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Knight's Day Again at Pirelli Big Buck GNCC
Gibson breaks through for XC2 Lites Victory
Red Bull KTM's David Knight mounted yet another come-from-behind charge to win the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC, giving the defending Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Champion three wins in the first four rounds of racing this season. Under near perfect weather conditions, the Isle of Man native topped FMF Suzuki team-mates Josh Strang, of Australia, and Charlie Mullins, from Ohio.
"Yeah it's started off much better than last year," said Knight, who won his first race of the season at the Big Buck last year, but already holds a commanding lead early in '08. "I got the bad start again, you know, but I think it helps me, I have to put it down early and I can loosen up and ride hard."
Strang logged his first podium of the season on the Suzuki RM-Z450. He led early before yielding to Knight's charge on lap two, and then battled his team-mate Mullins all the way to the end. Mullins, nursing a badly sprained wrist after crashing hard at the previous GNCC in North Carolina, dug through pain to net third. Mullins now lies second in series points after Am-Pro Yamaha's Barry Hawk crashed out of the race on the first lap. Hawk reportedly had to be treated for possible rib injuries.
Another Suzuki rider, New Zealand's Paul Whibley, led a close pack of riders just outside of the podium positions to take fourth. Red Bull KTM's Nathan Kanney took the Racer X Holeshot Award and was once again a contender early on before finishing fifth. Australian Glenn Kearney turned in his best ride of the season with a sixth-place finish on his Husqvarna, with Am-Pro Yamaha's Jason Raines just behind in seventh. Kawasaki riders Jesse Robinson and Garrett Edmisten came in next, with Jimmy Jarrett rounding out the top ten.
Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha rider Dustin Gibson broke through in the XC2 Lites class to end Thad DuVall's three-race win streak. DuVall, who said he felt a little under the weather for the race, battled Monster Energy/Andrews Yamaha rider Josh Weisenfels, and Powersports GrafX KTM's Kailub Russell all day. Weisenfels led until the last lap before getting stuck in a mud hole, and Gibson took the lead and win after rallying from a terrible start. DuVall, Weisenfels, Russell and Pennsylvania privateer Kevin Hoge rounded out the top five.
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series continues in two weeks with the Acerbis Loretta Lynn's GNCC in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, on April 26 and 27.
David Knight Report
Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team
Knighter claims win # 3 with victory at Big Buck GNCC
Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team rider David Knight is now 35 points clear of his nearest XC1 Pro class rival in the ’08 US Grand National Cross Country Series thanks to a convincing win at round four of the championship – the Big Buck GNCC staged in South Carolina. Finishing over one-minute ahead of Australian Josh Strang Knighter overcome yet another bad start to work his way into the lead of the race on lap two. Once out front David then opened up a comfortable advantage at the front of the field before claiming his third win of the season so far.
Getting a bad but ‘not that bad’ start to the race having failed to kick his 450cc KTM into life as the starter’s flag dropped, David passed several of his championship rivals in the very first corner as they lay on the floor in turn one having collided off the start. Quickly closing in on the early race leaders David had worked his way up to fourth at the end of the first lap. From there he moved into the lead on lap two before steadily extending his lead lap on lap.
Finding it difficult initially to pull away from Suzuki riders Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins due to lapped riders, as the track got rougher and rockier David was able to extend his lead to over one-minute. Having no problems during the closing stages of the race, once out of sight of his nearest challengers Knight opted to ease his pace on the sixth and final lap before claiming a deserved win. Joining David on the podium were Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins.
With three wins and one third place finish so far in the ’08 US GNCC championship David is already 35 points clear of his nearest championship rival Charlie Mullins. The next round of the US GNCC series is the Loretta Lynn’s GNCC, which takes place in Tennessee on April 27.
David Knight: “I missed the jump off the start again but it wasn’t as bad as it was at the last race. I was away after about four kicks so I wasn’t too far behind. There was a small pile-up in the first turn as well, which helped me, so it wasn’t like the rest of the XC1 class riders were miles ahead of me. I was on them pretty quick.
“I just had to pick the riders off one-by-one because there were some pretty dusty sections to the track. In the trees conditions were great but out in the open you had to be pretty careful because of the dust. I had a great line at one of the river crossings, which no one else seemed to be using. I remembered it from last year and it worked for me again because I think I got past four riders on the first lap, which was important for me.
“I wasn’t able to pull away too much once I got to the front because there were a lot of lappers. But once the track got a bit rougher in the trees I was able to open up a b it of a gap at the front. I pushed pretty hard mid-way through the race and then eased off a bit on the last lap.
“Three wins from four rounds is great. Apart from my starts everything is going really well. Who knows next race I might even get a good start.”
