Scott Summers Shows 'Em How It's Done

Pilots Husqvarna TXC 510 to Victory in Veteran A Class

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 3, 2008…Celebrated off-road rider Scott Summers won the Vet A (30+) Class in his debut on a Husqvarna TXC 510 in the third round of the 2008 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series in Morgonton, North Carolina, March 29-30.  The victory was a first for Husky in many years. 

“It appears that Scott has found a new toy in the TXC 510,” said Dirk Biehler, President of Husqvarna NA, LLC.  “He and his team have demonstrated that they have the talent and experience to re-ignite the Husqvarna brand in this competition.”

Husqvarna riders Gordon Crockard and Glenn Kearney finished thirteenth and  sixteenth respectively in the XC1 Pro Class on TXC 450 machines in the muddy FMF Steele Creek GNCC challenge.

Although Kearney was very fast and worked his way to the top five early in the race, he lost the dust cover from the induction system in his gas tank, allowing dirt to block fuel flow and forcing him to drop out of the race at the end of Lap #2.  Crockard made contact with a tree, which cost him extra time in the pits for repairs. 

“Our new gas tanks will be ready for the next round,” said team manager Scott Summers.  “They will have modified dust covers to prevent problems from recurring and they will permit us to fuel once rather than twice during the race.  As for Gordon, he learned a lot from this race and looks forward to applying that knowledge to the next round in Union, South Carolina, April 12-13. Stay tuned!” 

Husqvarna Motorcycles NA, LLC -- part of BMW (US) Holding Corp. – announced a return to off-road racing competition earlier this year, after reaching an agreement with Scott Summers, Inc. to provide a two-man professional race team to compete in the GNCC Racing Series.  The riders pilot 2008 Husqvarna TXC 450 off-road models in the GNCC’s XC1 class.

Crockard, of Petersburg, KY, is looking forward to continuing to do battle against the best GNCC riders in the world.  The 29-year-old former World Motocross Champion contender participated with Jean-Francois Goblet and Anders Erickson in an Öhlins suspension test in southern Spain, prior to arriving in America for the start of his debut season in the GNCC series, which attracts riders from the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Kearney, of Antioch, CA, rose to prominence as an off-road racer in Australia, riding for the factory Yamaha team and earning top spots on the WR250F in several series.  In the U.S., the 26-year-old Australian Enduro Champion, has proven to be one of the hardest working riders in the GNCC series, adhering to a grueling training program and possessing considerable heart and determination on the track. 

Scott Summers, one of the most celebrated off-road racers of our time, is partnering with Husqvarna after racing very successfully for American Honda for nearly two decades. 

During his time with Honda, he earned nearly 100 overall national off-road event wins as well as 9 AMA Championships (five in the brutally competitive GNCC series and four in the far-reaching National Hare Scrambles Series.  During his career, Summers did much more than win races and titles.  He successfully transitioned from his role as a professional athlete to that of a businessman and the owner of his own race team.  Since then, Summers has mentored other young up-and-coming racers, helping them understand what it takes to win at the highest level of the sport.  During the 2007 GNCC Series, the most competitive Off-Road Championship in the world, Summers Racing earned podium finishes in 25% of the championship rounds.

The AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series gnccracing.com is America's premier off-road racing series and one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The riders must navigate rugged terrain such as woods, mud, dirt, rocks and jumps for nearly three hours, while racing against the best talent in the world. The 13-round race series stretches through the eastern US, starting with the season-opener in Melbourne, FL in March and concluding with the season-finale in Crawfordsville, IN in October. Upwards of 1,500 racers compete at each GNCC round and the race action draws several thousand fans each weekend as well as a loyal following on television.  

For more information about the Grand National Cross Country Series, visit gnccracing.com.

Information about Scott Summers or Summers racing can be obtained by contacting OMS Sports LLC 714-538-1803 and asking for Sharon Richards.