#AdamMcGill

Adam McGill finished fifth in the XC1 Pro ATV class.

Team ITP racers won four classes and earned 10 total class podiums at round nine of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series held in West Virginia. Dave Simmons, Brian Schmid, Mark Batson and Jordan Digby each won their class at a muddy Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, WV, while ITP Pro Adam McGill earned fifth in the XC1 Pro class.

“To come away with four class victories and 10 total podiums at a very rugged, muddy and difficult Snowshoe GNCC course is a nice accomplishment. Unfortunately, a few of our top riders had some issues at this round, but we’re pleased with our season so far going into the GNCC summer break,” says Pat McGuire, public relations / race support. “To have this many racers leading their class in points or owning the most class overall victories is rather impressive. We anxiously await the second portion of the GNCC in September as we make our final push for multiple championships.”

Modeled after the historic Blackwater 100, the Snowshoe GNCC features some of the roughest terrain on the 2013 schedule, offering racers rocks, tight woods, hills and, of course, mud. Heavy rain prior to the event and a downpour during the afternoon session only enhanced Snowshoe’s infamous reputation and made for slick, challenging conditions.

The Snowshoe GNCC is the most scenic (and toughest) race of the year. (Photo by Ken Hill)

Round 9 of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Snowshoe Mountain Resort this weekend for the toughest, most spectacular and most unique race on the whole circuit, the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC. Four-time ATV champion Chris Borich leads the field into the final race before the summer break, but Saturday’s two-hour battle through the grueling woods of Snowshoe Mountain has the potential to shake things up in the XC1 class.

Set in the upscale ski village of West Virginia’s largest ski resort, this weekend’s Snowshoe GNCC promises to resurrect pieces of XC history with its live engine starts across the paved road located in the heart of Snowshoe’s village. The in town starts pay homage to the Blackwater 100-the original GNCC-where groups of five racers take off in five-second increments, making for a spectacular scene.

(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.

Team ITP side-by-side vehicle racer Kyle Chaney won the UTV XC1 class and the UTV overall at round seven of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series in Ohio. ITP-backed Adam McGill finished second in the XC1 ATV Pro class, while Veteran ATV racer Kenny Rich Sr. won the Master 50+ class. Team ITP racers earned a dozen class podiums, which featured both ATV and UTV racing.

“I was very pleased to learn that Team ITP racer Kyle Chaney won the highly competitive XC1 Modified class and moved into a tie for second in points. It was also good to see Adam McGill finish on the XC1 Pro ATV podium. He was the front-runner all day at round seven running ITP Holeshot GNCC tires. The podium finish is a huge confidence builder for him,” says Pat McGuire, public relations / race support. “Our team had another double-digit performance, with a dozen podiums, and an outstanding weekend at a historic racing venue.”

Round seven of the ATV series was held in Millfield, Ohio, marking the 23rd running of The Wiseco John Penton GNCC. Round three of the popular SxS series was also held in Ohio. JB Racing / ITP SxS Pro racer Kyle Chaney drove his SxS to the overall victory and the XC1 Modified class win at round seven. He was sixth place after lap one, but passed three riders to move into second on adjusted time after lap two. Chaney rode confidently in second place until the final lap, when he made his move into first on adjusted time. It was his first victory this season. The win pulled Chaney into a tie for second overall, just 15 points behind the class leader with three rounds remaining on the schedule.

ITP-supported racers found success at the recent Limestone 100 GNCC, earning two class victories at Round 6 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series in Springhill, Ind. Brian Schmid and Kenny Rich Sr., who each won their class, and Sam Williams tallied a total of three podium finishes for Team ITP.

“We had a tougher round at the Limestone GNCC, earning two class overall wins. However two of most successful racers – Dave Simmons and Chad Jones – didn’t compete. With that said, we are still in control or in contention for the class championship in at least a half dozen classes with seven rounds remaining,” says Pat McGuire, public relations / race support. “XC1 Pro class racer Adam McGill rode with the leaders all day, but just couldn’t crack the top three this time. Our riders never give up, though, and we expect better finishes at round seven, the John Penton GNCC, in Ohio.”

ITP-backed XC1 Pro racer Adam McGill (Lonestar / Precision) came out at the start within the top six, but quickly joined the top four racers in a four-lap battle for podium. After lap one, McGill was just four seconds behind third place and waiting for one of the other racers to make an error. However, the top two racers found more speed and McGill dropped off the pace by the third lap. He ended up fourth overall in the XC1 class and is currently fourth in the point standings, just four points behind third.

