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GNCC

The MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC, round nine of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, yielded big surprises for some and heartbreak for others, as David Knight returned to the podium with a dominant win on his privateer Kawasaki KX450F, followed by GEICO/JG Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki's Paul Whibley taking a surprise second and Shock Doctor KTM's Nate Kanney's first appearance on the podium since round one.

Defending GNCC champion Knight who just recently left a BMW ride in Europe to make this GNCC trip possible, took home the $10,000 overall win prize, as well as an additional $1000 for topping the XC1 class. The big-purse Snowshoe event, the only off-road race of its kind to take place at a ski resort, also paid a $5000 bonus to Whibley and $3000 to Kanney.

"The first thing is to have fun on the bike again," Knight said. "The track wasn't difficult. I just had to use my head a little bit."

Knight battled with FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang for most of the race, until Strang crashed into a deer on the fifth lap, knocking the four-time race winner on the season out of the running in shocking fashion.

Matt Ware Whibley came back from a rough first few laps to grab second place. Strang and his teammate Charlie Mullins, Whibley and his teammate Jarrett and Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk made up the first line to take off in the modified start, which took place on a blacktop road with a live-engine start next to the Snowshoe ski village. Hawk led the pack around the first corner and into the toughest track of the 2009 season, where mud bogs, almost verticle hills and even wildlife challenged the riders. The double loop course was more than 20 miles in its entirety and riders needed more than endurance to make it six laps.

Knight, who started four rows back, quickly caught up to the group, and by the end of the first lap, Knight and Strang were in a tight battle for first-place physically on the track, with Knight taking the overall lead with time adjustments. While Knight and Strang played cat and mouse, they began to increase the gap between themselves and the hard charging pack of Jarrett, Whibley, Kanney, Mullins and Hawk.

Strang kept his physical lead but in the second lap, Knight passed him. The two stuck close together throughout 5 laps of racing while the riders behind them started to spread out. Whibley and Hawk started their own heated battle but a lapper got in the middle of them going into lap four blocking Hawk out under the scoring tent. After exchanging a few words with the rider, Hawk was off into the woods, but more bad luck knocked him out of the race completely.. Hawk throttle over a drop and was unable to finish past the fourth lap.

Kanney battled with Mullins and Kearney in the next pack was able to move into fourth place behind Knight, Strang and Whibley.

The MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC has a spectacular live engine start right in the resort village.The race broke down to a Knight versus Strang battle for the win. In the fifth lap, disaster struck for Strang when he crashed into a deer in the woods of the course, leaving Whibley to make up significant time and climb into second place. The deer essentially allowed Whibley to extend his GNCC points lead over Strang.

"It was a long day for me," Whibley said. "I couldn't get up with them today. I managed to come in second and get some points. Jarrett and I got stuck in a mud hole for awhile and Josh passed us by. I never saw him again."

With Strang and Hawk out of the running for the podium, Knight significantly increased his lead, coming in five minutes ahead of Whibley who came in second and Kanney in third.

People looked out the windows of their hotel rooms, and poured out of the local eateries in a huge crowd to see the riders cross the finish line.

"The first lap was a bit dodgy in a few places," Knight said. "I didn't know where Strang was in the lead and I went the wrong way a few times. At the moment I'm happy to be doing my own thing again." David Knight's report

Jason Thomas also dominated his XC2 class with a wire-to-wire win. Nate Kanney took third for the second time this year, moving him up in the point standings.

"It was one of those days where it felt like it was one step forward and two steps back," he said. "It seemed like it was like that for everyone. In the end it was just being consistent and getting to the finish. It's been an up and down year but it is what it is. In the end, this is what you get if you work hard."

Mullins took fourth place, followed by Jarrett in fifth. Strang was able to recover to come in sixth place, with Jesse Robinson on a Husaberg coming in seventh. Kenny Gilbert was eighth, with visiting AMA Pro Motocross pilot Charles Summey ninth. The Shock Doctor KTM of Kurt Casselli rounded out the Top 10.

In XC2 action, Jason Thomas took a decisive victory, taking the lead from wire-to-wire for his first win of the year. Thomas spent most of the race so far ahead of the rest of the XC2 crowd, he spent most of his time on the track by himself, gunning to get up with the XC1 riders.

"The first lap was like riding at home," Thomas, who grew up outside of the Welsh forest, said. "I could swear I was at home. I didn't get arm pump, I didn't get tired. I pushed all day in the hopes I could get to the front. But those guys rode awesome."

Thomas and the Shock Doctor KTM's of Cory Buttrick and Kailub Russell have been the group to watch in XC2 action, but today, the KTM duo saw bad luck right from the beginning.

The XC1 podium had an enthusiastic crowd cheering them on. "The first lap, a mile into it, my brakes locked up," Russell said. "Then they totally went out. I putted around kind of bummed but they came back and I started riding better and I started moving up."

In the first lap, Buttrick got stuck in a mud hole, taking fifteen minutes to get out of the quicksand like terrain and falling back to 13th place. Ryan Echols made a hard charge to stay in third place, but was out of running after the fourth lap. Buttrick and Russell started to make a recovery even though they couldn't catch up to Thomas.

Jason Thomas' report

"I was pretty happy with my riding," Russell said. "The first thing I thought was, 'Man, I'm not going to be on the podium. But I dug deep and rode pretty good."

With Thomas taking a decisive lead, Privateer Jake Korn, who has been finishing just off the podium this season, roared into third and then second place.

"I was off to a great start," Korn said. "I couldn't push too hard so I didn't get stuck. I just took my time and paced myself to just get through the track."

Russell came in third, with GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Scottie Watkins in fourth. Eric Bailey made it through losing his seat midway through the race came in fifth. David Snyder came in sixth followed by Buttrick in seventh. Mat Herrington, Ryan Echols and Patrick Massie rounded out the top 10.

Top Amatuer Award went to Chris Bach.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is now on a two month break and will return with the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY on September 12-13.

XC1 Results 1. David Knight (KAW) 2. Paul Whibley (KAW) 3. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 4. Charles Mullins (SUZ) 5. Jim Jarrett (KAW) 6. Josh Strang (SUZ) 7. Jesse Robinson (HUS) 8. Kenny Gilbert (KAW) 9. Charles Summey (KTM)10. Kurt Casselli (KTM)

XC1 Point Standings 1. Paul Whibley (214/3 wins) 2. Josh Strang (201/4 wins) 3. Charles Mullins (197/1 win) 4.Jim Jarrett (160) 5. Nathan Kanney (139) 6.Barry Hawk Jr. (123) 7. Kurt Casselli (121) 8.Jesse Robinson (92) 9. Glenn Kearney (91) 10.Kenneth Gilbert (87)

XC2 Results 1. Jason Thomas (YAM) 2. Jake Korn (KTM) 3. Kailub Russell (KTM) 4. Scott Watkins (KAW) 5. Eric Bailey (KTM) 6. David Snyder (YAM) 7. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 8. Mat Herrington (KAW) 9. Ryan Echols (KAW) 10. Patrick Massie (KAW)

XC2 Point Standings 1.Kailub Russell (247/6 wins) 2.Cory Buttrick (193/1 win) 3. Jason Thomas (191/1 win) 4. Scott Watkins (175) 5.Jake Korn (146) 6.Brian Lawson (108) 7.Robert Santheson (108) 8.Andrew Matusek (94) 9. Eric Bailey (90) 10. Mat Herrington (85)

Photo By: Matt Ware

Whibley Checks Out at John Penton GNCC Jarrett and Strang on podium

Whibley took the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award, but Kearney would take the lead soon after. (Photo:Matt Ware)

GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley reclaimed his loss at the Mountain Ridge with a nearly wire-to-wire win at the John Penton GNCC, round eight of the 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series.