Pirelli Big Buck GNCC
April 13, 2008
Union, SC
XC1 Pro Class
1.David Knight (KTM) Isle of Man
2. Joshua Strang (Siuz) Australia
3. Charles Mullins (Suz) Hamilton, OH
4. Paul Whibley (Suz) New Zealand
5. Nathan Kanney (KTM) High Falls, NY
6. Glenn Kearney (HSQ) Australia
7. Jason Raines (Yam) Belfair, WA
8. Jesse Robinson (Kaw) Connelly's Spring, NC
9. Garrett Edmisten (Kaw) Vero Beach, FL
10. Jimmy Jarrett (Suz) Beloit, OH
XC2 Pro Lites Class
1. Dustin Gibson (Yam) Cumberland Furnance, TN
2. Thad DuVall (Yam) Williamstown, WV
3. Josh Weisenfels (Yam) Fort Smith, AR
4. Kailub Russell (KTM) Kingston, OH
5. Kevin Hoge (Suz) Pittsburgh, PA
6. John Barber (KTM) Rome, GA
7. Brian Lawson (Yam) Adams, MA
8. Andy Shea (KTM) Oxford, OH
9. Justin Williamson (KTM) Sanford, FL
10. Eric Bailey (KTM) King George, VA
Quads - McGill Wins Again at Pirelli Big Buck GNCC
FRE KTM's Adam McGill is threatening to run away with the 2008 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. The West Union, West Virginia rider mounted a come-from-behind charge at the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina to collect his third-straight GNCC victory.
Rain came down hard early in the day but parted just in time to provide great racing conditions for the two-hour afternoon race. McGill started poorly but made up ground quickly.
"I had to put the pedal to the metal and the balls to the walls to get this win today," said McGill on the podium. "I got a terrible start and I knew I was going to be in for a long day."
McGill won the previous two GNCCs by grabbing the ITP Holeshot and checking out. This time he needed to make up time after a bad start, but he did just that and won by about 30 seconds over Team Excell Motorsports' Bryan Cook. Cook, who rides and trains in North Carolina and races local series on weekends off from the GNCC tour, thrilled the Carolina faithful with his second podium run of the season.
XC1 rookie Brandon Sommers continued his impressive season on his GT Thunder Yamaha by taking third. Rockstar/Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris Borich was fourth and defending GNCC Champion Bill Ballance was fifth on the factory Yamaha YFZ450.
Don Ockerman nailed the XC2 Pro Am victory on his GT Thunder Yamaha, with Brian Wolf and Tyler Lenig rounding out the top three.
Tom Clark Motorsports' Angel Atwell rebounded for her second overall win of the season in the morning race. Yamaha's Traci Cecco took second with Lexie Coulter third.
Pirelli Big Buck GNCC
April 12, 2008
Union, SC
P.M. Race Overall
1. Adam McGill (KTM)
2. Bryan Cook (Hon)
3. Brandon Sommers (Yam)
4. Chris Borich (Suz)
5. Bill Ballance (Yam)
6. Matt Smiley (Hon)
7. Ryan Lane (Hon)
8. Donald Ockerman (Yam)
9. Brian Wolfe (Hon)
10. William Yokley (Hon)
11. Chris Jenks (Can)
12. Tyler Lenig (Hon)
13. David Crane (Yam)
14. Johhny Gallagher (Yam)
15. Shawn Hess (Hon)
16. Josh Kirkland (Hon)
17. Sean Neidlinger (Hon)
18. Craig Reed (Hon)
19. Gabe Phillips (Hon)
20. Matt Pierce (Yam)
 KTM Racing
KTM's Adam McGill makes it 3 in a row.
FRE KTM's Adam McGill won the fourth round of the ATV GNCC Series to make it three wins in a row.
The muddy 12-mile loop was one of the most challenging so far. The rain poured down all day and stopped right before the main event but left the course quite wet. McGill, who has been known for his good starts so far this year, had the opposite luck when the flag dropped. "I rounded the first turn in 18th! I just put my head down and started to pass people," remarked McGill about his start.
Fortunately, a bottleneck at the start of the race helped McGill pass quite a few riders when he saw an outside line to get around the group. Meanwhile, his team-mate, Taylor Kiser, found his way up front and was running in the top three.
By the end of lap one, McGill had charged his way into sixth approximately 20 seconds off of the current leader Brandon Sommers. Then miraculously McGill passed for the lead on lap three and never looked back. Kiser, who had been running the majority of the race in third, had to pull off due to a mechanical issue.
When the chequered flag flew, McGill came around first to take home his third win of the season over Bryan Cook. McGill now has a comfortable lead in the series points.
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