Morganton, NC
- Four-time ATVA Grand National Cross Country Series
Champion Bill Ballance is showing no signs of letting up
on his quest for title number five. The Oakland,
Kentucky native bested over 580 riders on a rough,
high-speed race track at the Steele Creek Campground in
Morganton, North Carolina. It's his third-straight win
of the young 2004 GNCC season.
"It was rough out there," said Ballance, 27. "But it
can't get much better than this. It was a great day to
race, and I really appreciate all the people out there
cheering us on. It makes a big difference on a rough
track like this. We were battling hard, and I wanted to
win it bad."
Ballance battled stiff competition, especially from
Pennsylvania's Matt Smiley. Smiley chased Ballance
throughout the final 11-mile lap, and nearly pulled off
a pass for the lead in the final mile.
"I was running right there," said Smiley. "I didn't know
where to get around him, but then all of a sudden this
big bush just started moving! I didn't know what was
going on, I guess some fans were pulling it back so I
could get through, but I wasn't sure. I didn't even see
them. So I missed my chance to go for it."
After two-hours of racing, Smiley ended up second by
just five seconds.
Third went to West Virginia's Chad DuVall. "I like this
course here. It was a Chad style course," joked DuVall.
"It got really rough, the holes and bumps were really
big. I had a good start, but I made a mistake and hit a
tree, and I stood the quad straight up and came off. I
lost a lot of time there."
DuVall would eventually crawl all the way back to the
leaders, Ballance and Smiley, but couldn't execute the
pass needed to take a win.
Other favorites struggled, like Suzuki's William Yokley,
who led early but got stuck behind slower, lapped riders
on a hill climb and lost time. Pennsylvania's Chris
Borich also led the race, but he got caught on a vine
and was pulled from his machine. Both riders were
uninjured, but they had hoped for better results.
The GNCC event also featured a two-hour race in the
morning for beginning riders and amateur classes. The
race was won by a female rider, Ohio's Stephanie Parton,
who also works at an ATV shop back at home. "It was a
good day," said Parton. "I just tried to be smart and
get around the slower riders. The Steele Creek course is
definitely a tough one."
Traci Cecco, another female racer, was second, with a
several hundred male competitors coming in behind them.
Tomorrow over 700 additional riders are expected at the
Steele Creek motorcycle race, which will feature top
pros from around the world. The race takes place at the
Steele Creek Campground. From I-40 West, take exit 105
to Highway 181 North 13 Miles. Spectator passes run $10,
with free admission for children under seven. Beginner
riders race at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and the
pros race at 1 p.m.
The ATVA Grand National Cross Country series is
America's premier off-road racing series. The 14-round
series is produced exclusively by racer productions. One
of the most physically demanding sports in the world,
the nearly three-hour long cross-country races lead as
many as 1300 riders through tracks ranging from eight to
twelve miles in length. With varied terrain including
hills, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC
races are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC
featured sponsors include Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis,
Yamaha, Wiseco, Klotz, FMF, Dunlop and ITP, and riders
compete for over $500,000 in series prizes and
contingency money. The 2003 series aired weekly on Speed
Channel. Associate sponsors include Moose Utility
Division, Scott, Alpinestars, Cometic, Outerwears, Pro
Armor, Race Tools, Twin Air, SFB Racing, Thor, Racer X
Illustrated, EFM, Motion Pro, Tire Balls, GPR
Stabilizer. Moto-Tee's, Warrior and Laeger's.
Top Five
Overall Riders
Morning Amateur Event
1. Stephanie Parton, Dayton, OH 1:57:08
2. Traci Cecco, Shamokin, PA 2:00:21
3. Mark Rhodes, Woodbine, MD 2:00:52
4. Craig Reed, Crawford, TN 2:01:07
5. Michael Sroka, Smithfield, PA 2:01:27
Top Five
Overall Riders
Afternoon Pro Event
1. Bill Ballance, Oakland, KY 1:52:46
2. Matt Smiley, Sailorsburg, PA 1:52:50
3. Chad DuVall, Williamstown, WV 1:54:29
4. Brandon Ballance, Oakland, KY 1:55:11
5. Bradley Page, Tompkinsville, KY 1:56:32 |