"It was pretty cool to win," Whibley said. "It's been a tough year. I've had a few problems this year with some bad luck so this was a good race. I feel pretty good about taking the win. It's good to be back on the top again."

In some of the best racing conditions the Millfield, Ohio track has seen in years, Whibley and his teammate Jimmy Jarrett stole the show as the two went 1-2 minutes ahead of previous points leader FMF/Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang.

"I got a decent start and worked my way up to third couple miles into it," Jarrett said. "Glenn was actually in front of us and he crashed and then Paul and I slowly pulled away from everybody. Maybe a few miles to the end I crashed with a lapper and crashed again and I settled for second. I didn't do anything to throw the race away and I'm happy with second."

Strang lost the points lead but is only a few points behind in second.Whibley took the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award and only got faster as the race went on, and churned out his fastest time on the final lap. Jarrett kept within 5 seconds of Whibley, as the two competed in their very own race. Strang started the race in third place but fell to sixth place in the second lap. From there, Strang, his teammate Charlie Mullins and Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Barry Hawk battled between each other to take third place.

" The track conditions were good," Strang said. "I was looking forward to it. I had a bad start and by the end of the first lap I was 16 seconds down or something. By the second lap dropped 40 seconds. I thought I was riding pretty good. I tried to push hard. I'm not very happy but I'll take the points. I'm looking forward to getting the points back at the next race."

Shock Doctor KTM's Nathan Kanney started the race in fourth place until a few bad wrecks put him out of the race by the fourth lap.

Jarrett has put a strong charge to the podium the past few races.Whibley was able to increase his lead over Jarrett to finish about 45 seconds ahead. Strang came in third, a few minutes behind the leaders, with Mullins and Hawk close behind in fourth and fifth places, respectively. Shock Doctor KTM's Kurt Casselli finished 11 minutes behind in sixth. Kenneth Gilbert, Nathan Skaggs and Ryan Gainey and Nate Kanney rounded out the top 10.

In XC2, Shock Doctor KTM teammates Kailub Russell and Corey Buttrick fired off the line so fast, they had to split the $100 Rekluse Holeshot Award.

Buttrick and Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha's Jason Thomas passed Russell to take the first and second place positions. Russell was back in fourth, but by the second lap, he began moving forward to second. Buttrick settled just ahead into first place the first three laps while Thomas moved back to third. Russell's momentum began paying off in the fourth lap when he took control of first place while Buttrick moved back into second. Thomas held onto third place with GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Scotty Watkins right behind. Jake Korn came in fifth, followed by Ryan Echols in sixth. David Snyder and Eric Bailey came in eighth and ninth, respectively with Robert Santheson and Brian Lawson rounding out the top 10.

Jarrett's win puts him in between the "Big Three."Mike Hampton of the Super Senior B 45+ class took home the Coppersmith Amateur Holeshot Award.

The 2009 Can- Am Grand National Cross Country series heads to Snowshoe, WV for its last race before the summer break for the MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC on June 27-28.

XC1 1.Paul Whibley (KAW) 2. Jim Jarrett (KAW) 3. Josh Strang (SUZ) 4. Charlie Mullins (SUZ) 5.Barry Hawk (YAM) 6. Kurt Casselli (KTM) 7.Kenneth Gilbert (KAW) 8. Nathan Skaggs 9. Ryan Gainey 10.Nathan Kanney (KTM)

XC1 Point Rankings 1.Paul Whibley (189/3 wins), 2. Josh Strang (186/4 wins), 3. Charles Mullins (179/1 win) 4. Jim Jarrett (144) 5. Barry Hawk (119), 6. Nathan Kanney (118) 7. Kurt Casselli (110) 8.Glenn Kearney (83) 9. Jesse Robinson (78), 10. Rainey Gainey (75)

XC2 1.Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 3. Jason Thomas (YAM) 4. Scott Watkins (KAW) 5. Jake Korn 6. Ryan Echols 7. David Snyder 8. Eric Bailey 9. Robert Santheson 10. Brian Lawson

XC2 Points Standings - 1. Kailub Russell (196/5 wins) 2. Cory Buttrick (179/1 wins) 3. Jason Thomas (161) 4. Scott Watkins (157/1 wins) 5.Jake Korn (121) 6.Brian Lawson (99) 7. Robert Santheson (98) 8.Andrew Matusek (94) 9.Josh Weisenfels (80) 10. Eric Bailey (74)

Strang Bests Mullins in GNCC Battle to the Finish Hawk on podium, Russell takes XC2

Somerset, PA (May 16, 2009) - Team FMF/Makita Suzuki turned the Mountain Ridge round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series into a private affair, with Josh Strang defeating his teammate Charlie Mullins after a dramatic three-hour battle in the rocks, mud, forests and fields of Western Pennsylvania. Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Barry Hawk finished third to collect his first podium of the season, while Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell won the XC2 Lites class ahead of Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha's Jason Thomas and Shock Doctor KTM's Cory Buttrick. Strang's win marked his fourth in the last five GNCC races, and also the second time this season that he and Mullins finished 1-2. In contrast, championship rival Paul Whibley had a tough day. The New Zealander smashed a waterpump cover and put a hole in his radiator, but still dug out a seventh-place finish in the XC1 class. Strang now holds the points lead for the second time this year.

Mullins snagged the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com Holeshot Award, but Whibley grabbed the early lead and pulled a big gap early. Eventually Strang and Mullins hooked up, and along with Am-Pro FMF Yamaha rookie Thad DuVall, mounted a charge and caught Whibley. DuVall's run of bad luck continued when his ignition failed, marking his fourth-straight race with mechanical troubles. The Suzuki teammates battled Whibley, and when Whibley began dropping back with his own mechanical issues, it boiled down to a Strang versus Mullins duel for the win. The duo kept the fans excited by going back and forth all the way down to the finish.

"I was worried when Whibs got away like that, because he normally starts slow and gets arm pump and stuff, and he would be hard to reel in if we waited too long," said Strang, a 21-year-old Australian. "We were able to catch back up to him. I didn't really feel that good in the rocks today, and I went over the bars one time in the mud. But I have some confidence after winning three races earlier in the year, so I just tried to go fast where I could and stay smooth in the other areas. It was good fun racing with Charlie like that, the last three laps were like a motocross, so that's a 90-minute moto right there!"

"It was good, I really have been working hard and wanted to stay strong to the end," said Mullins. "With the rocks, I was never a big fan of this track before, but I guess I like it now. I was able to get by Josh on the last lap, but then he got right back by me. I really tried to push through the rocks on the last lap, but I made a big mistake and he got away right before the finish." Hawk overcame pressure from Shock Doctor KTM's Nathan Kanney to claim third. "Normally, I'm not happy with just getting on the podium unless I win," said Hawk. "But I've been having some bad races and I realize I maybe need to back my goals down a bit. I had a good start, but then we got to a really bad hill, I thought I had a good line but some guys got around me, and I was saying "Oh here we go again." I had a little arm pump, too. But I managed to work through it, put my head down, and get back up there. I think I have the speed to run with these guys, but they go the same speed the whole race. I need to be more aggressive on the opening laps, and just go for it."

Kanney took fourth ahead of Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney. Kurt Caselli, Whibley, Jimmy Jarrett, Kenny Gilbert and Dustin Gibson rounded out the XC1 top ten.

