William Yokley fought off 47 other UTVs to take the checkers in the XC1 class at the Mountaineer GNCC this past weekend. Team driver Scott Kiger joined Yokley on the podium with a third place finish. Yokley’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Kiger’s passenger was Tyler King.

Summary

The Mountaineer GNCC course features rocks, rocks and more rocks! To do well here, you must be cautious and choose your lines carefully. The area received rain on Thursday and Friday, and by race day, the track was almost perfect. There was no mud, no dust, low humidity and temperature in the 70s.

The Polaris Coastal National Guard team of William Yokley and Scott Kiger got decent starts and entered the woods in third and fourth places. At the end of lap 1, they were 10th and 13th respectively, mainly due to the later rows making up corrected time as the machines got bunched up trying to navigate the new course.

As things started to spread out, both Yokley and Kiger got in a good rhythm, and put in some fast, consistent laps. Lapped traffic today was mostly cooperative, and did a good job allowing the faster cars by. As always though, there were instances of bumping and banging just to make things interesting. On lap seven of the eight-lap race, Yokley had the lead and Kiger was in third place on this four-mile course. They held the positions to the finish, with both cars finishing on the podium.

“Having Tire Balls today was a necessity, we would not have made one lap without them, and they helped the suspension by soaking up the big hits on all the rocks,” says Yokley. “Both Polaris RZR XP 900s ran strong to the finish, as usual!”

The GNCC Side by Side Series will take a summer break until the Powerline Park event in St. Clairsville, Ohio on October 12. William Yokley is first in series points and Scott Kiger is third, only 10 points back. They will be ready to go when the series resumes.

Yokley Side by Side Racing Team Sponsors: Polaris Industries, Coastal Racing, CST, Army National Guard, Yoshimura, Holz Racing Products, OMF, Walker Evans, Fluidyne, Beard Seats, Tireballs, SustainU, and Big Country Powersports.

Yamaha Racing’s GNCC University will return this year at the Snowshoe Campus. Yamaha’s top off-road ATV and motorcycle racers will be on hand as instructors of this two-day riding school, beginning on Wednesday, June 26 just three days before the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC, Round 9 of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series.

Led by Dean of motorcycles, seven-time AMA National Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins, this year’s Yamaha Racing bike instructors include five-time AMA National Hare Scramble Champion Jason Raines, reigning XC1 Champion Paul Whibley, XC1 rider Jordan Ashburn, XC2 riders Brad Bakken and Jedediah Haines, and Women’s class rider Becca Sheets.

Professor of ATVs, XC1 Pro Class rider Johnny Gallagher, will lead this year’s Yamaha Racing ATV instructors, including XC1 riders Walker Fowler, Jeff Pickens, Gabe Phillips and nine-time GNCC Women’s Class Champion Traci Cecco.

“Our team feels so fortunate to be a part of GNCC University at Snowshoe Resort for the fifth year in a row,” says Randy Hawkins. “We enjoy spending time with students one-on-one and in a group setting in order to teach them the elements of woods racing and most importantly to have some fun.”

The panel of professional instructors will head several groups of students according to bike size and riding level to ensure each student is learning with a group similar to his/her riding ability. Students will learn proper navigation of up hills, down hills, grass tracks, woods, rocks and mud, as well as how to handle competitive starts. Students will also participate in lectures about sportsmanship, training, nutrition and mental preparation.

Reservations are on a first-come first-serve basis as there are only 40 spots each for both the bike and ATV disciplines – totaling 80 spots. Students must provide their own equipment and be at least eight years of age, and machines must be 85cc or larger.

GNCC University is in session from June 26-28, 2013. Tuition, room and board-including meals throughout the school is $470 per student. Registration is now open through Snowshoe Mountain Resort. To reserve a spot, call the office at 877-441-4386 or visit www.snowshoemtn.com.

Kawasaki has announced a unique tie-in with “The Lone Ranger,” a Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films production set for national release on July 3 that will see numerous vehicles given away to lucky fans. Kawasaki will use this new reimagining of the popular story to help carry product messages for its off-road motorcycles, four-wheel vehicles and street motorcycles.

Concentrating on a “Live the Legend” campaign line, Kawasaki’s effort is heavily oriented to video creations depicting a transition from the Gore Verbinski-directed film to scenes of modern day adventurers with the company’s Teryx4 Side x Side, KX motocross, and Ninja sportbike products. The action-oriented “Live the Legend” video appears on KawasakiTV’s YouTube channel.

