Yamaha Racing Snowshoe: ATV Race Report

The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, kicked off round nine of the 2022 season atop Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, West Virginia with the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC on Saturday, June 25. Weather would be extremely warm, with a pop up shower making an appearance at the start of the ATV Pro race. Conditions would turn slick as the racers headed into the first turn along the main road, mimicking the famed Blackwater 100 start.

 

As row one took off it was Getter Nissan/Kenda/Action Off-Road/Richardson Racing’s Cole Richardson getting a good jump off the line and into the first couple of turns. He would continue to lead the way throughout the first lap, but he would soon have company from The Original Formula 88/Ithaca Recreation Sports/Maxxis/Fly Racing’s Hunter Hart as he came through to make the pass for the lead on the second lap of the race. Hart and Richardson would continue to battle up front but lurking just behind them was the number one machine of WFR/GBC/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Walker Fowler.

Fowler would execute the pass for the lead on lap three and continue to push on for the remaining two laps to earn the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC. Action Off-Road/Pro Graphx/Pierce Performances’ Jay Shadron would start his day on the second row, and with time adjustments would technically lead a portion of the race, however, Fowler would pick up the pace and Shadron would earn second overall on the day and his eighth XC2 class win of the season.

Richardson would make the pass on Hart during the last lap to round out the overall podium in third overall, second in XC1 while Hart finished fourth overall and third in the XC1 Pro class.

 

GBC/Fly Racing/Nine 2/BNR Motorsports’ Devon Feehan battled back to earn fifth overall, fourth in XC1, at round nine in West Virginia. While Pierce Performance/GBC Tires/Action Off-Road/Active Waste Solution’s John Glauda Jr. rounded out the top five in the XC1 class, while finishing sixth overall on the day.

Hetrick Racing/Kenda/Elka/HMF’s Steve Harrell worked his way up to seventh overall on the day, while earning second in the XC2 Pro-Am class. Action Off-Road/DIRTNASTY/Twizted Vision’s Wyatt Wilkin would be right behind Harrell as he came through in eighth overall, rounding out the XC2 class in third.

Bullet Proof Doorz/Senge Graphics’ Ronnie Rusch continued to battle throughout the duration of the race as he came through ninth overall and sixth in XC1. CBR/GBC Tires/Action Off-Road/Fly Racing/AMSOIL-backed racer Chris Borich right behind Rusch as he came through 10th overall on the day, seventh in XC1. Earning eighth in XC1 was the GBC/Fly Racing/Yamaha-backed racer Johnny Gallagher, while Low Profile Motorsports/WORCS Racing/FXR/GBC’s Travis Damon was credited with ninth in the XC1 Pro class. Abney Racing/Action Off-Road/Maxxis’ Austin Abney did not have the day he hoped for atop Snowshoe Mountain as he came through sixth on the opening lap, he would then suffer a mechanical issue and be unable to continue on.

 

Magna1 Motorsports’ Brycen Neal and OBOR/Moose Racing/Parts Unlimited/McGill Mafia’s Adam McGill would suffer DNF’s at round nine. Neal would have a good start, but just a mile into the race would crash and suffer a mechanical issue that would leave him unable to continue on. McGill would pull himself out of the race after suffering from an ongoing illness. Neal continues to hold the points lead as the series heads into its Summer Break until September.

Earning Snowshoe’s Top Amateur honors was Vet A winner, Thomas Koontz Jr. as he came through to earn 11th overall on the day. Jeremy LeDonne would be second on the Top Amateur podium with a 13th overall finish, and Junior A class win. Rounding out the Top Amateur podium was Layne McCormick as he came through in 14th overall while also earning the College A class win.

 

In the 4×4 Pro class it was OBOR/Can-Am/Action Off-Road’s Landon Wolfe battling back to earn the win after starting out his day behind Kenda/Nine2/Custom Axis’ Cody Collier. Wolfe would continue to push on throughout the race, steadily catching Collier by the time the white flag flew indicating one more lap. Wolfe would make the pass for the lead stick during that last lap as he came through 13 seconds ahead of Collier to earn his first win of the season.

