2002 AMA Grand National Cross Country ATV Racing Round 3 at Steele Creek
Morganton, North Carolina
B
ill Ballance's 2002 AMA Grand National Cross Country title
defense has not started on a good note. He had his quad, parts and
gear stolen after the first round of the series, and then he didn't
finish round two when he crashed riding an unfamiliar machine. But
when you have grit, guts and determination like Bill does, you can
overcome a lot, and the Klotz/Maxxis/IMS/ROLL/LRD/Axis-backed rider
used every bit of that to grab the overall win at round three of
the series in Morganton, North Carolina. Mounted on a sparkling new
aluminum-framed LRD quad, Ballance overcome fierce competition from
three challengers, William Yokley, Matt Smiley and Chris Borich,
and hung on to win the closest race of the season.
"This new bike's a bit lighter," said Balance of his new ride. "It didn't beat me up so much out there."
Yokley, on his
Roll/ITP/IMS/Axis/Moose/Klotz machine, and Smiley the Team
Safari/Pro Parts Racing/ITP/Hyper Wheels/Axis rider, finished
second and third.
But Ballance's win was relatively easy compared to the epic duel in the new Pro Production ATV class between Bryan Baker and Greg Trew. The two Honda 400ex riders battled tooth and nail all day, with the Honda of Troy/Nacs/IMS/Maxxis/Roll/Custom Color Designs-backed Baker getting the nod by just four seconds after two hours of racing.
The two pro classes were just part of a great weekend of racing that collected nearly 450 quad entries in 20 different classes. The Steele Creek course, laid out in a pristine campground surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, offered some of the steepest downhills of the series, as well as tight woods, tree roots and several deep mud holes. The weather only added to the great event, as cold nighttime temps yielded to sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60's.
It was a perfect day for racing, so it wasn't surprising to see such great action at the front of each pack. When the green flag dropped on the Pro Class, ATVA GNC Motocross Champion Jeremiah Jones shot into the lead, but he spun wide in the slippery, grass-track first turn. This let his buddy Ballance underneath and into the lead, which he maintained for the first lap. Jones later dropped out with a blown tranny, while Borich, Yokley and Smiley quickly hooked on to Ballance, and the race was on.
One minute later, the Pro
Production riders took off, and Trew grabbed the early lead. He
missed a shift though, which allowed Curtis Crump, on a Yamaha
Raptor, and Kim Kuhnle, on a Cannondale Blaze, to ride around him.
Trew passed them back on a bridge section and held the lead at the
end of the first lap.
Meanwhile, the fast foursome up front continued to battle for the Pro Class lead. Borich managed to pass Balance, but the defending champion got by him again on lap three. Smiley then punctured a tire, leaving three riders to battle for the top spot.
The trio took the white flag wheel to wheel, with just 4 seconds between the three. But it all changed when Ballance got around a set of lappers that trapped Yokley and Borich on a steep hill climb. "We got into some lappers," said Yokley. "Bill got by them and Chris and I hit them and got shoved into some trees." Yokley and Borich could only watch as Ballance scored the win.
After the race, Borich was penalized for blowing past a checkpoint without stopping, which pushed him back to fourth behind Smiley. Jeremy Rice rounded out the pro top five.
Meanwhile, Baker climbed back from a poor start to snag the Pro Production lead from Trew, but he almost lost it when he got sick towards the end of the race. "I don't know what happened," said Baker "I started getting lightheaded out there and almost blacked out." Trew closed the gap, but couldn't make the pass. The two riders finished over three minutes in front of Crump in third, with Bill Balance's brother B.J. in fourth
With three races complete the points battles are heating up. Yokley leads the Pro class with 59 points after collecting two wins and a second. Smiley, with tree podium finishes, is third with 55 points, while Borich has managed fourth in each race this year and lies third with 51 points. Jeremy Rice is fourth and Ballance lies in fifth after his DNF in Georgia.
