The Loretta Lynn’s GNCC Race Report
Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, April 26, 2008
William Yokley finished 4th Overall today at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. There were 257 total entries with 23 XC1 Pro Riders. Team Rider Mark Notman finished 23rd Overall and 10th in the 31 rider XC2 Pro Am Class.
We raced today at historic Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in scenic Tennessee. This is the oldest race on the GNCC circuit, and draws a huge crowd every year. The soil is sandy with sections of small shale rock which makes for a very physically demanding whooped out course. The weather was perfect for the race with cool temperatures and a few rain showers the night before.
I was looking forward to a good start, but that wasn’t the case when my bike failed to crank when the official threw the flag. I was next to last off the line, and I knew I had to ride smart and fast to make something happen. I was able to pass a few riders as we made our way around the famed National level motocross track, and was able to pick my way by some others once we got into the woods. When I came through the scoring barrels on the first lap, I was in 5th place, and things were starting to look up. On the 2nd lap, I was passed by Adam McGill and Brian Cook; Adam stretched out some distance from Brian and me, but we held a nice strong pace throughout the day.
On the 3rd lap, we had gotten a little closer to one another to begin a pretty decent battle. At one point, I looked up to see a bunch of riders in front of us moving pretty good, and I thought we had our work cut out for us to get around these lapped riders. I was surprised to find out that it was the leaders instead of the lappers! It’s always a plus to look up and see the lead pack that you’ve been chasing all day. Going into the 4th and final lap, the top 7 riders were nose to tail.
I stopped to get some fresh goggles as mine were out of tear offs heading into the final lap. I caught up to Cook again, and we battled it out. I was right on his bumper going up a steep hill when I saw a lapper in front of us, thinking to myself to take another line in case the rider stalled or got stuck. I didn’t, and wouldn’t you know, he stalled and there sat all three of us stuck on this hill. I beat myself up a little for not taking the other line because that would have put me in 3rd place. The KTM guys had a bad run of luck on the last lap with motor trouble of some sort, and dropped out of the top 10. That didn’t hurt my feelings though because I came into the finish barrels in 4th place for the day!
My teammate Mark Notman got off to a slow start also as his bike did not fire on the first kick, leaving him last going into the woods. Mark passed a lot of riders and was 12th going into the 2nd lap. He had a nice rhythm going and made his way up to 8th place going into the last lap. About 2 miles from the finish, while trying to pass for another position, he hit a tree pretty hard with the rear wheel. The impact knocked him and his seat off, as well as injuring his leg. He put the seat back on and remounted to finish the lap out in 10th place. Even though Mark was disappointed, he had a good points day and sits in 6th place in the Pro Am Class.
This was a tough day as the track became extremely rough and whooped out, but I was pleased how Mark and I rode. I want to thank all my sponsors for helping make things possible as usual. Our team also received great support from the National Guard Recruiters and members, we really appreciate their involvement. We move on to Millfield Ohio in 2 weeks, see you there!
Yokley Racing Team Sponsors are: The Army National Guard, Rocky Mountain ATV, Polaris Industries, ITP Tires, Elka Suspension, Roll Design, HMF Exhaust Systems, IMS/Roll, Tire Balls, Andrews Cycle, Douglas Wheel Technology, Baldwin Motorsports, CGR, O’Neal Clothing, Panolin Lubricants, IMS, Hinson, 317 Graphics, Intense Fabrication & Design, Tsubaki Chains, Hardkor, Shoei Helmets, Axcalibar Axles, Streamline, Powermadd, Moto Pro Training and KG Clutch Factory.