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 Kanney
Takes Ironman GNCC Finale Sunday, October 26, 2008 Jason
Hooper photo
Red Bull KTM's Nathan Kanney ended the 2008 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Season on a positive note with a dominant win at the Klotz Ironman GNCC in Indiana. Kanney lead every lap of the race, holding off a charge from FMF Suzuki's Charlie Mullins and Am-Pro Yamaha's Thad DuVall to take his first win of the season. “I don't know what the difference was today, but this is what I wanted to do at all the races all year,” said Kanney with a laugh on the podium. “The KTM team has worked really hard for me all year and it's a relief to finally pay them back.” Mullins snagged the Racer X Holeshot Award and led for a few miles before Kanney sprinted past and opened a lead. Mullins battled with his teammate Josh Strang and Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk early before mounting a charge and chasing Kanney. He closed the gap to 25 seconds, but could never get closer. “I can't complain,” said Mullins. “A podium is good. I wanted to win really bad today, but Nate outrode me, I couldn't catch him. I'm getting more experience on the 450 though, so hopefully I can use that next year.” DuVall, the XC2 Lites Champion, collected a podium finish in just his second-ever XC1 race. He battled his veteran teammate Hawk all day to take third. “I told myself not to ride over my head, and I pretty much stayed in control except for a few tip overs,” said Duvall. “I ride the 450 smoother than the 250, since I don't have to work so hard to go fast. So I'm pretty happy. This is where I want to be next year.” Hawk took fourth ahead of FMF Suzuki's Paul Whibley, the winner of the previous GNCC. “I knew at some point Whibley and Strang, the guys who had been really strong all year, they would be coming,” said Kanney. “I saw the gap closed down a little bit, but I think that was more from me getting stuck a few times than me actually slowing down.” In XC2 Lites, Powersports Graf X duo Kailub Russell and Cory Buttrick put on a battle, the former GNCC Youth Champions pushing the pace in the early laps. Buttrick led, Russell closed the gap, then lost time with a pit stop. Buttrick eventually ran into rear-wheel problems while leading, though, and Russell charged past to take his second win of the season. “We were pushing pretty hard early, and I was making a lot of mistakes, so I just slowed down,” said Russell, who also collected the Thumpertalk.com Holeshot Award. “I caught back up, but after I had to gas again, I lost a lot of time and I really don't think I could have caught him. But then all of a sudden I saw a mousse tube in the center of the track, I've never seen that before. I caught Cory and realized that it had come out of his bike.” Buttrick lost time in the pits fixing his tube, which allowed Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha's Jason Thomas to pass. Then a few crashes pushed Buttrick behind the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Scott Watkins and Andrew Matusek. The young Ohio rider mounted a late-race charge to get back into second. “At first, Kailub and I were just going way too fast, but it was a blast,” said Buttrick. “I was just trying to keep it going and not get tired. I tried to save something for the last two laps and then put the hammer down. Somehow my mousse tube came out of my rear wheel. After I fixed it, I pushed to hard and crashed, I thought I had thrown a podium away. It sounds funny, but I kind of impressed myself because I never really got that tired.” Thomas held second until he crashed with two corners to go, putting Buttrick back ahead of him. “That's two races in a row where I lost it on the last lap, but that's racing,” said Thomas, who hails from Wales. “It's a dream to come here to America and do this, so I'm happy.” Powersports Graf X KTM rider Jordan Ashburn collected top amateur honors and won the Open A class. GNCC Champion David Knight did not compete in the bike race. After wrapping up the '08 Title, “Knighter” decided to race in Saturday's ATV race for fun, finishing 22nd in the XC1 pro class and 49th overall. “It was really just a bit of fun,” said Knight of his ATV race. “It sent me straight back to being a beginner, but I was in the deep end of the pool! I don't know if it's a physically tiring as the bike, but it just beats on you more, just pulling on your arms and your hips constantly. I actually got a decent start, better than I ever do on a bike. But they started pulling away quick, so I just started moving over and letting the faster guys go past, until I found some riders I could ride with. It was probably kids on auto quads, though! I have a lot of respect for those quad guys now. They're really tough.” X Games Gold Medallist Tarah Geiger, a fellow Red Bull athlete along with Knight, came to the race just to watch Knight struggle on the ATV. The morning race overall win went to John Maschino, and Todd Elrod collected the AXA Advisors Holeshot Award. The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with the annual GNCC ATV and Bike Banquets on November 29 and 30. For more information on the series, scroll to www.gnccracing.com . Results: Klotz Ironman GNCC Crawfordsville, IN October 26, 2008 XC1 Class 1. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 2. Charlie Mullins (Suz) 3. Thad DuVall (Yam) 4. Barry Hawk (Yam) 5. Paul Whibley (Suz) 6. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) 7. Jesse Robinson (Yam) 8. Valteiri Salonen (Hbg) 9. Adam Bonneur (Yam) 10. Jake Stapleton (Yam) XC2 Class 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 3. Jason Thomas (Yam) 4. Andrew Matusek (Kaw) 5. Scott Watkins (Kaw) 6. Jake Korn (KTM) 7. John Barber (Yam) 8. Ryan Echols (Hon) 9. David Snyder (Yam) 10. Andy Shea (KTM) XC1 Points Knight 288, Whibley 267, Strang 247, Kanney 242, Mullins 221, Jarrett 186, Kearney 171, Raines 162, Robinson 142, Hawk 132 XC2 Points DuVall 289, Gibson 232, Russell 230, Watkins 174, Williamson 162, Matusek 160, Lawson 145, Bailey 139, Weisenfels 138, Barber 126 ISDE Prompts Revision of 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Dates MORGANTOWN, W. Va (October 17, 2008) -- Racer Productions, the producers of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, has revised the previously-announced dates for the 2009 GNCC tour. The final two 2009 rounds will move back one week to accommodate the 2009 International Six-Days Enduro (ISDE), which will be held October 5-10 in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. “We announced our dates in July, but we're happy to move them to fit the ISDE schedule,” says GNCC Traill Boss Jeff Russell, a multi-time ISDE Gold Medallist himself. “We're proud of the GNCC racers that compete in the ISDE every year, and we want them bring home more medals next year.” Locations for each of the 13 rounds will be announced at a later time. Revised 2009 GNCC Dates