Similar materials featuring the film’s stars, Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, are also slated to appear in more than 1,000 Kawasaki dealerships around the country. Dealers will also be a core component of Kawasaki’s “Live the Legend Adventure” sweepstakes, which will invite consumers to text entries for a chance to win various products inspired by “The Lone Ranger.” The sweepstakes will also include film promotional partner, the Utah Office of Tourism.

“This is an opportunity for Kawasaki to generate a great deal of excitement around product categories that are a perfect fit for the film’s characterizations,” says Chris Brull, Kawasaki’s marketing director. “We appeal to the same type of independent, adventurous, rebellious individuals depicted by the film’s stars.”

“The Lone Ranger”-inspired Kawasaki vehicles will be featured as prizes in other film tie-in promotions, including five limited edition Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4×4 LE Side x Sides to be given away by SUBWAY Restaurants in their Partner Up & Win promotion, and a Teryx4 and four Shoei off-road helmets as the grand prize for an ABC-TV “Good Morning America” sweepstakes.

In addition to media and in-store involvement supporting the film’s release, Kawasaki is also providing a custom-designed Lone Ranger Ninja ZX-6R sportbike that will be on display at the movie’s world premiere. That event is a benefit for the American Indian College Fund, and the unique motorcycle will be signed by the film’s stars and other celebrities in attendance. It will then be auctioned at a later date with all proceeds going to support the fund.

From this point on every Yamaha ATV Side-by-Side will be produced in its Newnan, Ga. facility. Yamaha announced that its vehicle production transfer from overseas to the United States was complete at a dealer event on June 11 in Las Vegas. The move adds hundreds of jobs to the Newnan facility.

Yamaha also announced that it has opened a second dedicated assembly plant in Newnan for the production of future SxS products, including the new Viking, an all-new vehicle that sets a new standard in the three-person multi-purpose SxS segment.

Since the ATV production transfer strategy was first announced in 2010, Yamaha has moved production of all of its models like the Grizzly 700 FI and most recently the YFZ450R. All of these ATVs, along with all of Yamaha’s SxS vehicles, are now produced exclusively at YMMC for worldwide distribution.

Already the largest employer in Newnan, Yamaha is poised to continue growing in Georgia and will add another 100 jobs to support Viking production in Plant 2 this year. Another 300 jobs could be added over the next three to five years based on forecasts. The advanced manufacturing facility covers more than 850,000 square feet and includes the latest technology, equipment and procedures in motorsports manufacturing.

“Yamaha continues to ramp up U.S. production thanks to the ATV production transfer, the introduction of all-new products like the Viking, and improving market conditions,” says Mike Martinez, vice president of Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group. “Yamaha is one of the largest motorsports companies in the world, and it is exciting to see the company’s increased emphasis on U.S. manufacturing. The U.S. is the world’s largest ATV and SxS market with more than 70 percent of global sales. It makes great business sense for Yamaha to manufacture these products right here in the U.S. for worldwide distribution.”

Yamaha employs more than 1,250 people in Newnan – up from 1,100 since the ATV production transfer began in 2011. In total, Yamaha has added approximately 200 jobs in Georgia between its factory in Newnan and Yamaha’s corporate offices in Kennesaw.

“The Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America is a world-class facility with the highest standards and certifications for quality, environmental manufacturing and safety,” says Mike Chrzanowski, senior vice president of operations and engineering services at YMMC. “Yamaha has invested more than $250 million over the past decade to support our expansion and our employees – who are some of the best in the world – and to make our U.S. factory the center of Yamaha’s worldwide ATV and SxS vehicle production.”

“I am happy to hear Yamaha will be expanding their production in Georgia’s Third Congressional District,” says Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. “News like this reminds us what a great state Georgia is for businesses. Yamaha has been an integral part of Newnan’s economy since they first started production here, and we expect they will continue to provide jobs and community support as their company expands. I look forward to continuing to work with Yamaha as they grow their Newnan location.”

In total, Yamaha employs upwards of 3,150 people across the U.S. – up from 2,800 in 2011 – and supports more than 30,000 additional jobs through its manufacturing facilities, corporate offices, field staff, distribution centers, suppliers and dealer partners. The Newnan factory alone spends more than $170 million annually with 137 worldwide suppliers – 125 of which are also based in North America. Yamaha has corporate offices, regional offices, factories and distribution centers in nine states including Georgia, California, Wisconsin, Texas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington.

Can-Am DS 450 ATV racers fought through muddy conditions and a tight course to earn three class podium finishes at round six of the 2013 AMA Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship series in Virginia.

