WBIW.com News - local

Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana

America's Largest Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV Racing Series Travels To Lawrence Co. Next Weekend

Last updated on Friday, May 6, 2016

(SPRINGVILLE) - America’s largest off-road motorcycle and ATV racing series travels to Lawrence County next weekend, May 14 and 15, for the Fifth Annual Limestone 100 GNCC, to be held in Springville.

This event serves as the sixth round of the 2016 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship.

The Limestone venue is a favorite stop for fans and racers alike. The race takes place at the Lawrence County Recreational Park which is owned and operated by the ABATE group of Indiana. With the event being held at a riding facility, there's plenty of trails featuring everything from tight single track to faster sections with hill climbs and more. Of course, the trail offers plenty of rocks that requires riders to use their highest skill level to quickly and safely maneuver through.

With Indiana being a hotspot for off-road racing, the Limestone 100 GNCC is co-sanctioned with Indiana Cross Country Racing (IXCR). More than 1,600 racers are expected to compete in the Limestone 100 GNCC, and this event will draw several thousand spectators from the surrounding community, as well as all over the U.S., ultimately bringing an estimated $1.3 million in revenue to Lawrence County and neighboring areas. Riders will compete on highly tuned dirt bikes and four-wheeled ATVs, and the race will include top talent, such as U.S. National Champions and World Champions from Europe and Australia.

Indiana native Kevin Cunningham will ultimately be a rider to keep an eye on during Saturday morning's 10 a.m. race. Cunningham hails from nearby Greensburg, Indiana, a mere two hours east of Springville. Cunningham comes into this round fresh off his podium finish in South Carolina, and currently leads the points championship in the ultra-competitive 4x4 Pro class.

Racing Sunday in the premier motorcycle XC1 Pro class will be Honda rider Chris Bach, who will be making the two hour trip south from Crown Point, Indiana. Currently holding the third place position in the National Championship points standings, the 28-year-old hometown hero is setting himself up for a season best finish, but still lacks an overall win which he will aim for on May 15. Starting just one row behind Bach in the XC2 Pro Lites division will be Bedford's Austin Lee. Lee will look to utilize his home turf advantage and make his first podium appearance of the season.

Chris Bach is looking for his first overall victory of the season in his home state of Indiana.

Local racers expected to compete next Saturday on ATVs will be: Cody Edwards (Super Mini 12-15), siblings Daulton (Super Mini 12-15) and Alexis Keyes (90 Limited 8-12), Levi Burkemper (70 CVT 6-11), brothers William (70 CVT 6-11) and Waylon Witty (50 Open Jr. 4-6), Michael Anderson (College B 16-21), Tyler Swindle (College B 16-21), Travis Spencer (College B 16-21), husband Austin Parks (4x4 A/B) and wife Stephanie Parks (Women Amateur), Paxton Dickerson (90 8-12), Dalen Lane (50 Open Sr. 7-11), and Matthew Blankenship (Schoolboy Sr. 14-17).

Also expected to compete next weekend on motorcycles will be Robert Williams (Masters A 50+), Robert Kirchner (Silver Masters A 55+), Josh Ribley (Vet C 30+), brothers Drew (200 C 16+) and Duell Murphy (Open A), Rachel Gutish (WXC), Eric Douglass (250 A), Cody Aliff (250 B), Vincent Smith (Open A), Will Busick (250 B), brothers Lucas (85 7-11) and Logan Grounds (50 Jr. 4-6), Luke Newton (50 Sr. 5-7), Cole Kirchoff (Open A) and Dalen Lane (50 Open Sr. 7-11).

Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout the day on Saturday, May 14. Youth ATV racing begins at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs, 4x4 Pro and Women at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and pros race at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon will also include 50cc Micro racing beginning at 4:30 p.m.

On Sunday, May 15, the motorcycles will take to the woods of Indiana following the same race schedule of youth racing action starting the day off at 8 a.m., women and amateur riders race at 10 a.m. and the pros and top amateurs will start at 1 p.m.

Local riders are invited and encouraged to compete in the event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is only $40 and riders can sign up at the event. To learn more about GNCC Racing, please refer to the GNCC 101 webpage.

Spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for children (6-11), and kids five and under are free for the full weekend (Saturday through Sunday), with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge.

The 1 p.m. pro races will be broadcast LIVE on the Internet via Racer TV on www.racertv.com both days. A highlight show featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, June 4 at 12:30 p.m.

For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC and #GNCCLIVE.

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 2,000 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, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click here to go back to previous page