Grand National Cross Country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Can-Am GNCC Racing
Can-Am GNCC Racing

GNCC Racing was founded in the early 1980s. It is the premier off-road motorcycle and ATV series in North America. The type of racing is most comparable with that of a hare scramble and/or an enduro. Mainly raced on the East coast of the United States, the GNCC series features many tracks with terrain including mountain/hill climbs, creek crossings, log crossings, open dirt roads, and in the case of the Yadkin Valley Stomp GNCC (located in Yadkinville, NC) an old abandoned house is rode through.

For the 2007 Season there are 2 Pro GNCC classes. XC1 Pro Class is for any size bikes. The XC2 Lites Class is mainly for riders who are new to Pro class racing that want to stay competitive without having to race with the big Pro riders. The XC2 class is for bikes up to 125cc 2 strokes and 250cc 4 strokes. These classes are also raced in the ATV race but both classes are 0-525cc

Some professional motocross racers have raced GNCCs, including Doug Henry (winner of the 2005 Orange Crush GNCC), Travis Pastrana, Broc Hepler and John Dowd.

Contents

[edit] Race lengths

  • ATVs: 2 hours
  • ATV Youth: 45 minutes
  • Bike Youth: 90 minutes
  • Bikes AM: 2 hours
  • Bikes PM: 3 hours (and no less than 2 hours and 45 minutes)

Course lengths vary from track to track, but generally ATVs run an 8-10 mile course, ATV Youth run a 2-3 mile course, Bike Youth run a 3-5 mile course, and Bikes run an 8-12 mile course.

[edit] 2007 season

[edit] Tracks

  1. March 3-6: The Triton- Vero Beach, Florida
  2. March 10/11: Maxxis General- Washington, Georgia
  3. March 24/25: Steele Creek- Morganton, North Carolina
  4. April 14/15: Pirelli Big Buck- Union, South Carolina
  5. April 28/29: ITP Loretta Lynn’s- Hurricane Mills, Tennessee (featured at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn)
  6. May 12/13: Wiseco John Penton- Millfield, Ohio
  7. June 9/10: The Tire Balls Spartan- Sparta, Kentucky
  8. June 23/24: Parts Unlimited Snowshoe- Snowshoe, West Virginia
  9. Sept. 1/2: Mountain Ridge- Somerset, Pennsylvania
  10. Sept. 15/16: Moose Unadilla- New Berlin, New York
  11. Sept. 29/30: Elka Yadkin Valley Stomp- Yadkinville, North Carolina
  12. Oct. 13/14: FMF Power Line Park- St. Clairsville, Ohio
  13. Oct. 27/28 Klotz Ironman- Crawfordsville, Indiana

[edit] Riders (motorcycles)

  1. 101 David Knight: XC1 Class Team KTM Factory Off-Road (2005 and 2006 World Enduro Champion; 2005 Endurocross Champion)
  2. 2 Barry Hawk: XC1 Class- Team Am-Pro Yamaha (2003 GNCC Bike Champion; 7-time GNCC ATV Champion )
  3. 3 Charles Mullins: XC1 Class- Team Am-Pro Yamaha (2005 GNCC 250 A class Champion)
  4. 4 Glen Kearney: XC1 Class- Team Suzuki (Australian Enduro Champion)
  5. 5 Paul Whibley: XC1 Class- Team Moose Honda (5th Overall in 1st GNCC season)
  6. 6 Nathan Kanney: XC1 Class Team Husquvarna (Won 2 races as a Privateer in 2006)
  7. 7 Robbie Jenks: XC1 Class- Team KTM Factory Off-Road (2006 AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion)
  8. 9 Shane Watts: XC1 Class- Team Fun Mart Cycles KTM (2000 GNCC Bike Champion)
  9. 10 Fred Andrews: XC1 Class- Team Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki (1993 GNCC Bike Champion)
  10. 11 Justin Williamson: XC2 Class- Team KTM Factory Off-Road
  11. 12 Jesse Robinson: XC1 Class- Team Kawasaki (Mid-East Hare Scrmables Champion)
  12. 13 Garrett Edminsten: XC1 Class- Team Kawasaki
  13. 14 Mike Laffety: XC1 Class- Team KTM Factory Off-Road (7 Time AMA National Enduro Champion)
  14. 20 Bryan Henson: XC1 Class- Team KTM (2004 NCHSA Champion)
  15. 31 Rodney Smith: XC1 and XC2 Class- Team Suzuki (5-Time GNCC Bike Champion)
  16. 100 Jason Raines: XC1 Class- Team AM-Pro Yamaha (2-time AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion)
  17. 222 Randy Hawkins: XC1 Class- Team Am-Pro Yamaha (7-time AMA National Enduro Champion)
  18. 711 Josh McLevy: XC1 Class- Honda Privateer

[edit] Riders (ATV)

  1. 1 Bill Ballance: Team Yamaha (7 - Time GNCC ATV Champion)
  2. 2 Chris Borich: Team East Coast ATV (GNCC Amateur ATV Champion)
  3. 3 William Yokley: Team Yoshimura Suzuki
  4. 4 Chris Jenks: Team GT Thunder (Runner-up, 2004 GNCC Pro AM Championship)
  5. 5 Matt Smiley: Team Safari Motorsports/Polaris
  6. 6 Brandon Ballance: Team Ballance Racing Yamaha
  7. 7 Bryan Baker: Team K&K ATV
  8. 8 Andris Lagzdins: Team Dirt First/Duncan Racing
  9. 9 Adam McGill: (2005 GNCC Pro AM Champion)

[edit] Teams

There are several big name manufacters of off-road bikes that have a factory GNCC racing team including;

While Honda does not have a factory racing team, Scott Summers, a 5 time GNCC champion, has raced Hondas for a long time running, mostly racing the Honda XRs, typically on the Honda XR 600.