In the ATV Pro class, BCS Performance / Can-Am racer Josh Creamer and Jeff Rastrelli finished sixth and seventh overall, respectively.

“Round six of the AMA ATV motocross series in Virginia, was another rain-soaked event with a very tight track. The key was grabbing the holeshot and, unfortunately our racers didn’t get the best of starts at this round. Can-Am DS 450 Pro Josh Creamer and his team unfortunately missed the set-up in moto one, but overcame two mid-pack starts to capture sixth place overall,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Fellow Can-Am Pro racer Jeffrey Rastrelli had his best Pro career finish, posting 7-8 moto finishes for seventh overall.”

Creamer, who opted for a larger rear tire setup due to the muddy conditions, battled setup issues in moto one. After coming out of the gate in fourth, the former ATV Motocross national champion started to fall back as the track and traction improved and the taller tires slowed him down. The veteran racer, after falling back to seventh, gave it one final push on the final few laps to finish sixth. Creamer (BCS Performance / ITP) switched back to his normal setup and a smaller rear motocross tire for the second moto, but this time was hampered by a mid-pack start. Laps one through seven, Creamer trudged his way in sixth place. He moved into fifth place a lap later and then rode out the remainder of the race in that position. His 6-5 moto score was good for sixth overall.

“It has rained here for days and Birch Creek was a complete mess. The crew and promoter have done a great job making everything the best it could be with the conditions, but the track was really narrow and hard to pass,” says Creamer, who currently holds third place in the Pro class points race. “I made a mistake using my larger tires in moto one and then switched it up for the moto two. I struggled all of moto one. In moto two, I charged hard and just wasn’t able to make anything of it. The track was hard to race on.”

JB Racing / Can-Am DS 450 rider Rastrelli was pleased with career-best seventh place finish in the Pro class. Rastrelli came out of the gate in the middle of the pack and was a possible contender for a top-five finish early on in the moto. However, Rastrelli dropped off the pace and briefly fell to eighth place. The young racer rallied to pass one racer and scored a seventh place finish. In moto two, Rastrelli and another rider connected to slow his run out of the gate. As he tried to recover, Rastrelli crashed and was left to play catch up. He was 16th after the first lap. By the time the white flag flew, he had passed eight other racers to move into eighth place. Despite the poor luck in moto two, Rastrelli displayed plenty of confidence after his 7-8 moto results earned him his best finish ever.

“My Can-Am was working great. It really gets better every race. The handling was flawless,” says Rastrelli. “The track was actually really good for the soggy conditions, but I would like to see a dry race soon.”

Pro-Am class racer Nick Gennusa (BCS Performance / Can-Am) recorded sixth place in the Pro-Am class at round six. He also took second place in the Open A class to continue his stronghold of the class points lead. Fellow Can-Am Pro-Am racer Ronnie Higgerson finished eighth place on his DS 450.

The two other Can-Am racers to earn podiums at Birch Creek MX were Nicole Gates (2nd, Women’s) and Clayton Coad (3rd, 450 B).

(Photo by Ken Hill)

The XC1 Pro ATV class has produced only two different winners in the first seven rounds of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country season, despite some of the most highly contested lead battles in recent history.

Reigning champion Chris Borich and runner-up Walker Fowler have dominated the center of the podium up to this point, but there’s a stacked field of pro riders waiting to secure a win in the remaining six rounds.

This weekend, June 15 and 16, the series heads to Masontown, W. Va. for the second running of the Parts Unlimited Mountaineer Run GNCC. Lonestar/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill matched his best finish of the season with second place last round, giving the West Virginia native momentum heading into his home state this weekend. McGill experienced mechanical issues at the last year’s Mountaineer Run GNCC, so there’s no doubt that McGill is looking for redemption this time around.

(Photo by Ken Hill)

McGill’s second place finish at Round 7 came behind 4-Time GNCC champ Chris Borich, who currently holds six victories and the points lead halfway through the season. Borich has proven his dominance in the pro class as the Pennsylvania native guns for his 66th career win this weekend. However, the rough and rocky West Virginia terrain promises to add yet another element of difficulty to the already grueling two-hour battle.

AmPro Yamaha’s Fowler is the only other rider to take a win in 2013. The young gun has finished consistently inside the top five at every round except for one, giving him second overall in the championship standings. Not far behind in the standings is Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis rider Chris Bithell, who has led several laps but hasn’t secured a win this season. Bithell has showcased one of his most consistent and successful seasons thus far and the Pennsylvania native looks to secure his first win of the season this weekend.

