2010 GNCC Racing Series - Round#1 - River Ranch - Live ATV Race Coverage

The 2010 Racing season is officially underway as the series kicks off its opening round here in Florida. You will notice I did not say "Sunny" or "Warm" and that is because today was neither! A storm was due to roll in off the Gulf of Mexico and usher in some showers and cool weather, and it did exactly that!

Chilly rain with the help of a stiff breeze soon had everything wet and everyone looking for heavier jackets. Within an hour, it looked more like a round from late in the season as winter was letting us know it was far from over!

Chelsea was all smiles and allowed Chris Bithell to get in on a quick shot as I dodged rain drops. Bithell is back on a DS450 for Can Am and hopes to put together a solid season

The news of Adam McGill signing with Can Am for the 2010 season is old news, but seeing him under the yellow banner sure seemed out of place.

Adam is a fan favorite no matter what brand he wears. Here I caught him signing an autograph as another fan sneaks in to get a quick shot taken with Adam.

As the factory and sponsorship money remains tight, how you present yourself to the public will play a role in how well you do next year when it's time to re-negotiate, and this does'nt only apply to the XC1 racers.

Brian Wolf's stellar season last year left quite a few of us wondering why in the world he would be not returning for the 2010 season. As I drove home from the last round of the 2009 season, I understood the reasoning behind his leaning towards calling it quits, but could not imagine this talented racer walking away from it all on the national level.

Thankfully for his fans, he is back for 2010 and will be racing aboard a Honda! Expect nothing short of maximum effort from this seasoned racer as he takes aim at the competition this season!

Traci Cecco seemed focused as I chatted with her about the upcoming season. Cecco is no quitter and I for one knows she does'nt like being anywhere but in first place. She will have her work cut out for her as Angel Atwell wont go down without a fight!

Now the weatherman gets an A+ because he stated that by 3pm the storm would be gone and the sun would return and for once that S.O.B. was correct! I was just happy to hear a forecast that did not include arctic temperatures and snow by the foot:p

Practice started at 2pm and several riders went out, but it wasnt quite as active as in years past. Noone wanted to get wet and dirty I reckon:D

Now the bad part for me is that I was tied up doing shoots with several riders and made it to the practice session as it ended. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things with little practice;)

The hope and thoughts of many racers is that the rain would help keep the course from breaking down to fast, but with the limited number of riders that hit the practice track, it was quickly appearant that ruts and whoops will still be the name of the game here in Florida

Cliffton Beasley will be racing in the U2 class this season and that aint good for everyone else in that class! The boy is an animal on a quad and the U2 class is going to be one of the hottest classes in the morning race yet again!

Thats about all I have for you all this evening. Check back in tomorrow for coverage from the races!

Pap OUT!

Man im bummed i cant be there this year, but hopefully my 2010 Debute in Georgia will make it worth it!

Im more than ready to enjoy the coverage tomorrow and get this season underway! Thanks for the pre Race Pics Pappy, you havent lost your touch:D