GNCC Racing Holiday

[Splash]

Hi

Arrived yesterday afternoon to floods at Atlanta Airport and delayed by an hour. Was met at Charlotte Airport by Kenny. What a relief to eventually get the trip started. This was it.

Got to see our bikes - will be riding a KTM 450 xc and Steph a Kawasaki KX 450. Steph changed his bars. Got to try the bike and it is awesome.

Went out to Olive Bush for dinner - excellent. Had some wine for medicinal purposes. Got to bed a little late but slept like a log.

Got up this morning for my first day of "racing". Well, off to gym for a workout and then to the shop for some bike maintenance.

So far, so good.

Still need to do a little riding - been told that I cannot do anything, just cannot do it now. Should be interesting!

Splash

 

[Mark Hardy]

Tell us more, where is the race, how long etc etc

 

[Splash]

Went for a ride in the forests this afternoon. Something different as one would expect. Natural forests with branches lying on the ground and trees randomly growing.

Took a fair amount of skill to get the bike to turn and keep it going. Climbs were steep and muddy, traction was good and one could give gas and corner.

Did stuggle keeping the bike going and managed to cut the motor a few times - actually ran the battery flat. This was not good as the bike has no kick start.

I can tell you that it is possible to push start a bike - Needed determination and the last remaining power in the battery to turn the motor over but we got it going again. Steph is strong and Kenny a slave driver.

After another mistake and a stalled bike, I changed bikes to Kenny's Kawasaki. What a pleasure to have a kick start. The bike was great and my bike got back with no further incident.

I cleaned my bike and put it immediately on charge. This had better sort out my starting problem.

The plan for tomorrow is to ride a turn track and practice a bit of higher speed riding and get some bike control. Need to work on my clutch control and maintaining momentum.

Going to be an early night - must be the jet lag! Right.

 

[Splash]

Tell us more, where is the race, how long etc etc

We are in Carolina in a little town called Blackburg which is a hour away from Charlotte. Kenny has his base here. Dave McEntire is kindly hosting us.

We are doing two races - Morganton and Union. They are both in Carolina, one in North, the other in South. We are going to race for two hours on a 20km track. Hoping to do one lap at least, but should be doing four to five - think Kenny has his job cut out to get me around.

 

[shark_za]

Kenny did really well in the last GNCC. 10th I see.

Send some pics please Splash !!!

 

[Mark Hardy]

Thanks, this sounds really interesting. Going to enjoy following this thread  :thumleft:

 

[blazes]

Was cool to hear from you yeterday Splash. Thank's for all the info you got there for me on my XR. Appreciated :thumleft:

You just relax and have fun and enjoy--enjoy--enjoy--Living my life, looks like it. eepwall:

 

[Splash]

Some pictures

 

[Splash]

Today was a chance to get some motos in. Went to a turn track and had to get the bike going. Did not stall the bike too often and managed not to run the battery dead. Some improvement on that front.

The track was not a prepared track and we had to clear some fallen trees. All in a days riding I guess. Steph was strong and Kenny a slave driver. I seem to remember this from somewhere.

Enjoyed the bike and got some help with my cornering from Kenny. Needed to get the bike down. Easier said than done. Had a good time and enjoyed myself anyway.

Cleaning was a mission - covered from head to tail in mud. Vance has a brilliant setup which we get to use. Has a pressure washer which cames in handy. Then a blower to dry.

Have been invited to Dave for some real American food tonight and it is not going to be McDonalds.

Feeling stiff with all the riding and the pressure of having to become a bit competitive. As I write this, Kenny is busy training on the rowing machine. The best I can do at the moment is move my eyeballs. Hope to get a good nights rest.

 

[Splash]

Pictures

 

[shark_za]

Kenny started doing well when he got on a Kawasaki

 

[Mark Hardy]

Splash how did you get involved in this? I see "Team SA" on the one bike. Tell a bit of history please.

 

[shark_za]

He is still sleeping so I'll explain.

The USA has many race series for offroad bikes, WORCS , AMA Hare and Hound , GNCC, etc

Grand National Cross Country.
The GNCC is the premier offroad event out there, top guys like David Knight, Kurt Caselli, Shane Watts, ride it.
Its a short course (8-12km) and the riders do laps. Our new Enduroworld XC is a copy of it.
There are novice classes though, just like every race. In fact there are so many classes it confusing. AM and PM classes. Women, seniors, about 5 different novice ones, ATV ones. A massive sporting event.