Baker's two wins and a second put him atop the Pro Production class standings with 59 points. B.J. Ballance is second with 53, while Kim Kuhnle has his Nacs/Cannondale ride in third with 49. Trew, after winning Florida and finishing second in North Carolina, is stuck in sixth after losing a battle with a tree in Georgia.
From here, the GNCC series moves to the Big Buck in Cross Keys, South Carolina on April 6. Ballance needs another win to keep his title chase alive, but he will face some stiff competition from Matt Smiley, who won the race last year and refers to the Big Buck as his house. But with Balance more fired up than ever, it should make for a great battle.
"This new bike's a bit lighter," said Balance of his new ride. "It didn't beat me up so much out there."
|
|
 |
| Yokley came in second and holds the points lead by 4 over Smiley |
But Ballance's win was relatively easy compared to the epic duel in the new Pro Production ATV class between Bryan Baker and Greg Trew. The two Honda 400ex riders battled tooth and nail all day, with the Honda of Troy/Nacs/IMS/Maxxis/Roll/Custom Color Designs-backed Baker getting the nod by just four seconds after two hours of racing.
The two pro classes were just part of a great weekend of racing that collected nearly 450 quad entries in 20 different classes. The Steele Creek course, laid out in a pristine campground surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, offered some of the steepest downhills of the series, as well as tight woods, tree roots and several deep mud holes. The weather only added to the great event, as cold nighttime temps yielded to sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60's.
It was a perfect day for racing, so it wasn't surprising to see such great action at the front of each pack. When the green flag dropped on the Pro Class, ATVA GNC Motocross Champion Jeremiah Jones shot into the lead, but he spun wide in the slippery, grass-track first turn. This let his buddy Ballance underneath and into the lead, which he maintained for the first lap. Jones later dropped out with a blown tranny, while Borich, Yokley and Smiley quickly hooked on to Ballance, and the race was on.
|
|
Meanwhile, the fast foursome up front continued to battle for the Pro Class lead. Borich managed to pass Balance, but the defending champion got by him again on lap three. Smiley then punctured a tire, leaving three riders to battle for the top spot.
The trio took the white flag wheel to wheel, with just 4 seconds between the three. But it all changed when Ballance got around a set of lappers that trapped Yokley and Borich on a steep hill climb. "We got into some lappers," said Yokley. "Bill got by them and Chris and I hit them and got shoved into some trees." Yokley and Borich could only watch as Ballance scored the win.
After the race, Borich was penalized for blowing past a checkpoint without stopping, which pushed him back to fourth behind Smiley. Jeremy Rice rounded out the pro top five.
Meanwhile, Baker climbed back from a poor start to snag the Pro Production lead from Trew, but he almost lost it when he got sick towards the end of the race. "I don't know what happened," said Baker "I started getting lightheaded out there and almost blacked out." Trew closed the gap, but couldn't make the pass. The two riders finished over three minutes in front of Crump in third, with Bill Balance's brother B.J. in fourth
With three races complete the points battles are heating up. Yokley leads the Pro class with 59 points after collecting two wins and a second. Smiley, with tree podium finishes, is third with 55 points, while Borich has managed fourth in each race this year and lies third with 51 points. Jeremy Rice is fourth and Ballance lies in fifth after his DNF in Georgia.
Baker's two wins and a second put him atop the Pro Production class standings with 59 points. B.J. Ballance is second with 53, while Kim Kuhnle has his Nacs/Cannondale ride in third with 49. Trew, after winning Florida and finishing second in North Carolina, is stuck in sixth after losing a battle with a tree in Georgia.
From here, the GNCC series moves to the Big Buck in Cross Keys, South Carolina on April 6. Ballance needs another win to keep his title chase alive, but he will face some stiff competition from Matt Smiley, who won the race last year and refers to the Big Buck as his house. But with Balance more fired up than ever, it should make for a great battle.
| • Contact Information and/or Related Articles |
- Overall ATV Results Round 3
- Round 1 and 2 Feature Story
- Kirton Ranch Round #1 Overall ATV Results
- Rebel Run Round #2 Overall ATV Results
Racer
Productions
Telephone (304) 284-0084
www.gnccracing.com
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