[edit] Blackwater 100 and GNCC History

The Blackwater 100 was an GNCC race that was first raced in 1974 and was last raced in 1993. Dave Coombs Sr. started the race which took place in the small town of Davis West Virginia

The name "Blackwater" comes from nearby Blackwater falls and 100 for the number of miles in the race. The Blackwater was know as "America's Toughest Race","The Indy 500 of off-road racing" or "The Father's Day Massacre" due to it rugged terrain and other obstacles.

When the Blackwater was first raced in 1974 the GNCC series had not yet started up, and after a few years the AMA started the National Hare scramble Series with different promoters throughout the country. Meanwhile Dave and Rita Coombs were holding several 100 mile long events and became know as the Wiseco 100 Miler Series, which eventually became the GNCC series. The GNCC series has experienced much growth, 3 wheelers where added in 1983 and ATVs became popular a few years later. By this point in time the Blackwater 100 was one of the most famous races in America and its reputation only grew when film producer Jeffrey Grubert produced "Blackwater 100 The Video" in 1990, "Blackwater Revisited" in 1991 "Blackwater Trilogy" in 1992 and "Blackwater Blackout" in 1993. Some of the most insane shots in the videos was of the infamous Route 93 stream crossing. It was a near vertical assault on muddy clay banks and it was even worse when it was raining. The fans would form a human wall on the top of the banks and would catch bikes and ATVs when the riders could not make it all the way up the bank, these fans became known as the "Mud Flees". The fans became very out of control the last few year the race was ran. They were in the parking lot mud bogging with dune buggies and 4-wheelers. They would also splash water on the riders as they went through the river crossings. In the video of the 1993 event Dave Coombs said that the party at the race was "an insane asylum, and the patients are running it" he also referred to the campground as "Derelict Drive". After the 1993 event, a study found that e-coli levels in nearby creeks and rivers had risen to unhealthy levels. The local power company, whose land encompassed much of the track, did not want an e-coli outbreak on their property. Once this private land was no longer available the legendary race was history.

In 1990 Tommy Norton won the Blackwater riding a 125cc KTM he was the only rider to win on a 125. Scott Summers won the Blackwater in 1991 and 1992 riding a Honda XR600 which was the biggest bike to ever win the Blackwater.

[edit] Past GNCC Bike Champs

2006 Juha Salminen KTM Vantaa, Finland
2005 Juha Salminen KTM Vantaa, Finland
2004 Rodney Smith SUZ Antioch, CA
2003 Barry Hawk, Jr. YAM Smithfield, PA
2002 Rodney Smith SUZ Antioch, CA
2001 Rodney Smith SUZAntioch, CA
2000 Shane Watts KTM Maffra, Australia
1999 Rodney Smith SUZ Oakley, CA
1998 Rodney Smith SUZ Oakley, CA
1997 Scott Summers HON Petersburg, KY
1996 Scott Summers HON Petersburg, KY
1995 Scott Plessinger KTM Hamilton, OH
1994 Scott Plessinger KTM Hamilton, OH
1993 Fred Andrews YAM Salem, OH
1992 Scott Summers HON Petersburg, KY
1991 Scott Summers HON Petersburg, KY
1990 Scott Summers HON Petersburg, KY
1989 Ed Lojak YAM Tarentum, PA
1988 Ed Lojak HUS Tarentum, PA
1987 Ed Lojak HUS Tarentum, PA
1986 Ed Lojak HUS Tarentum, PA
1985 Jim Maltba KTM Mount Clare, WV
1984 Ed Lojak HUS Tarentum, PA

[edit] Past GNCC ATV Champs

2006 Bill Ballance YAM Oakland, KY
2005 Bill Ballance YAM Oakland, KY
2004 Bill Ballance YAM Oakland, KY
2003 Bill Ballance LRD Oakland, KY
2002 Bill Ballance LRD Oakland, KY
2001 Bill Ballance ROL Oakland, KY
2000 Bill Ballance ROL Oakland, KY
1999 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1998 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1997 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1996 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1995 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1994 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1993 Barry Hawk, Jr. LAE Smithfield, PA
1992 Bob Sloan HON Martinsville, IN
1991 Chuck Delullo HON St. Marys, PA
1990 Chuck Delullo HON St. Marys, PA
1989 Bob Sloan HON Martinsville, IN
1988 Chuck Delullo HON St. Marys, PA
1987 Tom Tokay HON Webster, PA
1986 Tom Tokay HON Webster, PA
1985 Tom Tokay HON Webster, PA
1984 Ted Trey HON Frederick, MD

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../g/r/a/Grand_National_Cross_Country_68e6.html"