#GBCMotorsportsHeartlandChallenge

The GBC Motorsports Heartland Challenge features three different endurance races throughout the three-day gathering of ATV and UTV enthusiasts. The adult ATV Challenge features a 10-hour race in which 14 classes compete simultaneously. The winning Pro Class team will be awarded $6,000 while the Pro-Am winners will receive $3,000. Top honors in the Pro Utility Ironman class will earn the winning rider $2,500, while the Ironman class winner will get $1,500. Other class winners will be awarded $500.

The Heartland Challenge also features a four-hour Side-by-Side UTV race for adults, with $1,000 awards for each of the UTV classes.

The 4th Annual Heartland Challenge presented by GBC Motorsports took Carlisle, Iowa by storm this year. Great weather and great track conditions made this year’s event a fun and exciting weekend full of racing for all in attendance.

Andy Kyner and his IATVHSS (Iowa ATV Hare Scramble Series) team did a fantastic job with all aspects of the event, receiving rave reviews from riders and spectators alike. The course itself offered up a variety of terrain, including tight technical sections with frequent elevation changes, long and fast straight-aways through the heartland’s farm fields, and motocross-style whoops and jumps. The “Heartland Challenge” section is of course the defining feature of this event, in which competitors must negotiate a variety of obstacles.

GBC Motorsports was out in full force for the event, with its full line of ATV and UTV products on display. GBC showcased its new Kanati truck tire throughout the weekend. There was an impressive roster on vendor’s row, including PIAA lighting, which provided an array of products to help with the nighttime portion of the event, as well as C&D ATV.

The first event of the weekend was Friday night’s UTV challenge. The four-hour endurance race saw Team Elias narrowly beat out Team Coastal/Yokely Racing, with Team Extreme rounding out the podium. The Open UTV class podium was comprised of Team Coastal/Yokely Racing, Team Extreme and Team Donkey. The 850 Mod class saw overall winners Team Elias on top, followed by Team Galloping Zebra and Team LM1. Team I Love Hooters, Team D&S Racing and Team A-Team were the top three finishers in the 850 limited class.

Proving once again that endurance racing is not just for adults, Saturday morning’s three-hour youth challenge gave teams of young riders the opportunity to compete on much of the same terrain as their older and more experienced counterparts. When the checkered flag flew it was Team Dirtworks taking the overall win, with Team NA in second and Team Extreme in third.

Later on Saturday, 54 teams finished their preparations and lined up for a Le Mans style start, in which riders dashed 20 yards before firing up their quads and heading out on the course. After 10 hours of racing, defending champions Team Ballance Racing Yamaha (Kiser, Fowler and Brown) once again claimed the $6,000 top prize, putting on an impressive display of riding in the process. Team Woodhead (Wolf, Ockerman and Henthorn) finished second overall for the second consecutive year while Team Sweet Home Alabama (Pickens, Gallagher and Cecco) rounded out the podium in third.