Aboard their Yamaha YFZ450s, Traci Cecco, Donnie Ockerman and Thomas Brown won a quartet of GNCC and GNC MX ATV races on Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30. Cecco started the blue-and-white parade by winning the morning Women’s race at the third round of the 2008 GNCC season in Morganton, NC, while Ockerman followed up with a win in the afternoon XC2 Pro Am contest as Bill Ballance took second in XC1 Pro aboard his own YFZ450. The YFZ wins then continued 400 miles away on Sunday as Brown dominated both his heat race and the Pro main event at the GNC ATV motocross in Pell City, Ala.
Rain at the North Carolina GNCC event had competitors worried about deep mud developing on the long woods-and-mountain course, but the surface was thankfully just slick and rutty. Cecco led every mile of her four-lap race to bring her season record to 2-1-1. And when the XC2 Pro Am riders lined up in the afternoon, Ockerman was ready. His YFZ450 fired instantly at the green flag and he grabbed the holeshot, managed his tactics perfectly and stretched out a huge lead after four laps. The happy Ockerman switched to Yamaha from another brand this year. “I like the suspension and the whole bike handles a lot better,” he said after the race. “That’s what it’s all about in cross-country racing.”
In off-road motorcycle competition, Thad Duvall led all comers in the GNCC XC2 Pro Lites class on a WR250F on Sunday (his perfect third consecutive win this season), while Joe Scherer won Open A (also his third straight win) and Barry Hawk finished second in XC1 Pro aboard his YZ250 two-stroke. “I’ve been riding YZ250s since 2000 and I just know them really well,” Hawk said. “They’re just great for GNCC racing and I can get great starts.” Hawk is now tied for second in the XC1 Pro class points. Finally, way out west, Brian Garrahan won Sunday’s AMA National Hare Scrambles in Emmett, Idaho aboard his YZ450F. Garrahan’s third win in four events this year puts him securely in the points lead. Well done all!
2008 GNCC ATV Points 3/29/08
Women
Pos. Rider Points
1 Traci Cecco – Yamaha 59
2 Stephanie Parton – Yamaha 53
3 Angel Atwell 49
XC1 Pro
Pos. Rider Points
1 Adam McGill 76
2 Taylor Kiser 57
3 Brandon Sommers – Yamaha 52
XC2 Pro Am
Pos. Rider Points
1 David Crane – Yamaha 73
2 Donnie Ockerman – Yamaha 62
3 Brian Wolf 58
