AMSOIL GNCC Racing WXC Highlights: The Parts Unlimited Unadilla GNCCTayla Jones Clinches 2017 WXC National Championship
NEW BERLIN, N.Y. (September 14, 2017) - The 43rd Annual AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series, presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, picked back up this weekend after a two-month break over summer. A total of 95 females competed in the Parts Unlimited Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, New York over the course of the two-day event on September 9 and 10.
- Ken Hill
Highlighting the female race action on Saturday was the WXC professional division where 9x champion and Yamaha-backed Traci Pickens kicked off the day with the holeshot. After spending the break recovering from injury, the holeshot provided Pickens with a much-needed confidence boost as the ladies headed into the woods for the two-hour race.
Pirate MX/Axis/Texiera Tech's Angel Knox didn't have the same luck off the start where she missed a shift, but she quickly recovered and trailed Pickens through the turn. Due to the high amount of riders, Knox was busy trying to keep Pickens in her view. However, Pickens kept her pace through the lapped riders and ended up claiming the win with Knox following in second.
- Ken Hill
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the race was Dillinger's Celtic Pub's Katelyn Osburn coming from behind to finished on the podium. After having trouble starting her quad and getting stuck behind a racer, Osburn pushed through the pack to catch up with Ye Olde Cycle Barn's Alicia McCormick.
"We went back and forth trying to make our way through the lapped riders," explained Osburn. "Even though Unadilla seemed like a struggle all day I'm very happy with my podium finish knowing that I never gave up, and because of that I'm looking forward to the last three rounds!"
Pickens, Knox and Osburn filled the podium, while McCormick finished just off the box in fourth. Kamren Bobb rounded out the top five.
- Ken Hill
All eyes were on Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/KR4/Husqvarna Team's Tayla Jones on Sunday morning, since she had the chance to wrap-up the WXC title. Trail Jesters/KTM's McKenzie Tricker rocketed off the start for the holeshot, but it didn't take long for Jones to move into the lead and for Fly Racing/Maxxis/Seat Concepts/KTM's Becca Sheets to be in the mix as well.
Sheets made a small bobble early on and lost the top two, but once the ladies hit the first group of lapped riders she was able to catch back up. Jones ended up becoming tangled with a lapped rider and losing the lead, while Tricker had issues with her rear tire. Unlike Jones, Tricker had to retire early due to the mechanical issue.
- Ken Hill
Meanwhile, after getting a rock to the eye, The Motorcycle Shop/Kenda/Bell/V3 Off-Road's Brooke Cosner was pushing through and now found herself in a podium position. Cosner elected to take the FMF PowerPoint hill each lap. "The track was awesome though, and I actually hit the FMF PowerPoint hill that only two other people hit and I made it each time," said Cosner.
Jones quickly remounted her bike and worked her way diligently back through the pack where she and Sheets kept the racing action close "I kind of had a slinky effect going on with Jones the whole race," explained Sheets. "I would catch her when she caught lappers, and then she would pull away and it seemed it went on all day. I was able to get around her later in the race but she made the pass back. All in all it was a fun race and I enjoyed the chase and fighting through the busy track filled with lappers."
- Ken Hill
Jones crossed the finish line earning her ninth win of the season, which was good enough for her to clinch her very first GNCC title three rounds early. Sheets followed in a close second, and Cosner rounded out the top three in the class. "We finished on the box and that's what it comes to at the end of the day," said Cosner.
"I had a good race, no major drama out there and only one small crash so that was good.," reported Jones. "The lappers were pretty hectic and finding lines to get around was basically how the race went. I had a lot of fun though and the track conditions were good. I am super excited to wrap up the title. It has been a dream of mine for a long time and to finally get to this point is an amazing feeling."
- Ken Hill
The 2017 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series travels to Masontown, West Virginia in two weeks for the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC on September 23 and 24.
For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.
Parts Unlimited Unadilla GNCC
New Berlin, New York
Round 10 of 13
September 9-10, 2017
New Berlin, New York
Round 10 of 13
September 9-10, 2017
WXC ATV Event Results:
- Traci Pickens (YAM)
- Angel Knox (HON)
- Katelyn Osburn (HON)
- Alicia McCormick (YAM)
- Kamren Bobb (HON)
- Lauren Carr (YAM)
- Kara Short (HON)
- Becki Wheeler (HON)
- Melanie Sill (HON)
- Jaida Phillips (YAM)
WXC ATV Series Standings:
- Angel Knox (175)
- Traci Pickens (173)
- Katelyn Osburn (165)
- Alicia McCormick (153)
- Kara Merritt (143)
- Kamren Bobb (123)
- Jaida Phillips (106)
- Melanie Sill (73)
- Megan Shepherd (52)
- Abbi Troy (49)
WXC Bike Event Results:
- Tayla Jones (HSQ)
- Becca Sheets (KTM)
- Brooke Cosner (YAM)
- Shyann Phelps (KTM)
- Samantha Steiner (KTM)
- Kelsey Saltar (KTM)
- Taylor Johnston (KTM)
- Sheryl Pratt (HSQ)
- Mackenzie Tricker (KTM)
- Eden Willow Netelkos (KTM)
WXC Bike Series Standings:
- Tayla Jones (180)
- Becca Sheets (171)
- Mackenzie Tricker (156)
- Brooke Cosner (104)
- Rachel Gutish (100)
- Kendall LaFollette (80)
- Shelby Rolen (74)
- Taylor Johnston (46)
- Natasha LaChapelle (31)
- Rachael Archer (26)
For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,400 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.
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