flying, and he knew that every second counts when your running for an overall. As the race clock ticked away, Buckhannon was in a position to be in the running for a podium spot!

[Pappy]

Jerime Dudding would be in a heated battle with fellow Can Am mounted Cliffton Beasley. Dudding would just edge out Beasley for his second straight win in 4x4 Lites!

[Pappy]

Unadilla's natural terrain layout will really let you know where you stand in the power department. With out the suspension to tackle the whooped out base, many quads were doing all they could to reach the top.

[Pappy]

For other riders, the hill would prove to be a drag race to the top for position!

[Pappy]

Rick Ceccos run up front would be stimied by a broken a-arm and some over heating issues. Cecco would be forced to call it a day after 3 laps.

[Pappy]

With such a varying degree of terrain and layout, its no wonder Unadilla proves to be a very popular track every year!

[Pappy]

David Hunsacker would have his best finish of the season in 30+C when he rolled in to take 10th.

[Pappy]

Angel Atwell put her head down and rode to the front, taking over the lead and it appeared she had the win in the bag! The announcer was already telling everyone how her win would affect the battle for the Womens class points chase when Traci Cecco came across the finish line, taking the win!

[Pappy]

The information that I recieved was that Angel and Kristen Atwell had tangled near the end of the last lap, opening the door for Traci Cecco to take the class win and for Stephanie Verkade to claim 2nd!

[Pappy]

In the end, it would be Bryan Buckhannon securing the overall win and collecting some cash thanks to the ATVriders.com overall award!

[Pappy]

For Traci, Atwells 5th place finish offers her the slightest of margins as we head to round #12. You can bet Atwell will be bringing everything she has to the last two rounds!

[Pappy]

Stephanie Verkade climbs atop the podium for the second time in 2008. This time, there would be no issue with how she got there and she was soaking it all in this time with nothing but pure enjoyment and satisfaction!

[Pappy]

Traci showing this good old West Virginia boy that it aint a bottle of grand daddys shine, you gotta shake it!:devil:

[Pappy]

The morning race was complete in grand fashion with some unexpected turns, the afternoon race was staging and things would not be any less exciting!

[Pappy]

The afternoon racers and fans fill the starting area as the minutes ticked away. A mile or so of course would be added to their race, and most racers seemed to be more then ready to run in todays conditions. There would be some slick spots, however the rain had gone away and some areas were already dry.

[Pappy]

Hard luck award would have to go to Scott Norton, who was informed prior to the start of the morning race that he had been protested. Scott had run 6 races in 2007 and this disqualified him from running the class he had been running in 2008. Scott thought that since he did not run the needed 9 races to be eligible he was perfectly fine in running the class. Norton had the class championship wrapped up but with the protest was stripped of his win. Scott was a good sport about it, saying that he wished he would have known before putting his efforts forth all season in that class. Tough break for Scott.

[Pappy]

Brandon Ballance kicking back before the start

[Pappy]

Jarrod McClure has seen what it takes to reach the podium, and has shown he has what it takes to get him there. McClure is just getting revved up, he might be a force to be reckoned with from now on!

[Pappy]

McGill, fresh off his win would have his hands full

[Pappy]

Ballance.....displaying his onry look:p

[Pappy]

Matt Smiley......is it time to race yet!:D

[Pappy]

I heard those are really Chris's pink boots:devil:

[Pappy]

Sturdivant......excactly how much can you tear up this year:devil:

[Pappy]

Ryan Lane just keeps plugging away at good finishes.

[Pappy]

Pat Brown is learning the ropes of GNCC racing.......I think its awesome to see him in competition!

[Pappy]

Is it a safe bet to assume Pickens was the problem child in high school:confused: I had to ask him to give me a serious look, he is just to happy:p

[Pappy]

I think Bonnie Cook has the biggest smile in the GNCC series...always cheerful. just dont stand to close when Bryan gos by, that girl can scream!