Whibley came into the race leading the GNCC standings, but a slew of bad luck led to a tough day. "Yeah I kept it exciting," joked Whibley. "I had a nice lead, but I had a bad line on a hill and Josh (Strang) and those guys caught me. Josh was riding awesome, he was coming." Whibley settled into a battle with the Suzuki riders and Duvall, but then he crashed and hurt his shoulder, and later damaged his water pump and radiator. His GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki team worked to fix the problems in the pits on the last lap, and Whibley nursed it home for some points. In XC2, Russell and Thomas battled so closely for the $100 Rekluse Holeshot Award that they decided to split the money between them. They passed each other a few times early, then Russell made a mistake, and then Thomas made another, allowing Buttrick into the battle. Russell put in a strong charge to get the lead back and open enough of a gap to hold it to the finish.

"After a few mistakes early on, I was okay just getting behind Cory and riding smooth," said Russell. "I was able to get by him and put in a good charge and get away."

Thomas ended up way back after his first lap problems, but he never stopped charging and caught Buttrick on the last lap. They battled back and forth before Thomas nailed down the spot before the finish. "I just tried to not give up," said Thomas. "Kailub got away from us there, but Cory and I had a great battle."

"We were going really fast in some of the open sections," said Buttrick. "It was pretty scary on a 250F, I can't imagine how fast those guys must have gone on a 450. Jason and I, we really pushed each other."

Russell's win, his fifth of the year, helps him extend his points lead.

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jordan Ashburn collected Top Amateur honors.

In the two-hour morning race, Super Senior A rider Randall Riggs collected the overall win, and Greg Vise of the Golden Masters class won the Coppersmith Suspension Holeshot Award.

The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with the Wiseco John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio, in three weeks, on June 6 and 7. GNCC racing airs in HD on Versus every Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Mountain Ridge GNCC Somerset, Pennsylvania

XC1 Finish: 1. Joshua Strang (Suz) 2. Charlie Mullins (Suz) 3. Barry Hawk (Yam) 4. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 5. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) 6. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 7. Paul Whibley (Kaw) 8. Jimmy Jarrett (Kaw) 9. Kenny Gilbert (Kaw) 10. Dustin Gibson (Kaw)

XC2 Finish 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Jason Thomas (Yam) 3. Cory Buttruck (KTM) 4. Scott Watkins (Kaw) 5. Jake Korn (KTM)

XC1 Point Standings: (After 7 of 13 races): 1. Josh Strang (165/4 wins); 2. Charles Mullins (161/1 win); 3. Paul Whibley (159/2 wins); 4. Jimmy Jarrett (119); 5. Nathan Kanney (107); 6. Barry Hawk (103); 7.Kurt Casselli (95); 8. Glenn Kearney (74); 9. Jesse Robinson (70); 10.Thad Duvall (63).

Photos: Kirsta Shaw

Whibley Back Again At Weekend Warrior Titan GNCC Photo By: Matt Ware

Whibley is back in the points lead after his win at the Titan GNCC.Lafayette, TN (May 3, 2009) -- GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley was back for another win as he led almost wire-to-wire at Round Six of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series in Lafayette, Tennessee followed by teammate Jimmy Jarrett in second and FMF Makita Suzuki's Charlie Mullins in third in an intense two-hour race. Whibley is now the points leader.

"I'm pretty happy with the points race," Whibley said. "But there is still a long way to go in the series."

Continuing rain showers in the area had left the track even muddier than the ATV race the day prior, making the course even more challenging for the riders.

With mud flying high in the air, Jarrett was first off the line, grabbing the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award. Going into the woods, Jarrett, Whibley and FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang kept together through the deep mud of the tough Tennessee track. At first, the three battled neck and neck, changing in and out of positions. Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Jason Raines was in a close fourth and slowly moved up to become a hard contender. Strang, who won the last three rounds, began to falter through the mud going into the third lap and Raines moved ahead.

Strang and Whibley quickly took the lead at the start.Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Thad DuVall was last off the line and well behind the leaders until the third lap but moved ahead to catch up with the top three. DuVall looked like he had a good chance to get on the podium but caught another unlucky break when his chain broke. Strang fell further behind and his teammate, Mullins, who had been behind in the pack, began picking up his pace. Raines crashed hard with Kurt Casselli going into the final lap and was unable to recover. Mullins began to take his chances and steadily moved ahead to get into the top three.

"I really struggled those first laps," Mullins said. "I was angry because I wanted to win so I guess riding angry helped me in the end. I was really comfortable those last few laps."

The last lap of the race, Whibley increased his lead to come in a good distance ahead of Jarrett who came in second and almost two minutes ahead of Mullins, who came in third.

Jarrett took home an extra $250 with the MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award."I'm happy to be up here," Jarrett said. "I would have liked to have won it but there's still more to come. There's still work to do."

Strang held on to come in fourth ahead of Yamaha's Barry Hawk. Shock Doctor KTM's Kurt Casselli came in sixth after crashing with Raines, who came in seventh followed by Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney in eighth. Duvall and Husaberg's Jesse Robinson finished out the top ten.

The XC2 class once again charged hard to put the pressure on the pro riders. Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell put up a hard battle to come in third overall in all classes and first overall in the Pro-Lites class.

Russell fired off the starting line and got the $100 Cometic Holeshot Award and quickly raced into the woods.

"It was an all out sprint to the first corner," Russell said.

Monster Energy/Fred Andrew's Yamaha's Jason Thomas and Geico/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Scotty Watkins joined Russell in leading the class in the woods. Thomas moved up to lead the riders through the first lap. Watkins, Thomas and Russell traded in and out of the lead until Russell began a hard charge to take the lead back. Shock Doctor KTM's Cory Buttrick began a late charge to catch up with the leaders. Russell was able to keep his lead and finish with another first place finish for the season.

"I can be a mud rider when I want to be," Russell said. "It's all mental. It was a good race."

Watkins came in second followed by Buttrick in third.

Mullins had a bad first couple of laps but recovered to come in third."It was definitely tough," Watkins, who came in fifth overall, said. "On a day like today, I was running as hard as I could and second is ok."

Buttrick said he was happy to catch up with a few of the XC1 riders in the woods again.

"I was trying to go as fast as I could and not make mistakes," Buttrick said. "It was pretty tough out there."

Thomas finished fourth, followed by Jake Korn in fifth. Robert Santheson on a KTM came in sixth followed by Monster Energy/Fred Andrew's Yamaha's Josh Weisenfels in seventh. Brian Lawson came in eighth and Andrew Matusek and Eric Bailey rounded out the top ten.

Top Amateur Honors went to Levi Clemens in the 4 Stroke A class.

In the AM Race, Corey MacDonald took first followed by JT Bennett in second and Randall Riggs in third. Hix Hagan took the $100 Coppersmith Holeshot Award.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues on May 16 -17 with the Geico Mountain Ridge GNCC in Somerset, Pennsylvania. For more information on the series, and complete results from the Acerbis Loretta Lynn's GNCC, visit www.gnccracing.com.

