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Race Report: Round 9 GNCC
Rider: Paul Whibley
Bike: Honda CRF 250
Team: Parts Unlimited, Moose, Honda Racing
Round 9 of the GNCC series was held at the Wisp Ski Resort in Maryland. An awesome setting for a GNCC race. Part of the course ran up the ski slopes, with spectators able to ride the chair lifts and look down on the tracks the riders raced beneath them.
What the spectators can see from the lift doesn't do justice to the real personality of the track. Once you get inside the woods, things turn nasty. There are rocks everywhere. It's like the whole place is just jagged rock with a token sprinkling of dirt. To make matters worse it rained all Sunday.
To make things worse still, I came down with some bug leading up to the race, I was thinking more about survival than racing.
I lined up on the start with the CRF 250 again. With the amount of rock on the course and my lack of energy, this was a smart choice.
With an uphill start straight, I was in the back half of the pack at the first turn. I made my way up to about 12th before we dove into the woods and into those hellish rocks. I held a steady pace as I wasn't very comfortable in these conditions. Early in the race several guys would pass me going flat out only to hit a rock and end up on their head.
I made up a couple of spots throughout the race. The conditions were tough, and I had to stop often to change goggles and gloves. Late in the race I was making time on a rider but I clipped a lapped rider and shot off the track and over a bank. Narrowly missing some pretty big trees. I came out the bottom onto a gravel road and had to circle back to get back up onto the track.
I finished the race in 10th. I was exhausted but alive. I wasn't really happy with that but considering the circumstances, I probably couldn't hope for much more.
There is a summer break in the GNCC series now but I will be racing in two WEC races next month in Canada and New York.
I would like to thank my following sponsers, Parts Unlimited, Honda, Moose, RG3, Moto SR, Tire Balls, Vortex Ignition, WER, FMF, CTI, Motion Pro, Cycra, Alpinestar, Stringfellows, Darbis Accessories.
Paul Whibley.