[Pappy]

Elliot is all business

[Pappy]

Nottman.....can anyone actually make him mad:confused: My face would get sore if I smiled as much as he does:p

[Pappy]

Johnny GQ

Going fast has perks, just imagine what will happen when you nail the podium!:devil:

[Pappy]

No Jenks, hiding from me doesnt work:blah:

[Pappy]

Sommers.....earning the respect he deserves!

[Pappy]

Kiser and Hitt

Shane...that jacket is highway worker certified BRIGHT!

[Pappy]

Dave and Hoop heading to work

[Pappy]

It was a packed house at Dilla, great to see a decent turn out!!!

[Pappy]

I reckon its time to get this thing started

[Pappy]

It would be Brandon Sommers hard on the throttle as the XC 1 Pro class hits the first turn!

[Pappy]

Brandon ballance would skip out just ahead of the field as Bill Ballance and Ryan Lane would battle as they exit turn 1. Johnny Gallagher gets aqauinted with the hay bale as he is shoved to the inside.

[Pappy]

Matt Smiley, Adam McGill, Jeff Pickens and Shawn Hess would send a shower of NY roost high into the air as they all battle for position.

[Pappy]

Sommers hits turn two with BJ Ballance right behind him

[Pappy]

Pat Brown gets all into Chris Bithell as the riders check up for the turn

[Pappy]

XC2 was turned loose and it was Donald Ockerman grabbing the holeshot

[Pappy]

Gary Belbeck would see his first ever GNCC holeshot in the Senior A 40+ class. While Gary would only complete 1 lap, it was awesome to see him out front!

Belbeck also informed me that Dave Simmons had broken his collar bone at a race last weekend and would be absent from this event. Get well soon Dave, it isnt the same with out you tearing it up out there!

[Pappy]

Dave Bishop would find himself last off the line, but would ride hard and smart and worked himself to a second place finish when the checkered flag flew!

[Pappy]

College A (16-21) rockets through the first turn!

[Pappy]

The first turn hay bale was getting a workout:p

[Pappy]

Brad Wilson would get the holeshot in Junior A 22+

[Pappy]

Wes Stone looks for a clear line aboard his XC Bobs backed Honda!

[Pappy]

Jeff Miller was a holeshot machine in 2007, and finally got back in the groove at this round in Vet A 30+ as he powers his Yamaha ahead of the field!

[Pappy]

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

[Pappy]

Stephen McCulloch would grab the holeshot in College B but would run into problems and fail to score a lap.

[Pappy]

Eating roost is all part of it!

[Pappy]

The first turn is usually the biggest challenge for some, others make it seem like no big deal:p

[Pappy]

Jason Bougher finds himself in the dirt after getting flipped in turn two

[Pappy]

Sport 15+ takes the first turn as all the racers were now on the track!

[Pappy]

Even with the added mile of track, the Pro class was on fire and it would be Bill Ballance coming through with the lead to score lap1

[Pappy]

Jarrod McClure was pushing hard and was jst a few seconds off the leader!

[Pappy]

Taylor Kiser found himself in 3rd as he passed my position

[Pappy]

Bryan Cook and Chris Bithell were battling for the 7th spot. Bithell was moving, but we had seen this before and usually it meant seeing him sidelined with mechanical issues.

[Pappy]

As Bithell headed into scoring, the dust was showing itself! Even as rain fell, the soil in the fields were drying offering a huge change from the woods sections.

[Pappy]

Tyler Lenig was once again running in the front of the XC2 class and was off to a great start.

[Pappy]

The race was going to be fast paced as multiple lines, wide field sections and the MX portion would allow the riders to open up and run! The new section added for the afternoon riders was getting wore in.

[Pappy]

The light rain returned so I ducked into the woods for some cover. The lap times were alot quicker then the morning race and I hardly had time to lift my camera when Ballance came through!

[Pappy]

Borich had moved into 2nd and Cook was on the move as he slipped into the 5th spot

[Pappy]

Unadilla has some of the darkest woods on the circuit, with heavy tree canopy and the darkened sky. Baker makes his way through this section running in 12th

[Pappy]

Gabe Phillips found the pavement at SnowShoe and ended his day with a twsited stem. At Unadilla, he would comeback with a solid 10th place finish in XC2

[Pappy]

Eric Wilezek would be running his first GNCC of 2008 in the XC2 class, and the Auburn NY resident scored himself a 13th place finish!