XC1 Finish 1. Paul Whibley (KAW) 2. Jim Jarrett (KAW) 3. Charles Mullins (SUZ) 4. Josh Strang (SUZ) 5. Barry Hawk (YAM) 6. Kurt Casselli (KTM) 7. Jason Raines (YAM) 8. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) 9. Thad DuVall (YAM) 10. Jesse Robinson (HSB)

XC1 points standings: 1.Paul Whibley (145/2 wins) 2. Charles Mullins (136/1 win) 3. Josh Strang (135/3 wins) 4. Jimmy Jarrett (106) 5. Nathan Kanney (89) 6. Barry Hawk (82) 7.Kurt Casselli (80) 8.Jesse Robinson (61) 9. Glenn Kearney (58) 10.Thad Duvall (55)

XC2 Finish 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Scott Watkins (KAW) 3. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 4. Jason Thomas (YAM) 5. Jake Korn 6. Robert Santheson 7. Josh Weisenfels 8. Brian Lawson 9. Andrew Matusek 10. Eric Bailey 

XC2 Points Standings 1. Kailub Russell (166/4 wins) 2. Cory Buttrick (133/1 win) 3. Scott Watkins (121/ 1 win) 4.Jason Thomas (115) 5. Andrew Matusek 6. Jake Korn (89) 7. Brian Lawson (79) 8. Robert Santheson (74) 9. Josh Weisenfels (60) 10.Mat Herrington (54)

Strang Grabs Points Lead as GNCC Series Heads to Unchartered Territory

In a series packed with talent, few expected anyone to launch a big win streak in the 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. But FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang has seized control of the tour by snagging three-straight wins, helping complete a remarkable comeback by taking over the GNCC points lead despite running out of gas at the season opener in Florida.

Strang hopes to keep his streak alive at this weekend's inaugural Weekend Warrior Titan GNCC, because Geico/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley and Strang's teammate Charlie Mullins are both just two points behind heading into the weekend. And the new track means new challenges for the front-runners as they traverse uncharted territory.

The track is perfect for GNCC Racing, with just enough elevation change in the woods to keep the course interesting. Soil conditions will be similar to the GNCC at Loretta Lynn Ranch, with plenty of small shale rock mixed into the clay. The rocks are small and will come in handy if the course takes on any rain, because the rocky base will let water run off instead of soak in.

Several riders had problems enough in the rain and mud at Loretta's. Bike problems set in for Whibley, who broke a chain, the Shock Doctor KTMs of Nate Kanney and Kurt Caselli, and Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Thad DuVall.If the riders fare the same for the Titan GNCC, the point standings could widen further. Even Strang is saying there is still "a long way to go."

The Loretta Lynn Ranch race was encouraging for a few riders, including Yamaha's Barry Hawk, who scored a season-best fourth place at Loretta's, with Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney similarly taking his season-best with a fifth.

The XC2 class for 250cc four-stroke bikes has even been pressuring the XC1 Pro class. At Loretta's, GEICO/Monster Energy Kawaskai's Scott Watkins and Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell held the overall lead at various points, and Watkins emerged as the winner. Russell lost time in the pits cleaning out his eyes, opening the door for his teammate Cory Buttrick, who later ran into bike troubles. Monster Energy/Andrew's Yamaha's Jason Thomas moved into third by the end of the first lap. Later, he took over the second spot from Russell.

Russell still has a wide lead in the point standings, 24 points ahead of Buttrick and 39 points ahead of Thomas with Watkins just one point behind him.

Spectator passes run $15 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.

To get to the track, from Interstate 65, take exit 117 to Hwy 52 east 20 miles through Portland and Westmoreland. Left on Leath Branch Rd and straight across Old Hwy 52. Leath Branch becomes Rocky Mound Rd. and it's 3 miles to the track on the left.

Strang Makes it Three-Straight with Loretta Lynn GNCC Victory Jarrett and Mullins on podium

FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang slid to his third straight win by taking the victory at the Acerbis Loretta Lynn GNCC, round five of the 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Strang's win came after a dynamic six laps of racing that saw riders battling muddy hills and bike problems. The 20-year-old Australian finished around two minutes ahead of GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Jimmy Jarrett and his Suzuki teammate Charlie Mullins, and he also fended off challenges from a pair of XC2 Pro Lites class riders, Jarrett's teammate Scotty Watkins, and Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell.

"There's still a long way to go," Strang said, careful not to get too excited about his three-race win streak. "This was a tough race and I'm happy to be up here in first. This is where I knew I could be. "

Loretta Lynn Ranch saw heavy rains all morning, but by the PM race for the pro riders, the rain had stopped and the sun started to shine. Lieutenant GNCC Trail Boss Buren Hamrick said this track "was back like the old Loretta Lynn track," with a muddy hill, mud hole or water bar waiting around every turn.

Shock Doctor KTM's Kurt Caselli was the first off the line and nabbed the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award, as Mullins and Jarrett crashed in the first turn. Caselli slipped behind as Mullins recovered from his crash and put in a hard to charge to lead the first two laps in the XC1 class, with Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Thad Duvall, Strang, Jarrett and Am-Pro FMF Yamaha's Barry Hawk on his heels. Geico/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley, the GNCC points leader coming into the race, began gaining on the group as they made their way through the 12-mile track. The group traded in and out of positions in their class, but XC2 Watkins had actually climbed into first overall on adjusted time on lap one, and by the second lap, Russell passed Watkins to take the overall lead.

By the fourth lap, bike problems began setting in for Whibley, who broke a chain, and the Shock Doctor KTMs of Nate Kanney and Caselli. DuVall then charged into the lead in his class and overall, followed by Mullins and Russell in the fourth lap. Watkins was close behind Russell and when Russell stopped for an extended pit to get the mud out of his eyes, Watkins took the XC2 lead back.

"I think I ride a little bit better when it's muddy and nasty," Watkins said. "The conditions really went with my talent."

XC1 rookie DuVall looked like a contender for his first-ever GNCC overall win as he battled Mullins and Strang, but he lost his fuel line on the fifth lap, costing him a bunch of time. Then Strang started charging ahead, pulling a lead on Mullins as the white flag went out. Jarrett was able to get past Mullins on the last lap to take second, with Mullins in third. Hawk scored a season-best fourth place, with Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney similarly taking his season-best with a fifth. Dustin Gibson came in sixth on his Husaberg followed by Whibley in seventh and Jesse Robinson in eighth. Ryan Gainey and South African Kenny Gilbert rounded out the top ten.

"It got pretty crazy out there," Jarrett said. "It was actually fun out there today. It was good racing with a bunch of guys you don't normally get to race with."

In XC2, Watkins held on to nab first place. While Russell lost considerable time in the pits cleaning out his eyes, and then struggled with vision for the rest of the race, Monster Energy/Andrew's Yamaha's Jason Thomas was mounting a come-from-behind charge. He crashed on the start, sliding through mud, but recovered to move into third by the end of the first lap. Later, he took over the second spot from Russell.

"I just chose good lines," Thomas said. "I came over here from another country to do this, and I'm all alone except the team, not like the other guys with their families, so I guess that makes me a little more determined than the rest."

Russell, who had a great start, nabbing the $100 Cometic Holeshot award, came in third. "It was pretty tough," Russell said. "I don't like to lose it."

Coming in fourth was privateer Jake Korn followed by Brian Lawson in fifth and Corey Macdonald in sixth, Shock Doctor KTM's Cory Buttrick had mechanical problems after climbing up to third place at one point, and he finished seventh. Robert Santheson came in eighth, with Andrew Matusek and Mat Herrington rounding out the top 10.

It was a good day in the Mullins family, as Ted Mullins, Charlie's brother, took the PM race top amateur award.

In the morning race, Ben Bowins came in with a first place finish, followed by GEICO/JG Racing owner JT Bennett in second and Terry Cunningham in third. Cunningham secured the Top Amateur award. David Dickinson won the $100 Coppersmith Suspension Amateur Holeshot award.

