Crawfordsville Indiana

October 22,23 2005

Wow, Is it really over. I cannot believe that another season has blasted through like the cold December wind. This race was fast and this weekend came and left even faster. The Ironman has been the season ending race for years and it never lets us down on overall attendance. With hundreds of people walking through the pit area Yamaha unveiled the new Wolverine 350. This was the first time anyone in media had laid eyes on their newest addition to a very large quad family. It was also announced that the Banshee would be produced only one more year before becoming a part of Yamaha history. Steve Nessl would introduce the president of Yamaha Motor Corp and then off to the quads. As the Atv’s were being unveiled I noticed a historic color scheme from the eighty’s that had been a fixture of Yamaha for some years

Our Pro Class champ

After many photos and discussion about the release of yet another Yamaha wolverine atv it was time to head over to the starting line to get down to business.

The prayer for a safe and exciting race had been received and with just a shout from the announcer our morning class was rolling and Stephanie Parton had taken the lead into the woods. I had to wonder what was going through her mind as she knew that Traci Cecco was right on her bumper and this was it. Stephanie had to win to retain the women’s class championship. What pressure for the last race of the year.

Stephanie parton getting on the gass

Unfortunately for Stephanie it didn’t work out the way she would have liked. Traci Cecco would go on to pass and manage to keep in front of the ever hard charging Parton. Traci was stoked to finally get back the championship plaque and wasted no time on the podium thanking all whom had made it possible. I think that for me this has to be the classic battle. These two are always battling for position and with the determination of these women I think we can count on an even more exciting 2006 series.

Moving on, the Utility Stock guy’s had their own battle to contend with. Mike Penland was determined to get his twelfth title and when the call was made Mike powered his Bombardier Outlander 800 to the first corner and never looked back . He had to win and Ken Robey was to get no closer than third for him to retain the title.. During the race I watched as Mike would change positions with Robey and finally take the Ute Stock class win. As Mike entered the scoring tent after taking the checkerd flag I could see the excitement in his eyes. Before leaving the tent he quietly thanked his biggest sponsor, his savior.

Mike penland takes charge

I could tell this would mean a lot to Mike as the competition is getting tougher every day. But Ken never gave up the fight and came in at second place. This means both Mike and Ken were once again tied in points and the most wins would now decide the fate of one rider. With Ken Robey having four wins and this making only three for Mike it was clear the championship crown would go to Ken Robey this year. Congratulations to both of these guys.     

Scott Kilby on his way to an Indy Hospital

Utility Modified class would have some bad news during the day as reigning champ Scott Kilby would take a nasty tumble and end up in the bird on his way to an Indianapolis hospital for help with his injuries. I didn’t get the scoop on what had happened but most were quick to say that Scott had broken a collar bone along with ribs and possibly vertebrae in his back. I hope whatever Scott has suffered will heal good and we wish the best for our friends at the Kilby home.

Natalie rips the Ironman

Jim Stack wouldn’t disappoint me in his day of racing and he once again took over the Utility Modified class. Jim has rolled his way to the front of the last three races and with this speed he could be a threat for next years championship. I heard rumors that he had indeed challenged John Natalie for the peoples choice belt during a game of pool on Friday night. Good luck on that Jim.

Utility Unlimited had Kevin Johnston winning the Ironman and grabbing the Class championship. Kevin has worked hard all season and just when it looked good for him mechanical woes made the day go south. Kevin’s shear determination and “pink” V-Force took him to the place he wanted to be all season. Good job Kevin and thanks for standing up for a good cause.      

This guy gets a trophy on his birthday

Well I would have to say that the biggest classes of the day had to be in the 2 and 4 stroke stock classes. There are three total classes here that are separated by age. We will start with the 16-21 group. Jon Parr would win the race but Brent Foltz had already taken the championship. Dustin Clay and Jordon Gilkerson would hold on for the second and third place spots. I couldn’t believe the size of these classes. It seemed like they just kept coming. The 16 to 21 class had 45 entries but when I stepped back and caught a glimpse of the 22 to 28 class in 2/4 stroke stock I couldn’t believe my eyes. Fifty eight entries in this class would make it the largest of the morning starts. Justin Stuckwisch held on to win this class and Jeremy cooper ran a close second. James Watson had already secured the championship in this class.    

The "Ironman" at the Ironman

The 35+ 2/4 stroke C race was on between Chuck Dunn and a variety of other competitors. Chuck won this race and Chris Gray made the second place with Glen Pricthard diving into third. Thomas wright had also secured the class championship here and moved to try his luck in a different class but this didn’t matter to John Saxon. John as you recall was devastated by the hurricanes that destroyed Mississippi. With the help of many racers and Racer Production Staff John was able to do what he loves. He finished in sixth place at the Ironman. Even though he missed rounds ten and eleven John was able to secure the second spot for the year in this class.