[Pappy]

After scoring the first lap in 19th, Adam McGill would have his work cut out as he tried to better his position. The speed of the race wasnt going to favor anyone that had the slightest problem!

[Pappy]

Gallagher would also find himself running back in the pack and would succumb to issues and fail to finish on the lead lap.

[Pappy]

Junior A racer Rob Oakley works his way through the woods, Rob would run into problems and finish in the 26th spot. Rob had a great race last round and I hope to see him back in the mix at Powerline!

[Pappy]

Unadilla has been used alot over the years, and multiple lines seem to be everywhere in the woods.

[Pappy]

The off camber sections became rutted, causing more then one wreck

[Pappy]

The racing was good, and getting to watch it unfold through my lens is always my biggest thrill.

[Pappy]

Pat Brown is taking a beating in his Xc racing endeavors, but he will get it all working right as he gains the needed expeirence to run in the XC1 class. I would imagine that this type of racing will help him immensley when the MX season gets underway!

[Pappy]

Ballance came by as he still retained the lead on lap 3, however that would change as Chris Bithell was on a mission!

[Pappy]

Chris Borich was right behind Ballance as he raced out of sight

[Pappy]

Bithell was charging hard, and I had my fingers crossed it would be a good day for him. He had moved from 10th to 2 by the time the 3rd lap was complete and wanted more!

[Pappy]

Sommers had gone from being the leader to 13th on lap 1, but would work his way to a 6th place finish for the day. As fast as the Pro's were going, that in itself is quite an accomplishment!

[Pappy]

McClure would also find himself dropping back through the field as he went from the front to 9th where he ended his race.

[Pappy]

Not knowing the time, I headed back to the field section to see where we stood. Across the field, I could see that Chris Bithell had taken over the lead!

[Pappy]

Ballance gets support from his Ohlins team member as he gives chase to Bithell

[Pappy]

Kiser had moved into 3rd and was now in a podium position with 1 lap to go!

[Pappy]

Borich recieves support from fellow racers and fans as he heads out to complete the last lap

[Pappy]

Cook was in 5th, and would have to get aggresive if he wanted to reach the podium, which he had no problem doing as he was haulin' the mail when he passed me!

[Pappy]

Don Ockerman would ride to teh XC2 victory and lock in the class championship!

[Pappy]

The scoring area was pretty rutted and several riders needed help:p Nothing worse then getting hung up infront of everyone:D

[Pappy]

With minutes to go, the annoucer was busily chatting with course workers getting updates on the leaders. Bithell was still leading and with less then 1/4 lap to go, would have a hard charging Bill Ballance to deal with! I can only imagine Bithell's thoughts as he covered the last bit of track with ballance on him, knowing he was so close to getting this win. The problems he has faced each round had to be running through his mind and the wonder of not knowing if everything would stay together and good luck would finally land him atop the XC1 Pro class!

His crew was worried as well, as he had pitted on lap 2 for fuel and they were praying he had enough fuel to make things stick! Bithell neared the final turn when he felt his machine stutter, as it gasped for fuel. Ballance had to check up and tagged him in the rear but Bithells machine roared to life and made the final charge to the checkers giving him his first 2008 GNCC XC1 Pro class win!

[Pappy]

Just over the hill, and out of sight sat Ballance, whos chain had derailed. Injured, in pain and forced to help push his machine to the top of the hill. This was a heart break for the Yamaha team.

[Pappy]

While he could recieve assistance getting the quad to the finish line, it would be all Ballance who would have to pick up the rear of his machine and get it the final few feet to score his finish. The rear axle was locked up tight, and with his broken ribs this was going to take everything out of him.

[Pappy]

While it was good that Ballance crossed the line, it also cost him the podium and valuable points as he dropped from 2nd to 5th in the finishing order. The mix of emotions hits ballances supporters as success and failure meet head on.

