ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (October 16, 2018) – As usual the Powerline Park GNCC featured fall-like temperatures and excellent racing this past weekend in St. Clairsville, Ohio. The track shaped up well, despite a few slick spots, and of course, the infamous creek jump boasted a large spectator count.
Layne Michael made a quick jump off the line when the green flag waved for the XC1 Open Pro class, with his teammate, Cory Buttrick, in tow. Michael sat in second at the conclusion of the first lap and continued to battle in the top-10 for the remainder of the race. At the end of the grueling three-hours, Michael would cross the line in ninth.
Unfortunately, Buttrick suffered from a devastating DNF on the final lap, which put him back in 12th. “The DNF was definitely upsetting since it was out of my control,” said Buttrick. “I still had a blast racing and just want to think all the sponsors behind me.”
Liam Draper got off to an unfavorable start in the XC2 250 Pro division and quickly went to work once the first lap was complete. By the fifth lap, Draper was sitting inside the top-five until his chain derailed in the middle of a quick crossing. Once he remounted, Draper rode his way into the finish in seventh.
Liam Draper got off to an unfavorable start in the XC2 250 Pro division and quickly went to work once the first lap was complete. By the fifth lap, Draper was sitting inside the top-five until his chain derailed in the middle of a quick crossing. Once he remounted, Draper rode his way into the finish in seventh.
“It was an up and down day at the GNCC,” said Draper. “After I saw my pit board on lap one I went to work and was sitting in fifth heading into the last lap. The chain was a bummer, but it’s racing and what makes us stronger!”
Brandon Keegan and Kadin Ballard returned to racing in the 4-Stroke A Lites class. The duo finished one behind the other, with Keegan in 13th, and Ballard placing 14th. “The track turned out to be a lot tackier than years past, so it was a fun race,” said Keegan. “There was a lot of spectators which made it awesome!”
KR4 Performance Team 1 p.m. Race Results:
Layne Michael – XC1 Open Pro – 9th (12th overall)
Cory Buttrick – XC1 Open Pro – 12th (138th overall)
Liam Draper – XC2 250 Pro – 7th (18th)
Brandon Keegan – 4-Stroke A Lites – 13th (95th)
Kadin Ballard – 4-Stroke A Lites – 14th (106th)
After wrapping up the championship at the last round, Tayla Jones lead the way as the WXC class made their way onto the course. Jones fell back to second and held there through the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Bill Gold returned to his winning ways in the Silver Masers A (55+), where he made the pass on the last lap to cross the finish line just less than one second ahead of second place. Kenda Tire’s Jason Baldwin made his way out to another GNCC and left with a second-place result in the Super Senior B 45+ class.
KR4 Performance Team 10 a.m. Race Results:
Tayla Jones – WXC – 2nd (4th overall)
Bill Gold – Silver Masters A (55+) – 1st (46th overall)
Jason Baldwin – Super Senior B (45+) – 2nd (54th overall)
Some bad luck struck Tucker Whipkey, but he still managed to finish the race inside the top-10 in the highly-competitive 65 10-11 youth class.
KR4 Performance Team 8 a.m. Race Results:
Tucker Whipkey – 65 10-11 – 10th (74th overall)
Next GNCC Event: Round 13 – Crawfordsville, Indiana – October 28, 2018
The last and final round of the 2018 GNCC series is slated for October 28 at Crawfordsville, Indiana. Known as one of the best rounds on the entire circuit, the team is looking forward to closing out the season at the AMSOIL Ironman GNCC.
**Photos courtesy of Ken Hill
About KR4 Performance:
KR4 Performance is a leading professional and amateur race team that participates in the Grand National Cross Country Championships (GNCC), the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series (FGSE) and the National Enduro Promotions Group (NEPG) series. The 2017 KR4 team took home championships in each respective series. This year Layne Michael will make his XC1 Open Pro debut with the KR4 team, while Tayla Jones will look to repeat her Women’s Pro championships. KR4’s solid team structure is made up of former GNCC pros, expert motorcycle mechanics, and industry enthusiasts that are 100% dedicated to helping clients achieve their racing goals. Visit www.kr4performance.com for more information.
About the KR4 Arrive-N-Ride Program:
KR4 is paving the way for the future of off-road racing with its unparalleled Arrive-N-Ride Program, saving riders time, money and hassle. For an affordable fee, KR4 can offset the cost of racing and have everything ready for riders on race day. With the KR4 Arrive-N-Ride program, bikes are prepped by the KR4 team before a race and delivered with gear to riders on race day to the location of their choosing. To learn more or sign up for the Arrive-N-Ride experience, please contact fkeegan@kr4performance.com or visit www.kr4performance.com. For additional information, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For the team’s photo gallery, visit their Flickr page.