#YokleyRacing

Polaris / Coastal / CST / National Guard / Yoshimura / Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished fourth Overall and fourth in the XC1 Modified Class at this past weekend’s John Penton GNCC. Team driver Scott Kiger finished fifth Overall and fifth in the same class. Fifty-one UTVs were entered in the race, including 23 XC1 Modified teams. William’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Scott’s passenger was Tyler King.

The John Penton GNCC course is always challenging with technical woods sections, open fields and parts of a pro motocross track. The area got some much needed rain on Friday night, which made the track just about perfect for Saturday’s Side by Side race. With the temperature in the 90s and high humidity, the racers headed to the starting area.

At the start, the Coastal Polaris National Guard teams of Yokley and Kiger headed into the woods in third and fourth positions. The teams liked the five-mile course because it offered adequate passing zones for this six-lap race. The teammates stayed glued together for most all of the race, and it came down to the last few turns to decide who would be on the podium.

William Yokley jumped out to an early lead before damaging his machine.

Polaris / Coastal / CST / National Guard / Yoshimura / Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished 33rd Overall and 13th in the XC1 Modified Class. Team driver Scott Kiger finished fourth Overall and third in the same class. There were 49 total entries including 21 XC1 Modified teams. William’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Scott’s passenger was Tyler King.

Yokley Racing Summary

The Racer Production promoters always lay out a good, challenging course for the competitors. This year, the four-mile course featured a combination of technical woods sections and faster open areas with multiple racing lines. Track conditions were very good and the temp was in the 70s.

Despite rolling his machine, Scott Kiger managed to recover and finish fourth overall and third in the XC1 Modified Class.

At the drop of the flag for the dead-engine start, the Polaris Team RZR XP 900s fired right up and were at the head of the pack heading into the woods. After some initial dicing, Yokley settled into the lead with Kiger close behind. Midway through lap 1, Kiger clipped a tree and flipped over on his top. He and his passenger got out, righted the machine, and took off in hot pursuit of the lead pack. On lap 3 of 6, Yokley experienced some bad luck when his front wheel came in contact with another machine’s rear wheel resulting in breaking a steering component. Unable to steer, his day was over.

William Yokley (Polaris / Coastal / CST / National Guard / Yoshimura / Yokley Racing) opened the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series UTV season with a win at the Maxxis General GNCC. Yokley finished first overall and first in the XC1 Modified Class. Team driver Scott Kiger finished fourth overall and fourth in the same class. A total of 46 side-by-sides were competing in the race, including 22 XC1 Modified teams. Yokley’s guest passenger was his wife Tina, and Scott’s passenger was Tyler King.

The 2013 GNCC Side by Side season started out well for the team in Georgia. After a successful 2012 season, the team spent the winter building new race machines and fine tuning the new 2013 Polaris RZR XP-900s.

The General GNCC featured red Georgia clay soil, tight, technical woods sections linked by high-speed open fields. It was 75 degrees, sunny and windy, and the course was very dusty, especially in the fields. The shorter than usual three-mile track made for some tight racing.

New for this season is a dead engine start, and the field lined up in rows of five. When the flag dropped, Yokley’s machine did not immediately fire and he was last going into the woods. Kiger got a good start and ran up front most of the race. The track was short and the leaders encountered lapped machines on the second lap, so traffic played an important part of the race. Yokley worked his way up to where he was near the lead when he heavily rear-ended a disabled machine in the blinding dust. He was fortunately able to continue once he got unhooked, thank goodness for a strong front bumper!

National Guard/Coastal/Bowers Motorcycle Supplies/Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished fifth overall and fifth in the XC1 Pro Class at the season finale of the 2013 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. There were 113 total entries including 16 XC1 Pro racers.

Summary

The format for the last GNCC of the year at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch was different as the bikes raced on Saturday and the ATVs on Sunday. Rain showers on Saturday night made the track almost perfect for the ATVs on this crisp autumn race day. The historic facility features a high-speed grass track, the national caliber Moto Cross track, trails with lots of rocks, gravel and elevation changes.

At the drop of the start flag, McClure got a great launch and the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award. The top five XC1 Pros ran nose to tail for the first several laps, with the lead changing hands several times per lap. McClure ran a good, smooth race and finished in fifth place at the end of the five-lap, two-hour race.

