GNCC Round 4 Race Report 2018

Adam McGill Claims First Win of 2018 at FMF Steele Creek GNCC
Kevin Cunningham Earns Fourth Consecutive Win in 4×4 Pro

Adam McGill takes home his first win of the season at this weekend’s FMF Steele Creek GNCC.

MORGANTON, N.C. (April 8, 2018) – Round four, FMF Steele Creek, of the 2018 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, took place Saturday, April 7 in Morganton, North Carolina. The Steele Creek GNCC is a track that is well known to turn your race plans upside down, and this year’s race would prove to be just another one in the long list of historic finishes that pad the reputation.

WFR/GBC/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Walker Fowler looked to have things under control during the first half of the two-hour race, however a mistake would land him stuck in rutted section along with AmPro Yamaha’s Cole Richardson who was running an impressive second. These mistakes gave McGill Mafia/CST Tires/Moose Racing’s Adam McGill an open door to overtake the Yamaha riders in one pass and cross the line first to earn his first win of the 2018 season.

Rain showers overtook the majority of the day and turned portions of the course into wet, rutted sections. Steep hills would test every bit of traction as the 1 p.m. ATVs rocketed off the line with Richardson powering his way to claim the $250 Wiseco Holeshot Award. As Richardson headed into the woods first, Fowler dug deep and would take the lead shortly after heading into the woods. Fowler remained in the lead for the next three laps, and it appeared that Richardson and Fowler were shadowing each other with no pressure from fellow XC1 ATV riders behind them.

However, that all seemed to change at the bottom of a slick hill when a rider, stuck in the mud, caused hesitancy by Fowler and then Richardson. McGill would take advantage of their misfortunate, and take an outside line ultimately passing Fowler and Richardson. The top three were bar-to-bar when the checkered flag came out, but McGill would fend off one final attempt by Richardson.

Richardson would claim second with Fowler coming through in third. The podium was set as the top three took their accolades and enjoyed the spoils of a well-fought victory. Richardson was dealing with an injury, and health issues, so his march back to a podium finish has been quite an effort. Fowler has had two races in a row where he felt he could have won, but his efforts did not produce the expected results.

Cole Richardson returned to the podium Saturday afternoon with a second place finish in XC1.

Bneal Motorsports/CST Tires/Houser racing’s Brycen Neal was expecting to earn his way back to the podium after his victory at round three, but he would settle for fourth after a solid race in trying conditions. Maxxis/Fly Racing/Ye Olde Cycle Barn’s Chris Borich would round out the top five.

In the XC2 Pro-Am division it was Honda’s Matthew Lindle grabbed the All Balls Racing Holeshot Award and the early lead. Coming through timing and scoring on lap one was Maxxis/Ithaca Recreation Sports/Fly Racing’s Hunter Hart, who would remain in the number one spot throughout the entire race and earn his second win of the season. Lindle would hold on and end the day in second place while North Carolina native, Brandon Icard rounded out the XC2 Pro-Am podium in third.

Hunter Hart earned the XC2 Pro-Am class win at the 19th Annual FMF Steele Creek GNCC.

The 10 a.m. race kept fans glued to the sidelines of the track, as the conditions were highly favorable for their race. Defending 4×4 Pro Champion, Cunningham Racing/Can-Am/Kenda/Spider Graphix/Fly Racing’s, Kevin Cunningham, pushed hard to earn his fourth consecutive win of the season. Can-Am/Derisi Racing/GBC Motorsport’s Landon Wolfe, who earned his third straight 2nd place finish and Can-Am/Derisi Racing’s Dwight Pollard in third, joined Cunningham on the podium.

The WXC class would see GBC Motorsports/Yamaha/Fly Racing’s Traci Pickens march her way from a dead last start to the win after a grueling two-hour battle. Pickens, who would work her way through the pack, would pass the leader on lap three and run to the checkered flag giving her win number three on the season. Taking second was Sadiee Gorrell, who earned her second-straight WXC podium finish in 2018, and Spider Graphix’s Katelyn Osburn would join her in third.

The youth ATV race at Steele Creek started off the day with dreary conditions, but as always the racing was intense. Layne McCormick and Chance Hickey would battle throughout the race swapping the lead each lap. McCormick would come out on top, earning his third win of the season, Hickey would finish second followed by Parker Henderson in third.

Traci Pickens (center) took the win in WXC, followed by Sadie Gorrell (left) and Katelyn Osburn (right).

The 1 p.m. ATV Pro race was broadcast LIVE in its entirety on RacerTV.com and can be viewed as archived video online by visiting the GNCC LIVE page online. A highlight show featuring the event will be aired on the NBC Sports Network on Saturday, May 26 at 2:30 p.m.

The 2018 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes with the CST Tires Camp Coker Bullet on April 21 and 22, in Society Hill, South Carolina.

For more information on the GNCC 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.

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FMF Steele Creek
Morganton, North Carolina
Round 4 of 13
Saturday, April 7

XC1 Pro Event Results:

Adam McGill (HON)
Cole Richardson (YAM)
Walker Fowler (YAM)
Brycen Neal (YAM)
Chris Borich (SUZ)
Jarrod McClure (HON)
Devon Feehan (HON)
Martin Christofferson (HON)
Greg Covert (YAM)
Johnny Gallagher (YAM)

*Overall National Championship Standings:

Walker Fowler (97)
Brycen Neal (89)
Adam McGill (86)
Chris Borich (80)
Jarrod McClure (73)
Cole Richardson (72)
Devon Feehan (53)
Johnny Gallagher (45)
Martin Christofferson (43)
Westley Wolfe (29)

*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2018 National Champion.

XC2 Pro-Am Event Results:

Hunter Hart (YAM)
Matthew Lindle (HON)
Brandon Icard (HON)
Austin Abney (HON)
Drew Landers (YAM)
Tanner Walker (HON)
Steven Covert (YAM)
Brody Livengood (YAM)
Devin Masters (SUZ)
Kenny Shick (YAM)

XC2 Pro-Am Series Standings:

Matthew Lindle (93)
Austin Abney (84)
Hunter Hart (76)
Drew Landers (70)
John Glauda Jr (63)
Brandon Icard (58)
Ben Kowalewski (58)
Tanner Walker (53)
Kenny Shick (50)
Steven Covert (47)

About GNCC Racing

The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series 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.

How to Watch

Racer TV and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) are the official homes for coverage of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opening Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina to the finale at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, will air in 30-minue; taped-delayed telecasts on NBCSN, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 1 p.m. ATV and motorcycle races from each event, in addition to the six UTV rounds. Catch all the action at http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.racertv.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.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.

Tags: 2018, gncc, race report, round 4