Can anybody get to the checkers before Chris Borich? (Photo by Ken Hill)

We’re nearing the half-way point of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country season and nobody has been able to stop Chris Borich. The four-time champ looks for his sixth straight win to start the season at this weekend’s Dunlop Limestone 100 GNC in Springville, Ind.

With 64 career wins to date, Borich has already proven his merit amongst the best XC ATV racers in GNCC history as he nears the all time wins record. Eight-Time GNCC champ Barry Hawk currently holds the record with 68 total wins, which is within reach for the consistent Borich as eight races still remain in 2013.

Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis rider Chris Bithell could perhaps be the one to break his Suzuki-mounted teammate’s win streak, leading the champ for more laps than anyone else this season. Riding aboard an all-new machine and program for 2013, Bithell continues to become more comfortable each round and looks to secure a race win this season. Bithell currently sits third overall in the championship standings, only five points below AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler.

Kenny Rich Sr. won the Masters (50+) class at Mammoth GNCC.

Team ITP racers fought through the rain and mud to earn four class victories and seven podium finishes at round five of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series in Park City, Ky. Meanwhile, at the Best In The Desert Silver State 300 in Nevada, Team Murray Motorsports / Del Amo Motorsports piloted its ITP-clad side-by-side to third overall on the 1900 class podium.

“GNCC courses are tough enough without mud, but when you factor in heavy rain, slippery, power-robbing mud and everything that comes with it, the 2013 Mammoth GNCC was a very challenging event. Considering the conditions and the fact that 15 percent of racers DNF’d, I’m very pleased that we won four classes, had two racers finish in the overall top 10 in the morning and grabbed a total of seven podiums,” says Pat McGuire, public relations / race support for ITP. “The Murray brothers had a another good showing in the Nevada desert, earning third using the new ITP UltraCross R-Spec 30-inch tires in the BITD SxS Pro ranks.”

Chris Borich looks for his fifth straight GNCC win this weekend. (Photo by Ken Hill)

Maxxis-backed Chris Borich has opened the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series with four straight wins. He’ll try to make it five in a row this weekend when the series heads to Park City, Ky. for the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mammoth GNCC.

With 63 career wins to date, Borich is attempting to dethrone nine-time champion Bill Ballance – who has 67 wins – to become the winningest ATV racer in GNCC history. Seven-time ATV champ and 2003 bike champ Barry Hawk currently holds the all-time win record with a combined 68 wins between both disciplines, an achievement that could be reached and exceeded by Borich in 2013.

In just its second year hosting a GNCC, the Park Mammoth Resort offers some of the freshest trail on the circuit with plenty of single-track sections and technical terrain. Borich took the win at the inaugural event in 2012 but it wasn’t without a fight from AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler as the duo ran side by side through the final turns of the race.

Walker Fowler (right) is looking for his first win of the season. (Photo by Ken Hill)

Chris Borich and Walker Fowler sit 1-2 in the standings after two rounds.

Anybody who thought Chris Borich might start to take it easy after winning his fourth straight GNCC XC1 Pro ATV class title has been proven wrong. Borich is perfect after two rounds of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series and he’ll try to make it three-for-three at this weekend’s FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, NC.

While Borich enjoys life at the top of the mountain, the battle for second through 10th place is a lot less predictable with a deep field of talent on this year’s front line. AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler currently sits in second place as he continues to chase Borich for a win. Fowler has struggled with poor starts in the first two rounds but the 20-year-old has successfully charged his way through the pack to secure two solid podium finishes so far this season.

Chris Borich begins his quest for his fifth straight AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series championship this weekend at the season-opening Moose Racing Westgate River Ranch GNCC.

Borich’s closest pursuer in 2012, Ohio’s Walker Fowler, returns to the front line this year aboard an all-new AmPro Yamaha team. As a rising star in the GNCC ranks, Fowler has chalked several wins throughout his career-including one win over Borich last season-but the young gun has found that beating the champ isn’t an easy feat. It’s also not one that Fowler plans to back away from any time soon.

