GNCC Ironman Race Summary from William Yokley

| November 1, 2009 | 0 Comments

William Yokley in his National Guard Polaris RZR

Team Yokley struggled at the GNCC season finale in Crawfordsville, Indiana on October 24, 2009. In the final round of the 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series, Yokley hit a tree in his Polaris RZR and ended his race.

William Yokley’s Race Summary

The Ironman marks the end of the season and is a very challenging track with creek crossings, steep hills, tight woods, and wide open field sections. Quite a bit of rain fell leading up to the race, and the property was soaked on Friday. The water crossings and steep hills were going to be difficult. A huge crowd of dedicated fans gathered on Saturday in spite of the conditions, and most were positioned by the deep water crossing and steep hills.

The race began and the first lap was mostly picking the best lines and getting settled in. I was not having a very good day, and on the last lap the “Ironman Hill” got me. I came out of the water and there was a bottleneck at the base of the hill causing me to get a poor run up the hill. I did not have the momentum to reach the top, so I just pinned it and held on. Right at the top, it caught traction in a rut and flipped over backward. It cart-wheeled down the hill and got stuck on a tree. I got it turned back over and discovered the handlebars were severely bent, and a lot of oil had leaked out through the vent tube. I tried the hill again and realized I could only turn the bars about half way. So, the end result was I did pretty much exactly the same thing and flipped down the hill again. The bars were pretty much destroyed at that point and my day was over.

Mark Notman had a very brief race after a great start and first lap. He was unable to finish due to some unknown engine problems.

I made it back to the pit area just in time to get ready for the final UTV Race. I was fortunate to have Monavie Indy Car driver Tomas Scheckter riding with me today. We started out great and got the lead about halfway through lap 1.

We were just cruising and not taking any chances. Then it happened! We hit a small stump which was perfectly camouflaged by some leaves and brush. We went from about 40 MPH to zero in about 12 inches! I felt bad about introducing Tomas to woods racing that way. The impact ripped the front wheel and suspension off. Someone finally brought some tools to us so we could remove the dangling pieces. I was able to drive it back to the pit area on 3 wheel which brought an end to a pretty tough day for the team.

We have some exciting news for next year which I will pass along soon, but right now, I’m ready for a break!

Many Thanks to all our Sponsors!

Yokley Racing Team Sponsors are: The Army National Guard, Polaris Industries, Kenda Tires, Elka Suspension, Roll Design, HMF Exhaust Systems, IMS/Roll, PURE Polaris Lubricants & Fuels, Intense Fabrication & Design, Douglas Wheel Technology, Moto Pro Training, Tire Balls, Andrews Cycle, Tsubaki Chains, IMS, Four Apparel, ASV Levers, CV4 Hoses, Hygh Octane Design, PIER Graphics, Universal Handlebars, Scott Goggles, ATVRiders.com, Hetrick Motorsports, Powermadd, Recluse Clutches, and Monavie Energy Drinks. Check out www.yokleyracing.com for more information.

About GNCC Racing
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1973, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles, competing for more than $3 million in prizes. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series has concluded for the season, but the riders and families will gather again for the annual GNCC Banquets in Morgantown, West Virginia, on December 4 and 5. F