GNCC
Rounds 1 & 2 - 2008
Photo by Mark Williams
Copyright 2008 - ATV Racin' Extra / www.atvproracing.com - All rights reserved
Adam McGill didn't just win his first-ever round of Can-Am Grand National Cross Country racing, he dominated, winning by a massive six minutes at the Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Georgia on March 8th, 2008..
It feels great," said McGill. "This is the machine I wanted to race the first time I saw it. I was a little worried on the last lap, because I've been there before and it hasn't worked out. I would get to sections, and it was just unbelievable, just like a bomb went off. There were people everywhere! I'm so glad there were people out there helping, and everyone at KTM, the whole team, I can't thank them enough."
Better yet for KTM, McGill's teammate Taylor Kiser finished second to make it a KTM sweep. GT Thunder Yamaha's Brandon Sommers, the 2007 Pro-Am Champion, scored his first XC1 pro podium with third overall.
Kiser's XC1 runner-up finish came after a big battle. "I didn't get a good start but I was able to work my way through," said Kiser. "I feel good now. The sky's the limit for this team." Kiser made it a KTM 1-2.
"There were a lot of lines out there and that definitely made it tough," said Sommers. "Taylor and I hooked up and we really got into a good rhythm out there. On the last lap, I was ahead of him, but I got some water under my goggles, and I had to get rid of them. I was hoping he wouldn't see it, but I guess he did because he started working to get around me and once he did there was nothing I could do."
The championship chase took a dramatic turn when both title favorites--GNCC Champion Bill Ballance and runner-up Chris Borich--failed to finish due to mechanic troubles. Ballance ran into electrical problems in his first-ever DNF in four years on a Yamaha. Borich snapped a chain on his Rockstar/Yoshimura/Suzuki. The third-placed rider in last year's chase, Warnert Racing Can-Am's Chris Bithell, was in the battle with Kiser and Sommers until getting stuck in the deep ruts in a bottleneck, and by the time he had dug out, he had dropped out of the top ten.
Fourth went to Team Excell Motorsports' Bryan Cook, and fifth to new XC1 pro Ryan Lane. McGill now takes the series' points lead while Kiser and Cook, each with a fourth and second, are tied for second.
Historians can't remember the last time someone won
an ATV race by six minutes, but Adam McGill and his
FRE/KTM was that dominant in Georgia.
McGill Puts KTM On Top
Taylor Kiser
and his
FRE/KTM
hung for
second in the
Pro class
to make it
a FRE/KTM
1-2 finish.
Article
&
Photos
Courtesy Of
Racer
Productions
Suzuki rider Chris Borich dominated the first round of the GNCC Championship series at the Kempfer Ranch in Melbourne, Florida on March 3rd, 2008. Known as "The Triton" this event is a tough test of man and machine.
Borich, from Sunbury PA, rode his Suzuki QuadRacer R450 to a commanding victory, pulling to a nearly two minute margin of victory at the checkers. The new track was a real challenge to all riders and Borich felt that his QuadRacer helped make the winning difference.
"The track was much rougher than in the past," the 25 year old Borich said after the event. "Palmetto roots everywhere, heat, holes, trees, it was a tough one. I love this Suzuki. It's my first race on it, but as soon as I got on the bike I was comfortable."
The race went well for Borich. He was jostled a bit off the start then steadily picked off riders, and passed into the lead on lap two. "The early leaders got tired pretty quickly and I was able to get past them. Once I got into the lead - I just took off."
Asked how he rated the overall performance of the Suzuki, seven year Pro-class veteran Borich said, "Awesome! The best bike I've been on. I've ridden other brands, but this thing just blows them away. The Suzuki has a really low center of gravity, is super fast and responsive, the front end is great... the whole package makes it easy to go fast on. Those other guys were getting beat up by the track. I had an advantage with the QuadRacer."
BORICH
Takes New Colors To The GNCC Podium
