Yamaha YFZ450Rs raced to wins in two of the three top ATV classes in the second round of the 2012 GNCC season in Washington, Ga. on Saturday, Mar. 17. Here Traci Cecco, the defending Women’s class champion, took her first win of the year, while Gabe Phillips and Patrick McGuire finished 1-2 in the XC2 Pro Am category. Then in the premier XC1 Pro class, Taylor Kiser and Walker Fowler went 2-3 to give Yamaha more than half of all podium finishes in the top GNCC classes. Cecco now leads the Women’s class points, McGuire leads in XC2 Pro Am, and Fowler is third in XC1 Pro as the 13-race series picks up speed.
In the XC1 Pro afternoon race, rookie Walker Fowler smoked the field for the holeshot and led the first lap outright. An epic battle then ensued, with Yamaha-mounted Fowler, Kiser and Johnny Gallagher fighting for position in a ferocious lead pack of eight riders – all separated by mere seconds. Kiser took control just past the halfway point while Fowler, after dropping back to sixth on the second lap, gradually climbed back into podium contention. The final sprint to the flag was wild, with Fowler grabbing the lead momentarily, then cross-rutting and saving it to earn a podium behind winner Chris Borich and Yamaha’s Kiser. In all, Yamaha YFZ450s swept four of the top eight XC1 Pro positions.
| XC1 Pro Class |
| 1 |
Chris Borich |
|
| 2 |
Taylor Kiser - YAM |
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| 3 |
Walker Fowler - YAM |
|
| 4 |
Brian Wolf |
|
| 5 |
Chris Bithell |
|
| 6 |
Jeffrey Pickens - YAM |
|
| 7 |
Derek Swartfager |
|
| 8 |
Johnny Gallagher - YAM |
|
| 9 |
Craig Bowman |
|
| 10 |
Parker Jones |
|
|
 |
| Standings |
| 1 |
Chris Borich |
60 |
| 2 |
Walker Fowler - YAM |
39 |
| 3 |
Chris Bithell |
37 |
| 4 |
Taylor Kiser - YAM |
34 |
| 5 |
Adam Mcgill |
32 |
| 6 |
Johnny Gallagher - YAM |
29 |
| 7 |
Derek Swartfager |
29 |
| 8 |
Jeffrey Pickens - YAM |
28 |
| 9 |
Brian Wolf |
28 |
| 10 |
Mark Notman - YAM |
24 |
|
In the morning Women’s race, Cecco was in a class of her own, dominating her class while also battling for the overall win in the event. The first lap was a close one, with the eight-time GNCC champion holding only a two-second advantage over rival Angel Atwell at the line. But from this point until the sixth and final lap, she and her YFZ450R grew the advantage to a minute, then three minutes and five minutes, and finally to nearly a 6 ½ minute advantage over rival and runner-up Kylie Ahart at the flag. Kara Merritt was the next Yamaha home in fourth.
| Womens' Class |
| 1 |
Traci Cecco - YAM |
|
| 2 |
Kylie N. Ahart |
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| 3 |
Angel Atwell |
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| 4 |
Kara Merritt - YAM |
|
| 5 |
Shanna Bradshaw |
|
|
|
| Standings |
| 1 |
Traci Cecco - YAM |
39 |
| 2 |
Angel Atwell |
38 |
| 3 |
Kylie N. Ahart |
37 |
| 4 |
Kara Merritt - YAM |
34 |
| 5 |
Shanna Bradshaw |
30 |
|
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