With three-straight wins, Strang has miraculously taken over the XC1 points lead just four races after running out of fuel at the opening race of the season. Russell continues to lead XC2 Lites class points.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues on May 2 -3 with the Weekend Warrior Titan GNCC in Lafayette, Tennessee. For more information on the series, and complete results from the Acerbis Loretta Lynn's GNCC, visit www.gnccracing.com

XC1 Pro: 1. Josh Strang (SUZ) 2. Jimmy Jarrett (KAW) 3. Charles Mullins (SUZ) 4. Barry Hawk (YAM) 5. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) 6. Dustin Gibson (HBG) 7. Paul Whibley (KAW) 8. Jesse Robinson (KAW) 9. Ryan Gainey (HON) 10. Kenneth Gilbert (KAW)

XC2 Pro Lites 1. Scott Watkins (KAW) 2. Jason Thomas (YAM) 3. Kailub Russell (KTM) 4. Jake Korn (KTM) 5. Brian Lawson (YAM) 6. Corey Macdonald (YAM) 7. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 8. Robert Santheson III (KAW) 9. Andrew Matusek (KAW) 10. Mat Herrington (KAW)

XC1 Points: 1. Josh Strang (117/ 3 wins), 2.Paul Whibley (115/1) 3. Charlie Mullins (115/1) 4. Jimmy Jarrett (81) 5. Nathan Kanney (79) 6. Barry Hawk Jr. (66) 7. Kurt Caselli (65) 8. Jesse Robinson (50) 9. Glenn Kearney (45) 10. Ryan Gainey (45)

XC2 Points: 1. Kailub Russell (136/ 3 wins) 2. Cory Buttrick (112/1 win) 3. Jason Thomas (97) 4. Scott Watkins (96/1 win) 5. Andrew Matusek (82) 6. Jake Korn (73) 7. Brian Lawson (66) 8. Robert Santheson (59) 9. Josh Weisenfels (46) 10. Mat Herrington (45)

Photos by: Matt Ware 

Strang takes second win at Pirelli Big Buck GNCC

Strang takes second win at Pirelli Big Buck GNCC Whibley, Mullins on podium Photo By: Matt Ware

Strang takes his second win at the Big Buck GNCCUnion, S.C.(April 5, 2009)-- FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang clinched his second win today at the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC, round four of the 2009 Grand National Cross Country series, in Union South Carolina, after a grueling 3-hour race.

Strang finished the race just seconds ahead of GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley in second and teammate Charlie Mullins. Strang is the first repeat winner of the series that saw a different rider for each of the first three rounds.

"The last two laps were quick," Strang said. "We all three wanted to get in the lead and pull away. It's definitely good to get that second one."

Mullins fired first, nabbing his third $250 MotorcycleUSA.com holeshot award and was quickly followed by Strang, Whibley and Shock Doctor KTM rider Nate Kanney as they headed into the woods. Mullins held onto the lead for the first few laps and along with Strang, Whibley and Kanney, held the lead spots as the riders traded in and out. As they charged through the dusty track Kanney and Mullins began to fade away. At the pits, Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney decided not to pit and took the lead until he ran out of gas in the final laps. From then on, it was Strang and Whibley racing wheel-to-wheel until the finish, until Strang was able to pull a few seconds ahead. Mullins was the third XC1 Pro to cross the finish.

The XC1 class roared through the first turn at the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC"I felt really good going into that last lap," Mullins said. "The guys were stepping it up though. I'll take third. My holeshots are getting good too. That bike fires right up every time."

"I really wanted to win today," Whibley said. "It was a really cool race today. I'm alot happier today. The bike is awesome."

Kanney nabbed 4th place followed by Yamaha's Thad Duvall in 5th and Barry Hawk in 6th. KTM's Kurt Caselli in 7th and Kawasaki's Jesse Robinson in 8th. Rounding out the top 10 was Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney and Kawasaki's Jimmy Jarrett.

Pro Lites and XC2 rider Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell, raced to an incredible third overall finish, just 45 seconds behind Mullins, making him the third overall winner and the XC2 Pro-Lites winner. Russell began pulling away from Buttrick after Buttrick crashed in the first turn and never looked back. Slowly catching up to the leaders Russell crossed the finish line just a minute and a half behind Whibley and Strang.

Mullins grabbed the $250 MotorcycleUsa.com Holeshot award today."It was a really long three hours," Russell said. "I don't know how I pushed that hard. On the last lap they said I was closing in so I went for it. Hopefully it will be a good season and I'll make it up on the podium again."

Buttrick had a hard time coming within sight of Russell and instead traded in and out with Kawasaki privateer Andrew Matusek for second and third until the last laps of the race, when Monster Energy/Andrew's Yamaha' Jason Thomas overtook Matusek to come in to third. Andrew's Yamaha's Josh Weisenfels took home the $100 Cometic XC2 Holeshot Award.

Matusek took home fourth, KTM's Jake Korn took 5th and Kawasaki's Robert Santheson came in 6th. In 7th place was Honda's Ryan Echols followed by Kawasaki's Scott Watkins in 8th. Yamaha's Brian Lawson and Kawasaki's Johnathan Woodford rounded out the top 10 in 9th and 10th places respectively.

Russell raced his heart out today. In the two hour bike morning race, Super Senior C (45+) rider Girogio Torregrosa collected the $100 Coppersmith Suspension Amateur Holeshot Award. Taking 5th overall was Terry Cunningham who collected Top Amateur honors.

Pirelli Big Buck GNCC Results

Team FMF Makita Suzuki's Joshua Strang topped over 1300 different riders to win the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC, round four of the 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, today in Union, South Carolina. GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley took second in the XC1 class behind Strang, and FMF Makita Suzuki's Charlie Mullins finished third in the class. Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell topped the XC2 Pro Lites Class and edged Mullins for third overall on the day.

Results and point standings from the XC1 and XC2 pro classes are below.

XC1 1. Joshua Strang (Suz) 2. Paul Whibley (Kaw) 3. Charles Mullins (Suz) 4. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 5. Thaddeus DuVall (Yam) 6. Barry Hawk (Yam) 7. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 8. Jesse Robinson (Kaw) 9. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) 10. Jimmy Jarrett (Kaw)

GNCC XC1 Class Point Standings (After 4 of 13 rounds) 1. Paul Whibley (101/1 win); 2. Charles Mullins (94/1 win); 3. Joshua Strang (87/1 win); 4. Nathan Kanney (71); 5. Kurt Caselli (58); 6. Jimmy Jarett (56); 7. Barry Hawk (48); 8. Jesse Robinson (Kaw); 9. Thaddeus DuVall (34); 10. Ryan Gainey (33).

XC2 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 3. Jason Thomas (Yam) 4. Andrew Matusek (Kaw) 5. Jake Korn (KTM) 6. Robert Santheson (Kaw) 7. Ryan Echols (Hon) 8. Scott Watkins (Kaw) 9. Brian Lawson (Yam) 10 . Jonathan Woodford (Kaw)

GNCC XC2 Class Point Standings (After 4 of 13 rounds) 1. Kailub Russell (115/3 wins); 2. Cory Buttrick (98/1 win); 3. Jason Thomas (72); 4. Andrew Matusek (70); 5. Scott Watkins (66); 6. Jake Korn (55); 7. Brian Lawson (50); 8. Robert Santheson (46); 9. David Snyder (37); 10. Josh Weisenfels (36).

