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Kanney Wins
MotorcycleUSA.com Snowshoe GNCC
Jesse Robinson and
Chris Bach round out the overall podium.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Nate Kanney pocketed $10,000 with his win at the
Snowshoe.
Snowshoe, WV (June 27, 2010)
- Nate Kanney couldn't have picked a better race to
score his first win of the year. After suffering
through back to back mid-pack finishes at the previous
two rounds of the series, the FMF/KTM rider from New
York came back with a vengeance to win the biggest
race on the 2010 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country
schedule - the MotorcycleUSA.com
Snowshoe GNCC - which pays a whopping $10,000 bonus
for first overall.
Kanney's win didn't come easy,
however, as KTM XC2 rider Jesse Robinson fought Kanney
tooth and nail for the win, the two riders going back
and forth over the final lap in a tight and exciting
race before Robinson finally got stuck in a muddy rut,
leaving Kanney to cruise home with the win.
"After the last two races I
went home and just spewed in my own anger," said
Kanney. "Then I went out and rode rocks every day
for three weeks getting ready for this race. I was
determined to win this race and I told so many people
that I was going to win it that I had to back it
up."
There's no question that Kanney
prefers the more difficult courses, and this year's
Snowshoe was the toughest of the year. Set at an
awe-inspiring venue - the Snowshoe Mountain Resort in
Snowshoe, West Virginia - this year's event was 27
miles of the most rugged terrain imaginable and
Kanney's New York rock riding skills paid off in
spades. The allure of an extra $50,000 purse ponied up
by Motorcycle-USA.com and Snowshoe Mountain Resort
might have added a little extra incentive, as well.
"It definitely puts some
pressure on you, riding for that much money,"
Kanney added. "I just had a sense of urgency and
I went out there and got it done."
Photo By: Shan Moore
sse Robinson was oh so close to getting the win.
Robinson, who was riding a 250cc
two-stroke in a field dominated by 450 four-strokes,
led much of the race after getting off to a good start
and working his way quickly through traffic. And late
in the race Robinson looked like a good bet to become
the first XC2 rider to "overall" a GNCC.
However, his misfortunate slip into a muddy rut with
just two miles to go in the race relegated him to
second overall - although, he still took home a
generous $5,000 bonus for his efforts.
"I hated to be the one to make
the mistake, but that's how it goes," said
Robinson. "Nate was leading and I went around
this mud hole and he started through it and then
changed his mind and that allowed me to get the lead.
I pulled about 20 seconds on him and I came up on this
little hill with about two miles to go and I just kind
of slid out. I thought it was no problem and then I
realized I was really stuck. I had to get off and push
it backwards with my shoulder on the number plate to
get un-stuck and Nate went around me. I have to say
congratulations to Nate, he made the least mistakes
today."
Completing a KTM sweep of the
overall podium was Clockwork/Ride PG/KTM rider Chris
Back, who pocketed $3,000 for finishing third overall.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Cory Buttrick was third in the XC1 class.
"I just got up front and rode my
butt off all day," said Bach. "We've had
some growing pains during the last few rounds and I
think we've got them worked out."
In addition to his third-place
finish in the overall results, Bach also finished
second in the XC1 division behind Kanney. Third in the
XC1 class went to FMF/KTM's Cory Buttrick, who was
coming off of his first-ever XC1 victory at the John
Penton three weeks earlier. Buttrick came from back in
the pack to land on the podium.
"I got hung up in the power
line section and lost some positions and it seemed
like every time I was behind someone something stupid
would happen," said Buttrick. "But I knew
after the first lap that most of this stuff was going
to change and you wouldn't be able to recognize it. So
basically I just kept riding hard and every lap I
picked people off."
Charlie Mullins finished fourth
after running as high as third near the end of the
race. The Obermeyer/Am Pro/FMF Yamaha rider snagged a
rock during the early going and broke a toe on his
right foot, making it difficult to use the rear brake.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Charlie MUllins broke a toe but still finished
fourth.
Am Pro/FMF Yamaha's Barry Hawk Jr.
turned in a solid performance to finish fifth, while
FMF/Makita Suzuki rider Josh Strang maintained his
series points lead with a sixth.
