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ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV/MC MOUNTAINEER GNCC ATV RACE REPORT

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV/MC MOUNTAINEER

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer: GNCC ATV Race Report

Walker Fowler Earns 76th Career Overall Win in West Virginia

Words by Kayla Bolton, Photos by Ken Hill and Mack Faint

BECKLEY, W.Va.  – The Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued its 2024 season with The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer at Summit Bechtel Reserve in Beckley, West Virginia.

Walker Fowler battled back to earn his 76th career win, surpassing Borich on the All Time Wins list.
Walker Fowler battled back to earn his 76th career win, surpassing Borich on the All Time Wins list.Ken Hill

When the ten seconds call was made and the green flag flew it was BulletProof Doorz/Kenda Tires/Senge Graphic’s Ronnie Rusch jumping off the line to grab the $250 Kanati Performance Tires XC1 Holeshot Award. Rusch would continue to hold the lead for the first two laps of the race, but a hard-charging WFR/GBC/Fly Racing/BNR/Yamaha Racing’s Walker Fowler was coming behind him. Fowler would push and make the pass stick over Rusch with two laps remaining. Fowler and Rusch would continue on to see the white flag, but the reigning champion was on the move from his sixth place start.

Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Brycen Neal would make the pass to second on the last lap, with Fowler running ahead of him. Fowler would continue to push on and come through the finish line to earn the overall win and his 76th career win, earning him the top spot on the ATV All-Times Win list over Chris Borich. Neal would battle back through to earn second overall on the day, earning valuable championship points as the season heads into its penultimate round in just two weeks.

Ronnie Rusch earned his first-ever pro podium, and XC1 Pro top three finishing positon as he rounded out the podium. 
Ronnie Rusch earned his first-ever pro podium, and XC1 Pro top three finishing positon as he rounded out the podium.Ken Hill

Rusch would hold on to earn his first-ever overall podium spot with a third overall in the race and the XC1 Pro class. Phoenix Racing Yamaha/Action Off-Road’s John Glauda Jr. battled up in third for the first half of the race, but he would ultimately finish in the fourth place position. Sturdivant Racing’s Branden Owens lined up once again in the XC1 Pro class and found himself battling within the top five for the duration of the race. Owens would come through timing and scoring to see the checkered flag and finish fifth overall.

JMR/GBC/Elka/Moose Racing’s Jarrod McClure battle back-and-forth between the fifth and sixth place position for the entire two-hour race. McClure would come through to finish sixth overall on the day. McGill Mafia/OBOR Tires/Moose Racing’s Adam McGill would come back to finish seventh on the day, with Action Off-Road/AMSOIL/CB Racing’s Chris Borich crossing the line eighth in West Virginia.

Making his way back inside the top ten to finish ninth on the day was Action Off-Road/GBC/BNR Motorsports’ Joshua Merritt. Hunter Hart Racing/Fly Racing/Ithaca Recreation Sports’ Hunter Hart would round out the top ten XC1 Pro finishers on the day. Unfortunately for your last race winner, Action Off-Road/GBC/Houser Racing’s Wyatt  Wilkin, he would have a mechanical issue after lap one and would be unable to finish.

Grayson Eller (Phoenix Racing Yamaha) earned the XC2 Pro-Am class win on Saturday afternoon.
Grayson Eller (Phoenix Racing Yamaha) earned the XC2 Pro-Am class win on Saturday afternoon. – Ken Hill

As the XC2 Pro-Am class took off it was BNR Motorsports/GBC/Pierce Performance/FXR’s Kenny Shick earning the $100 BNR Motorsports XC2 Holeshot Award, but it wouldn’t take long for CST Tires/LMR Motors/Elka/Fly Racing’s Braxton Grosse to make his move into the lead position. Grosse would continue to lead for the first two laps of the race, but he would have Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Grayson Eller hot on his heels, and making a pass for the lead as the white flag came out indicating one more lap.

