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Race: Round 13 GNCC Series, Crawfordsville, Indiana
Rider: Paul Whibley
Team: Moose, Parts Unlimited, Honda
Bike: Honda CRF 450
Well the gncc series has reached it's conclusion for the 06 season.
The last round was held in Crawfordsville, Indiana. There was a feeling in the air that winter was fast approaching . The course was in prime condition for racing with a small amount of rain early in the week. The soil was perfect, nice loamy tacky stuff.
The course was pretty much the same as usual, (as I'm told). Flowing woods with some nasty bogs and mud holes. Also some open harvested corn fields.
I lined up out wide on the start line, planning to give myself some space to work with on the first corner, but I got a reasonable jump and ended up buried in the pack unable to cut up the inside like I had planned.
We entered the woods and I was held up in a slow section and the leaders got away. I pushed hard on the first lap and made some risky passes, moving up to 9th, but ended up getting a bit of armpump. I had to ride relaxed and not push for the next lap until my arms came right.
On lap 3, I was able to push again and had the third fastest lap time. Passing a couple of riders I moved up into 7th. I gassed on lap 4 and continued to move forward.
I moved up to 5th place with 2 laps to go and Kath told me I was a minute back on Salminen, but catching him.
I pushed hard and could see him by the last lap. Mid last lap, I was right behind him and had planned a place to put a move on him. We caught a couple of lappers. Salminen got by clean but they ended up holding me up. Salminen got a small gap on me, I rode hard and caught back up to be right on his back wheel but I had missed my chance to put a pass on him.
We flew through the pits with him looking over his shoulder, doing everything he could to hold me off in the last few corners.
Still I was happy to have been able to have a good race with Salminen, before he heads back to the WEC series next year. Lap times show I was the fastest pro rider, in the last three laps of the 10 mile course. Results:
I would like to say a very big thank you to my sponsers who have continued their support throughout the year, without you I could not have done this!