So the morning Overall went like this, Billy Good once again raced his best and came up first with Matt Hannah and Traci Cecco rounding up second and third. Look for bigger things from Billy Good next year as this was just the primer to his beginning in the GNCC series.

Our new Womens class champ

With the morning races winding down I made my way to the podium where Traci Cecco was signing anything people would hand her. One man had his bald head autographed and when he thought people might not see that side of his head he came back to get the other side signed. Hmmmm  Bald head, permanent marker, this guy wasn’t going to get that off easily. I guess if you are a true fan it wouldn’t matter?..Oh well, the morning is finished and now comes the Evening class race. Its time for some more first class racing in Crawfordsville Indiana.

I made my way up to the starting line looking for a good spot to get pictures for the evening race. As I gathered with all the other Photo journalist’s Bill Balance spoke about a challenge that John Gallagher jr had made with Lazarus sommers. Before it was all over right in front of me our series Champ had began helping Johnny G into a pink skirt.

What just happend here?

I thought I had witnessed a coming out and that was scary. But when the smoke cleared it was just Bills way of making sure that Johnny G held up his end of the deal since rumors once again surfaced that Johnny Gallager Jr was considering not racing next season.

And to top it off he also bet a young racer that if she won and he didn’t finish in the top ten at the last race she could paint his finger nails pink. Man what a bummer for Johnny. Poor guy should reconsider his gambling skills and maybe leave that alone. The crowd thought it was absolutely hysterical and it was all in good fun.

Then there were ten , Ten seconds that is and the start of the Pro class race was underway. I think Ricky Towery might have been a little nervous as he dropped the flag literally and scrambled to get it up before the Pro’s made it to him. Rounding the first turn was a bright yellow machine which seemed unfamiliar to most. The Yamaha defiantly had been there before but never looked so good. I think that makes the sixth or seventh time I have witnessed the power of Bill’s quad just leap into the front of the pack. Santo Derisi had tried to get there before Bill but it wasn’t going to happen with all the effort Yamaha had put into this program. As they roared into the hills the Pro Am class shot off the line and they to joined the excitement. With all the classes in the deep hills of Crawfordsville it seemed like a soft rumble filled the trees all around us. This would be a day of racers challenging themselves and the track that mother nature had prepared for them. Rumors of monstrous hill climbs and quads rolling backwards down hills was all in a days racing for the GNCC series.

Im So happy..

Soon though William Yokley would pop out of the woods with a grin from ear to ear and it wasn’t long before he would take the checkered flag. Even though Yokley had ran a strong race and stayed out front most of the day it almost ended only 75 yards from the finish line. William says he was just trying to ride smart but wasn’t sure where the second place finisher was. So he give his Suzi a little more and coming through the woods it bucked him over the bars. Thanks to the fan’s there in the woods he was able to remount the Yoshmiura Suzuki and get through the finish first. A very excited Chris Bithel would make his best finish this year by getting in second behind Yokley and hard charging Bill Balance. Bithel say’s he will be moving up into the Pro Class next season and really looks forward to racing with the best in the business. “It was just fun” say’s Chris Bithel. Chris’s mother was on hand for the race and her excitement was evident as she joined her son on the podium for some quick photos and his first TV interview. I love seeing parents supporting their children and not pressuring them. Chris’s dad wasn’t in attendance but Chris assured me that the phone was going to get a workout before they got home.

atv legend barry hawks mom

Well even though Yokley couldn’t remember how many times he had won the Ironman he still gave his signature “hell yeah” to all his loyal fans. With all the excitement around the podium I started to notice autograph seekers coming in. Balance ,Yokley and even Bithel signed shirts hats and anything else people could hand them.

So here we are at the end of another great season of Cross Country racing and the champions have been crowned. Most of the crowd has died down and Parts Unlimited is serving dinner as usual under the big tent. Its quiet here in Crawfordsville and I wonder what will be the talk of next years series. Will Bill Balance be able to tie the Famous Barry Hawk record of Seven titles? How will Yamaha bring it next year?. Will Mighty Mike Penland capture his twelfth title?

What will Johnny Gallagher jr really do with the pink skirt and finger nail polish? I know that I will personally be busy writing updates and interviews for your reading pleasure during the off season.

I hope you will stay with us as we prepare for the next season of Grand National Cross Country series racing and it all begins at Deleon Springs Fla. on March 4^th and 5^th. Look for great action and if you can come and be with us in the greatest racing series called the Grand National Cross Country Series.

RS