New Berlin, NY -
In dramatic fashion, Chris Bithell ended a string
of disappointing results by taking the win at
the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC at Unadilla Valley Sports
Center. The Pennsylvanian's first win of the 2008
Grand National Cross Country Season marks the
first XC1 Overall win ever for the Warnert Racing
Can-Am team and the Can-Am DS450. FRE KTM's Taylor
Kiser took second ahead of Team Excell Motorsports
Bryan Cook, with Rockstar Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris
Borich and Yamaha's Bill Ballance rounding out
the top five.
| |
| Chris
Bithell turned back the bad luck of Can-Am's
first-year DS450 effort with a win at
Unadilla |
“This one feels even better than my first
(race win last year),” said Bithell. “I
knew I still had it, but we've just had so much
bad luck. These guys, the team definitely worked
hard and hopefully was can keep it up here for
the last two races.”
Bithell's win came after a hard battle with
defending GNCC Champion Ballance. With rain
falling on a dry race track, Bithell started
the race nearly last, but he, Cook and Borich
worked their way through traffic quickly, joining
Kiser and Ballance at the head of the pack.
Bithell gambled and pitted a lap early, and
he passed Ballance for the lead when Ballance
pitted a lap later. On the last lap, Ballance
closed the gap on Bithell and the duo banged
bumpers throughout the final few miles.
“I started running low on gas,”
said Bithell. “It started sputtering,
and Bill was right behind me. He bumped me from
behind and that actually got me going again,
and then I heard he had problems.”
| |
| KTM's
Taylor Kiser finished second |
Indeed Ballance's chain came off in the last
turn, cracking his engine case. With his wheels
locked, Ballance and his crew pushed his machine
to the finish line, and then Ballance had to
push through the finish by himself. He could
barely get the machine to move as he lifted
it uphill, and Kiser, Cook and Borich managed
to pass him while he pushed.
“The chain came off and the cases broke,
so the wheels were locked up,” said Ballance.
“I pushed it with everything I had. I
don't feel too bad now, and with (Adam) McGill
so far back, I think we still gained some points.”
McGill, second in the points coming into the
race, took the wrong route on the first lap.
He was able to fight his way back to a 11th
place finish in the XC1 Class.
GT Thunder Yamaha's Brandon Sommers took the
ITP Holeshot Award in the XC1 Class and finished
seventh.