2 years ago Kenny and Lourens went out the first time and met up with Vance Earl, forming "Team SA"
They rode KTM's and Vance a Kawa. They entered the Perry Mountain 24  hours team event as team Elmer Symons, did well in that, 2nd.
Lourens was racing the premier class, Kenny chose the one lower Open A class the 2nd year on a Kawa.
Kenny was leading that class last year, came 2nd overall in the end.
He is racing the top XC1 class this year, it was won by Knight in 2008.

This year they renamed the team R2Wracing.

https://r2wracing.com/

FL. native, Justin Williamson--National Pro racer and 2007 GNCC XC2 Pro Lites Champion-has joins forces with his long-time mentor, S.C. veteran Pro racer and VER high-performance race shop owner Vance Earl.  They, along with their pro racer teammates-South African, Kenny Gilbert and N.C. native, Robby Norwood-- and an experienced team staff, comprise the new "R2Wracing.com Off-road Motorcycle Race Team"

Packages were offered to help support Kenny and Lourens racing in the USA. Lourens is not over this year, Kenny went alone.
So basically a package to fly over there, stay, and race entry in one of the other supporting classes. 
GNCC experience you could call it.

Splash has been hammering the racing this year already, Ermelo 400, EWXC1 , MS2000 Heidelberg, etc.
All so he can enjoy racing with the Americans in their premier event.

I always follow this, here is the 2nd race of the series results.  BIG names in offroad, Caselli , Mullins, Strang. And now our own Scotsman with and american accent, Kenny.
First race of the season, Kenny was 19th in XC1.

XC1 Results 2nd race.
1. PAUL WHIBLEY, NEW ZEALAND, KAWASAKI
2. JIMMY JARRETT, SALEM, OHIO, KAWASAKI
3. Josh Strang, Salem, Ohio, Suzuki
4. Charles Mullins, Hamilton, Ohio, Suzuki
5. Nate Kanney, High Falls, N.Y., KTM
6. Kurt Caselli, Palmdale, Calif., KTM
7. Homero Diaz, Toluca, KTM
8. Russell Bobbitt, Fayetteville, Ga., KTM
9. Nick Fahringer, Englewood, Ohio, Husqvarna
10. KENNETH GILBERT, TAVARES, FLA., KAWASAKI

Go Splash !

 

[Splash]

Thanks Shark_za - could not have said it better.

Dave McEntire, Race to Win's (formerly Team South Africa) team manager kindly offered a GNCC trip on the teams pratice bikes. Could not resist the temptation but have had to get my riding going.

Been an experience and a blast. Still need to race on Sunday - hope to at least do one lap. Get another chance in two weeks, better do two laps at least.

Great to have company and Steph from Bronkhorstspruit is doing the same. Will be riding competitively and is planning to do the three hour race for our second race.

Have been doing plenty of riding and improving - never enough though.

 

[Mark Hardy]

Thanks Shark  :thumleft: and good luck Splash with racing.
please keep the up dates coming.

 

[Splash]

Another day, another lesson. Spent some time riding on Vance's motorcross track.

Didn't start well - went the wrong way around. Did a few motos, tight corners and everything on a slope. Not brave enough to jump anything. Different but like everthing else, tight. Could easily hurt oneself being technical. Big dropoff, like a rollercoaster ride.

Then got to practice a small section of the forest track. No climbs so no excuse to stall the bike. The ruts took some concentration. Any mistake and a tree would be in the way. Nearly parked the bike up a tree a few times.

As a last thing - got to do an easy ride down the creek. Fantastic to ride through the river and enjoyed the bike. Getting more comfortable. Last chance to really ride before the big day.

Leaving on Friday for Morganton. This is the deal. Going down in a RV. Kenny driving. Expecting to make good time. Bikes now being prepared. New tires, oil changed etc.

Last night was another diner out, not before a swim at the local YMCA. Was great. Went to Yamato for some Japanese cuisine. Came recommended. Did Subways the night before. Got a foot long with everything. The night before that was Broncos, Mexican. Have been eating a variety of good food. Thankful have not been subjected to McDonalds. Will have Spagetti before the race on Saturday. All in the planning.

 

[Splash]

Pics

 

[Splash]

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[Splash]

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[Splash]

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