Paul Whibley celebrates his wild victory on the podium with second-place finisher Josh Strang (left) and third-place finisher Charlie Mullins (right). (Jason Hooper Photo) New Zealand’s Paul Whibley completed a dominating Suzuki sweep of the top-four positions and earmed his third victory of the 2008 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) season Sunday at Power Line Park. Whibley started in the middle of the pack but he set a relentless pace to pass his teammate Josh Strang with an hour remaining and then pulled away to win the ITP Power Line Park GNCC. Paul Whibley "After last week, it felt good to win this race," said Whibley. "Everything went well today. My bike was excellent and, though the track was a little dusty, it was cool. I started picking off guys and made my way to Charlie (Mullins) and had a little battle for a while. After I got around him I reeled in (Josh) Strang was able to overtake the lead." There was some considerable late-race drama as Whibley's team was unable to completely fill his fuel tank full on what should have been his final pit stop. "They told me they didn’t get it full, so they pulled me in on the last lap," said Whibley. "I had a good enough lead, but I never call a win a win until they give me the checkered flag. I just kept riding hard." Whibley led a string of FMF Suzukis in the top four with the aforementioned Strang. He finished a second. "I got a really bad start," said Strang. "Someone spun out coming out of the start and came across my front wheel. I came around seventh on the first lap and just started charging. I made my way to the lead, but I couldn't hold off Whibley. I saw him coming and I know how strong he is at the end of these things. It was a good day though." Rounding out the podium was Ohio's Mullins, who earned the Racer X Holeshot award and ran near the front all day. "My RMZ fired on the first kick and I got a good jump," said Mullins of the start of the three-hour race. "I tried to ride as fast as I could to stay ahead of the dust, then Brown jumped past me on the drop off. He had trouble and I was able to get by him. From there I did my best to finish on the podium." The XC1 class carried a substantial amount of hype into it with 2001 AMA 125cc National Motocross Champion Mike Brown entering in his first Can-Am GNCC event. Adding to the hype was the XC1 debut of newly crowned XC2 Can-Am GNCC champion Thad DuVall. Both racers rode fast and ran near the front early on, but encountered various mechanical woes. "I felt good early on, then I started blowing past corners," said Brown. "I really enjoyed myself out there, though. I like these GNCC events because you don't just go wide open all the time. The woods sections were really fun to ride. I broke a piece in my swing arm and had to pit to fix it, but overall I enjoyed the race." Meanwhile a lot of fans were eager to see what DuVall could do aboard the big-bore YZ450F. The young up and comer didn’t disappoint as he raced his way into second position before his clutch began fading. Nevertheless, DuVall showed he had the speed to race at the front with the upper echelon of professional GNCC Pros. Hamilton Ohio resident Charlie Mullins (3) takes the Racer X Holeshot Award on Sunday en route to finishing third at his hometown race. In the XC2 class it was Ohio's Scott Watkins racing his Kawasaki to the win. Earning the Thumpertalk.com Holeshot Award was KTM’s Kailub Russell, who ran well early before getting stuck in a creek crossing. Russell rebounded to finish seventh. Ricki McAtee topped the two-hour GNCC morning race. Robert Kondik claimed the AXA Advisors Holeshot Award riding in the 200cc Schoolboy class. Zach Nolan won the Youth race. The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with the season finale at the Klotz Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana on October 25-26. Kanney scores 5th place finish at Power Line Park GNCC With 2007 and 2008 GNCC Champion David Knight not racing at round 12 of the GNCC series in St. Clairsville, OH, the door was wide open for a handful of racers to put themselves on top of the podium. After stringing together three GNCC podium finishes, Knight's Red Bull KTM teammate Nate Kanney was well aware of the opportunity available to him and headed to Ohio looking to grab his first win of the season. Unfortunately for Kanney, who sits in 4th place in the overall series points, a stomach bug woke him in the middle of the night prior to the race dashing his hopes of a win. "I was pretty sick all morning prior to the race and knew that it was going to be a long day. My strategy was to just ride a smooth consistent race and make sure I made it to the finish line and scored some points," said Kanney. Getting off to a smooth race proved to be harder than expected as Kanney spun badly off the starting line nearly causing a major pile-up 5 feet off the start. "I really want to apologize to Paul Whibley and everyone else that I almost took out. I spun pretty bad and ended up bumping Paul. Thankfully we were all able to stay on two wheels," said an apologetic Kanney. Despite the rough going out of the blocks, Kanney made it through the first few turns in 2nd place behind Team FMF Suzuki's Charlie Mullins. Nate was able to slip into the lead after a mistake by Mullins and put it on cruise control, trying to save himself for the long three hour race. Kanney rounded the first lap still holding onto the lead, but began to feel the effects of his upset stomach at the beginning of the 2nd lap. "My stomach started hurting really badly on the second lap. I couldn't sit down and hit any bumps and I was really starting to worry about simply finishing the race, let alone trying to keep the lead." Kanney began feeling pressure from a trio of Suzuki mounted riders including eventual race winner Paul Whibley and 2nd place finisher Josh Strang. "When Strang made his way around me, I really knew that I was in no condition to try and put up a fight for the lead. I just decided that finishing the race and gaining valuable points was the priority and just rode my own pace for the rest of the race," said Kanney. His "own" pace would eventually put Kanney into a 5th place overall position on the day. "On days like this, I know it's all about just going out and surviving. I'm disappointed that the door was open for me to grab a win and I ended up missing the podium, but it could've been worse and I'll just set my sights on the final round in Indiana." Results: ITP POWER LINE PARK GNCC POWER LINE PARK St. Clairsville, Ohio October 12, 2008 XC1: 1. Paul Whibley (Suz); 2. Joshua Strang (Suz); 3. Charles Mullins (Suz); 4. Jim Jarrett (Suz); 5. Nathan Kanney (KTM); 6. Barry Hawk (Yam); 7. Jesse Robinson (Kaw); 8. Jason Raines (Yam); 9. Mike Brown (KTM); 10. Doug Blackwell (Hon). XC2: 1. Scott Watkins (Kaw); 2. Jason Thomas (Yam); 3. Cory Buttrick (KTM); 4. Jake Korn (KTM); 5. Ryan Echols (Hon); 6. Justin Williamson (KTM); 7. Kailub Russell (KTM); 8. Brian Lawson (Yam); 9. Scott DeCosta (Suz); 10. Andrew Matusek (Kaw). XC1 Class Point Standings (After 12 of 13 rounds) 1. David Knight 286; 2. Paul Whibley 251; 3. Joshua Strang 242 4. Nathan Kanney 212; 5. Charlie Mullins 196; Jimmy Jarrett 183; Jason Raines 158; Glenn Kearney 156; Jesse Robinson 128.; Barry Hawk 110. XC2 Class Point Standings (After 12 of 13 rounds) 1. Thad DuVall 289; 2. Dustin Gibson 219; Kailub Russell 195; Scott Watkins 158;Justin Williamson 157.
