GNCC Titles On Line For Knight, Williamson

October 23, 2007, 10:15am

Crawfordsville, IN – As you would expect in a rough-and-tumble series like the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country tour, the Red Bull KTM factory off-road team has experienced ups and downs through the season. But with the grand finale looming this weekend in Indiana, the team can clinch both the XC1 and XC2 pro titles thanks to the determined efforts of David Knight and Justin Williamson.

Knight has run through the bad luck this year, scoring zero overall points twice due to nagging injuries and strange mechanical glitches, but the two-time World Enduro Champion has overcome it with amazing speed and skill. He needs a 12th-place finish at the Klotz Ironman GNCC this weekend to lock up the title.

Knight and the KTM team will take no chances on this championship. The Isle of Man native cancelled his entry at the popular Weston Beach Race last weekend to make sure he would stay healthy and ready for the final GNCC this weekend. Knight doesn’t need to win in Indiana, and you can expect him to play it safe against the man who has a mathematical shot at the crown, Am-Pro Yamaha’s Barry Hawk. Hawk’s teammate Charlie Mullins is always a contender as well, and he leads a four-rider battle for third in the final standings, with FMF Suzuki teammates Jimmy Jarrett and Glenn Kearney and Kawasaki privateer Garrett Edmisten all with a shot at number three for the season.

It’s much different in the all-new XC2 Lites class. Knight’s young teammate, 20-year-old Justin Williamson, already has that title clinched, so he will just be out on a ride to grab his fourth win of the season, and then celebrate with his teammate if Knight is able to reel in the XC1 title. Williamson has a determined pack behind him, including Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/FAR/Kawasaki riders Scott Watkins and Josh Weisenfels, Am-Pro Yamaha’s Thad DuVall and Powersports GrafX KTM’s Dustin Gibson. And you can never count out five-time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith at the Ironman, which is one of his favorite tracks.

Throwing a surprise in the mix is a variety of international riders who will compete, including veteran World Enduro Championship contenders Samuli Aro and Mika Ahola, as well as Simo Kirssi, who will pilot the prototype BMW 450 Enduro machine through its maiden voyage in the U.S. Australian National Enduro Champion AJ Roberts will compete as well.

The Klotz Ironman GNCC serves as a great proving ground for the best off-road racers in the world. The course features the widest variety of terrain of anything in the series, from huge hills, to mud, high-speed field sections and technical trails. A full ATV program competes on Saturday, as well. Tickets for the event cost $12 for the full weekend. The track is located south of Crawfordsville off of Route 47. The address for Tom’s Marine is 1317 W Offield Rd. For more information, log on to gnccracing.com or call 304-284-0084.

Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series Standings
(After 12 of 13 rounds)

1. David Knight (252/6 wins)
2. Barry Hawk, Jr (231/2 wins)
3. Charlie Mullins (196/2 wins)
4. Jimmy Jarrett (188)
5. Garrett Edmisten (183)
6. Glenn Kearney (182)
7. Paul Whibley (165/1 win)
8. Joshua Strang (135)
9. Jesse Robinson (123)
10. Justin Williamson (115)

XC2 Pro Lites

1. Justin Williamson (201/3 wins)
2. Rodney Smith (189/3 wins)
3. Scotty Watkins (187/1 win)
4. Josh Weisenfels (180)
5. Dustin Gibson (163/1 win)
6. Thad DuVall (160/2 wins)
7. John Barber (127)
8. Brian Lawson (122)
9. Wallace Palmer (99)
10. John Bennett (87)

About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America’s premier off-road racing series. The 13-round championship series began in 1973 and is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The nearly three-hour long GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles in length. GNCC Racing airs weekly television shows on the Versus network every Saturday at 3 PM and Thursday at 4 PM. With varied terrain including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC featured sponsors include BRP Can-Am, Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Acerbis, Elka, Geico, Klotz, FMF, ITP and Weekend Warrior, and riders compete for over $3 million in series prizes and contingency money. Associate sponsors include Alpinestars, Cometic, HiPer Technology, Laegers, Moose Utility Division, The National Guard, Powersport Grafx, REM, Scott, Thor, Tire Balls, Twin Air, and MotoTee’s. Media Sponsors include Racer X Illustrated, ATV Rider, ATV Sport, ATVRiders.com, Quadzone.com, Dirt Rider and ATV Insider. For more information log on to gnccracing.com.