West Virginia’s Adam McGill switched to a privateer-backed effort in 2012, causing a little bit of stress on his final results due to mechanical failures along the way. However, McGill managed to grab a race-win late in the season to give him fourth place overall in XC1 and a high level of confidence leading into the new season. McGill returns aboard his Lonestar/Precision/ITP Honda with high hopes of contesting for the championship.

Pennsylvania’s Chris Bithell will make his debut aboard a Bithell Racing Suzuki machine in 2013, a pretty drastic change from the last couple of seasons with the Factory Can-Am squad. However, a change in pace may be just what Bithell needs to put him over the edge for race wins this season.

Taylor Kiser reports that he will not be lining up for the season opener in his home state this weekend, and as of right now he does not have plans to contest the XC1 championship in 2013.

As the traditional summer break of the 2012 Grand National Cross Country Series drew to a close, Team ITP was ready for the final four events on the schedule. With fresh ITP Holeshot and QuadCross tires mounted on their newly tuned quads, Team ITP was well rested and motivated at the rugged Unadilla circuit, one of the icons of powersports.

Dave Simmons ( Yamaha) once again dominated the morning race, winning the overall by close to four minutes. It was his seventh overall triumph of the season and tenth straight victory in the Super Senior 45+ class.

Also claiming a big win was Glenn McConnell (Yamaha). This Masters 50+ competitor grabbed his fifth victory of the season and in the process snuck into the points lead for the first time in 2012. After skipping the first race of the year he had been gradually moving up the leaderboard, and Unadilla would be the breakthrough.

Angel Atwell (Honda) finished eighth overall in the morning and second in the Women’s class. She is keeping things tight in this battle, down by just eight in the season points chase.

High temperatures and sweat-inducing humidity made for sweltering, Safari-like conditions in Millfield, Ohio for the John Penton GNCC. But Team ITP racers managed to overcome the elements and pounce on a number of podiums with their ITP Holeshot- and QuadCross-equipped quads.

The king of the jungle in the morning race was forever-young Dave Simmons ( Yamaha), an Ohio native. This cool cat was the overall winner for the sixth time in 2012, and bagged his ninth straight Super Senior 45+ class kill.

Glenn McConnell (Yamaha) had another good hunt despite feeling diseased from the heat. He snapped up third place in the 50+ Masters class and was 17th overall – and is on the scent of a title with second in the standings.

In the fierce Women’s class, Angel Atwell ( Honda) clawed out the holeshot and persevered to third place while finishing eighth overall in the morning. She’s sunk her teeth into second place in the standings with four events remaining in the season. An amateur’s best nine of 11 scores are counted toward year-end championships.

The sixth stop of 13 on the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series schedule this year found the ATV competitors and their supporters in Springville, in the south-central part of Indiana, for the first Limestone 100. And while many of this large crowd had never plied the woodsy, hilly trails of this venue — centered around the Lawrence County Recreation Facility — they found the conditions to be similar to what’s found at The Ironman GNCC which takes place not far from here every October.

That’s a race that Team ITP’s Adam McGill knows very well, and he put his extensive experience to good use by nearly winning at Limestone. McGill ( Honda) worked his way up from a mid-pack start to hold fifth place at the end of the first 10-mile lap, then kept the pressure on to jam into first place on lap two. The West Virginia native led the majority of the race from that point (three laps) but on the last lap he physically ran out of gas — “I started to hit a wall,” as he described it — and had to settle for a safe second overall.

It was McGill’s fourth runner-up finish of the season, and kept him in second place in the premier XC1 Pro division point standings.

This past weekend’s Big Buck GNCC, the fourth round of the Grand National Cross Country Series, featured heavy dust on a rough course with lots of hidden stumps and other nastiness lying in wait to ruin someone’s day. Several ITP-sponsored racers were able to fight through the conditions and earn a podium finish.

For the second event in a row, XC1 Pro star Adam McGill ( Honda) was able to storm back from a tough start and put himself in solid contention for the overall victory. His bid for the win came up just two seconds short after two hours of racing. This inspiring performance shot him into second place in the point standings with seven events still remaining on the long schedule.

XC2 Pro Am series leader Patrick McGuire ( Yamaha) just missed the podium with a fine fourth place and 13th overall out of 157 riders in the afternoon wave of racing. McGuire held onto his number one position in the class standings.

And how about Dave Simmons (Yamaha), who placed second overall in the morning wave while capturing yet another Super Senior 45+ class win? That’s four out of four so far, and he’s making it look easy in the process.