Local racers compete for national spotlight in off-road race
Lead Summary
By
JJ Goldick-
Hillsboro residents Wyatt Wilkin, Gavin Temple and JJ Goldick competed with some of the best off-road racers in the world on Sunday (Oct. 8), as the 16-, 17- and 19-year-old dirt bike and ATV racers competed in a Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series event at the Powerline Park in nearby St. Clairsville.
This was Round 12 of the 13-stop AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship.
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More than 1,500 racers competed over the weekend, as the event included four-wheeled ATV racing on Saturday and dirt bikes on Sunday. Classes range from riders as young as 4 years old and as old as the 60-plus divisions. The top GNCC pro classes feature some of the world’s top riders, including talent from England, Europe and Australia.
“We expected racers from all over the world to compete at this event,” GNCC Trail Boss Jeff Russell said. “Racer TV, series sponsors and local press will be in attendance. There’s a lot of competition and pressure, but a local rider will definitely feel more comfortable and have the advantage on this terrain.”
The tough local terrain makes for a great equalizer when it comes to the talent. Racers will start together on a massive starting line before rushing onto a course featuring tight trails, mud, rocks and hills. Spectators can watch the action from a variety of vantage points throughout the course, which will be marked on race day.
Wilkin is a senior and Temple is a sophomore at Hillsboro High School, and Goldick is a 2016 graduate of HHS. All three racers compete in highly competitive classes.
Temple has been racing for 12 years and competes in the 16-18c class under bike number 103. He rides a Honda 450 with help from his sponsors: Gold Motors, Temple Racing and his parents.
Wilkin has been racing motorcycles for 13 years, competing in the XC2 class under bike number 621. He rides a Honda 450 with help from his sponsors: Dirtnasty, O’Neal, AXO, DT1, Gorrell Racing, Scott Goggles, Gold Motors and his parents.
Goldick has been racing for 13 years and competes in the 250c college class under bike number 77. He rides a yz250 with help from his sponsors, Gold Motors, Fivesixo Graphics, Protune Suspension, Boyeson Factory Racing and Works Connection.
This season, all three riders have competed in GNCC rounds in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and soon to be Indiana. This marks multiple years in a row the riders have contested the prestigious series for a national title. In addition to the GNCC, the riders also compete in OXCR, KRS, FASTTRAXX and local motocross races.
Both race days follow the same race format, with youth racers starting at 8 a.m., amateurs racing at 10 a.m. and the pros and top amateurs at 1 p.m. daily, rain or shine. GNCC events are grueling, endurance races, with youth riders racing for 90 minutes, amateurs two hours and the pros a whopping three hours.
Temple raced on Sunday with the amateur division starting at 10 a.m. for two hours. Wilkin raced on Sunday in the pro division starting at 1 p.m. for three hours, and Goldick raced on Saturday in the amateur division starting at 10 a.m. for two hours.
This past weekend was rough for all three riders with inclement weather creating monstrous obstacles and rough terrain, plus mechanical failures cut short the races for the riders.
All three look to compete in the last and final round at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind. to finish the season.
Spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for kids (6-11), and ages 5 and under are free for the full weekend. Gate admission includes pro pit access and free pro autograph sessions beginning at 11:30 a.m. on race days. Sponsor displays and food concessions will be available. The economic impact for a community hosting an event of this magnitude is estimated in excess of $1.3 million dollars.
Each round of the GNCC Series is televised on the NBC Sports Network and is streamed live on RacerTV.com, showcasing the top amateur racers and professional athletes.
For more information about the race, please visit www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. To stay up-to-date with the latest information, follow the series’ Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, 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 2,200 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe and Australia. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
This was Round 12 of the 13-stop AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship.
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More than 1,500 racers competed over the weekend, as the event included four-wheeled ATV racing on Saturday and dirt bikes on Sunday. Classes range from riders as young as 4 years old and as old as the 60-plus divisions. The top GNCC pro classes feature some of the world’s top riders, including talent from England, Europe and Australia.
“We expected racers from all over the world to compete at this event,” GNCC Trail Boss Jeff Russell said. “Racer TV, series sponsors and local press will be in attendance. There’s a lot of competition and pressure, but a local rider will definitely feel more comfortable and have the advantage on this terrain.”
The tough local terrain makes for a great equalizer when it comes to the talent. Racers will start together on a massive starting line before rushing onto a course featuring tight trails, mud, rocks and hills. Spectators can watch the action from a variety of vantage points throughout the course, which will be marked on race day.
Wilkin is a senior and Temple is a sophomore at Hillsboro High School, and Goldick is a 2016 graduate of HHS. All three racers compete in highly competitive classes.
Temple has been racing for 12 years and competes in the 16-18c class under bike number 103. He rides a Honda 450 with help from his sponsors: Gold Motors, Temple Racing and his parents.
Wilkin has been racing motorcycles for 13 years, competing in the XC2 class under bike number 621. He rides a Honda 450 with help from his sponsors: Dirtnasty, O’Neal, AXO, DT1, Gorrell Racing, Scott Goggles, Gold Motors and his parents.
Goldick has been racing for 13 years and competes in the 250c college class under bike number 77. He rides a yz250 with help from his sponsors, Gold Motors, Fivesixo Graphics, Protune Suspension, Boyeson Factory Racing and Works Connection.
This season, all three riders have competed in GNCC rounds in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and soon to be Indiana. This marks multiple years in a row the riders have contested the prestigious series for a national title. In addition to the GNCC, the riders also compete in OXCR, KRS, FASTTRAXX and local motocross races.
Both race days follow the same race format, with youth racers starting at 8 a.m., amateurs racing at 10 a.m. and the pros and top amateurs at 1 p.m. daily, rain or shine. GNCC events are grueling, endurance races, with youth riders racing for 90 minutes, amateurs two hours and the pros a whopping three hours.
Temple raced on Sunday with the amateur division starting at 10 a.m. for two hours. Wilkin raced on Sunday in the pro division starting at 1 p.m. for three hours, and Goldick raced on Saturday in the amateur division starting at 10 a.m. for two hours.
This past weekend was rough for all three riders with inclement weather creating monstrous obstacles and rough terrain, plus mechanical failures cut short the races for the riders.
All three look to compete in the last and final round at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind. to finish the season.
Spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for kids (6-11), and ages 5 and under are free for the full weekend. Gate admission includes pro pit access and free pro autograph sessions beginning at 11:30 a.m. on race days. Sponsor displays and food concessions will be available. The economic impact for a community hosting an event of this magnitude is estimated in excess of $1.3 million dollars.
Each round of the GNCC Series is televised on the NBC Sports Network and is streamed live on RacerTV.com, showcasing the top amateur racers and professional athletes.
For more information about the race, please visit www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. To stay up-to-date with the latest information, follow the series’ Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, 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 2,200 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe and Australia. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.