A pair of Husqvarna riders, Glenn
Kearney and Kenneth Gilbert, finished seventh and
eighth, with Am-Pro/FMF Yamaha rider Paul Whibley and
Jedediah Haines (Kaw) rounding out the top 10.
In addition to finishing second
overall, Jesse Robinson also won the XC2 class, his
second win of the year in the division. Monster Energy
Andrews Cycles' Jason Thomas was second ahead of
GEICO/JG Off Road/Monster Energy Kawasaki's Scotty
Watkins.
"I got off to a good start and
got up into the top five," said Thomas. "I
followed those guys and picked some of them off, but
they were going so fast that when you make a mistake
you would lose 20 seconds. I just make too many
mistakes today, but I picked up some valuable
points."
Watkins' third place finish marked
his fourth podium of the year.
"It was definitely a tough race
today," said Watkins. "It got hot and I got
a little tired there at the end. But this is the type
of race I like - a really tough one - and the
conditions were in my favor, I just wish I had done a
little better."
Photo By: Shan Moore
Jason Thomas was second in the XC2 class.
Former XC2 champ, Justin Williamson,
finished fourth on a Yamaha, while FMF/KTM's Kailub
Russell, the XC2 series points leader, broke his shift
lever off on the opening lap and was only able to
manage a fifth place finish after holding the lead
during the early stages.
Meanwhile, Zach Nolan finished 14th
overall to claim the Overall Amateur Award.
"I just knew this was going to
be a long and tough track and I just tried to stay
consistent," said Nolan.
Despite having to do a tire change
on the second lap of the race, Aprilla-mounted Gary
Fridley won the Sportsman A class in the morning race,
and in the process also claimed the top overall
Amateur position. It was his second win in a row in
the Sportsman A class.
"I'm from West Virginia and I
ride this kind of stuff all the time, so I really
enjoyed the race," said Fridley. "The big
hill was bad. On the last lap I couldn't find a line
up it and I had to get off the bike and clear a
line."
In the Youth race, Yamaha rider
Layne Michael claimed his seventh win of the year in
the Super Mini (14-15) class and also claimed the
Youth Overall, his fourth time to do so this year.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross
Series will return to action on September 11th and
12th for the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC, held in New Berlin,
New York.
XC1 Results:
1. Nate Kanney (KTM)
2. Chris Bach (KTM) 3. Cory
Buttrick (KTM) 4. Charlie
Mullins (Yam) 5. Barry Hawk Jr. (Yam) 6. Josh Strang (Suz)
7. Glenn Kearney (Hsq) 8.
Kenneth Gilbert (Hsq) 9. Paul Whibley (Yam) 10.
Jedediah Haines (Kaw)
XC1 Standings:
1. Josh Strang (211/4
wins) 2. Charlie Mullins (194/3 wins) 3. Cory Buttrick
(175/1 win) 4. Paul Whibley (164) 5. Chris Bach (150)
6. Nate Kanney (142/1 win) 7. Glenn Kearney (135) 8.
Barry Hawk Jr. (109) 9. Kenneth Gilbert (104) 10. Eric
Bailey (87)
XC2 Results:
1. Jesse Robinson (KTM)
2. Jason Thomas (Yam) 3. Scott Watkins (Kaw) 4. Justin
Williamson (Yam) 5. Kailub Russell (KTM) 6. Brian
Lawson (Yam) 7. David Snyder (Yam) 8. Mark Fortner (Hsq)
9. Steward Baylor Jr. KTM) 10. Nick Davis (KTM)
XC2 Standings:
1. Kailub Russell
(223/5 wins) 2. Jason Thomas (215/1 win) 3. Jesse
Robinson (210/1 win) 4. Scott Watkins (168) 5. Steward
Baylor Jr. (144) 6. David Snyder (114) 7. Mark Fortner
(103) 8. Brian Lawson (101) 9. Dustin Gibson (93) 10.
Nicholas Hunter (80)
About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross
Country Series is America's premier off-road racing
series. Founded in 1979, 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, competing
for more than $3 million in prizes. With varied
terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and
motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both
survival and speed. For more information, please visit
www.gnccracing.com
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