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Round #1 of the Can-Am GNCC Series kicked off in sunny Vero Beach Florida this past weekend, marking the start of the 13 round series.
Riders from all over the country made the trek to compete in the coveted series including Youth sensation Walker Fowler. Fowler would be running in the Youth Production 300cc class aboard his race prepped Honda 300ex.
Morning Photo Gallery
Yamaha's Traci Cecco has been on fire, ending the 2006 series with yet another Championship in the Womans class. 2007 looks to be another stellar year for this incredibly talented rider and her off season training looks to pay off as she appears well prepped for her quest to grab herself another #1 plate.
Can-Am is this years series title sponsor, and the impact they are bringing to the series is evident everywhere you look. The race rig, actually several of them, many models representing the brand and banners in every direction are showing how dedicated they are to bringing the Can-Am name to the marketplace. Enlisting talented riders to hopefully secure wins aboard the Can-Am sets the stage for factory versus privateer battles as the season gets heated up.
ATVriders.com has teamed up with BMS(Bowers Motorcycle Supply) to run their graphics and promote the website in the GNCC series. John Bowers will be competing on his V-Force in the morning races and wants badly to finish the season sitting in the #1 spot.
Racers swarm the vendors prior to the race in order to get final preparations completed before heading out to compete in the grueling 2 hour event.
I watched during the weekend as tire after tire was changed and Tire Balls were installed. These guys worked non stop taking care of the riders.
The course was laid out over 11.5 miles of the Florida landscape. With over cast conditions and temperatures remaining a relatively cool 68 degrees, it was shaping up to be great racing conditions.
Riders were called to the line and the formalities were soon underway to get the first race of 2007 underway.
TEN SECONDS blared across the speaker system as all fell silent except for the outbursts of uncontrolable cheers from fans who lined the start. The excitement was building as the final few seconds ticked away.
I took a vantage point at turn 3 and had no trouble telling that 2007 was underway as the wide open run to turn one shook the Florida sand! The almost harmonious silence was short lived as the Womans class braked for turn two and then charged hard on the throttle setting up for the next turn. Traci Cecco was in control and out front as she raced through the turn and into the woods
Shawna Bradshaw was running mid pack at the start as the womans class filtered into the woods amongst flying sand.
Stefanie Verkade had issues immediatley as her 450r shut down. Help rushed to get her out of the way but thankfully the second someone laid a hand on her quad it fired and she was off hunting down the pack!