The battle continues between BNR’s Kevin Yoho, Waynesburg Yamaha’s Jeff Pickens and Yamaha/GBC/HMF’s Johnny Gallagher for the fifth place position. Yoho holds a six-point advantage over Pickens, while Gallagher sits only five points behind in seventh place overall. Rookie Braden Henthorn is close behind Gallagher in the point standings aboard his Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing Honda, while JB Offroad/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure and XC2 points leader Brycen Neal round out the top 10 overall.

(Photo by Ken Hill)

Neal extended his XC2 Pro Am class lead after securing his fifth victory last round in Ohio. Defending XC2 champion Patrick McGuire experienced bad luck at the last round, finishing 19th in the class, where he lost valuable points in the overall standings. Rookie Landon Wolfe is back in action after missing Round 6, where he currently holds third overall in the XC2 class. Fred Marley sits in a solid fourth place, while Randy Hamilton rounds out the top five in the XC2 division.

Youth ATV racing will take place Saturday at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs, 4×4 and Women at 10 a.m. and the top amateurs and pros at 1 p.m. Round 4 of UTV competition returns to the schedule this weekend, taking place on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Speaking for all ATV- and UTV-loving dads out there, please don’t get us a tie for Father’s Day this year. You know we like to ride, so why not get us something to make our ride day a little better.

Don’t tell us that dads are tough to shop for, either. We’re nipping that problem in the bud by helping you out with your shopping. We’ve put together a list of 10 products any father would surely love. Of course, if you’re not sure what your dad wants or needs, you could always just ask him. Chances are, he’s got a wish list a mile long. But if you want to surprise the patriarch in your family, just take a look here.

It hasn’t taken long for the Can-Am Maverick to find racing success across the world. You can now add Baja to the mix as Cory Sappington (Desert Toyz) rode his Maverick 1000R X rs to a second place finish at the SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico.

A total of three Can-Am Maverick race teams competed in the 40th annual running of the desert endurance race on the Baja Peninsula.

“Our Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs racing teams had a successful Baja 500, despite only one making it to the finish line. Desert Toyz’s Cory Sappington’s second place podium finish was impressive considering the gnarly race conditions,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. ”Our other two racing teams each held the class race lead at one point during the race before falling victim to Baja’s conditions and meticulous setup requirements. We see Sappington’s podium finish as a big stepping stone for the new Maverick’s success in a very demanding race environment and we look to carry this momentum over to future desert racing events this season.”

Sappington, the sole driver of the Desert Toyz / Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs, started quickly, passing three of the five side-by-side vehicles that started in front of him. However, a flat tire around the 50-mile mark slowed his pursuit of the leaders. During the downtime, Sappington was passed by several competitors and lost valuable time on the leaders. After resuming the race, the Desert Toyz team suffered another setback about 25 miles later as an aftermarket fuel pump failed. With some ingenuity, Sappington fabricated his own a fuel pump cooler and exhaust heat deflector and was back on the gas. He found his groove in the rocky desert terrain and starting passing competitors and vehicles from other classes.

At mile market 358 Sappington stopped to check on another Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs race team. The Murray Racing / Del Amo Motorsports / Can-Am team, which had owned the lead and had more than a 30-minute advantage over the UTV field, suffered a high-speed crash in a tricky ravine section. Although the occupants were uninjured, the vehicle’s extensive front-end damage ended their day. Sappington, who took over second place in the class, pushed on through the cool night air with his Maverick running perfectly. Roughly 40 miles later, he had to stop to repair another flat tire. However, once repaired, Sappington drove the remaining 100 miles to the finish line to earn second place in the UTV class and would be one of only two UTVs to actually finish the race. It was the first Baja 500 podium finish for the Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side.

“I am very impressed with the power and handling of the Maverick. I have raced in many other bigger engine class vehicles and the Can-Am Maverick is just as fun. The twin-cylinder Rotax engine feels like it has the power of a four cylinder,” says Sappington. “With no pre-running, no power steering, essentially all stock Can-Am components and a rookie chase team we have beaten Baja! At the finish I was numb from driving all 500 miles in 20 hours.”

Marc Burnett and his show-stopping Monster Energy Maverick 1000 X rs was the first official Can-Am driver to lead the UTV class. The team, having passed several other types of vehicles including trophy trucks, built a sizable lead in the class before dropping out due to a mechanical issue caused by the aftermarket exhaust.

