Big Buck GNCC
Union, SC
April 16, 2005
Story and photos by Bonnie Hamrick
When the green flag went up, Jeremy Rice and William Yokley made it around turn one together.
Coming into Round Five, Chris Borich and Bill Ballance were tied for first place in the point’s race, both with two wins, a second, and a fifth place. So, coming into the race – the “B’s” were ready to put their quads out front early. Chris Borich would be racing hurt from a team race his father and he participated in just a week before. At the race, Borich took a nasty crash – clawing skin off his back and bruising his hips. From the severity of the crash, Borich hadn’t been able to practice during the week. Bill, hungry to get his sixth GNCC Championship, wasn’t liking the threat of Chris Borich, so determination from coming off a two race win streak would fuel him momentum for a third Overall finish.
Race time and the fans flocked to the starting line to see the battle commence. After opening ceremonies, the blue flag went up to let the riders know “Thirty Seconds.” When the green flag went into the air, it was Jeremy Rice and William Yokley side by side in turn one, but Rice’s machine pulled out front around turn two. Riding in third was Bill Ballance battling Chris Borich and Mike Houston. Houston got his best start of the 2005 season and was hoping to stick with the lead pack.
At the end of lap one – after eleven miles of racing, Bill Ballance and Chris Borich were wheel to wheel, with the fans going wild. Holding onto third place was Jeremy Rice just barely able to hold Mike Houston off. Eleven seconds back in fifth was Matt Smiley and Bryan Cook. Fifteen seconds back in seventh was Andris Lagzdins with a pack of Pro riders fighting in his dust: Bryan Baker, Chris Jenks, Brandon Ballance, and Greg Trew.
Just three miles into lap two, an update came in, “Borich has taken over the lead, but Ballance is still all over his tires. Just five seconds back is number eleven, Houston. Five more seconds back in fourth is Cook and Smiley. These top five are all within seeing distance coming across the field sections.”
Here on lap one, Bill Ballance and Chris Borich are right together, and this is how close they stayed during the whole race.
With seven and a half more miles of racing action, the Pro riders were making their way back to the end of lap two. Coming through the scoring tent first for the start of lap three was Borich and Ballance still within bumping distance. Thirteen seconds back was Houston, holding onto third. Fifteen seconds back, a three way race was going on for fourth place between Cook, Smiley, and Chris Jenks. Jenks suffered a near last start and was able to work his way up through the pack, proving he was destined to a great 2005 season. Here on lap two, Cook pulled into the pits for an early gas stop, hoping his pitting strategy would pay off at the checkered flag. Just over thirty seconds back was Rice, dropping to eighth; giving Rice pressure was Bryan Baker, Greg Trew, Brandon Ballance, Todd Knippenberg, William Yokley, and Santo DeRisi all within seconds of the other.
“Update from check point one at the three mile marker – All together, number three, number one, and number eleven. (Borich, Ballance, Houston) In fourth place is Smiley, nearly twenty seconds back. Ten seconds back is Jenks and Cook battling for fifth.”
With the white flag out, the top riders made a pit stop for a quick splash of gas. Coming around the turn into the pits first was Borich with Ballance pulling in just behind him. Pulling out of the pits first was Ballance with Borich right on his rear tires. Fifty seconds later, Houston headed into his pits for a quick splash of gas, with Smiley stopping at the Team Polaris pits for a quick splash of gas and Chris Jenks pulled into the Four Stroke Tech pits right as Houston was finishing up his fuel stop.
Coming out of the woods on the last lap at the three mile marker was Ballance and Borich, wheel to wheel with dust flying. Over a minute later was Cook with Smiley giving pressure all over his rear tires. Just six seconds later was Four Stroke Tech’s Chris Jenks with teammate Mike Houston, just ten seconds behind in sixth.
Mike Houston rode in third during most of the race, but after hitting a tree and fatigue setting in, Houston was able to hold onto a seventh place finish.
With an incredible battle between Borich and Ballance, the fans were lined up at the finish line, waiting in anticipation of who would pop out of the woods in front. And at last, the number three Alba Action Honda came across the finish line with five-time GNCC Champion sliding across on his rear tires. A wheel to wheel race between the two for the whole two hours, neither rider giving up till the race was over. Now, the crowd would have to wait for the three way battle for third place to cross the finish line. With updates from the six mile marker saying it was “Cook, Smiley, Jenks, Houston.” Then at the nine mile marker updates said, “Smiley, Jenks, Cook, Houston.” The race was back and forth for third place podium finish and when the riders came across the finish line, it was Matt Smiley, Factory Polaris rider in third place, two minutes behind Ballance. Taking fourth overall for the day was Team Four Stroke Tech’s Bryan Cook and teammate Chris Jenks on his rear tires for fifth, just under ten seconds behind third overall.
In sixth overall was Bryan Baker. Working his way into seventh overall from the Pro Am Class was Adam McGill, his fourth Pro Am Class win for the 2005 season. Just seconds behind McGill’s time was Mike Houston taking eighth overall with William Yokley right on his rear tires. Houston put in an awesome ride for the day after running in third for most of the day, and plans to put in another great finish in Loretta Lynn’s. Taking tenth overall was Jeremy Rice; in eleventh overall was Greg Trew with Todd Knippenberg, Brandon Ballance, Andris Lagzdins, and Santo DeRisi just seconds apart from one another.
With an on going battle between Bryan Cook, Mike Houston, and Chris Jenks, Matt Smiley had his work cut out for him, but he ended up taking third for the day.
“I had a great day. I passed Bill in a field where my Alba Action Honda just over powered his Yamaha. Coming into this race, I knew what I had to do, so I did it,” said Chris Borich as he was crowed Big Buck Overall Champion. Third overall, Matt Smiley was all smiles as he was able to put his number four Polaris back up on the podium. “It was a great battle today. All day, I was with Houston or Cook. I just sat back and pushed at their pace, and I could see they were starting to get tired, so when I passed Cook when he took an outside line, and I dove to the inside,” Matt Smiley said as he took third overall.
With Loretta Lynn’s in two weeks, the battles will get more intense and the pace will be faster. Chris Borich and Bill Ballance will be fighting for the number one plate; other riders will make their way onto the podium as their time is just around the corner.