The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with the Acerbis Loretta Lynn's GNCC in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, on April 18th and 19th. For more information on the race, and full results of today's racing, visit www.gnccracing.com 

Whibley Whips Maxxis General GNCC

Whibley Wears Them Down at Maxxis General GNCC Jarrett, Strang on podium, Russell wins XC2

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series welcomed strategic, bar-to-bar racing back to the forefront at the Maxxis General GNCC in Georgia, but by the time the battle was over, GEICO/JG Racing Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley emerged as the last man standing. His teammate Jimmy Jarrett took second to give the team a historic 1-2 finish in just its second race ever. FMF Makita Suzuki's Josh Strang took third after colliding with Jarrett at the finish.

In total, 1471 riders competed in the race, a jump of 83 riders from last year's Maxxis General GNCC.

On a fast, rough track run under perfect weather conditions, Whibley battled with about seven other riders early on. Jarrett, Strang, FMF Suzuki's Charlie Mullins, Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney, Shock Doctor KTM's Nathan Kanney and KTM privateer Shane Watts ran in formation out front. Eventually, the battled boiled down to the two Kawasaki riders against the two Suzuki riders, with Jarrett and Whibley taking the top spots.

"It was awesome battling like we did for the first few laps," said Whibley, who nailed the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com Holeshot Award. "I was just trying to pick out lines. After the first gas, I think everyone picked up the pace. I didn't think I could go faster, but then I was able to do it. To finish one-two like that in our second race together, this is great."

"I went hard at mid race and got into the lead, but when Whibley caught me later on, I was done," said Jarrett. "He's just a machine out there, it's incredible."

As Jarrett fatigued on the last lap, Strang put in one more charge to try to get second. Before the finish line, the riders faced a big pile of truck tires nicknamed the Maxxis Tire Wall. As Strang bounced over the tires, his line came together with Jarrett's, and they collided and crashed hard. Strang felt bad for making the move, so he actually waved Jarrett back past him to give up second at the finish.

"Maybe it was a mistake, but Jimmy is a good friend and I didn't mean to run into him like that," said Strang. "I got food poisoning on Thursday so I didn't know how much I would have left. I gave it everything I had."

Mullins twisted his ankle and settled for fourth ahead of Kanney. Watts' day ended when his bike died, and Kearney twisted his already-broken leg in a rut, ending his day. Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk struggled with suspension settings and elected to pit for a new shock mid way through the race.

In the XC2 Class, Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell notched his second-straight win. Kawasaki privateer Andrew Matusek grabbed the $100 Cometic Holeshot Award and battled Russell early. Matusek got stuck in a mud hole, and Russell's teammate Cory Buttrick took over second. GEICO JG Racing Kawasaki's Scotty Watkins collected third.

"I didn't expect to do this," said Russell of dominating the first two rounds. "I've always had confidence in myself, but I just need to put together good races."

Buttrick pushed hard to catch Russell, but could get not higher than second. "We were using a lot of energy out there, and I'm not going to lie, I got tired," said Buttrick. "It's still a lot better than the first race in Florida, though."

Watkins rode consistently for third. "I haven't felt the best the last two weeks, so I'll take the points," said Watkins.

Monster Team Green Kawasaki's Jordan Ashburn collected top amateur honors with 14th overall and a win in the Open A class.

The $100 Ohlins Amateur Holeshot Award went to Senior C rider Kenny Sinclair.

The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series moves to Morganton, North Carolina for the FMF Steele Creek GNCC in, on March 21 and 22.

Results: Maxxis General GNCC Washington, GA March 8, 2009

XC1 Class 1. Paul Whibley (Kaw) 2. Jimmy Jarrett (Kaw) 3. Josh Strang (Suz) 4. Charles Mullins (Suz) 5. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 6. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 7. Homero Diaz (KTM) 8. Russell Bobbitt (KTM) 9. Nick Fahringer (HSB) 10. Kenneth Gilbert (Kaw)

XC2 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 3. Scott Watkins (Kaw) 4. Andrew Matusek (Kaw) 5. Jason Thomas (Yam) 6. David Snyder (Yam) 7. Robert Santheson (Kaw) 8. Josh Weisenfels (Yam) 9. Brian Lawson (Yam) 10. Eric Bailey (KTM)

About GNCC Racing: The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1973, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. Riders compete for more than $3 million in prize money, which draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and will air beginning April 4th on the Versus Network. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com 

For photos, contact Matt Ware: matt@racerxonline.com 

Mullins Fires the First Shot At GNCC Opener in Florida 
Whibley, Kanney on Podium, Russell Wins XC2 Class

In a wide-open Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, FMF Suzuki's Charlie Mullins made the first statement by taking a dominant wire-to-wire win at the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in Florida. After nabbing the $250 MotorcycleUSA.com Holeshot, Mullins put in a perfect day on a rough, sandy race track, with GEICO Monster Kawasaki's Paul Whibley and Shock Doctor KTM's Nathan Kanney taking the next spots on the podium.

"It was just one of those days where I couldn't make a mistake even if I tried to," said Mullins, and Ohio native who now lives in North Carolina. "I worked really hard to get this done, I'm pumped."

Behind Mullins, a variety of challengers stepped up to try to win the race. Whibley put on his typical late-race charge to net second in his first race for Kawasaki. "I usually don't get good starts, but this Kawasaki starts so well I started thinking holeshot," said Whibley. "So then I gassed it too quick and it didn't start. The first few laps, you couldn't go fast, it was dusty and there were too many guys. Once I finally got some traffic to clear, I could move up and start pushing it."

Whibley climbed from the back of the top ten into second with two laps to go, but Mullins upped his pace to keep the New Zealander at bay.

Kanney ran second early, and then 2000 GNCC Champion Shane Watts moved into second and put on an inspired charge until fatigue set in a few laps later. Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk ran with the lead pack, until his rear shock began to fade. Kanney ran into trouble, too when his rear brakes went out, leading to an extended pit stop. This opened the door to a hard-charging Whibley and Mullins' FMF Suzuki teammate Josh Strang. When Kanney stopped in the pits, Strang, who was way back early, moved all the way up to third. But then disaster struck for Strang when he ran out of gas on the last lap, the result of a problem with his dry break fuel system.

Kanney then mounted one more charge to get back into third. "At no point today did I plan on going out and just catching Charlie," said Kanney. "He rode phenomenal today. I feel good though. I worked hard to fill in the little holes in my training program, and it paid off today."

Mike Brown, the 2001 AMA 125 National Motocross Champion, rallied all day after a bad start to finish fourth. "It was good, I kept charging and honestly, when the white flag came out I had a good amount left," said Brown. "I sure had a bad start, though."

Hawk pulled through for fifth despite rear shock issues. "I felt great, I was having so much fun, and I was right where I wanted to be," said Hawk. "Then it started going away. Once Whibley passed me, I tried to stay with him and almost threw it away in the whoops. There was nothing I could do."

Hawk's teammate Thad DuVall suffered an even worse start to the year when he crashed halfway through the event and broke his wrist. DuVall's timetable for return is not yet known. Husqvarna's Glenn Kearney also had a hard day. The Australian broke his leg three weeks ago and managed to race anyway, finishing a valiant 13th overall and 10th in the XC1 class.

Similar to Mullins, Shock Doctor KTM's Kailub Russell rode to a dominant win in the XC2 Lites class by capturing the $100 Cometic Holeshot Award and riding away from his competition. "I've done some off-season races, but it seemed like I always had bad luck," said Russell. "I knew I would be okay if it just came together. I just kept my head down and rode my own pace."

Monster Energy Andrews Yamaha's Jason Thomas ran second all day. "I tried staying with Kailub early on, he was running a fast pace," said Thomas. "Then one of those sand whoops ate me up. I crashed hard, everything was a little fuzzy after that, so I just tried to bring it in."