Eller would continue to push and come through to earn his fourth XC2 class win of the season. BNR Motorsports/Pierce Performance/GBC Tire’s Alex Thieman would work his way up to second on the day after coming through fourth on the opening lap and pushing himself throughout the remainder of the race. Grosse would hold on to round out the podium with a third place finish after leading the opening laps.

Earning the Top Amateur honors at The Mountaineer was Andre Williams who came through 18th overall and earning the College A (16-18) class win. Jeremiah Wolf would be second on the Top Amateur podium as he came through 20th overall and second in the College A class. Rounding out the Top Amateur podium was Brody Livengood who came through 23rd overall and first in the Junior A (19+) class.

Cody Collier (Kenda/KMK/Ryco Electric) came back to earn the 4x4 Pro class win at round 11. 
Cody Collier (Kenda/KMK/Ryco Electric) came back to earn the 4×4 Pro class win at round 11.Ken Hill

As the 4×4 Pro racers took off it was KMK Off-Road/OBOR Tires/FXR Racing’s Kaden Wharff grabbing the $100 BNR Motorsports 4×4 Pro Holeshot Award. Wharff would continue to lead the way as they headed into the wood for the first lap, and as the race continued on Wharff would continue to maintain the lead. As the white flag came out Wharff was still out front, but he would have a freight train of riders behind him ready to strike and take that win away.

While out on the last lap Wharff would have a mishap that would set him back and see Kenda/KMK/Ryco Electric’s Cody Collier take over the lead after running second for the first part of the race. Collier would come through to take the win, while Pro Row 784/TMS/Edgewood/DeRisi Racing’s Brandon Frazier would come through second on the day and SBR/Action Off-Road/DeRisi Racing/HMF’s Haedyn Mickelson rounding out the top three in class and overall after he started his day back in sixth. Wharff would cross the line fifth in class.

Chloe Harper (center) earned the WXC class win, Jessica Elioff (left) and Hannah Hunter (right) rounded out the top three WXC finishers.
Chloe Harper (center) earned the WXC class win, Jessica Elioff (left) and Hannah Hunter (right) rounded out the top three WXC finishers. – Ken Hill

In the WXC class it was JMR/Action Off-Road/GBC/Moose Racing’s Katelyn Osburn jumping off the line first to earn the $100 BNR Motorsports WXC Holeshot Award and the early lead as they headed into the woods. Osburn would hold the lead for the duration of the first lap but would soon have the hard-charging Osburn Off-Road/Pierce Performance/Moose Racing’s Chloe Harper right behind her. Harper was able to make the pass on Osburn and continue to push herself out front. Harper would continue to lead the race for the next three laps and come through to take the checkered flag first in the WXC class.

Elioff Racing/BNR Motorsports/GBC Tire’s Jessica Elioff would have to work her way up through the pack after a fourth place start to the day. Elioff continued to push herself each lap inching closer and closer to the lead; however, she would run out of time before being able to make a true push on Harper. Elioff would finish second on the day in class. Kenda Tires/Moose Racing/Teixeira Tech’s Hannah Hunter would make her way up to a podium position in the WXC class after starting her day back in the fifth place position. Unfortunately for Osubrn after starting her day out front, she would finish the day just off the podium in fourth.

Avery Collins (center) earned herself the Youth ATV overall win and YXC1 class win. Jackson Hancock and Noah Lykins rounded out the top three youth finishers.
Avery Collins (center) earned herself the Youth ATV overall win and YXC1 class win. Jackson Hancock and Noah Lykins rounded out the top three youth finishers.Ken HIll

The ATV Youth race was an exciting one to watch on Saturday. As racing got underway it was Kole Brandt leading the way for the first three laps of the race, while the battles were heating up behind him. Avery Collins would find herself battling at the front of the pack and making the move into the lead with just two laps remaining. Collins would continue to push for the remainder of the race, coming through to earn her first overall win and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. (13-15) class win. Jackson Hancock would push through to earn second overall on the day and the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. (12-13) class win. Noah Lykins would continue to battle back to round out the top three overall and finish second in YXC1. Garret Cox would come through to earn third in the YXC1 class, while Jacob Smallwood and Evan Leisure came through the finish rounding out the top three in the YXC2 class.