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.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished third Overall and third in the XC1 Pro Class at the 10th round of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in New Berlin, NY. There were 214 total entries including 13 XC1 Pro racers.

Yokley Racing Summary

The GNCC annual two month summer break is over and everyone was ready to get back to racing. Jarrod McClure has been riding and training regularly with his Pennsylvania neighbor, Chris Borich, so he was ready to go! The historic Unadilla has been the home to Pro Motocross events for more than forty years, and the racers are able race on the famed Professional and Amateur motocross courses as well as eight miles of adjoining woods sections. The conditions were almost perfect.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished fourth overall and fourth in the XC1 Pro Class. There were 152 total entries including 16 XC1 Pro racers.

Yokley Racing Summary

One of the most interesting and unusual stops on the GNCC circuit is the Snowshoe. Taking place at the famed Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia, the race is known as one of the most difficult of the year. The racers as well as the fans love the amenities of the facility; great hotel accommodations, several restaurants, and ski lifts to transport you to different sections of the course.

The course goes up, down and around the main mountain. Steep hill climbs, many mud bog sections and lots of rocks make this a tough one just to finish. The start is on the main street right in front of the hotels featuring a Grand Prix style live engine start. Five ATVs per row are flagged off every few seconds, racing through the resort and then out into the mountain trails.

National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / DragonFire / Yokley Racing teammates Scott Kiger and William Yokley finished second and third in the Side by Side XC1 Modified Class at the Mountaineer Run GNCC in Masontown, WV. Meanwhile, National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished sixth Overall and sixth in the XC1 Pro Class.

Summary – Side by Side

The GNCC Series moved on to the Mountaineer Run in West Virginia for Round 3 for the Side by Side machines. This race is new for the GNCC Series in 2012 and the competitors did not know exactly what to expect. The track featured a very technical 4.6 mile course with lots of rocky sections and tight woods. Taking care of your machine in the rocks would be important today.

The start flag dropped and after the first few turns, Kiger had the lead with Yokley in third. Later in the lap, Kiger slid wide in a turn and had to back up, dropping him back to third place. The course had tight woods trails and a few open areas, and about one half of the track was on totally newly cut trails. Both Yokley and Kiger had good pace and other than a few bottlenecks, they were on pace for good finishes.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished 87th Overall and 12th in the XC1 Pro Class after breaking a suspension component. There were 154 total entries including 12 XC1 Pro racers.

Summary

The Limestone 100 is another new venue this year on the GNCC schedule. The track featured some unique obstacles including rough creek beds and lots of hills. The warm weather was great for racing. McClure was coming off of a good run at the last GNCC in KY, and was looking forward to battling for a podium finish today.

McClure got a great start at the drop of the green flag, and grabbed the $250 Holeshot Award. He led for part of the way around the 10-mile course until he clipped a tree, and fell back to seventh place. He spent the next 3 laps charging his way up to fourth place. McClure was turning fast lap times, and was in position for a good finish.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished fourth overall and fourth in the XC1 Pro Class. There were 189 total entries including 14 XC1 Pro racers.

Yokley Racing Summary

The Mammoth is a new location on the GNCC schedule this year, and everyone was excited to experience a track that had never been ridden on. The facility is a beautiful property located right next to Park Mammoth Resort Golf Course, and is a combination of fast, rolling field sections as well as lots of tight, freshly cut, and technical woods trails. It was a hot day in the 80’s and the woods sections featured an abundance of rocks.

At the drop of the flag, McClure got a good start and was battling for position in turn 1 when he ran over another machine’s wheel. The impact launched his ATV in the air with the rear end about four feet higher in the air than the front. McClure managed to hang on and actually ran with the leaders in third place going into lap 2. Lapped riders were difficult to get around in the tight sections since there was usually only one racing line.

National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / DragonFire / Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished first overall and first in the Side by Side XC1 Modified Class at the Big Buck GNCC in Union, SC, while teammate Scott Kiger finished fourth overall and fourth in the same class. Meanwhile, National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished fourth overall and fourth in the XC1 Pro ATV Class.