NEW BERLIN, N.Y. (September 28, 2008) -- With New York favorite Nathan Kanney keyed up for a home state win, and heavy rain falling at the start of the event, Red Bull KTM's David Knight focused merely on surviving the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC at Unadilla Valley Sports Center. In the end, Knight ended up winning the race and claiming the 2008 GNCC Championship as well when FMF Suzuki's Paul Whibley ran out of gas on the last lap. David Knight powered through a muddy Unadilla track to win the race and the GNCC Title. “That's a real shame what happened to Whibs there, he's ridden well all year and didn't deserve to lose it like that,” said Knight. “We didn't expect to win the championship here, I was just trying to get into the lead and enjoy the track, really. The roost was so bad that it was hard to race anyone.” Kanney moved to second after Whibley ran out of fuel with three miles to go. When Whibley, who runs second in the series' standings, failed to finish inside the top five, Knight locked up the championship. FMF Suzuki's Jimmy Jarrett rounded out the podium positions. A rivalry began to brew between Knight and Kanney before the race, but Kanney was quick to congratulate his teammate when the event was over. “Before the race, all I could think about was beating David, I wanted to beat him so bad,” said Kanney, who enjoyed heavy cheers from the New York fans. “All I want to say is congratulations to him. He's a great rider and a great champion and he flat out beat me today.” New York's own Nathan Kanney wanted to beat his teammate Knight badly, but had to settle for second. Another GNCC Championship came from the XC2 Lites class, as Am-Pro Yamaha's Thad DuVall won the class for the eighth time this year and also claimed the crown. After grabbing the Thumpertalk.com Holeshot Award, DuVall was able to hold the lead for most of the day. “This is what I've always dreamed of,” said DuVall, a two-time GNCC Youth Champion. “Last year I won a lot of races and I wanted to win the championship, but I crashed in just about every race. Barry Hawk really took me under his wing this year and taught me how to slow down and be consistent. I couldn't feel any happier right now.” Thad DuVall won his eighth race to clinch the XC2 Lites Championship on his WR250F. DuVall will make the move to a WR450F and race XC1 at the next GNCC in Ohio. Second in XC2 went to Powersports Graf X KTM rider Cory Buttrick. Buttrick has two runner-up performances in his two debut rides as a pro. Third in the class went to Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha's Jason Thomas. Rain came down about an hour before the 1 p.m. Pro race, and the track deteriorated quickly. Barry Hawk snagged the Racer X Holeshot award and led Kanney early, while Knight moved past FMF Suzuki's Charlie Mullins to get to third, and then second when Hawk crashed. Knight took the lead from Kanney, and then Kanney moved back into the number-one spot when Knight pitted at the end of the first lap. “I couldn't hold on to the handlebars so I had to stop and get new gloves,” said Knight. “Nate got back in front of me and filled me in (with roost). That's what teammates are for, I guess.” “I gambled to try to get in front of him,” said Kanney, whose eyes turned to a deep shade of red by the end of the race. “I'm paying the price now. This hurts.” Jarrett was pleased with his luck to inherit third. “Finally I had some good luck,” said the Ohio veteran, who made his debut on the RM-Z450 a good one. “Once you get this thing pointed straight, it goes.” Jimmy Jarrett continued FMF Suzuki's impressive string of podium finishes. With the series title locked, Knight plans on a surprise or two at the final rounds. “I've got to be real nice to KTM now and maybe we'll ride something different,” said Knight. “Maybe a twin-shock vintage, or a 125 or maybe a 690. You never know! This means just as much to me as winning a World Championship, and I want to enjoy it.” With rain falling, Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk grabbed the Racer X Holeshot Award. Still struggling with injuries, Hawk finished tenth. Morgan Moss topped the two-hour GNCC morning race. Tom Carter claimed the AXA Advisors Holeshot Award riding in the Golden Masters class. Zach Nolan won the Youth race overall. The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues in two weeks with the ITP Power Line Park GNCC. Results: Can-Am Unadilla GNCC Unadilla Valley Sports Center New Berlin, NY September 28, 2008 1. David Knight (KTM); 2. Nathan Kanney (KTM); 3. Jim Jarrett (Suz); 4. Joshua Strang (Suz); 5. Charles Mullins (Suz); 6. Glenn Kearney (HSQ); 7. Kurt Caselli (KTM); 8. Jesse Robinson (Kaw); 9. Paul Whibley (Suz); 10. Barry Hawk (Yam). 1. Thad DuVall (Yam); 2. Cory Buttrick (KTM); 3. Jason Thomas (Yam); 4. Scott Watkins (Kaw); 5. Jake Korn (KTM); 6. Kailub Russell (KTM); 7. Eric Bailey (KTM); 8. Andrew Matusek (Kaw); 9. Dustin Gibson (Yam); 10. John Day (KTM). XC1 Class Point Standings (After 11 of 13 rounds) 1. David Knight 286; 2. Paul Whibley 221; 3. Joshua Strang 217 4. Nathan Kanney 196; 5. Charlie Mullins 175; Jimmy Jarrett 165; Glenn Kearney 150; Jason Raines 145; Jesse Robinson 114; Garrett Edmisten 108. XC2 Class Point Standings (After 11 of 13 rounds) 1. Thad DuVall 289; 2. Dustin Gibson 214; Kailub Russell 186; Justin Willaimson 142; Josh Weisenfels 138. Knighter release David Knight is the '08 US Grand National Cross Country champion. Winning the prestigious title for the second year running Knighter secured the GNCC crown in style by winning the 11th round of the championship - The Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY. Bringing his total number of wins this season to seven, David now joins Finn Juha Salminen as a consecutive two-time winner of the US GNCC series. Although aware that he stood a mathematical chance of winning the title at The Unadilla GNCC Knight was focused on just one thing come the start of the XC1 Pro class race - surviving the horrendously muddy conditions. With a torrential downpour one-hour prior to the start of the race the Unadilla track soon turned into a muddy mess. Making a mid-pack start Knight spent the first lap working his way towards the front of the XC1 Pro class but was forced to pit for fresh gloves and goggles at the end of the first lap. Soon back out front the two-time World Enduro Champion and now two-time US GNCC champion steadily started to open up a gap between himself and his nearest rivals. Winning the race wasn't going to be enough for Knight to secure the '08 title, but when on lap five New Zealand's Paul Whibley - David's closest championship rival, ran out of fuel the title was secured. Claiming an eventual four-and-a-half minute winning margin Knight topped the podium ahead of his team-mate Nate Kanney with Suzuki's Jimmy Jarrett in third. David Knight: "It's a great feeling to have won my second US GNCC title. I have to thank my mechanic Scotty, all my sponsors, and the entire KTM Off Road Team for their support and hard work this year. We've had some great races, some disappointing races, but to finally win the title is amazing. I feel bad for Paul Whibley though. He's ridden really well all year so to see him run out of fuel here, which handed me the championship, isn't how I hoped things would end. I've also had some disappointing races this year, but despite the horrible conditions here everything went really well. "The conditions really were bad. It was so wet and muddy that following another rider was almost impossible. I really wanted to win the race and I pushed hard to work my way to the front. I had a few riders to pass and managed to get into the lead just before the end of the lap. I had to pit to change my gloves so I had to re-pass Nate. Once I got out front I just tried to enjoy myself and not make too many mistakes. I was pulling away little by little, but when Whibs ran out of fuel I guess I had a comfortable lead. "I knew that I could win the championship here, but I wasn't expecting to. This makes all the hard work during the summer break worthwhile. I can relax a little bit now and enjoy the last few rounds of the series." Results - US GNCC '08 Rnd 11, XC1 Pro class 1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 2.47:37 2. Nate Kanney (KTM) 2.52:06 3. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 2.53:12