New England's Jake Korn nailed third for his first GNCC podium. "This track was tough, it had everything," said Korn. "I liked it, though, you know, I'm from New England so I ride on sand."

Over 1200 different riders competed throughout the weekend.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues with the Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Georgia, this weekend, on March 7 and March 8. For more information and full race results, log on to www.gnccracing.com 

Photos by Matt Ware: matt@racerxonline.com 

Results: Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC Lake Wales, Florida March 3, 2009

XC1 Class 1. Charlie Mullins (Suz) 2. Paul Whibley (Kaw) 3. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 4. Mike Brown (KTM) 5. Barry Hawk (Yam) 6. Jimmy Jarrett (Kaw) 7. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 8. Dustin Gibson (HBG) 9. Jesse Robinson (Kaw) 10. Glenn Kearney (HSQ)

XC2 1. Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Jason Thomas (Yam) 3. Jake Korn (KTM) 4. Cory Buttrick (KTM) 5. Scott Watkins (Kaw)

Moose Racing Mechanic's Challenge Returns To GNCC Opener Next Week

On Monday night, March 2, the popular Moose Racing Mechanic's Challenge will again determine the fastest wrench and rider combination in the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. The special event will take place after the free Parts Unlimited dinner, held during the opening round of the 2009 GNCC tour, the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in Lake Wales, Florida.

"We want to recognize the true talent behind the scenes, because GNCC races are often won and lost in the pits," said Parts Unlimited's Rob Buydos, who will organize the event. "I know that some top mechanics have been practicing this event in search of the lucrative cash prize."

Each rider will begin with a dead engine start, GNCC style, before blasting down a straightaway, stopping and putting his bike on a stand. From there, a mechanic must remove the bike's rear wheel, run around to the other side of the bike, and then bolt the wheel back up. The rider then restarts the bike and blasts back toward the start area to stop the watch. A special time bonus will be given to anyone who can do a front "stoppie" and transition the bike onto the stand at the finish.

"Last year we ran the event on sand, but this year we will run on paved pits, so I think the chances of someone pulling off the elusive stoppie onto the stand are very good," says Buydos. "We will also add a special twist, an additional challenge, that we'll announce at the event."

The cash purse will be generated through fan donations during the Parts Unlimited dinner. Last year's Florida purse hit $600, and the Am-Pro Yamaha tandem of Jason and Darryl Raines snagged the prize. Team Raines will attempt to defend their crown against the winner of the Moose Mechanic's Challenge from last year's Ironman GNCC in Indiana, Joey Mauer and Jason "UK" Thomas of the Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha team. Jimmy Jarrett and mechanic Jimmy Woodford of the GEICO/JG Racing Kawasaki team has committed to the event as well, with several other pro entries expected.

The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, after the free Parts Unlimited dinner for racers concludes. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., just after Monday practice concludes at 5 p.m.

The Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC features a full four-day GNCC schedule, with ATVs practicing on Saturday, February 28, and racing on Sunday, March 1. Bike riders practice on Monday, March 2, and race on Tuesday, March 3. On race days, the pro-events begin at 1 p.m. Two-day passes, which included full pit access, cost $15, and tickets are available at the gate. For more information on the event, go to www.gnccracing.com 

Wide-Open Battle for GNCC Championship Begins Next Week

David Knight's return to Europe for the 2009 season puts the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Championship up for grabs, and next week a huge pack of factory-supported talent will begin the fight for it. The Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in Lake Wales, Florida, takes place on Tuesday, March 3, and the best off-road talent in the world knows that race kicks off their best chance ever to conquer America's largest off-road series.

Knight's departure creates a big hole for the Red Bull KTM team he rode for, but the squad will remain in contention thanks to two well-proven talents. California's Kurt Caselli, the 2007 WORCS Champion, switches to the GNCC Series this year. The sandy GNCC opener in Florida will lend itself to Caselli's skills. Two years ago, he finished fourth overall at the Florida GNCC riding a 250 four-stroke, and this time he will have his KTM 250XC two-stroke aimed for a win. His teammate, New York's Nathan Kanney already knows what winning feels like, as he took a dominant win at the final GNCC round last season.

The FMF Suzuki team sharpens their attack in 2009 with two riders, Charlie Mullins and Josh Strang. "Hot Rod" Mullins' 2008 season included ups and downs, but the man many have dubbed the future of GNCC racing won't be satisfied unless he lands this year's title. His Australian teammate Strang was voted "Most Improved Rider" for his breakthrough 2008 season, where he won a race, collected seven podiums and took third in the final standings. The 20-year-old spent this off-season training with five-time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith.

The Am-Pro Yamaha team will run a unique strategy for the 2009 season, deploying the oldest contender in the XC1 Pro Class, 2003 GNCC Champion Barry Hawk, as well as the youngest, 19-year-old rookie threat "Bad" Thad DuVall. Hawk, who also notched seven GNCC ATV Championships in the 1990s, is the most accomplished rider in GNCC history. His experience and determination should make him a threat as he switches to a Yamaha WR450F this season. DuVall, the 2008 GNCC XC2 Lites (250F) Champion, enters the XC1 class with more hype than any rookie ever. The two-time GNCC Youth Overall Champion is the son of former GNCC pro contender Chad DuVall. He nailed a podium at the final GNCC race last year after switching to a 450, and he also challenged Knight for a win at the Snowshoe GNCC while riding a 250F.

Last year's GNCC runner up, Paul Whibley, switches to the GEICO/JG Racing Kawasaki squad. The "Axeman" from New Zealand made a habit of wearing down his competition on his way to taking three wins last season, and he hopes to turn his incredible work ethic into a championship. Jimmy Jarrett will also race for the team. The former GNCC amateur standout hopes the new team will give him the focus needed to break through and win more races.

The rejuvenated Husqvarna factory effort broke through last year when Australian veteran Glenn Kearney put his red and white machine on the podium. Kearney will now switch from a 450 four-stroke to a WR300 two-stroke in search of a victory.

Husaberg will also head to the front lines of GNCC competition with last year's XC2 runner up, Dustin Gibson, at the controls of their radical new FE450.

Even Gas Gas has gotten into the fray this season by signing 2007 GNCC XC2 Champion Justin Williamson to race the XC1 class on their 300EC two-stroke. Williamson, who has already finished on the podium in the GNCC XC1 class, will put his work ethic to the test after two solid seasons with KTM.

With DuVall and Gibson out of the XC2 Lites class, that championship is up for grabs, too. KTM has two contenders in former GNCC amateur standouts Kailub Russell and Cory Buttrick. Scotty Watkins spearheads the effort for the GEICO/JG Racing team in XC2, and the Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha team features Welsh rider Jason Thomas, who won a race last year, and Arkansas veteran Josh Weisenfels.

The bikes race as part of a full four-day GNCC weekend, with ATVs practicing on Saturday, February 28, and racing on Sunday, March 1. Bike riders practice on Monday, March 2, and race on Tuesday, March 3. On race days, the pro-events begin at 1 p.m. Two-day passes, which included full pit access, cost $15, and tickets are available at the gate. For more information on the event, go to www.gnccracing.com 

Husqvarna offering over $400,000 in GNCC Contingency

Long-time Can-Am Grand National Cross Country supporter Husqvarna is doling out $406,075 in contingency for the 2009 GNCC Series. The funds will be spread over 25 classes in the form of series' bonuses and individual race performance rewards. Husqvarna awards the XC1 class race winner $5,000, followed by $2,500 for second, and $1,000 for third.