Collier would hold on for second, and now holds the points lead by six as the season heads into its break until the Fall. Pro Row 784/GBC/BNR/Victory Golf Cart’s Brandon Frazier rounded out the top three 4×4 Pro finishers after pushing his way up to third on the second lap of the race.

Hannah Hurricane Hunter/OBOR Tires/Fly Racing’s Hannah Hunter would battle back to earn her fifth win of the season. Hunter remains in the points lead after nine rounds of racing. Team Pickens/Fly Racing/GBC Motorsports/Yamaha’s Traci Pickens would start her day back in the fifth place position but would soon work her way up to a podium contention and then make the pass for second with just two laps to go. Pickens would come through second in WXC with JMR/GBC/DWT/Moose Racing/Action Off-Road’s Katelyn Osburn battling her way back up to round out the WXC class podium.

 

In the Youth race it was Cole Lykins who came through to earn his second overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. (13-15) class win of the season. Lykins would finish just one second ahead of Bryce Pullen who battled back from the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. (12-13) class to earn second overall, and his class win at round nine. Brody Pullen would round out the Youth overall podium in third, while earning second in the YXC1 class.

Andrew Smallwood would come through in fourth overall, second in YXC2, with Jordan Berg rounding out the top three finishers in the YXC1 class and finishing fifth overall in the youth race. Trip Marino would battle back to round out the top three finishers in the YXC2 class.

In the 250 (13-15) class it was Carson Dearborn of Davis, West Virginia taking home the win, followed by Hayden Bettinger earning the 125 (8-12) class win. Kaleb Shay would come through to earn the 90cc (8-12) class win, while Jacob Smallwood earned the 90 Limited (8-12) class win. Makenna Smallwood earned the Schoolgirl Sr. (12-15) win, as the Schoolgirl Jr. win was earned by Paisley Stout. Mikina Maynard earned another win in the Girls Sr. (12-15) class, with Falyn Holcomb earning the Girls Jr. (8-11) class win. Bryson Dickerson would battle back to earn the 70 CVT (6-11) class win.

 

In the Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC race on Saturday evening it was Gear Bicycle/Specialized’s Nick Mackie holding off Gear Bicycle/Specialized’s Charlie Mullins for the duration of the race. Mackie and Mullins would come through each lap of the race with less than one second separating them. Mackie would be able to hold off Mullins and earn his first win of the season. Rocky Mountain Bicycles/100% Bike’s Gus Michaels would race in his second GNCC eMTB race, rounding out the top three finishers overall and in the XC1 Pro class.

In the XC2 class it was Antti Kallonen coming out to battle, and making a last lap move into the lead to earn the win just .5 seconds ahead of JoltBike/Coastal Racing/Cannondale’s Talon Hawk who came through to earn second in the class. Am Pro Yamaha’s Ty Teasdale would round out the XC2 class podium in third.

Tim Zimmerman came through to earn his fourth win of the season in the XC3 (40+) class, while Ginny McFall earned her third WXC class win of the season ahead of Kelly Jones and Ashley Hendershot. Stephanie Swan would battle back to earn the Women’s class win followed by Gavin Garlits earning the Amateur (14+) class win. Jon Agin earned his fourth-straight win in the Amateur (40+) class. In the Big Bore (200lb+) class it was Dave Brenneman earning the win, while Troy Zimmerman earned the Masters (55+) class win for the fifth-straight time. Cooper Kuneff would beat out Tallon Weigand for the Youth (9-13) class win at Snowshoe.

 

GNCC Racing heads into its Summer Break now until September where the season will pick up on September 10-11 in Beckley, West Virginia with The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer event at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship will host round seven of their series at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch on Saturday, July 30. This event will continue to serve as an FIM North American eMTB Championship.

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084