GBC Motorsports: 2012 Year in Review

Kayla Smith made her mark in 2012 with impressive performances throughout the year. Kicking off the WORCS season with a third place finish in the SXS Production 700 class, Smith would go on to land on the podium five more times in six races. With class wins at Race Town 395 and the Honolulu Hills finale, Kayla proved that she is capable of racing at a high level for any racer. The fact that she is 16 years old (and that some of her competitors have been racing since before she was born) makes her talent and vision behind the wheel even more remarkable. Smith finished the series in third place in her class aboard her GBC Dirt Commanders.

Yamaha Quad-X Racing Series

Dylan Dixon was one of the most talked-about up-and-comers on the West Coast racing scene, and his strong performances in the Quad-X Racing Series have something to do with that. Finding the podium in seven out of ten races, Dixon’s run through the Pro-Am class was highlighted by a Round 8 class win at Speedworld MX. Dixon improved on his second place 2011 finish by winning the Pro-Am class in 2012, and is on the verge of breaking into the Pro ranks.

ECORS & UTV Rally Raid

Brit Mansell and Octane Media Racing certainly made their mark on the racing down South as they tackled the East Coast Off-Road Racing Series and the UTV Rally Raid Series. Brit handled the ECORS with authority, winning all three races he entered and taking the Class U title. Mansell also piloted his RZR XP to victory as the Octane Media Race team finished second in the competitive Outlaw class in the UTV Rally Raid. The Stony Lonesome ORV course used in this series is composed of red clay, which can be incredibly slick in wet conditions and incredibly dusty in dry conditions. Despite the challenges, Brit’s Dirt Commanders helped him negotiate this tricky terrain while grabbing two victories and posting a few fastest laps along the way.

The Dirt Series

In its inaugural season, the new Dirt Series continually grew in popularity and ended up being one of the most enjoyable ATV and UTV racing scenes out west. Following the success of 2011’s FNL ATV MX, the guys at Dirt Entertainment put together a series that visited various tracks and facilities around Southern California for a great mix of motocross and cross country racing for both ATV and UTV competitors.

Dylan Dixon led the way for GBC Motorsports with a convincing championship in the Quad 450 Pro class, winning five of the six races he participated in on board his GBC Bomb Squad MX tires. Joey Berg finished second in the Quad 450 Pro-Am class with three class victories along the way. Javier Palacios added a class title along with several race wins in the Quad Open class. Justin Christensen won five races on the way to the Quad 450 Intermediate title. Kayla Smith joined in on the fun by dominating the UTV 700 class, winning six out of seven races. She also won the only UTV 1000 race she entered, and finished the season with the UTV 700 championship.

GNCC Racing

Coming off an impressive 2011 season GBC Motorsports again assembled a solid stable of sport and utility racers for the 2012 campaign. With four class championships and six racers finishing in the Top 20 Overall, GBC enjoyed being a part of one of the toughest race series around and is looking forward to more success in 2013.

Kevin Yoho, Johnny Gallagher and Bryan Cook represented GBC in the pro ranks. Yoho built off of his successful rookie season last year by finishing in seventh place in the XC1, earning the #7 for his machine in 2013. Gallagher’s eighth place class and overall finish is the veteran’s best season result since 1998. Cook was limited to just five rounds but still mustered enough points for a 16th place overall finish. Eric Hoyland finished fourth in the XC2 class and will move up to XC1 in 2013 with the Overall #13 on his quad.

Brycen Neal’s College A championship was highlighted by several Amateur Overall honors throughout the season, as is the #17 overall finish as he moves into XC2 for 2013. Jay Shadron added a class championship in the College B division and will move into College A next season.

GBC Motorsports newcomer Bryan Buckhannon dominated the 4×4 Open class championship with nine class wins and was the top finishing Utility racer. Forrest Whorton tallied his third career GNCC Championship with the 4×4 Senior title.

Looking Ahead to 2013

GBC Motorsports is proud to sponsor racers of all disciplines from all around the country. From top-level series like the GNCC and WORCS to regional and local series and events like Quad-X and the Dirt Series, GBC is dedicated to supporting the sport of ATV & UTV racing. With some new products hitting the market in coming months, GBC will continue to develop and innovate as we look ahead to a successful 2013.

If you are interested in sponsorship with GBC Motorsports for 2013 racing, please send your race résumé to sponsorship@greenball.com. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing. Applications will be accepted through the end of January 2013.