#IronmanGNCC

Tim Farr raced his Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs to victory at the season-ending AMSOIL Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ind.

This was the first victory of the season for Farr and his wife / co-pilot Julie, but the second overall win for the JB Racing / Can-Am team. Farr, starting from row three, held the lead after the first lap and rode a steady race to record the victory. He won by more than 40 seconds over second place and finished the year in sixth place overall in the XC1 UTV class. The NC Powersports / Performance East / Can-Am teams of Stuart Weeks and Devon Steedley also recorded top 10 XC1 class finishes in Indiana.

The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series will go pink at the season-ending Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ill. on Oct. 26-27 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nearly 10,000 spectators are expected to attend the race.

The goal of Ironman’s pink-effort is to raise awareness and funds locally for breast cancer care and research, while also bringing the GNCC Racing community together for a cause that transcends racing. The pink livery will make a dynamic contrast to the woods, hills and mud of the iconic Ironman GNCC.

Beginning in March, the series will once again kick off in conjunction with Daytona Bike Week at Westgate River Ranch, before traveling north just four days later for Round 2 in Washington, Ga. Several other popular venues will return next season, including Steele Creek, Big Buck, Snowshoe, Unadilla and Powerline Park.

“Our team worked really hard this season to incorporate fresh trail with three new venues and the feedback has been really great,” says Trail Boss Jeff Russell. “Pair that with the return of so many series favorites and we’re pretty confident the racers will be happy with the outcome.”

Can-Am ATV and UTV racers picked up podium finishes in a variety of series this past weekend. At the Ironman GNCC, Cliff Beasley rode his Can-Am Renegade to victory in the U2 class and finished second overall in the morning session, while Tanner Bowles rode his Can-Am Outlander to a win in the 4×4 Open class and Can-Am DS 450 racer Chris Bithell finished third in the XC1 Pro ATV class.

At the final round of the New England ATV Motocross series in New York, 2012 Pro and Pro-Am class champion Josh Creamer earned two more podium finishes. In desert racing, Cory Sappington’s Desert Toyz / Can-Am team recently took a second place finish at the Best in the Desert Bluewater Desert Challenge in Parker, Ariz.

“Can-Am racers recently earned important victories and podium finishes in several events across the country. Cory Sappington’s second-place finish in the Parker, Ariz., was impressive. Josh Creamer battled through horrible mud in New York, to cap a perfect season in the NEATV Pro class,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “I was proud of the way our racers overcame the mud at the Ironman GNCC. Cliff Beasley was amazing in his U2 class win. It was also great to see 17-year-old Tanner Bowles win the 4×4 Open class.”

Yokley Racing had perhaps its most successful weekend of the season at the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ind.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished second in the XC1 Pro ATV class. Meanwhile, National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / DragonFire / Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley won the XC1 Modified UTV class with National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / Yokley Racing Team driver Scott Kiger finishing fourth in the same class. William’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Scott’s passenger was Robbie Ingram.

Summary – ATV

With only two races left in the 2012 GNCC Pro ATV calendar, everyone wants to finish the season out strong. Jarrod McClure has always done well at the Ironman, and was looking forward to the race. Heavy rain on Friday made sure that the course would be plenty challenging with lots of mudholes and slick hills.

McClure got a good start and entered the woods in third place. He passed the first two racers and completed lap 1 in the lead. It was a tight five-way battle for the lead that was constantly changing. There were so many muddy hills and deep ruts that everyone was getting stuck once or twice a lap. The 10,000 spectators were scattered all along the track, especially on the hill climbs and mudholes. The fans would jump right in and help the racers who got stuck.

On the fourth and final lap, several of the leaders got stuck on the steepest hillclimb, including McClure. The fans grabbed hold of his machine and got him going with little delay. He got out in the final high speed cornfield section with nobody close to him. He didn’t know if he was first or fifth, so he charged as hard as possible to the finish. At the finish, he was a close second place, his best finish of the year! He moved up to fifth in the season points with just one race to go at Loretta Lynns Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. on Nov. 3.

Jarrod McClure’s Sponsors: Yokley Racing, Army National Guard, Coastal Racing, Kenda Tires, Bowers Motorcycle Supplies, EXIT Suspension, KG Clutches, Roll Design, XC Bob.com, Douglas Wheel Technology, Yoshimura, Moto Pro Training, Moose, IMS/Roll, Tireballs, G-4 Graphics, IMS, PowerMadd, Bell Helmets, Precision, DP Brakes and Quad Tech.