Prior to this weekend, David Knight said the Snowshoe Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) race was his favorite event of the 2007 tour. That love affair hit rocky times but came out intact on Sunday as the defending champion and current points leader overcame bad luck and held on to win the 2008 edition of the event, sponsored by Moose Racing. Knight (No. 1 Red Bull/KTM) beat out Paul Whibley (No. 6 Suzuki) and Nathan Kanney (No. 116 Red Bull/KTM) to win the Pro XC1 Class. Knight was pleased with the results and can now numerically clinch the GNCC title at the next race, scheduled for the end of September in New Berlin, N.Y. "Everything from the off just went wrong for me today," said Knight, "I had trouble at the start, and I got hit in the shoulder with a rock on the second lap, so I'm glad at least the first race of the season is over. "It is nice to know that I can wrap up the championship at the next race," added Knight. "KTM has some new bits for the bike, so that should help." However, the real story of the three-hour event on the 14-mile course around picturesque Snowshoe Mountain Resort, was home state rider Thad DuVall from Williamstown, W. Va. Duvall, a rider in the Pro Lites class (XC2) made history on Sunday by leading most of the event and finishing second overall. This marked the first time in GNCC's 29-year history an XC2 rider finished on the overall podium. DuVall's strong run combined with a run of bad luck, left a bittersweet taste in Knight's mouth. "I couldn't have gone and faster and I couldn't have gone any slower," said Knight, who overcame his motorcycle shutting off at the start, trouble in the middle of the race with a mud hole and the charging DuVall late in the event. "It was just a matter of getting to finish and stopping." Knight edges closer to second US GNCC title, wins round 10 Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight took an important and decisive step towards claiming the '08 US Grand National Cross Country series title with a hard fought win at the 10th round of the championship - the Snowshoe GNCC, staged in West Virginia. The first event of the '08 series after the long summer break, The Snowshoe GNCC was a race Knighter was expected to win having dominated the event in '07, claiming a massive 10-minute winning margin. Although making it two wins from two starts things ran far from smoothly for David as he was forced to work is way to the front of the XC1 Pro class after a disappointing start. Stalling his bike in the first turn Knighter set off 15th and with a great deal of work to do at the start of the six-lap race. Feeling ill during much of the opening two laps David worked his way forwards despite one or two scary high-speed moments and hit the front on lap two. Dropping back to second on lap three David returned to the front on lap four and maintained his position at the head of the XC1 Pro class. Winning what was anything but an easy race Knight extends his lead at the top of the XC1 Pro class and now has a mathematical chance of winning his second consecutive US GNCC title at the next round of the series - The Unadilla GNCC, NY. David Knight: "Things didn't exactly go to plan but I won the race, which is the most important thing as far as the championship is concerned. Right from the start things didn't go my way. I stalled my bike in the first turn and about three rows of riders past me before I got going. I was in 15th, which wasn't what I needed. Once I got going I felt terrible. I'm not sure if it was something I ate in the morning but I felt better once I'd thrown up. "This year's course was completely different to last year. Last year it was great - technical, challenging and demanding, this year most of the hard bits were on the down hills and there was a lot of fast forest tracks. Early in the race I hit a rock on one of the fast tracks and completely lost control for a moment. I was absolutely flat out so I must have been doing at least 80 miles per hour. I missed hitting a tree by, well, by nothing. It scarred the hell out of me and it took a while before I was completely settled after that. "Despite having a few other problems things got better towards the end of the race. I worked my way to the front and was just glad when the race was over." Kanney scores podium finish at Snowshoe GNCC Team Red Bull KTM's Nate Kanney went into the 2008 Snowshoe GNCC riding the emotional high of participating on a 3rd place overall finishing Team USA at the International Six Day Enduro in Greece, but also feeling the physical strain that comes along with those six intense days of riding as well as the jet lag from changing time zones. "I knew that the course at the Snowshoe resort was going to be a challenge and I was a bit unsure of how I'd hold up as I was still feeling the effects of the ISDE," said Kanney. With its grand prix style start on the main road in and out of the ski resort, the Snowshoe GNCC is unlike any other race on the tour. Kanney, who coming into the round sat 5th overall in series points started on the front row along with the 4 other riders in the top-five overall points. Making it through the first turn safe was a priority, as sliding along the pavement would mean incredibly uncomfortable road rash for the entire 3 hour race. "David Knight and Glenn Kearney tangled up in the first turn with Knight stalling his bike so I was able to slip inside of them and fall into second place behind Josh Strang. I settled into a comfortable pace early on, knowing that once we got to the bottom of the mountain the really tough sections would begin and I wanted to save as much energy as possible for those." Eventual race winner and Red Bull KTM teammate David Knight made his way around Kanney as well as Team Suzuki's Paul Whibley, but Kanney stuck to his game plan of playing it safe. "There were some very high-speed road sections as well as some very gnarly mud and rock sections, so I just settled into a comfortable pace for the first four laps. I was concerned about my endurance due to the ISDE and definitely didn't want to fade and miss out on a podium finish," said Kanney. With the racers starting in rows of 5 with 10 second intervals between rows, Kanney knew that while he may not have been able to see some of his competition on the trail they could--due to time adjustment--actually be ahead of him in the overall race standings. "With two laps to go I put in a sprint for the finish as my endurance was better than I had anticipated and I really wanted to secure that final podium position." Kanney's last lap sprint gave him a comfortable one minute lead over 4th place and landed him on the podium. "It was one of those races where you could've gotten stuck in mud up to your handlebars or crashed on a very fast road section so I feel very fortunate to head back to New York with a 3rd place trophy," concluded Kanney. Nate is now preparing for round 11 of the GNCC series at the famed Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, New York. The last time that Kanney raced this event he won the overall over 12-time World Enduro Champion and 2-time GNCC champion Juha Salminen. "Unadilla is only 2 and a half hours from my house and I'm really looking forward to racing in front of all my hometown fans," said an excited Kanney. ANOTHER GNCC PODIUM FOR JASON! Jason Thomas has marked his return to GNCC Racing with a solid 3rd place finish in the XC2 Pro-Lites Class at the Snowshoe, West Virginia, round of the series. The delighted Welshman, fresh from his Gold Medal ride at the Serres ISDE, said he was 'Over the Moon' with his result & very proud to have given a good performance for his new team, MONSTER ENERGY ANDREWS YAMAHA. Jason is riding a YZ250F under the expert guidance of multiple U.S.Off-Road Champion 'FAST FREDDIE' Andrews,& will be based in Salem, Ohio, for the remainder of the GNCC season. WHIBLEY CELEBRATES...Paul Whibley had more to celebrate this weekend than just his fourth GNCC podium. The New Zealander was happy to see that his nation's rugby team, the New Zealand All Blacks, beat out its rival Australia to win the Tri-Nation's Cup, one of professional rugby's highest honors. In fact, several Whibley fans were seen wearing All Black's clothing to celebrate the victory. HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE...It was obvious that Thad DuVall was a fan favorite here. During a special podium celebration to commemorate the Williamstown, W. Va. resident's history-making overall runner-up finish the crowd erupted in applause. Many in the crowd were also seen wearing "Bad Thad" T-Shirts. SUN AND MOUNTAINS...Sunday's weather was a complete turnaround from Saturday. Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60s made for a postcard event with the Alleghany Mountains as the perfect backdrop for motorcycle racing. UNIQUE VENUE...This weekend's race featured a completely different venue from many on the GNCC National Tour. The Snowshoe GNCC is run in and around Snowshoe Village, a full-service winter/summer resort nestled in the mountains of West Virginia. The podium was set up in the middle of the resort with tourists and fans, alike, taking in the post-race ceremonies. "This is what it's all about," said Event Director Tim Cotter pointing out the vista of mountains just off the start line. "The Snowshoe staff have been very helpful and open to our needs in putting on this event. To have GNCC race at a resort of this caliber is truly amazing." WILD LIFE...Many different types of local wildlife were spotted by riders and track crew this weekend, including black bear and deer. RACING 'EVENT'...This Snowshoe GNCC was more than just a race weekend as many different activities were help adjacent to the race track. A Friday golf tournament to benefit RiderDown Foundation kicked off the weekend, while craft events for children, a climbing wall, bungee jumping and much more were held during the races. The next race for the Can-Am GNCC Series is scheduled for Sept. 27-28 at Unadilla Valley Raceway in New Berlin, N.Y. Results David Knight, 1, KTM, Isle of Man, U.K. Paul Whibley, 6, Suzuki, Pahiatua, New Zealand. Nathan Kanney, 116, KTM, High Falls, N.Y, Jesse Robinson, 10, Kawasaki, Connelly's Spring, N.C. Barry Hawk, Jr., 2, Yamaha, Smithfield, Pa. Josh Strang, 8, Suzuki, Salem, Ohio. Jason Raines, 100, Yamaha, Belfair, Wash. Louwrens Mahoney, 401, KTM, Tavares, Fla. Jim Jarrett, 4, Suzuki, Salem, Ohio. Glenn Kearney, 7, Husqvarna, Antioch, Calif. Paul Petrin, 342, KTM, Calgary, Alberta. Joshua McLevy, 711, Yamaha, Fairfield, Conn. Notebook: Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Announces 2009 Dates Morgantown, WV (July 16, 2008) -- Racer Productions, the producers of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, have announced the dates for the 2009 GNCC tour. America’s Largest Off-Road Racing Series will once again feature 13 rounds beginning in late February and completing in October, with a summer break beginning in June. Locations for each of the 13 rounds will be announced at a later time. 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Dates February 28- Mar. 3 / March 7-8 / March 21-22 / April 4-5 / April 18-19 / May 2-3 / May 16-17 / June 6-7 / June 27-28 / Summer Break / September 12-13 / September 26-27 / October 10-11 / October 24-25