(Photo by Vincent Knakal / UTVUnderground.com)

The Jagged X/Polaris team is cruising in the 2013 SCORE Baja championship. After winning the opening round at the 45th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, the team earlier this year, the team followed it with a win at this past weekend’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

Jagged X/Polaris driver Matt Parks handled the San Felipe 250 driving duties on his own, but enlisted the help of teammate and Best in the Desert racer Brandon Scheuler for the Baja 500.

“Schueler has more UTV racing experience that anyone out there and I knew he would do a great job in Baja,” say Parks.

Schueler and his co-driver Keith Redstrom took the green flag in the No. 1932 RZR XP 4 900 and kept a steady pace through the first fuel stop but encountered a huge bottleneck at the 100 mile mark where a long line of cars were stuck in a particularly nasty section. Once through the section, Schueler took after the lead UTV. Once in second place and 230 miles into the race, Schueler handed the RZR over to Parks and co-driver Jason Spiess.

‘We were in second place approximately 35 minutes behind the leaders, and while I knew we needed to make some time on them, we also needed to keep the car in one piece,” says Parks.

The race continued into the night as racers made their way towards the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula. Despite getting a flat in a very rocky section, Parks was making up time on the leaders. He got fuel 335 miles in and headed to the coast, but encountered dense fog in the middle of the night making visibility and navigation tough. A few miles up the road, they encountered the UTV class leaders who had crashed. Parks stopped to make sure their fellow competitors were OK, and told them they would have the BFG pits relay their location to their chase team. With the lead car out and Parks way ahead of the rest of the pack, the team just needed to race the course to finish.

But Baja wasn’t done with the No. 1932 Jagged X RZR XP 4 900. After the final pit stop, 415 miles into the race, they headed into the hills and encountered one of the toughest parts of the course with heavy silt, more fog, stuck vehicles and very steep rocky hills. But as day break approached, they could see the lights of Ensenada and ultimately the checkered flag.

‘Winning the Baja 500 is a big deal,” says Schueler. “And racing in Baja has been a great experience.”

The next race in the SCORE series is the 46th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, November 14-17.

Jagged X is sponsored by Polaris, Walker Evans Racing Shocks, Kroyer Racing Engines, Pure Polaris Extreme Duty Oil, Muzzy’s, OMF, Team Industries, CR Designs, Vision X and Simpson Safety Equipment.

Defending champion Chad Wienen is hunting for his fourth straight victory as the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, heads to Birch Creek MX in Danville, Va. this weekend the Bob “Smitty” Smith Memorial ATV National.

Smitty was the series amateur referee and involved in the ATV community for over 10 years until he lost his battle to cancer late last year. Round 6 opening ceremonies at Birch Creek MX have been dedicated in memory of the late Bob Smith, who was a Danville local and always had a special place in his heart for the Birch Creek event.

Wienen went 1-3 aboard his Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer machine two weeks ago for his third straight win. He’ll try to make it four in a row and five out of six this weekend.

Two-time national champion John Natalie grabbed his second podium finish at Round 5, where he seems to have found his rhythm atop his MotoSports.com Motoworks DWT ride. The Ironman had two great starts at Round 5 and will be looking to find the podium again this weekend.

John Natalie (left) and Josh Creamer (right) joined Chad Wienen on the podium two weeks ago.

BCS Can-Am rider Josh Creamer also took his second podium finish in the 2013 season after a 5-1 finish last round. Creamer carries momentum into the weekend after winning moto 2 in Illinois and is expected to contend the overall win at Birch Creek MX.

Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer rider Thomas Brown missed the podium last round for the first time this season and will head to Round 6 with more determination than ever to find the top spot on the podium.

Joe Byrd Quad Riding School Dasa’s Joe Byrd had his second top five finish of the season at Round 5. Byrd has been improving his overall results as the season progresses and should be a top competitor heading into the second half of the season.

Baldwin Motorsports PEP Upperman Racing’s Josh Upperman will head into Birch Creek MX with the will to win after moving out of the top five in overall championship points last round. Upperman has always been known for his great starts and consistency and is looking uphold that reputation heading to Virginia.

Even though Corrosion Hetrick Racing’s Joel Hetrick had surgery only a few days before Round 5, “Kid Dynamite” was able to secure a top ten finish. As two more weeks have passed since his operation, anticipation is high to see how quickly the young Pennsylvania native will bounce back to the front of the field.

The pro riders will run Saturday as part of a full schedule of amateur racing, including classes for Youth, Women and Veteran riders. Amateurs will practice on Friday and race on Saturday and Sunday, while Pros race on Saturday.