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. was on hand in Crawfordsville, Ind. at the Ironman GNCC this weekend to celebrate the career of Traci Cecco-Pickens. The long-time Yamaha rider and GNCC icon has made history by securing her ninth overall women’s ATV series title and announced her retirement atop the Ironman podium.

“This ninth championship is very special to me and by far will be the most memorable – it is going to be my last championship,” says Cecco-Pickens. “I am retiring from chasing championships. With nine titles, my health, friends and memories for a lifetime, I finally feel this is the right time for me.”

Cecco-Pickens may be retiring from the track, but that doesn’t mean she’s leaving racing entirely. “I will continue to be at all of the GNCC events supporting my husband and his racing career,” she said. “Racing is a tremendous part of my life, and I will truly miss competing, but it’s time for me to be part of the sport I love in a different way – whether that be representing longtime sponsors at the track, working the gas can in the pits, or mentoring new lady racers.” To all of the up-and-coming women racers out there, she says: “Never quit setting achievable goals, and always act like a lady.”

Cecco clinched her historic championship at the last GNCC round October 6 in St. Clairsville, Ohio, allowing her to enjoy the Ironman knowing her championship is already in the books. Known as the best woman racer in the history of the sport, Cecco-Pickens captured six wins and was on the podium at every series stop this year leading up to Crawfordsville.

The Ironman GNCC has long been known as the largest and most prestigious event on the series schedule. However, for the second year in a row this stop on the tour has been about something bigger than racing itself.

The weekend started off with GBC team riders Johnny Gallagher and Jeff Pickens making a special visit to a local Indiana elementary school where the riders spoke to hundreds of fifth- and sixth-grade students about Breast Cancer Awareness. The two racers even helped the students fashion pink ribbon pins that would allow them free entry to the Ironman festivities for the weekend.

“I really enjoyed spending time with the kids, and it was great to see many of them actually make it out to the race wearing their pins and cheering us on,” says Jeff Pickens after his grueling two-hour race on Saturday afternoon.

“I couldn’t believe how many of the students knew all about our racing, and it felt good to see them so enthused about learning more about such an important cause,” commented Johnny Gallagher upon leaving New Market Elementary on Friday.

Typically the season finale, this year’s Ironman landed two weeks before the final round of 2011 coming up at Loretta Lynn’s in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, which was rescheduled to Nov. 5. Traci Cecco took her eighth win of the year in the Women’s class adding to her record eighth series championship which she secured even before the Ironman. Ballance Racing’s Walker Fowler, who has also already locked in his series championship, took his twelfth straight XC2 Pro Am win – a series record. In XC1 Pro competition, Ballance Racing’s Taylor Kiser finished second – his fifth podium of the season – which moved him to third in overall series points.

Cook launched off the start and was sitting at the front of the pack when he collided with Taylor Kiser. Both riders were thrown off their ATVs and had to untangle their quads before they could get back to the race. The two remounted in last place. One lap later, Cook had to make an unscheduled pit stop for repairs from the damage sustained in his first turn crash. This stop put him 10 minutes behind the lead group.

Cook rode decently once he returned to the course but was unable to make up the time lost and finished in a disappointing 11th place. With one more round left, Cook is looking forward to keeping it on all four wheels and running inside the top five to end the season.

National Guard Polaris Coastal DragonFire Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished second overall and second in the Side-by-Side Open Modified Class at the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ind. National Guard Polaris Coastal Yokley Racing Team driver Scott Kiger finished third overall and third in the same class. There were 54 total entries with 25 Open Modified teams in the race today. Yokley’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Kiger’s passenger was Joe Waligora. Yokley is the 2011 GNCC Open Modified National Champion and Kiger finished third in GNCC season points.

As well, National Guard Coastal Yokley Racing Pro ATV Team rider Jarrod McClure finished fifth overall and fifth in the XC1 Pro ATV class. There were 193 total entries with 14 XC1 Pro riders.

Summary – Side-by-Side

The National Guard Polaris team arrived at this season finale GNCC Side by Side race hoping to wrap up the National Championship. The weather and conditions were perfect, and the Ironman always has the largest turnout of competitors and fans of any of the GNCC events. The fans are positioned all along the course, especially at the long hillclimb and creek crossing sections. There are also high speed open-field sections to showcase the horsepower and handling of the Ranger RZR XP900.

At the start, Yokley was fifth in the first turn, with teammate Kiger right next to him. They went into the woods in third and fourth. They moved up to second and third at the completion of lap 1. Yokley knew he could wrap up the title by finishing second, so he raced conservatively, making sure he took care of his equipment and not taking big chances with lappers. The team finished out the race in second and third, with both machines on the podium.