Bill Ballance, Tracy Cecco, Brian Wolf and Walker Fowler all scored wins for Yamaha in a perfect sweep of their classes at the fifth round of the 2009 GNCC ATV series at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN. on Saturday, April 18. Ballance and Cecco each scored their first wins of the season, as well as the first wins for the new YFZ450R in GNCC competition, in their respective XC1 Pro and Women’s divisions. Ballance’s victory over teammate Brandon Sommers in XC1 Pro was especially sweet as the nine-time champion continues his recovery from a preseason injury. Cecco, likewise a multi-time GNCC champion, closed in on the Women’s points lead with her win. Meanwhile Wolf continued the winning legacy of the YFZ450 by grabbing his third XC2 Pro Am victory of the season to likewise move closer to the points lead, with Fowler taking his fourth win of the season in the College A class.
XC1 Pro Class... Fierce competition early in the combined afternoon XC1 Pro and XC2 Pro Am event eventually saw Ballance and Sommers establish themselves among the front-runners by the halfway point of the race, battling with points leader Adam McGill, Yamaha’s Taylor Kiser, Chris Borich and Bryan Cook. But on the lap that counted – the last one – the Yamaha duo of Ballance and Sommers took over the 1-2 positions for good. "I'm getting better and stronger," Ballance grinned after the race. "Oh man, it puts me back in the hunt!" A bit further back in the field, Wolf once again had the measure of his XC2 Pro Am rivals by leading three of the four laps, while teenager Fowler added Top Amateur honors for the weekend to his College A win. “It’s nice to get back to our winning ways in all three premiere GNCC classes and see the riders and crew be rewarded for all of the hard work that they’ve put into the season so far,” commented Donnie Luce, Yamaha’s ATV/Off Road Coordinator.
XC1 Pro Class |
| 1 |
Bill Ballance - YAM |
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| 2 |
Brandon Ballance - YAM |
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| 3 |
Adam Mcgill |
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| 4 |
Bryan Cook |
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| 5 |
Taylor Kiser - YAM |
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| 6 |
Duane Johnson |
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| 7 |
William Yokley |
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| 8 |
Donald Ockerman - YAM |
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| 9 |
Jeffrey Pickens - YAM |
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| 10 |
Brent Sturdivant |
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Standings |
| 1 |
Adam Mcgill |
113 |
| 2 |
Taylor Kiser - YAM |
105 |
| 3 |
Chris Borich |
102 |
| 4 |
Bryan Cook |
86 |
| 5 |
Bill Ballance - YAM |
82 |
| 6 |
Brandon Sommers - YAM |
76 |
| 7 |
Duane Johnson |
65 |
| 8 |
Donald Ockerman - YAM |
64 |
| 9 |
Johnny Gallagher - YAM |
57 |
| 10 |
Jarrod McClure - YAM |
55 |
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Womens'... As one of the top events of the GNCC ATV season, the event at Loretta Lynn’s spectacular facility saw strong spectator attendance and terrific competition. In the morning Women’s race around the long, hilly off-road course, Cecco resumed her normal place – at the front of the pack – by not only taking the Women’s victory, but finishing third overall against 16 other classes as well. Cecco trailed rival Angel Atwell by scarcely a second at the end of the first lap, then took over the lead and immediately stretched out a 43-second gap by the end of lap two, and maintained more than a half-minute advantage over runner-up Lexie Coulter at the end of four laps. Kristen Atwell, Jennifer Albright and Jesi Stracham finished fourth, fifth and sixth aboard YFZ450s to make it four Yamahas in the Women’s top six.
Womens' Class |
| 1 |
Traci Cecco - YAM |
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| 2 |
Lexie Coulter |
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| 3 |
Angel Atwell |
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| 4 |
Kristen Atwell - YAM |
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| 5 |
Jennifer Albright - YAM |
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| 6 |
Jesi Strachman - YAM |
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| 7 |
Jami Luburgh |
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| 8 |
Shanna Bradshaw |
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| 9 |
Kyrie Brafford |
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| 10 |
Samantha Vanbuskirk |
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Standings |
| 1 |
Angel Atwell |
98 |
| 2 |
Traci Cecco - YAM |
92 |
| 3 |
Kristen Atwell - YAM |
81 |
| 4 |
Lexie Coulter |
79 |
| 5 |
Jennifer Albright - YAM |
78 |
| 6 |
Shanna Bradshaw |
68 |
| 7 |
Jesi Strachman - YAM |
67 |
| 8 |
Samantha Vanbuskirk |
60 |
| 9 |
Jami Luburgh |
56 |
| 10 |
Stefanie Verkade |
47 |
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