Ontario, Calif. - Team ITP-sponsored ATV racers participated at round nine of the 2014 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country, earning 10 wins and 13 podiums in all. Despite the early-morning fog, sticky mud and gnarly terrain at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, WV, Dave Simmons earned the $125 GT Thunder Top Amateur finisher in the morning session, taking fifth behind four 4x4 Pro class ATVs. ITP racer Jordan Digby also tallied a Youth overall podium after his second-place run and class win at round nine.
"Snowshoe is one of the most natural appealing and challenging environments on the GNCC tour and to have 10 class wins and two of our racers reach their overall podiums, in Dave Simmons and Jordan Digby, only validates that ITP tires are designed to work in extreme environments," said Pat McGuire, Public Relations/Race Support. "Simmons, Westley Wolfe and Angel Knox each won their class and made the top 10 overall in the brutal morning session, proving that their consistency, skills and tire choice helped them at Snowshoe."
Snowshoe is one of the most popular stops on the 13-round GNCC series because the course intertwines the Snowshoe Mountain Resort's steep, scenic skill hills with its huge rocks, sloppy mud and forested corridors. Almost 500 racers, which included youth, amateur and Pro-level quad riders, competed at Snowshoe. The ninth stop also was significant because it was the final round prior to the GNCC series taking its mid-summer break to avoid the high temperatures and humidity. A podium finish at Snowshoe could make a world of difference in the chase for class championships; a DNF could hamper a season's worth of momentum.
Dave Simmons, continued where he left off the previous two rounds, winning the Super Senior (45+) class on his Yamaha outfitted with ITP tires. Despite missing the opener and round six, Simmons trails the class leader by only 15 points at the break thanks to his six victories. With throw outs, Simmons has to be considered the front-runner for the class title heading into the break. Perhaps more impressive was the fact that Simmons took fifth overall and the top amateur finisher award at Snowshoe. Despite the nasty course, the longtime GNCC veteran beat all but four 4x4 Pro class ATVs to the finish line on his sport quad.
Westley Wolfe notched his third Schoolboy (13-15) A/B class win of the season and also took sixth overall in the 10 a.m. session, one spot behind Simmons. Wolfe, who missed round three, now has six total podiums this year and trails the class leader by 29 points riding an Apex ATV for Greg's ATV/ITP. Four spots behind Wolfe in the 10 a.m. overall standings was ITP-supported Angel Knox, winner of the women's premier WXC class. Knox completed eight laps and recorded a time of 2:19:08.312 to make the top 10 aboard her Honda equipped with ITP tires. She now has four victories and six podiums in the eight rounds she has attended, which is good for third in the WXC standings. Kristen Deloach finished fifth in the WXC class for ITP.
Kenny Rich Sr. (Greg's ATV/ITP) won the Masters 50+ at Snowshoe. The Suzuki ATV racer, who was 40th overall, notched his sixth victory of the year and ninth podium in nine rounds to carry an almost insurmountable 71-point lead into the break. Silver Masters (55+) class racer Donnie Pruett won his class, for the fifth straight race, as well using ITP tires. Another 10 a.m. class win went to Kelley Deloach, who piloted her ITP-shod KTM to the win in the Women's Amateur (13+) class. The win was Deloach's first since round one, but she leads the class in points at the break. Shawn Stuck posted his third straight victory in the 35+ C class and is slowly reeling in class points leader Dale Batson, who was fifth at Snowshoe. Just three points separate the racers with four to go.
ITP-supported racers did well in the early-morning youth session at the Snowshoe GNCC as well, earning two wins and three podiums. Jordan Digby earned his second straight win, and third of the year, in the 125 Sr. (12-15) class. He also stood on the Youth overall podium in second. Parker Henderson won the 70 CVT 6-11 class at round nine, expanding his points lead to 37. Marti Lantz took third in the Girls (8-15) division and is currently second in points
The afternoon session also included ITP racers. Justin Paul has earned a podium finish at every round he has entered this year in Junior B 22+ class, including his third-place finish at Snowshoe. He has three wins and eight podiums and is just seven points behind the class leader despite missing round one. Joe Krcelich (Jack's Excavating/ITP) won the Vet B 30+ class at round nine (his second class win this year) to climb into the top five in the class standings. The class points leader, Mark Batson, also made the podium at round nine, taking second behind Krcelich. He currently owns four class wins and a nine-point lead at the break.
The remaining four-leg portion of the 2014 Amsoil GNCC racing schedule kicks off Sept. 6-7, with the Can-Am Unadilla in New Berlin, NY.
