Chris
Borich Could Take Huge Step Toward GNCC Pro ATV
Title
Round 11 - Yadkinville North Carolina
- September 29 & 30
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#2
Chris Borich |
Yadkinville, NC (9/27/2007)
- For the first time in eight years,
Yamaha's Bill Ballance is on the ropes in the
Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Another
solid rider this weekend by East Coast ATV's Chris
Borich could shut the door on Ballance's record-breaking
title run, which makes the Elka Yadkin Valley
Stomp GNCC pivotal for the season.
Borich, with six wins on the season including
two in a row coming into this race, holds an eight
point lead over Ballance. If he wins again and
Ballance finishes second, he'll hold a 13-point
lead heading into the final two rounds, meaning
he would only need two runner-up finishes to wrap
up the title.
"You have to get worried when it's this
close, getting down to championship crunch time,"
says Ballance. "I've been in some really
pressure points before where I had to make things
happen, so you just go back and go through the
bike one more time, train hard for two weeks and
come back and try to win these last races. Hopefully
we'll get the championship, but it's going to
be tough. Chris is riding good and we're going
to battle all the way to the end."
Borich knows full and well that wins and runner-up
finishes are not guaranteed in the rough and tumble
world of cross-country racing, so he surely won't
count points until the finish. In addition, a
determined pack of spoilers could mix the results
of the "Killer B's." Each week, LTERacing.com's
Chris Bithell, Baldwin Motorsports' Adam McGill
and GT Thunder's Duane Johnson are right in the
hunt for the win, and this weekend should prove
no exception.
"I want to win one of these so bad, it's
hard to even put it into words," said McGill
before the previous round at Unadilla, which he
led into the final lap. "It's like there's
a big birthday cake sitting right in front of
me, but I can't eat it yet. It's so close I can
taste it, but I can't eat it."
The Elka Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC begins with
ATV racing on Saturday. Youth riders race at 8
a.m., followed by the showdown with the Utility
and 4x4 Classes as well as the Women's class at
10 a.m. Yamaha's Traci Cecco is looking to lock
up yet another Women's title this weekend. The
XC1 and XC2 pro classes race at 1 p.m., with East
Coast ATV's Chris Borich holding back Yamaha's
Bill Ballance in the chase for the GNCC #1 plate.
|
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| #1
Bill Ballance |
#2
Chris Borich |
Bikes race on Sunday, with Youth racing at 8
a.m., a 10 a.m. morning race, and a three-hour
race at 1 p.m. for XC1, XC2, A and B classes.
Red Bull KTM's David Knight holds the series lead,
but the rider from the UK is racing an indoor
race Saturday night in Denver, Colorado, and then
flying in a private plane to North Carolina to
race Sunday. That should take a lot out of the
Knighter, and open the door for competitors like
Barry Hawk, Charlie Mullins and Jimmy Jarrett.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series
is the largest off-road racing series in the nation.
The top pro racers make a lucrative living in
the sport, reigning in six-figure salaries and
endorsements, as well as a share of a $130,000
prize purse and over $3 million in contingency
and bonus money. GNCC events also offer classes
for amateur riders of all skill and experience
levels. Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout
the day on Saturday, September 14, and dirt bikes
will race on Sunday, September 15. Riders can
sign up at the track. The amateur racer entry
fee is $40.
Spectator passes run $12 for the full weekend,
with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional
charge. On both Saturday and Sunday, youth riders
race at 8 a.m., beginner riders race at 10 a.m.,
and the top amateurs and the pros race at 1 p.m.
For more information, check out the official
series website at www.GNCCRacing.com
or call 304-284-0084.
Directions: I-77 to Exit 73A to Highway 421 South.
Go 10 miles to Exit 256, Unifi Industrial Road.
Turn left, go 1.2 miles to end of road. Turn right
on old Rte. 421. Go 2/10 mile, turn left on Myers
Rd. Go 1 mile, race track is on left.
About
GNCC Racing:
The
AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Grand National Cross Country
series is America’s premier off-road racing
series. The 13-round series is produced exclusively
by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is
one of the most physically demanding sports in
the world. The nearly three-hour long GNCC races
lead as many as 1800 riders through tracks ranging
from eight to twelve miles in length. With varied
terrain including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks
and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests
of both survival and speed. GNCC Racing airs weekly
television shows on Versus (formerly Outdoor Life
Network) every Saturday at 3 p.m. and Thursday
at 4 p.m. beginning on April 14. GNCC featured
sponsors include Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis,
Pirelli, Wiseco, Acerbis, Elka, Geico, Klotz,
FMF, ITP and Tire Balls, and riders compete for
over $3 million in series prizes and contingency
money. Associate sponsors include Alpinestars,
Cometic, EK Chain, HiPer Technology, Laegers,
Motion Pro, Moose Utility Division, Powersport
Grafx, Pro Clean, Race Tools, REM, Scott, Thor,
Twin Air, Weekend Warrior, and MotoTee’s.
Media Sponsors include Racer X Illustrated, ATV
Rider, ATV Sport, www.ATVRiders.com,
Dirt Rider and ATV Insider. For more information
log on to www.GNCCRacing.com.
www.gnccracing.com
122 Vista Del Rio Drive,
Morgantown, WV 26508
304-284-0084
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