FRE/KTM GNCC race report – Round 7

FRE/KTM ATV Women’s rider Angel Atwell ended up second overall after a long battle for the lead position at the seventh round of the ATV GNCC Series.

Atwell grabbed the holeshot followed by Traci Cecco and Kristen Atwell. Halfway through the first lap, Atwell got stuck on a downed tree in the middle of the trail and dropped to fourth. Heavy rain began to pour at the mid-point of the race making the track and hills very slick. Cecco took over the lead for a brief period as the rain continued to fall before both Atwells put on a charge. The two girls quickly passed Cecco and began a hard fought battle for the lead position for the remainder of the race. Angel Atwell had the lead heading to the finish line but an aggressive pass on the final corner moved Kristen Atwell into the lead across the checkers and Angel Atwell finished second.

Angel Atwell races to a second-place finish.

In the XC1 class FRE/KTM rider Bryan Cook came off the start line in fifth position. Unfortunately, Cook encountered a mechanical problem on the end of the first lap which caused him to DNF the race.

“This is just one of those races where a fluke thing happened and I will just put it behind me and focus on the next round,” says Cook.

FRE/KTM rider Josh Kirkland had a decent start in the XC2 race rounding the first turn in 4th position. Kirkland quickly moved forward to take over the lead and begin to pick off some of the XC1 riders in front of him. Near the end of the first lap, Kirkland was pushed off the muddy trail and into a deep creek. Water filled the air box and Kirkland struggled to get his ATV back to the pits for a quick repair. He lost valuable time and positions as the team hurried to fix his bike. When he reentered the race he increased his pace and picked off as many riders as he could. He eventually climbed back up to an impressive 7th overall to salvage valuable points in the championship chase. Kirkland is now in a three way battle for the points chase.