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|
#1 Bill
Ballance
|
Cypress, CA (5/12/2008) - Yamaha’s
Bill Ballance won his first GNCC XC1 Pro ATV race
of the 2008 season in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. on
Saturday, April 26, raising him to third in the
championship after five rounds of the series. But
the YFZ450 rider wasn’t alone in scoring victories
for Yamaha as Donnie Ockerman took the XC2 Pro Am
class aboard his own YFZ450, while Jennifer Albright
added a third-place finish and points leader Traci
Cecco finished seventh in the Women’s class.
The wins continued for Yamaha in Sunday’s
motorcycle classes with Thad Duvall scoring his
fourth XC2 Pro Lites win of the year on his WR250F
ahead of Yamaha-mounted Josh Weisenfels. Likewise,
Mandi Mastin took her fourth straight win in the
Women’s motorcycle class ahead of Yamaha-mounted
Leeann Bange.
The 12-mile course at Loretta Lynn’s
famous racing facility and campground started
on the motocross track before breaking into
the open fields and then through steep hills
and woods. With recent rains moistening the
dirt and reducing dust, conditions were perfect.
In the afternoon XC1 Pro race, Ballance got
his YFZ450 out front early in the four-lap,
two-hour contest, leading the first lap before
ceding to points leader Adam McGill on lap two.
But the cagy Ballance retook control on lap
three as McGill ultimately faltered and dropped
out, then cruised in for a narrow four-second
win after another battle with Chris Borich.
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#17 Donald
Ockerman
|
Ockerman’s XC2 Pro Am victory was his
fourth in five starts this year, and he now
firmly controls the XC2 points chase over competitor
Brian Wolf. Spencer Dickerson jumped to the
early lead on the first of four laps, with Ockerman
close behind. The Yamaha pilot then roosted
past his rival to take the lead on lap two as
Dickerson eventually faded to third. Ockerman
then got into a terrific scrap with Kyle Martin
on the last lap before regaining the lead with
under a mile to go. “The Yamaha always
gives me a good start – I’m almost
guaranteed to get going in the top five,”
he praised afterwards. “Then as the track
breaks down I can excel over the other guys
because of the suspension. In fact I always
want the track to break down because I can shine
over that stuff.”
|
2008
GNCC ATV XC1 Pro Points
|
5/10/08
|
|
Pos.
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Adam McGill
|
134
|
|
2
|
Bill Ballance
– Yamaha
|
122
|
|
3
|
Bryan Cook
|
106
|
|
4
|
Chris Borich
|
100
|
|
5
|
Brandon Sommers
– Yamaha
|
99
|
|
2008
GNCC ATV XC2 Pro Am Points
|
5/10/08
|
|
Pos.
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Donnie Ockerman
– Yamaha
|
152
|
|
2
|
Brian Wolf
|
119
|
|
3
|
David Crane
– Yamaha
|
91
|
|
4
|
Mark Notman
|
90
|
|
5
|
Joshua Kirkland
|
81
|
|
2008
GNCC ATV Women Points
|
5/10/08
|
|
Pos.
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
Traci Cecco
– Yamaha
|
110
|
|
2
|
Angel Atwell
|
108
|
|
3
|
Lexie Coulter
|
100
|
|
4
|
Stefanie Verkade
|
96
|
|
5
|
Jennifer
Albright – Yamaha
|
90
|