Other winners in the ATV Youth race were Keelyn Eichelberger in the 250 (13-15) class, Eli McCrary in the 250 (13-15) Limited class, Camden Phillips in the 125 (8-12) class, Tate Hall in the 125 (8-12) Limited class, Gracin Brand in the 90 (8-12) class, Gracie Wolfe in the Schoolgirl (12-15) class, Raelynn Dickerson in the Girls Sr. (12-15) class, Lydia Arnold in the Girls Jr. (8-11)class and Abigail Haltermanin the 70 CVT (6-11) class.

Ryder Tenney clinched the Micro ATV overall win first thing Saturday morning in West Virginia.
Ryder Tenney clinched the Micro ATV overall win first thing Saturday morning in West Virginia.Ken Hill

As racing got underway Saturday morning with the ATV Micro race it would be Ryder Tenney coming through first to take the overall and MXC1 (8-9) class win. Fellow MXC1 racer, Chad McCormick would take second overall and, in the class, while Casen Jennings would round out the top three finishers overall and earn himself the MXC2 (6-8) class win. Cason Knecht rounded out the top three MXC1 class finishers as Kolston Wilson and Justin Collins Jr. rounded out the top three MXC2 class finishers on the day. Cash Knecht would battle back and earn the 50 Sr. (6-7) class win, Bruce Wyland earned the 50 Jr. (4-5) class win while Henry Cecco earned the 90 Stock (8-9) class win and Gabriella Grimes earned herself the 110 CVT (8-9) class win in West Virginia.

Tripp Lewis earned the Micro Bike overall win on Saturday at round 11.
Tripp Lewis earned the Micro Bike overall win on Saturday at round 11.Mack Faint

In the Bike Micro race, it was Tripp Lewis coming through to earn the overall win as well as the MXC1 (8-9) class win followed by Daxton Mullins coming through second overall on the day and in the MXC1 class, while Kane Morrison made the move up to MXC1 and grabbed the third overall spot on the podium. In the MXC2 (6-8) class it was Cade Propst taking home the win while Maura Tsakanikas and Canon Freeman rounded out the top three in the class. Ryder Baricska would come through to take home the 50 Sr. 1 (7) class win, Baron Evkovich earned the 50 Sr. 2 (6) class win, Braddox Hall grabbed the 50 Jr. 1 (6-7) class win, and Jacobi Duvall took the 50 Jr. 2 (4-5) class win. Deegan Deel would earn the Micro-E (4-7) class win, Codie-Mae Lloyd earned the Micro (4-6) Shaft Drive class win and Alaina Sollon would earn herself the Trail Rider (7-9) class win on the day.

The Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship would host a doubleheader weekend at The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer GNCC. With racing taking place on both Friday and Saturday evening. On Friday the XC1 Pro win would go to Ride Kanuga/Specialized/Rouleur Coaching’s Cypress Gorry as he battled back to take the top spot from West Coast racer, TRP Cycling’s Jake Ingram who led majority of the race. Ingram would hold on for second as Hayden Dillon crossed the line third to round out the overall and XC1 podium. In the XC2 class it was Garrett Stout earning the class win followed by Coastal Racing’s Talon Hawk in second and John Mele earning third. Gunnar Shogren would earn his fifth XC3 (40+) class win of the season, Ginny McFall came through to take home the WXC class win while, Skyler McPherson earned the Women’s class win. Dave Breneman would come through first in the Senior (40+) class, Alicia Meacham earned herself the Women (35+) class win and, Kenny Hawkins would take home the Masters (55+) class win. Justin Rexing earned a win in the Big Bore (200lb+) class while, Trevor Harris grabbed the Amateur class win and Karder Demidovich earned the Youth (8-13) win.