Ballance collapses as he sets the quad down.

[Pappy]

Ballance sinks to the ground in pain and agony as his race ends.

[Pappy]

Ballance would need a few minutes to gather himself after exhausting everything he had left to get across the line.

[Pappy]

Fir Bithell and the entire Can Am team, this win was needed bad. This season has been full of issues for them and to get a win is exactly what everyone needed.

[Pappy]

Bithells moment in the spotlight would be the highpoint thus far for the Can Am team!

[Pappy]

Bryan Cook would not only get by Borich but slide in ahead of Ballance and take the 3rd spot!

[Pappy]

FRE KTM's Taylor Kiser rode a smart race, and it landed him the 2nd spot!

[Pappy]

We al knew Bithell still had what it takes to get upfront, and we can only hope that the Can Am team can get things sorted out to keep him up there!

[Pappy]

There you have it folks, round #11 is history! It was a great race and sets up even a tighter run to the XC1 Pro championship as we head to the two remaining rounds of competition!

Congrats to Chris Bithell, Taylor Kiser and Bryan Cook on an outstanding performance, and a big old "get well" soon to Bill Ballance.

We will see everyone at Powerline Park!

[Johnny Minehan]

you didnt get any pics of the first lap did ya?

[Ryan]

Great race report and pictures as always pappy.

I wish I could have made it up there last weekend. :ermm:

[redracer250]

Does anyone know what happened to that dirtbiker that crashed on the gravity cavity ? I saw him crash then get put into an ambulance. It was bad. Right after they got the race going again another guy crashed the same way, but limped away.

[quadracer1]

The Atwells did not tangle the last lap. Kristens lap time was 2 mins faster than Angels, Angel got tangled with another lapper. However at the end of the race Angel physically manhandled Kristen and blammed her for the loss, by Kristen not pulling over to let her pass. Yes Angel is fighting for the win, but Kristen is also fighting for the overall, class finish, and sponsors recognition. This is family rivalry at its best, and mostly VERY unprofessional, I bet her sponsors love this one!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by quadracer1
The Atwells did not tangle the last lap. Kristens lap time was 2 mins faster than Angels, Angel got tangled with another lapper. However at the end of the race Angel physically manhandled Kristen and blammed her for the loss, by Kristen not pulling over to let her pass. Yes Angel is fighting for the win, but Kristen is also fighting for the overall, class finish, and sponsors recognition. This is family rivalry at its best, and mostly VERY unprofessional, I bet her sponsors love this one!

LOL...OUCH! Well I must have misinterpreted the info I got as they "tangled" on the track, I wasnt aware of anything post race:chinese:

[Velocity Girl]

Great coverage as always Pappy :)

Glad to hear Cody is back in action!

[Pappy]

Thanks Velocity Girl, he is very happy to be back!


And this has nothing to do with racing, but is for my hunting buddy Chris Bithell. Got him on the camera yesterday......

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2902366108_bd9de791bd_o.jpg

[Simon MX49]

Bow seasons in here in Ohio, hope one of his buddies down here comes walkin in front of me :devil:

[jcquads]

Originally posted by Pappy
While it was good that Ballance crossed the line, it also cost him the podium and valuable points as he dropped from 2nd to 5th in the finishing order. The mix of emotions hits ballances supporters as success and failure meet head on.

Ballance collapses as he sets the quad down.

A TRUE CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cheryl bithell]

hey pappy its chris dang nice ten point. i just got back in from the stand.. it was cold this mornin but too windy, i just wanna kill something.. cant wait till sat. and i can use my good spots for the big boys!!:D

[Pappy]

Originally posted by cheryl bithell
hey pappy its chris dang nice ten point. i just got back in from the stand.. it was cold this mornin but too windy, i just wanna kill something.. cant wait till sat. and i can use my good spots for the big boys!!:D

Yeah yeah yeah:o I will believe it when I see it!:blah: (btw...check out this thread for more deer http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360363)

Good luck in teh woods and at Powerline...if you can back it up with another win or podium, we might just forgive a few of the ones from earlier this season:devil: :D