#ChrisBorich

Six-time GNCC National Champion Chris Borich is set to face off with fellow Factory Yamaha rider-and perhaps biggest rival-Walker Fowler this Saturday for the first time since their championship-deciding finale last October.

The 41st annual AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, kicks off this Saturday, March 7 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC where Borich, Fowler and the rest of the XC1 Pro ATV riders will line up for the 1 p.m. start at the Rodman Plantation in Palatka, Fla.

Yamaha has announced its 2015 ATV race teams, which includes one six-time champ who just made the switch.

Leading the MX teams for Yamaha in 2015 is three-time AMA Pro ATV champ Chad Wienen on his Wienen Motorsports/SSI YFZ450R. He is looking forward to starting his title defense at the inaugural Daytona SX event. Maxxis/Moto-XPerts Thomas Brown, who took third in AMA Pro ATV competition in 2014, returns to Yamaha again this season and also has his sights set on a 2015 championship.

Chris Borich looks for his record-tying 67th win this weekend. (Photo by Ken Hill)

The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series makes its debut in Northwest Pennsylvania this weekend for the inaugural running of the Car-Mate Gusher GNCC. Taking place on the property of Foxburg’s picturesque RiverStone Estate, Round 11 of the 13-race series will showcase all-new terrain with freshly cut trail alongside the wild and scenic Allegheny and Clarion Rivers.

Four-time XC1 Pro ATV Champion Chris Borich heads into Round 11 with more than just a race win on his mind. On Saturday, the Pennsylvania native will attempt to tie nine-time GNCC Champion Bill Ballance’s all-time record of ATV overall wins with a 67th career win at the Car-Mate Gusher GNCC. Of course, Borich is also vying for a fifth consecutive title as he currently leads the National Championship standings with seven overall wins this season.

Chris Borich looks for his seventh win of the season at the Unadilla GNCC. (Photo by Ken Hill)

Following a two-month summer break, the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series returns to racing this Saturday for the ninth running of the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC. Held at the legendary Unadilla Raceway in New Berlin, NY, the Unadilla GNCC serves as Round 10 of the 13-race series.

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.

(Photo by Ken Hill)

After chasing Chris Borich all season, Walker Fowler finally took the checkers a couple of weeks back at the Limestone 100 GNCC. He’ll try to make it two in a row this weekend as the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Millfield, Ohio for the Wiseco John Penton GNCC.

AmPro Yamaha‘s Fowler made a statement last round as he secured the Round 6 victory that also ended Borich’s five-race win streak in 2013. Fowler has been in contention for the lead all season long and the young gun looks to keep it rolling with two in a row this weekend.

Although Borich has the most wins this season, the Maxxis-backed rider hasn’t necessarily spent the most time out front. Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis rider Chris Bithell has arguably led the most laps this season as he continues to fight for the overall win each round. However, Borich has the last-lap pass down to a science and the seasoned veteran knows what it takes to secure the win after two hours of racing. As the series reaches the second half of the schedule, strategy becomes even more crucial in winning a championship at the end of the season.

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.

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.

According to the Racer Productions, the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series saw almost 18,000 racer entries in 2012, the second most in its 35-year history. The 2012 GNCC season added 1,700 riders from 2011.

Highlighting the healthy 2012 season was the Unadilla GNCC, bringing 1,880 racers to New York’s well-known motocross venue and rewriting the GNCC history books with the highest-ever rider turnout. Also, the Ironman GNCC brought in the largest number of racers the venue has seen in its 18 years on the GNCC schedule.

“We are thankful for the many racers and families that have put their trust in the GNCC Racing team, making this series the most competitive and entertaining off-road motorcycle and ATV series in the world,” says Tim Cotter, GNCC director of events.

Defending GNCC Pro ATV champion Chris Borich ( Suzuki) is looking for this third straight victory to start the season at this weekend’s FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, NC.

The Maxxis/Yoshimura rider leads the pack and the point standings heading into round three of the 13-race Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. The Steele Creek Campground hosts a variety of rough and tumble obstacles and often times the track conditions affect the outcome of the intense two-hour races. The 10-12 mile course will feature mud bogs and creek crossings, mixed with rocky hills and the fan-famous Steele Creek bridge, where thousands of spectators gather to see racers battle their way through muddy waters.

Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Walker Fowler, the rookie XC1 pro who many expect to challenge Borich for this year’s championship, understands just how rough racing conditions can be after one of the most intense finishes in GNCC history at round two in Georgia. Fowler experienced mechanical issues just a few turns before the finish and had to push his ATV to the checkers to hold onto a podium spot. He was exhausted, but the effort keeps him close to Borich in the series’ standings. The rookie still isn’t satisfied and will be back to avenge this weekend in North Carolina.

Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich is not just the defending champion heading into this weekend’s season opener of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series at Westgate River Ranch in River Ranch, Fla. After three consecutive titles, Borich is paving his way into the GNCC record books, one race-win at a time, which means the 2012 tour could help paint an even bigger picture for the Pennsylvania native.

Since his first championship in 2009, Borich has won a staggering 30 out of 39 races in the XC1 ATV Pro class, leaving little room for his competition to shine. But domination is not new to this field. The previous GNCC ATV King, Bill Ballance, still holds the record with nine-straight titles and before Ballance, Barry Hawk won seven straight. So while Borich has a long way to go to match history, he’s ready to make some more of his own as the 2012 season gets underway.

“I’m feeling really prepared for the opening round after spending some time down here in Florida getting my program dialed in,” says Borich. “I feel good and the bike feels good so the only thing left to do is get to racing!”