Fowler Bests Borich at Unadilla GNCC

Walker Fowler edged closer to the top of the XC1 Pro ATV standings this past weekend with a win at the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY, round 10 of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis.

Coming off a big win at the previous round at Snowshoe, RacingPowersports.com/CST Tires/PirateMX.com’s Adam McGill kept his momentum rolling as he captured the $250 Twin Air/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award and the early lead.

However, Fowler (N-Fab AmPro Yamaha ) quickly made his way into the lead on the opening lap where he controlled the pace for the rest of the two-hour competition. Borich put his Maxxis-backed machine into the second place position early on but the five-time champion admitted to experiencing arm pump fatigue at the beginning of the race. Borich finally loosened up and started to make a charge on Fowler’s lead just after the halfway mark, but Fowler held onto the lead through the checkers for the overall victory.

Walker Fowler raced to his fourth overall victory of the season at the Unadilla GNCC.

All eyes were set on the battle for third, which was initially spearheaded by McGill early on. However, Precision/Maxxis Tires Chris Bithell interjected himself into the mix and eventually took over the third place spot. As Bithell and McGill batted back and forth, DWT Racing’s Jarrod McClure caught up to the duo and it quickly became a three-way battle for the third and final podium position. McClure made the move on McGill and Bithell to take over third and it wasn’t long before McGill ran into a mechanical issue that ultimately ended his day on the final lap. From there, McClure maintained a solid pace to edge out Bithell for the final podium position.

Despite a hard charge by Borich in the final moments of the two-hour race, Fowler upped the pace to finish over one minute ahead of the reigning XC1 National Champion. With 1-2 finishes, respectively, Borich holds a 19-point lead over Fowler as three rounds remain in the championship series.

Despite some early arm-pump issues, Chris Borich fought his way to a second place finish.

“It feels good to just get this one out of the way,” says Fowler. “I’m honored to be up here racing with guys like Chris Borich but I know he’s going to be tough to beat, he always is. I’m hoping to keep the championship chase alive until the very end and we’ll see how it goes.”

McClure earned his third consecutive podium finish on Saturday, where he currently sits in a career-best fourth overall in the championship standings. Bithell finished fourth overall for the day to maintain fifth in the championship standings as he continues to work his way back from a deficit due to mechanical issues earlier in the season. Despite McGill’s unfortunate luck, the West Virginia native still holds a third place position in the championship standings.

A mechanical issue sidelined Adam McGill, but he still sits in third place in the XC1 championship standings.

Another exciting battle took place just outside the top four as XC1 Pro class rookies Jay Shadron and Brycen Neal diced it out for the fifth place position in the class. The duo was joined by BNR Motorsports/Loctite’s Kevin Yoho, who traded places with the young guns all afternoon. In the end, Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Jay Shadron secured fifth in the class and sixth overall, while Neal finished seventh overall and Yoho in eighth. Braden Henthorn finished ninth and Josh Merritt rounded out the top 10.

N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Cole Richardson put forth an impressive ride to capture fifth overall for the day, while chalking up another win in the XC2 Pro Am class. Richardson had an early battle going with his biggest competitor of the class, SICC Racing/Maxxis Tires-backed Marshal Goings, who later succumbed to a steering issue that cost him several positions in the overall running. Goings was able to maintain a second place position in the XC2 class, while New York’s very own Marty Christofferson rounded out the podium with a third place finish.

Cole Richardson (middle) celebrates his XC2 victory.

With Richardson in command, only six points separate the leader and the second place of Marshal Goings in the XC2 championship standings. Christofferson holds a solid third place in the standings with three rounds remaining in the season.

Nick Wheeler captured the $100 All Balls Racing XC2 Holeshot Award in his first GNCC appearance of the season. Wheeler went on to finish 9th in the XC2 Pro Am division.

The #201 of Cody Collier became one step closer to successfully defending his top ranking in the 10 a.m. division as he claimed yet another $125 GT Thunder Amateur Overall, beating out over 400 competitors in the morning race. Collier also claimed his seventh Schoolboy (13-15) A/B win en route to capturing the 2014 Championship in the class. New York’s very own Hunter Hart put in a solid ride in his rookie season of morning action, claiming fifth overall for the day and second place in the Schoolboy class.

The 4×4 Pro class once again showcased some of the most intense battles of the day as the fastest 4×4 ATV racers in the world came together for the tenth round on Saturday. ATV Parts Plus/Can-Am’s Bryan Buckhannon grabbed the holeshot and early lead but the ultra-competitive lineup quickly showcased a multi-rider battle for the lead. After two hours of hard battle, it was Factory Polaris/Team UXC Racing’s Michael Swift who emerged victorious in the 4×4 Pro class, along with second place overall for the day. Swift was joined atop the 4×4 Pro podium by Buckhannon in second and Can-Am X-Team’s Kevin Trantham in third.

Michael Swift (left), Cody Collier (middle) and Bryan Buckhannon (right) celebrate on the 10 a.m. overall podium.

In the Youth division, it was once again Florida native Brandon Frazier who captured the overall victory, claiming yet another win in the 90 Open (12-15) class. Pennsylvania’s Timmy Sroka finished second in the class and second overall for the day, while New York’s very own Jordan Purvis rounded out the top three in just his second GNCC appearance of the season.

The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will head to Somerset, Pennsylvania September 20 and 21 for the Car-Mate Mountain Ridge GNCC.