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Borich Wins
Ironman GNCC Thriller in Indiana
Ockerman, Ballance on podium, Cecco wins Women's
Title
Chris Borich matched his opening round
win by taking the season-finale Klotz
Ironman GNCC victory.
Donnie Ockerman scored second for the
second-straight race.
Ballance scored the ITP Holeshot Award,
edging Matt Smiley.
Traci Cecco grabbed her seventh GNCC
Women's Title.
Krista Shaw photos |
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (October 15, 2008) --
Pennsylvania's Chris Borich clearly has his
Rockstar Yoshimura Suzuki LT-R 450 figured out,
as he completed a book end of the 2008 Can-Am
Grand National Cross Country tour with a victory
at the Klotz Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville,
Indiana. Borich won the series' opener in
Florida but struggled at mid season before
winning a dramatic duel at the final series'
round.
“We were all just battling all day, it was wide
open out there,” said Borich. “We've got this
Suzuki figured out on the muddy tracks, should
be good for 2009.”
GNCC XC2 Champion Don Ockerman finished second
for the second-straight race on his GT Thunder
Yamaha, an impressive debut in the XC1 pro
class. GNCC Champion Bill Ballance rounded out
the podium on his Yamaha, edging FRE KTM's Adam
McGill by inches.
Ballance grabbed the ITP Holeshot Award and
battled with Borich all day. Borich led as the
pack took the white flag, but Ballance made a
move to get into the lead. By then Ballance had
lost his goggles from following Borich through
the mud, and he took a bad line through a mud
hole, allowing Borich and Ockerman to get past
him.
“I thought we had it won, but I couldn't see
that well, Chris was really throwing it on me,”
said Ballance. “I took a line that I thought
looked pretty good, but it turned out to be a
terrible line and I almost got stuck.”
Ockerman followed Borich through to take second,
which resulted in major cheers from his local
Indiana fans. “We tried a different strategy in
the pits, we pitted a lap late,” said Ockerman.
“It helped us get in front and pull a gap, and
we almost pulled it off. Once I had to pit I
went back a few spots, but when I got around
Ballance, I couldn't believe it. I was so
excited, I just held it wide open to the
finish.”
Ballance kept battling with McGill, and the two
pushed side-by-side through the final whoop
section before the finish. Ballance held off
McGill by half of a tire length for third.
McGill took fourth, while Warnert Racing Can-Am's
Chris Bithell completed the top five.
After clinching the 2008 GNCC Bike Championship,
David Knight entered the ATV race in the XC1 pro
class for fun. Knighter finished the full two
hours, claiming 22nd in the class and 49th
overall.
With Ockerman out of the XC2 division, Tom Clark
Motorsports' Josh Kirkland railed to another win
ahead of National Guard's Mark Nottman and
Kawasaki rider Dustin Canipe, who also grabbed
the Rekluse Holeshot award.
While Ballance and McGill had already wrapped up
their titles in the XC1 and XC2 classes,
respectively, the Women's Championship remained
up for grabs between Yamaha's Traci Cecco and
Tom Clark Motorsports' Angel Atwell. Both riders
suffered through crashes, bad luck and
misfortune throughout the day, at one point even
locking their two machines together in a field
section. Late in the race, Cecco rallied to get
the class win and with it her seventh GNCC
Womens Title.
“I was nervous, I admit it,” said Cecco. “I
haven't even been able to sleep lately. I got a
bad start, I hit a tree on the first lap, and
then Angel and I came together in a field, I
couldn't believe it, we were locked. She got out
ahead of me, but I just told myself to calm down
and take my time. I managed to pass her and it
was looking good, but then I went over the bars
on the last lap. I'm just so relieved right
now.”
Bryan Buckhannon led wire to wire to win the
ATVRiders.com Morning Race Overall on his ATV
Parts Plus/LTERacing.com Can-Am. Scott Kilby
finished second and Robert Smith finished third,
winning the U2 class.
Josh Merritt won the Youth Race overall and also
claimed the 2008 GNCC Youth Championship on his
Cobra.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross
Country Series concludes with tomorrow's bike
racing at the Ironman.
Results:
Klotz Ironman GNCC
Crawfordsville, IN
October 25, 2008
XC1
Class
1.Chris Borich (Suz)
2.Don Ockerman (Yam)
3.Bill Ballance (Yam)
4.Adam McGill (KTM)
5.Chris Bithell (Can)
6.Brandon Sommers (Yam)
7.Bryan Cook (Hon)
8.Jarrod McClure (Hon)
9.Ryan Lane (Hon)
10.Matt Smiley (Hon)
Can-Am Grand National Cross Country
Series points:
Ballance 283
Borich 241
McGill 236
Cook
223
Sommers 215
About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross
Country series is America’s premier off-road
racing series. The 13-round championship series
is produced exclusively by Racer Productions and
has run since 1973. Cross country racing is one
of the most physically demanding sports in the
world. The nearly three-hour long GNCC races
lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks
ranging from eight to twelve miles in length.
With varied terrain including hills, woods, mud,
dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events
are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC
Racing will air weekly television shows on the
Versus network starting August 2. GNCC featured
sponsors include Can-Am, Parts Unlimited, Moose
Racing, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Acerbis, Elka,
Geico, Klotz, FMF, ITP and Weekend Warrior, and
riders compete for over $3 million in series
prizes and contingency money. Associate sponsors
include Alpinestars, Cometic, HiPer Technology,
Laegers, Moose Utility Division, The National
Guard, Powersport Grafx, REM, Scott, Thor, Tire
Balls, Twin Air, Ogio, Rekluse, and MotoTee’s.
For more information log on to
www.gnccracing.com.
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