"Last season the Husqvarna National Contingency Program paid out a serious amount of money to Husqvarna riders throughout the country and our intention is to keep the momentum going in 2009," said Scot Harden, Husqvarna Sales & Marketing Manager.

"Any way you slice it this 2009 contingency program is a further demonstration of Husqvarna's deep commitment to the sport of off-road racing and it is our sincere hope to reward the many riders who support the U.S. off-road racing scene, too," Harden said.

Husqvarna Motorcycles NA, LLC has formed a pact with XTRM Sports Network. With a potential payout of more than $12-million, Husqvarna's National Contingency Fund will be offered online via www.XTRM.com covering a broad spectrum of motorcycle racing events.

For more information on the GNCC payout, visit www.gnccracing.com/pages/2009-gncc-contingency-programs

The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series begins with The Parts Unlimited River Ranch in River Ranch, FL on February 28- March 3. For more information on the race, visit www.gnccracing.com

KTM Offers $136,750 in Contingency for GNCC Racing

Long-time Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series supporter KTM has announced their 2009 GNCC Contingency program. The ATV program pays out for all 13 rounds, while the bike program provides year-end awards for KTM riders who do well in their final class point standings.

For ATV, KTM awards the XC1 class race winner $1,500, followed by $1,000 for second, and $500 for third. The XC2 race winner earns $750, second takes home $500 and third $250. KTM also pays contingency in a variety of amateur classes.

The bike program awards the GNCC Series Overall Champion $3,000 followed by $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third. The XC2 Pro Lites Champion receives $1,000. KTM also pays contingency in a variety of bike amateur classes.

"KTM is happy to announce that it will continue to support the loyal KTM customers with a GNCC contingency program for 2009," said Antti Kallonen, KTM Off-Road Team Manager. "In addition, KTM will also continue its customer service trackside support program for all KTM riders at each round of the GNCC Series."

Rekluse Holeshot Award Returns to GNCC Series

Rekluse, maker of the popular Rekluse Z-Start Automatic Clutch, returns to the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country tour as an associate sponsor for the 2009 season. In addition, following the success of Rekluse riders grabbing numerous GNCC holeshots last season, Rekluse will once again sponsor the GNCC XC2 Pro-Am Class ATV Holeshot Award, worth $100 at each GNCC round.

"Our first year of full involvement with GNCC gave us an opportunity to meet a lot of racers and allowed us to showcase our products," said Patrick Koether, sponsorship program manager at Rekluse. "But in this case it's really the riders showcasing the products. Not only are we honoring whoever gets the holeshot, but in many cases, they are Rekluse sponsored riders. That is always an exciting thing for a manufacturer."

In the GNCC ATV XC2 class, the rider who gets the holeshot receives the $100 Rekluse Holeshot Award. In 2008, 10 of 13 XC2 holeshots were grabbed by Rekluse riders.

To kick off the 2009 campaign, the Rekluse Roadshow will be on hand at each of the first six rounds of the GNCC season, providing technical and sales support for GNCC racers.

"We got to know the GNCC program last year, and we will hope to step that up this year," Koether said. "We'd like to bring new riders to the table. We're just really excited to be involved with GNCC racing."

For more information on Rekluse products, visit www.rekluse.com.

The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off with the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in Lake Wales, Florida, on February 28-March 3. For more information, visit www.gnccracing.com 

Final 2009 GNCC Locations and Dates Announced

Racer Productions, producers of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, have announced the final schedule and locations for the 2009 Can-Am GNCC tour. The 2009 GNCC dates were originally announced in July 2008, but underwent changes twice to accommodate a shift in the 2009 International Six-Days Enduro schedule. Included in the official locations for the 13-round 2009 tour are two new tracks.

The series begins with a new round at West Gate River Ranch in River Ranch, Florida. Located about an hour outside of Orlando, the River Ranch facility offers amazing amenities for an off-road race, including paved parking and pits, a golf course, horseback riding, fishing, trap and skeet shooting, and even a live rodeo. Racers may camp at the track or enjoy the many high-end accommodations available on site. More information is available at the official West Gate River Ranch site, www.wgriverranch.com  .

Round six also features a new location, with the Titan GNCC in Lafayette, Tennessee, which sits just outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The facility managers plan to build brand-new trails for the race, and the land provides plenty of room for the expanding GNCC tour.

The rest of the schedule mimics the successful 2008 campaign, concluding with the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in October.

2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Schedule

• Rd. 1 Feb 28-Mar 3 River Ranch River Ranch FL
• Rd. 2 Mar 7/8 The General Washington GA
• Rd. 3 Mar 21/22 Steele Creek Morganton NC
• Rd. 4 Apr 4/5 Big Buck Union SC
• Rd. 5 Apr 18/19 Loretta Lynn's Hurricane Mills TN
• Rd. 6 May 2/3 The Titan Lafayette TN
• Rd. 7 May 16/17 Mountain Ridge Somerset PA
• Rd. 8 Jun 6/7 The John Penton Millfield OH
• Rd. 9 Jun 27/28 Snowshoe Snowshoe WV
• Rd. 10 Sep 12/13 Unadilla New Berlin NY
• Rd. 11 Sep 26/27 Yadkin Valley Stomp Yadkinville NC
• Rd. 12 Oct 3/4 Power Line Park St. Clairsville OH
• Rd. 13 Oct 24/25 The Ironman Crawfordsville IN

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

Paul Whibley Leads Suzuki Sweep at ITP Power Line Park GNCC

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.

Knight is Winner and Champion at Unadilla GNCC DuVall Wins to Clinch XC2 Lites Title

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

Knight Extends Points Lead with Snowshoe GNCC Victory - Snowshoe, W.Va - 13th Sept. , 2008

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

US GNCC – Rnd 9, The Mountain Ridge GNCC, Somerset, PA, 6.7.2008

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.”

Kanney grabs podium finish at Mountain Ridge GNCC

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

Strang Wins Elka Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC by Jason Weigandt Sunday, June 22, 2008 

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."

Results

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

US GNCC – Rnd 1, The Triton GNCC, Melbourne, FL, 4.3.2008

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
2. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 2.52:01 3. Garrett Edmisten (Kawasaki) 2.52:04 4. Barry Hawk (Yamaha) 2.52:06 5. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 2.53:16 6. Nate Kanney (KTM) 2.53:26 7. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 2.53:31 8. Jesse Robinson (Kawasaki) 2.54:16 9. Gordon Crockard (Husqvarna) 2.57:03 10. Thad DuVall (Yamaha) 2.57:11

2008 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Schedule
Rnd 1 March 1-4 The Triton Melbourne, Fla. 
Rnd 2 March 8/9 The General Washington,Ga.
Rnd 3 March 29/30 Steele Creek Morganton, N.C.
Rnd 4 April 12/13 Big Buck Union, S.C.
Rnd 5 April 26/27 Loretta Lynn’s Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Rnd 6 May 10/11 The John Penton Millfield, Ohio
Rnd 7 May 31/June1 The Spartan Sparta, Ky.
Rnd 8 June 21/22 Yadkin Valley Stomp Yadkinville, N.C.
Rnd 9 July 5/6 Mountain Ridge Somerset, Pa.
Rnd 10 Sept. 13/14 The Snowshoe Snowshoe,W. Va.
Rnd 11 Sept. 27/28 Unadilla New Berlin, N.Y.
Rnd 12 Oct. 11/12 Power Line Park St. Clairsville, Ohio
Rnd 13 Oct. 25/26 The Ironman Crawfordsville, Ind.  

GNCC Series; Yadkinville, NC: Round 10: 10.09.2006

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