A few weeks ago the world got to see the ultimate showdown in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor. The fight divided friends across the country and sparked pointless debates that we’d probably all like to forget. That fight has come and gone, but this weekend at the Unadilla GNCC, we’re getting another all-star matchup. Good friends Luke Renzland and Michael Stryker will line up in the XC3 class on some borrowed 125s and battle it out for bragging rights.
It might seem like a weird choice for a current 250 class pro (Renzland) and the 2016 Junior 25+ Loretta Lynn’s champion (Stryker) to want to race a GNCC, but a quick look at their social media channels and it will become a little clearer. They both love to do any type of riding they can, whether it be motocross, supercross, trials, or cross-country. In fact, they both admitted that they probably enjoy messing around in the woods and on trials bikes more than they enjoy racing motocross.
In honor of the Mayweather/McGregor showdown we decided to give these two natives of the Northeast a call as they were driving to upstate New York to pick up their 125s, in the hopes to get the smack talk going before they take to the woods at Unadilla this weekend.
Racer X Online: So, what are the expectations going into this race?
Luke Renzland: Kailub Russell who?
Michael Stryker: Kailub, we’re coming for him mainly. I’m just gonna block pass my former employer, Ryan Sipes. I’m going to put him into the cheap seats somewhere right before the main grandstands before the gravity cavity
Who’s going have the best finish between you two?
Stryker: I’m definitely looking to take the win, but I think Luke’s overall endurance is about a 1000 times better than mine at the moment.
Renzland: Stryker has the experience with GNCCs, he has a few under his belt. I’ve never raced a GNCC, I’ve never raced any kind of woods race at all, I have never even attended one so I don’t know what I’m in for. I think after three hours, with my inexperience and Stryker’s old age, I think we’re both going to be slithering across the finish line.
Luke, what’s going to be Stryker’s downfall this weekend?
Renzland: Donuts and beers. Basically the guy’s ancient. It’s going to be hard to get across the finish line. He’s 27 years old, he’s got five or six years on me. Basically I think his age is going to get to him, his knees are going to lock up, his hips, his back, his neck. He’s going to go through full body seizure vapor lock. That’s just what’s going to hurt him the most after an hour and a half, two hours. It’s going to be survival.
Stryker: I can’t even disagree with him.
Mike, what is Luke’s downfall going to be?
Stryker: I think Luke’s downfall is he’s going to be going really hard in the beginning and he’s going to go so fast that he’s probably going to blow into a few rocks and definitely make his round rims square. He might be pulling in for a flat. I think it’s going to be the tortoise and the hound, I’m just going to be cruising along and chipping away. I’m gonna be like Dungey, I’m the Diesel. It’s going to take me a while to get warmed up, but we’re just going to keep plugging away.
Renzland: I’m full whiskey tango out there at all times
What are the chances that neither of you finish this race? I’m thinking pretty high.
Renzland: That’s not an option. If I have to push my bike around for the full last lap, that’s what it’s going to take.
I need a catchphrase for the weekend from both of you.
Renzland: Eat through the pain!
Stryker: It's a great way to stay in shape….
Who finishes better at the Unadilla GNCC?
Luke Renzland 393 votes - 45.2%
Michael Stryker 229 votes - 26.3%
Neither of them finish the race 248 votes - 28.5%
Renzland would like to thank Mike Parker from Parker MX for letting him ride his bike! Check out Parker MX for a top-notch motocross facility in upstate NY.
Stryker would like to thank the Maresca family for letting him borrow the bike and the Boyesen family for hooking him up with some trick parts. StrykeDaddy Inc. and all my regular sponsors Fivestar Powersports, Fly, Scott, Sidi, Renthal, RK, Excel, Dunlop, Ohlins, Snuffy Racing, Black Diamond Graphics, Rekluse, Yoshimura, and everyone else I forgot, thank you.