Knight returns to winning ways at US GNCC Rnd 9 Collecting his fifth win of the ’08 US Grand National Cross Country Series to extend is lead in the Overall series standings to 38 points Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight put his disappointing recent run of results behind him to dominate The Mountain Ridge GNCC. The last of the opening nine GNCC races before the two-month summer break, Knighter showed his rivals exactly why he sits at the top of the championship standings by claiming a controlled and deserved race win. From a mid-pack start Knighter quickly made his way into third before leading by the end of the first lap – a position he would hold right up until the end of the race. Determined to get back to his winning ways having made just one podium visit in the previous three GNCC races, Knight was confident that he could top The Mountain Ridge GNCC but was made to work hard for his victory due to his bike developing an unexpected miss-fire from mid-race distance onwards. Making a reasonable start David was soon third and following Australian Josh Strange and KTM team-mate Nate Kanney before moving past Kanney and shortly after taking the lead. Opening up a 30 second lead by the end of the first lap Knight remained out front and continued to extent his lead. Half way through the race Knight’s bike started to run a little rich, making it difficult to rev the bike on the faster sections of the track. Still able to make up time on his rivals in the slower more technical sections David made one unscheduled pit stop for fuel at the end of the penultimate lap but still maintained a healthy lead. Crossing the finish line just over one-minute ahead of Strang and Kanney David claimed one of his most important wins of the season. The US Grand National Cross Country Series starts again on September 14, with The Snowshoe GNCC. David Knight: “It’s great to have won again, especially right before the summer break, but winning wasn’t as easy as it could have been. From the start things went well – I was about 10th out of the first turn and then moved up to about third or fourth as we headed into the early fields. I followed Josh Strange, who was behind Nate Kanney, and after we’d both past Nate I moved into the lead after a single-track section. “I managed to pull about 10 seconds in half a lap and was then about one-minute ahead after one-and-a-half laps. I felt good and really enjoyed the track – I reckon it was the best course of the series so far. “For some reason my bike started popping a little every time I got out of the tight stuff and onto the open sections of track. I think it was too rich. I had to short shift gears because I couldn’t rev the motor out. On the fourth lap I stopped and took the airbox cover off, but it made things worse for a while. It started to clear eventually so I kept pushing hard just in case. I made a stop for fuel on the last lap, just to be sure, and had a good last lap. I extended my points lead, which is good, it’s just a shame I’m not further ahead after my problems at the last few races.”
Round 9 of the 2008 Can-Am GNCC series took place at the Mountain Ridge ATV Park in Somerset, PA. Known for its notorious rock sections, the Mountain Ridge GNCC is one of the gnarliest of the 13 venues the series visits each year. Team Red Bull/KTM's Nate Kanney, a New York native is no stranger to rocky conditions and was looking forward to getting out on the trails in the last GNCC round before the series takes a 2 month summer break. After being edged out for the $100 Racer X Holeshot award by Team FMF Suzuki's Jimmy Jarrett, Kanney made a move for the lead. "I walked a lot of the course in the morning [prior to the race] and as soon as I saw all the rocks in the woods it reminded me of what I grew up riding--really technical and kind of hairy rock sections. So, straight away I knew I was going to go flat-out in the first rock section, and that's exactly what I did. I ended up hitting one rock which kicked me completely sideways and I lost 4 or 5 positions all at once. I realized right then that it wasn't possible to go that crazy today and still have a good finish. So from there I kind of started over, and backed it down a bit." Kanney soon found his rhythm and began moving his way back through the field and ultimately into 2nd place by the 3rd lap. Winner of the previous GNCC round, Josh Strang was hot on Kanney's heels and the two began setting a blistering pace, battling throughout the long, 14 mile GNCC course. Coming into the 5th and final lap, Kanney had to pit for a splash of fuel which allowed Strang, who didn't have to pit, to get around him. Coming into the final few turns, Kanney and Strang had the GNCC fans on their feet as they battled fiercely to the finish. Strang was able to cross the finish line in second place with Kanney coming across in 3rd place less than a second behind him. "I definitely would never want to go into a 2 month Summer break having to think about a bad result at the last race. I'm happy to have finished 3rd today, but I'm even more happy to have had such an awesome battle with Josh throughout the race. I've been waiting all year to have a dog fight with him and it was awesome going back and forth so many times." Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 8, XC1 Pro class 1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Team) 2:45.29 2. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 2:46.40 3. Nate Kanney (KTM) 2:46.41 4. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 2:46.48 5. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 2:49.49 6. Barry Hawk (Yamaha) 2:51.35 7. Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna) 2:52.26 8. Charlie Mullins (Suzuki) 2:54.05
Yadkinville, N.C. (June 22, 2008) -- FMF Suzuki’s Josh Strang finally scored his breakthrough win in the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, coming from behind to take the Elka Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC on a dry day in North Carolina. Strang got emotional on the podium after topping his teammate Charlie Mullins and defending GNCC Champion David Knight for the win. “My mom and dad, back home, they made so many sacrifices to get me here,” said Strang, 20, overcome with emotion after taking his first win. “I wish they could be here to see it. This is such a great feeling.” Strang notched three seconds and a third in the last four GNCC races. This time he overcame a bad start to win, which wasn’t supposed to be possible on a dusty track. Mullins grabbed the Racer X Holeshot Award and tried to check out, but Knight ended up in the lead after accidentally missing a section of the course. The GNCC crew made Knight rerun that missed section on the next lap, which dropped him back to fourth. Mullins held the lead again, but Strang put on a charge from about seventh place to get into second. When Mullins crashed on the banks of a water crossing, Strang rolled past. “I wanted to get a win,” said Mullins, who has struggled in the last few races. “I knew Josh was coming, and then I clipped something coming out of that water and went flying. I wasn’t even close to my bike once I landed, and I was totally under water.” “It was a shame to see Charlie down in there, but I guess we’ve all had bad luck,” said Strang. “I was able to make up ground in the bottom sections, where they had big motocross type bumps. I was comfortable there.” As for Knight, the Red Bull KTM rider was just happy to end up third after a strange day. “Feels like a win after all of that,” said Knight. “I tried making up some time, but in the dust, I had a couple of close calls and I decided to just hang back and score some points.” Fourth went to Paul Whibley, who had won the last two GNCCs but admitted he had an “off-day.” Husqvarna’s Glenn Kearney rounded out the top five. Next came Red Bull KTM’s Nathan Kanney, Am-Pro Yamaha’s Jason Raines, Walpole Trucking Kawasaki rider Garrett Edmisten, and FMF Suzuki’s Jimmy Jarrett. WORCS Champion Kurt Caselli rounded out the top ten. “I crashed a lot, I was slow and I sucked,” joked Caselli after the race. In the XC2 Pro Lites Class, Welsh, U.K. rider Jason Thomas scored his own breakthrough with a win. “I’ve been back home for the last 11 months getting my Visa sorted,” said Thomas. “All I’ve been doing was trying to prepare for this, coming back and doing this. I don’t have any sponsors, and I spent my money getting the Visa, so I hope to get some help.” Not long after the race, Thomas was spotted talking to several team managers. Red Bull KTM’s Justin Williamson, the defending XC2 Champion, returned to the podium for the first time this year with second. “I’ve just been struggling to get comfortable,” said Williamson. “I’m back on my old program. I got the lead from Jason, but then I crashed in a creek and gave it back to him. But it’s a relief just to get back up here.” Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha’s Dustin Gibson rounded out the podium. “I never thought I would get up here,” said Gibson. “I was riding so bad, I was so tight, I was scared for my life. I can’t believe I made it back up here.” Points leader Thad DuVall notched fourth after several hard crashes. Scott Watkins was fifth on his Monster Energy Kawasaki. The rest of the top ten featured Kailub Russell, Eric Bailey, Brian Lawson, Kevin Korn and David Snyder. Without any rain in the area for weeks, dust was the theme of the day, although the sections deeper in the woods weren’t as bad as the open fields. The track featured the signature Yadkinville obstacles, including the creek jump and a run through a house. Knight returns to the podium at US GNCC Rnd 8 After frustratingly missing out on a rostrum finish at both rounds six and seven of the US Grand National Cross Country Series Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight returned to the podium at round eight, The Stomp GNCC, where the defending series champion placed third after yet another eventful race. Starting well and leading at the end of the first lap, Knight was penalised 30 seconds due to having fired his bike into life before the starters flag dropped, which in part resulted in him being able to win the race. Having also taken a wrong turn during the opening stages of the race David was forced to re-ride part of the track – something that put him further behind the leaders. Despite not winning the race David remains comfortably out front in the ’08 US GNCC points standings Second as he exited the first turn and then quickly moving into the lead David Knight seemed to be headed towards his fifth win of the season at The Stomp GNCC, staged in Yadkinville, NC. But just like at the previous two rounds of the series it wasn’t to be for the defending series champion as the factory KTM rider eventually placed third behind Suzuki’s Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins. Firing his bike into life before the starters flag dropped, but quickly killing his engine before re-starting it again and then coming close to claiming the holeshot, David past the one rider ahead of him to end the opening lap marginally ahead of his XC1 Pro class rivals. But deemed to have gained an unfair advantage at the start of the race the Manxman was forced to stop for 30 seconds, which resulted in him dropping to sixth. Despite his best efforts David was unable to work his way into the lead, soothing that was partly due to extremely dusty conditions. Third by the mid-way point of the race, and comfortably ahead of the fourth placed rider Paul Whibley, David opted to settle for position and in placing third maintains his sizable lead at the head of the championship. David Knight: “Third isn’t the result I’d hoped for but considering the race I had it’s not too bad. I’m pleased with the way I rode, I guess things just didn’t go my way. I started well, but because I fired my bike up before the flag dropped I got penalised 30 seconds at the end of the first lap. I’d stopped my bike again and re-started it again when the flag dropped, but I had to take the penalty. It was tough watching riders go past when there was nothing I could do because I was just sitting there for 30 seconds. “I felt good during the first lap, but after I had to stop it was hard because of the dust. It was pretty tight and dusty in the trees that it was hard to make up time. I could have pushed harder but it was easy to make a mistake. After the last two races it’s nice just to be back on the podium. I still have a good lead in the championship, so all in all it wasn’t a bad race for me.” Kanney claims 6th place finish at GNCC Round 8 Riding the momentum of a win at round 3 of the National Hare Scramble Series, Red Bull/KTM's Nate Kanney was looking to score his first win of the 2008 GNCC season at the Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC in Yadkinville, NC. The Wellborn Family Farm--site of the event--had not seen any rain in nearly a month, leaving the track extremely dry and dusty which made for treacherous race conditions. Knowing that vision in the dust would be a huge factor, Kanney focused on getting a good start, and rounded the first turn in 3rd place. "Charlie Mullins and David [Knight] were out in front of me. Mullins was riding very aggressively, and the dust from him blowing up berms in front of us made it really tough to keep him in sight," explains Kanney. "The first lap of racing was rather unusual, as everyone fell into a single-file line because the visibility was so bad," he continued. After settling into his pace and beginning to find a rhythm in the tight North Carolina woods, a violent crash pushed Kanney back to 7th place. "The crash was pretty gnarly, it took me a few miles and a couple more crashes to eventually shake out the cobwebs," said Kanney. After an extended pit stop to fuel, and replace his gloves that were soaking wet from one of his wrecks, Nate put his head down and began to charge after 6th place rider Jason Raines. "After the pit stop I was able to put together a couple solid laps to make it into 6th past Raines. I kept pushing to the finish, but Glenn Kearney in 5th was a bit out of reach." "A 6th place finish isn't what I was hoping for coming into this race, but considering how hard I crashed I feel fortunate to walk away healthy and with enough points to move into 5th place overall for the championship." US GNCC – Rnd 7, The Spartan GNCC, Spartan, KY, 1.6.2008 Eventful race results in fifth place finish for Knight at US GNCC Rnd 7 It wasn’t quite the result he’d hoped for, but all things considered a fifth place result wasn’t all that bad for David Knight at round seven of the US GNCC Series. Starting well before quickly moving to the front of the of the XC1 Pro class, the series points leader struck his head as he raced under a fallen tree that lay across the track, which severely de-tuned the Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider and in part resulted in him failing to finish on the podium. Third as he left the start Knight moved past his KTM team-mate Nate Kanney and Suzuki’s Charlie Mullins within no time at all to take an early lead in the Spartan GNCC - a lead that he held for the remainder of the opening lap. Feeling comfortable out front and having opened up a small 45 second gap at the head of the field Knight looked to be headed towards yet another US GNCC race win. But on lap two things didn’t quite go to plan as Knight was left dazed, and a little confused, having bashed his head against a fallen tree. Feeling like he’d been ‘knocked stupid’ and having troubles seeing properly Knight decided to slow his pace and follow Australia’s Josh Strang while he recovered from the unexpected blow. Soon feeling like he was ready to move back to the front once again Knight found himself struggling with the front end of his KTM – something later traced to a badly damaged front mousse caused by the many square edge bumps and high temperatures. With Australian Glenn Kearney and New Zealander Paul Whibley having caught him during the later stages of the race Knight’s hopes of winning the race ended half way around the final lap as he performed a perfect flying ‘W’ after he hit a rock fired up from the rear wheel of Strang’s bike. Ending up crashing and getting his foot stuck between his bike’s rear tyre and silencer, Knight realised that his chances of victory were well and truly over and settled for fifth. David Knight: “All things considered I’m not too disappointed with fifth. Even with banging my head I felt like I could win. But when I crashed near the end of the race that was me finished. It’s a bit frustrating because I felt good off the start. I was off the line well and quickly moved into the lead. My front mousse started to break up early in the race, which made things harder as I struggled with the front end a little bit. “I’m not sure what happened really when I smacked my head on the tree. It knocked my silly for a while, which is why I decided to follow Josh for a while. Although Glenn and Whibley had caught me I felt like I could still win the race. But when I crashed I knew that was it. It’s disappointing, but that’s racing some times. I still have a good points lead so the race wasn’t a compete disaster.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 7, XC1 Pro class 1. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 2:49.38 2. Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna) 2:50.25 3. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 2:50.50 4. Nate Kanney (KTM) 2:51.28 5. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Team) 2:51.43 6. Charles Mullins (Suzuki) 2:52.08 7. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 2:52.57 8. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 2:54.12 US GNCC – Rnd 6, The John Penton GNCC, Millfield, Ohio, 11.5.2008 Knight claims fourth at US GNCC Rnd 6 Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight remains at the head of the US Grand National Cross Country XC1 Pro class series standings despite not managing to finish on the podium at the sixth round of the series – The John Penton GNCC staged in Millfield, Ohio. With conditions much, much wetter than at any US GNCC race held so far this season Knight was looking forward to another winning result but due to a series of mechanical problems, caused due to the extremely wet and muddy conditions, could only manage fourth. Despite being unable to win David retains a 40-point lead at the head of the US GNCC series standings. Making a good start to the three-hour race David rounded the opening corners in the runner-up position before quickly moving into the lead. With a clear track ahead of him and confident that he could collect his fifth victory in six races Knight’s troubles started just three miles into the race as his bike stopped as he rode down a hill towards a small river crossing. Dropping back down the leader board David was forced to spend much of the opening lap working his way back towards the front of the XC1 Pro class and as he completed the opening lap had moved himself into fifth. Up to third by the end of lap two and then up the second by the end of lap three, Knight’s luck wasn’t