Summary – Side by Side

The GNCC Series moved on to the Big Buck in South Carolina for Round 2 of the Side by Side machines. Since the area has had very little rain leading up to the race, the track was very dusty. The course was rough with lots of ruts, and a good start would be very important. Other than the dry conditions, the weather was great with temps in the low 80’s.

The start flag dropped and after the first few turns, Yokley was in second place with Kiger in fifth. Yokley made a pass for the lead in the first open field section where he could really open up the Yoshimura-tuned Polaris. He then proceeded to open up a sizable gap heading into the second lap of the four-mile course. Meanwhile, Scott Kiger was mired behind a nose-to-tail group of machines which were churning up clouds of vision-blocking dust. At times, he had to come to a complete stop in order to see the course. Once he worked his way past those machines into some cleaner air, he was a considerable distance behind teammate Yokley.

National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure finished seventh overall and seventh in the XC1 Pro Class at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC. There were 173 total entries including 16 XC1 Pro racers.

Summary

The Steele Creek race facility in Morganton is always a popular event for the racers and fans. This year was especially well attended partially due to Racer Productions partnering with the March of Dimes to promote awareness in the community for healthier babies and children. GNCC Pro racers and March of Dimes representatives visited local schools to promote the importance of good fitness and nutrition. The racers gave out autographed posters and served as role models for the students. To get into the spirit, many racers dressed in purple and had purple on their machines.

McClure walked the track on Friday and noticed that it was dusty and dry. Overnight, a steady rain gave the terrain a good soaking. Race day was very warm and clear, and the track conditions were good and tacky with no dust. At the drop of the flag, McClure’s machine did not immediately fire, and he was at the tail end of the pro class.

National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / DragonFire / Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished first overall and first in the Side by Side Open Modified Class, while teammate Scott Kiger (National Guard / Polaris / Coastal / Yoshimura / Yokley Racing) finished third overall and third in the same class. Meanwhile, National Guard / Coastal / Bowers Motorcycle Supplies / Yokley Racing Team rider Jarrod McClure did not finish the ATV race after experiencing a mechanical failure.

Yokley Racing Side by Side Summary

The first Side by Side GNCC race of the season is a good way to see if all the off-season testing and preparation will produce a good finish. The team has been busy preparing its new Ranger RZR XP 900s with the goal of defending the Open Modified National Championship. Most of the sponsors remained the same with the addition of Yoshimura, Keizer and Big Country Powersports. Yoshimura supplied the motor kit that can be purchased by anyone through Yoshimura.

William Yokley of the National Guard/ Polaris/Coastal/Yokley Off-Road Racing Team has won national titles in both the Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) and the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS).

Yokley Racing competed in a total of sixteen races in 2011 and covered some of the most demanding terrain and weather conditions in the country. Leading companies within the industry and title sponsors National Guard, Polaris, and Coastal Racing sponsor the team.

Yokley Racing, LLC was founded in 2007 and is a professional off-road race team consisting of competitors William Yokley, Jarrod McClure and Scott Kiger. The team competes in professional ATV and Side-by-Side Off-Road events in the United States and provides valuable product research and development insight to the industry. National Guard, Polaris, Coastal Racing, DragonFire, Kenda, Exit Suspension, TireBalls, Mona-Vie, Tusk, MotoPro Training, Scott and HyghOctane sponsor the team.

Just a few weeks after winning the GNCC “Open Modified” UTV Championship in his National Guard Polaris Coastal DragonFire Yokley Racing Ranger RZR XP 900, William Yokley took the WORCS Racing Side-by-Side 1 Championship his first year racing the series.

“We, once again, would like to congratulate William on another championship,” says Donna Beadle, race team manager for Polaris Racing. “Both William and teammate Scott Kiger have been very dedicated to developing and racing the Ranger RZR XP 900 and we couldn’t be happier with the result.”

The last side-by-side WORCS race of the season was hosted at Speed World MX, in Surprise, Ariz. Yokley only needed to finish in the top eight to clinch the championship so he planned to be a little less aggressive than usual. It was a good thing he had a points cushion because his day did not go as planned and he ended up finishing ninth but was still able to earn the championship by, thanks to some help from Kiger.