Top Photo: Cypress Gorry earned the Specialized eMTB win on Friday. Photo: Ken Hill
Bottom Photo: Cody Pivirotto (center) earned the Mountaineer GNCC eMTB win on Saturday. Photo: Ken Hill

Then on Saturday for their second racing of the weekend it was Pro Bike Pittsburgh’s Cody Pivirotto jumping off to the early lead and trying to pull away from the rest of the pack. Pivirotto and Ride Kanuga/Specialized/Rouleur Coaching’s Cypress Gorry would engage in a battle down to the finish line for that top spot, with Pivirotto being able to hold off Gorry by just 0.340 of a second. Gorry would finish second, while TRP Cycling’s Jake Ingram would round out the top three overall and in the XC1 class. In the XC2 class it was once again Garrett Stout making his way to the center of the box as he earned the win followed by Coastal Racing’s Talon Hawk coming through in second and Phillip Sollon rounding out the top three in the class. Gunnar Shogren took home his second win of the weekend in the XC3 (40+) class while Ginny McFall did the same in the WXC class. Lisa McIntyre would earn the Women’s class win, John Pellan earned the Senior (40+) class win and Alicia Meacham would take home the Women (35+) class win. Kenny Hawkins took home another Masters (55+) class win, while Marty Aloisio earned the Big Bore (200lb+) class win, Nate Derisi earned the Amateur class win and Karder Demidovich earned his second-straight Youth (8-13) class win.

Catch GNCC Pro ATV and Motorcycle Racing free via RacerTV.com all season long. Pro ATV Racing starts Saturday’s at 2pm ET, with the exception of Big Buck, Snowshoe and Ironman events where they will start at 1pm ET. GNCC Pro Motorcycle Racing will begin at 1pm ET on Sunday’s.

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Top Three Overall: Walker Fowler (center), Brycen Neal (right) and Ronnie Rusch (left).
The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Top Three Overall: Walker Fowler (center), Brycen Neal (right) and Ronnie Rusch (left).Ken Hill

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer GNCC Results and Points Standings
Beckley, West Virginia
Round 11 of 13
Saturday, September 14, 2024

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer XC1 Pro Event Results:

  1. Walker Fowler (YAM)
  2. Brycen Neal (YAM)
  3. Ronnie Rusch (YAM)
  4. John Glauda Jr. (YAM)
  5. Branden Owens (YAM)
  6. Jarrod McClure (HON)
  7. Adam McGill (HON)
  8. Chris Borich (YAM)
  9. Joshua Merritt (YAM)
  10. Hunter Hart (YAM)

*Overall National Championship Standings:

  1. Brycen Neal (277)
  2. Walker Fowler (256)
  3. Joshua Merritt (207)
  4. Wyatt Wilkin (196)
  5. Adam McGill (146)
  6. Steven Harrell (146)
  7. Hunter Hart (136)
  8. Austin Abney (127)
  9. Jarrod McClure (121)
  10. Chris Borich (118)

*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2024 National Champion.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer XC2 Pro-Am Event Results:

  1. Grayson Eller (YAM)
  2. Alex Thieman (YAM)
  3. Braxton Grosse (HON)
  4. Kenny Shick (YAM)
  5. Dylan Walraven (YAM)
  6. Alex Elioff (YAM)
  7. Daulton Keyes (HON)
  8. Jeremy Ledonne (YAM)
  9. James Glauda (YAM)
  10. Tyler Jones (HON)

XC2 Pro-Am Series Standings:

  1. Grayson Eller (271)
  2. Alex Thieman (255)
  3. Braxton Grosse (197)
  4. James Glauda (169)
  5. Daulton Keyes (161)
  6. Christopher Howard (146)
  7. Dylan Walraven (142)
  8. Kenny Shick (134)
  9. Keaton Henderson (134)
  10. Alex Elioff (123)

To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com.

About GNCC Racing
The Progressive Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, is the world premier cross country racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round motorcycle and ATV championship and 10-round eMTB championship, is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling two and three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,800 riders through racetracks 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. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised live on RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.

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