with him as again his bike stopped, costing him track time and positions. With conditions worsening lap on lap David’s luck finally run out on lap five as his bike stopped permanently. Able to get it going again after a trip back to the pits David was eventually credited with a fourth place finish, which considering everything that happened during the race was an extremely good result. Knight still remains comfortably out front in the XC1 pro class championship standings and has a 40-point lead over New Zealander Paul Whibley with Australian Josh Strang third, a further 10 points adrift. The seventh round of the US GNCC series – The Spartan GNCC, takes place on June 1. David Knight: “Considering everything that happened during the race finishing fourth is pretty good. I really enjoyed the track and the conditions, it’s just disappointing that we had some problems that prevented me from winning. I felt really good and at one stage I closed down a two-minute gap on the leaders in half a lap - like I said it’s just frustrating that I wasn’t able to turn that into a winning result. At least I still have a good lead in the championship. “We’re not sure exactly what the problem was but it seemed like water was getting into the engine. Right off the start my bike stopped, which put me back in the pack. That was about three miles into the race. I managed to work my way forwards pretty well but the bike was popping and banging whenever I got into the ruts filled with water. “Lap two went well and I made up ground on the leaders but I got redirected around one of the really difficult sections of the track and found Paul Whibley coming towards me. I don’t know where I was but I lost a lot of time and ended up coming back to the section of track I was pointed away from. I managed to catch back up again but then my bike started stopping again. “Eventually, on lap five, it stopped completely. I wasn’t too far from the pits so the team managed to get the bike back to the truck and running again. I rode the last lap but because the team helped me get the bike back to the truck I was only credited with having finished five laps. Luckily, because so many other riders went out, I still finished fourth. I really enjoyed the conditions but I guess it wasn’t my weekend. All things considered it ended up ok.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 6, XC1 Pro class 1. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 6 laps 2. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 6 laps 3. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 6 laps 4. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 5 laps 5. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 5 laps 6. Brian Guenther (KTM) 5 laps 7. Garrett Edmisten (Kawasaki) 5 laps 8. Nick Fahringer (Husqvarna) 4 laps US GNCC – Rnd 5, Loretta Lynn’s GNCC, Hurricane Mills, TN, 27.4.2008 Knighter wins ’08 Loretta Lynn’s GNCC Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight has claimed his fourth win of the ’08 US Grand National Cross Country Series following victory at the Loretta Lynn’s GNCC. The third US GNCC event in a row in which Knight’s claimed the top step of the podium, victory at round five of the 13 event championship was made all the harder due to a flying rock from the rear wheel of a lapped rider hitting the Manxman in the throat. Despite being struck in the windpipe by the rock on lap two Knight managed to move himself back into the lead of the race before claiming a comfortable win. Firing his KTM into life the minute the starter’s flag dropped Knight started better than he had at the last three rounds of the US GNCC championship and was well placed as he exited the first few corners. Not wanting to risk anything he then eased himself into the race by taking things steadily for a few miles before then working his way forwards. Once out front David opened up a 20 second lead before running into trouble on lap two. Following a rider he was about to lap Knight found himself hit in the windpipe by a flying rock. Initially struggling to breath before finding that he was having troubles swallowing David opted to slow his pace for a short while in order to make sure he wasn’t seriously hurt. Overtaken at this stage by Australian Shane Watts Knight quickly found his feet once again and past the former GNCC champion before pulling away from his XC1 Pro class rivals. Come the end of the penultimate lap Knight was over one-minute ahead of second placed rider Joshua Strang, which is how the race ended as Knight claimed his fourth win of the series so far. Now with four wins and one runner-up finish to his credit David Knight leads the ’08 US GNCC series by 44 points. The sixth round of the series – The John Penton GNCC, takes place on May 11 in Millfield, Ohio after which three more rounds follow before the championship’s two-month summer break. David Knight: “It’s great to have got another win. And I got a good start for a change. I took things pretty steadily after the first few corners and a few riders got past me, which I wasn’t too worried about. I had a little bit of arm pump but I managed to pass the riders that were ahead of me and opened up about a 20 second lead quite quickly. “On the second lap a rock from a lapped rider hit my windpipe, which wasn‘t painful but made it hard to breath for a while. I was struggling for a while and decided to slow down a bit. That’s when Wattsy past me. I followed him for a while, got my breath back, and then caught right up to him. He was having a hard time passing one lapper, which is when I past him. He went one side, I went the other, and when we past him Wattsy it my bike and went down. “I felt good again then and put in a couple of good laps before taking it steady on the final lap. The track conditions were good and although I didn’t win by much more than a minute I was pleased with my result. It was a good day, and moving further ahead in the championship is always good.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 5, XC1 Pro class 1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 2. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 3. Charlie Mullins (Suzuki) 4. Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna) 5. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 6. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 7. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 8. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 9. Garrett Edmisten (Kawasaki) 10. Jesse Robinson (Kawasaki) US GNCC – Rnd 4, The Big Buck GNCC, Union, SC, 13.4.2008 Knighter claims win # 3 with victory at Big Buck GNCC Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight is now 35 points clear of his nearest XC1 Pro class rival in the ’08 US Grand National Cross Country Series thanks to a convincing win at round four of the championship – the Big Buck GNCC staged in South Carolina. Finishing over one-minute ahead of Australian Josh Strang Knighter overcome yet another bad start to work his way into the lead of the race on lap two. Once out front David then opened up a comfortable advantage at the front of the field before claiming his third win of the season so far. Getting a bad but ‘not that bad’ start to the race having failed to kick his 450cc KTM into life as the starter’s flag dropped, David passed several of his championship rivals in the very first corner as they lay on the floor in turn one having collided off the start. Quickly closing in on the early race leaders David had worked his way up to fourth at the end of the first lap. From there he moved into the lead on lap two before steadily extending his lead lap on lap. Finding it difficult initially to pull away from Suzuki riders Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins due to lapped riders, as the track got rougher and rockier David was able to extend his lead to over one-minute. Having no problems during the closing stages of the race, once out of sight of his nearest challengers Knight opted to ease his pace on the sixth and final lap before claiming a deserved win. Joining David on the podium were Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins. With three wins and one third place finish so far in the ’08 US GNCC championship David is already 35 points clear of his nearest championship rival Charlie Mullins. The next round of the US GNCC series is the Loretta Lynn’s GNCC, which takes place in Tennessee on April 27. David Knight: “I missed the jump off the start again but it wasn’t as bad as it was at the last race. I was away after about four kicks so I wasn’t too far behind. There was a small pile-up in the first turn as well, which helped me, so it wasn’t like the rest of the XC1 class riders were miles ahead of me. I was on them pretty quick. “I just had to pick the riders off one-by-one because there were some pretty dusty sections to the track. In the trees conditions were great but out in the open you had to be pretty careful because of the dust. I had a great line at one of the river crossings, which no one else seemed to be using. I remembered it from last year and it worked for me again because I think I got past four riders on the first lap, which was important for me. “I wasn’t able to pull away too much once I got to the front because there were a lot of lappers. But once the track got a bit rougher in the trees I was able to open up a b it of a gap at the front. I pushed pretty hard mid-way through the race and then eased off a bit on the last lap. “Three wins from four rounds is great. Apart from my starts everything is going really well. Who knows next race I might even get a good start.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 4, XC1 Pro class 1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 2. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 3. Charlie Mullins (Suzuki) 4. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 5. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 6. Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna) 7. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 8. Jesse Robinson (Kawasaki) US GNCC – Rnd 2, The General GNCC, Washington, GA 9.3.2008 Knighter extends lead at top of ’08 US GNCC series Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight has extended his lead at the top of the ’08 US GNCC series following a second podium finish in less than one week. Following on from his dominant win at the opening round of the championship in Florida Knight placed a comfortable third at the General GNCC staged near Washington, GA, where he joined Charlie Mullins and team-mate Nate Kanney on the podium. The only rider to finish on the podium at both of the opening two rounds of the championship Knight now holds a 10-point lead at the head of the series. Full Report In typical Knight fashion the General GNCC didn’t start in the best of ways as despite managing to fire his 450cc KTM into life as the starters flag dropped David rounded the first corner outside of the top 10. With the Georgia track largely dry despite heavy rain several days before the event, the fast track made it difficult for Knight to close in on the leaders as quickly as he had in Florida. Nevertheless David was up to fourth at the end of the first lap and just 30 seconds behind early race leader Nate Kanney. Moving ahead of Russell Bobbitt during the second lap of the race David looked as if he would soon be battling with Kanney and Mullins for the lead. Just 36 seconds adrift at the end of lap two, Knight dropped a little time on the leading duo on lap three and on laps four and five ran one-minute behind. Riding alone, and comfortably ahead of the fourth placed rider Paul Whibley, David decided to settle for position and not risk trying to catch the leaders. An eventual three minutes behind at the finish Knight claimed a solid third place result, which added to his round one victory sees him sitting comfortably at the top of the overall GNCC points standings. David now heads home to the Isle of Man, where he will prepare for the third round of the US GNCC series, the Steele Creek GNCC, which takes place in North Carolina on March 30. David Knight: “Third might not look like a good result, but I’m more than happy with it. Last year I had all sorts of troubles at this race and didn’t score any points at all. I’ve had two podiums in two races this year and I’m leading the points standings, so I’m happy with things. To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to the race, and I’m pleased that it’s behind me now. I didn’t have any problems, my bike ran great, it was just a fast track and everyone was riding fast, especially Charlie and Nate, so it wasn’t worth trying anything crazy to catch them. “I got my bike fired up quickly but still managed to get a crappy start. But I was making my way forward pretty well until I went one side of a mud hole and a few riders went the anther way and passed me. I settled down then and started passing riders one at a time. On the second lap I got up to third and in a few places I was catching Nate and Charlie but it wasn’t enough to get up with them. If I pushed harder I didn’t seem to be going any faster, I was just hitting all the holes and tree roots. It was one of those tracks that a lot of riders, even the lappers, were going fast. I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to catch the leaders so I settled for third.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 2, Overall Results 1. Charlie Mullins (Suzuki) 2.47:42 2. Nate Kanney (KTM) 2.48:08 3. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 2.51:09 4. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 2.52:00 5. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 2.54:40 6. Joshua Strang (Suzuki) 2:54.42 7. Barry Hawk (Yamaha) 2:55.13 8. Thad Duvall (Yamaha) 2.57:28 9. Jesse Robinson (Kawasaki) 2.58:00 10. Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna) 3.00:06
Knighter dominates ’08 US GNCC Rnd 1 Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight turned a potentially disastrous start to the first round of the ’08 Grand National Cross Country series into the perfect beginning to his GNCC championship defence as he managed to overcome a dead last start at The Triton GNCC in Melbourne, Florida and record yet another dominant win, finishing nearly three-and-a-half minutes ahead of his closest rival Jimmy Jarrett. Confident of a good result following an extensive winter of testing and training at his home in the Isle of Man, Knight was also well aware that the opening round of the 13 event GNCC series would be extremely difficult. Always a challenging race, The Triton GNCC proved to be that and more as the six-lap event took its toll on many of the Pro class competitors. For Knight things were tough right from the get go as he was left helplessly watching his XC1 class rivals as they disappeared off into the distance while he feverishly tried to fire his 450cc KTM into life. Having practiced numerous starts the day before the race, each and every one of them perfect in every way, come the most anticipated start of the GNCC championship Knight found himself left behind and with a serious amount of work to do But in typical Knight style it wasn’t long before the come back began and he set about working his way forwards during the dusty opening lap. Fearing that those at the front of the race might open up an irreversible advantage, the defending series champion went all out to make up as many places as he could and ended lap one in an incredible sixth position. Out front FMX legend turned Rally driver Travis Pastrana lead, but it wasn’t long before Knight was in the hunt for the lead position. Pitting for the first of his two scheduled fuel stops at the end of the second lap Knight was just seconds behind the then leaders Nate Kanney and Pastrana. Quickly passing both riders Knight then started to open up what would become a convincing advantage. Making the incredibly rough track look much less difficult than it was David, having built a comfortable lead, then eased his pace a little during the final two laps but still crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of his nearest rival Jimmy Jarrett. In doing so he claimed a well-deserved victory. David Knight: “It’s great to win the first round of the series, but I could have made things a little easier for myself. I must have practiced 100 starts the day before the race ad each one of them was perfect. The one I needed to get right and I just couldn’t get the bike started. Although it made things a lot harder than they should have been it’s nice knowing that I passed each and every rider to earn the win. “The first lap was terrible – it was so dusty. I thought that I had no chance of catching the leaders, but somehow I managed it. I got stuck behind a few riders, then passed a few, and then I’d get stuck behind someone else. Once I got into the forest tracks I came up on Hawk and Edmisten. I was a bit surprised that they weren’t going faster than they were. I decided enough was enough at that point and decided to make a break for it. “When I came into the pits I saw Nate Kanney just leaving, so I figured I was pretty close to the front. I passed Pastrana and Nate early on lap three and then started pulling away. I kept my pace pretty consistent and got my lead up to about two minutes and then backed my speed down a bit. The track was that rough that you had to keep pushing wherever you could. “It was nice to get to the finish. I kept counting down the mile markers all the way to the finish. I was certainly pleased the race was over. My bike wasn’t set-up exactly the way I wanted it but it was great. You couldn’t push 100 per cent because the track was so rough. Obviously I wanted to start the season with a win but when I set-off last thought there was no way I’d be able to do it. I was tired at the finish but I don’t feel the race took too much out of me. I’m certainly glad I trained my ass off this winter.” Results – US GNCC ’08 Rnd 1, Overall Results
1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off-Road Race Team) 2.48:41
2008 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Schedule
Juha clinches Championship with 3 rounds to go In conditions that team manager Antti Kallonen called "perfect", Juha Salminen was crowned GNCC Champion for the second year in a row. Salminen grabbed the holeshot and started to pull away but crashed on the fourth lap, getting up quickly to maintain his lead. Barry Hawk and Glenn Kearney were giving chase on the tacky track but ended up being no match for the 10-time World Enduro Champion as he explained his race, "Off the start, I grabbed the holeshot and started to pull away but fell and soon after that ran into lappers. So, I found a new strategy in the race, found more speed and finished first to clinch the championship". He continued, "The KTM team has been important to me and has done a really great job. Everything has come together to make the Championship happen and I thank them for their hard work." Salminen has won an amazing 8 of 10 rounds in this 2006 GNCC Championship Series. GNCC Results; Yadkinville, NC: Round 10 1. Juha Salminen KTM 2. Glenn Kearney 3. Barry Hawk 4. Shane Watts KTM 5. Fred Andrews 6. Robbie Jenks KTM 7. Paul Whibley
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Paul
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GNCC Series; Yadkinville, NC: Round 10: 10.09.2006