Birch Creek TT, Danville, VA 2004
- Updated: July 11, 2004
A well deserved first 2004 GNC victory goes to the Alabama Slama, Keith Little.
GNC TT Round 2
Birch Creek Motorsports
Danville, VA
July 11, 2004
By: Sean Berkey
Photos by Matt Robertson of Blue Groove Photography
Hot and humid temperatures of 90 degrees plagued the second round of the GNC TT series until an unexpected thunderstorm made its way through late Saturday afternoon. The showers poured hard enough to cancel the rest of the day’s and night’s events, forcing several amateur mains and the pro and pro-am heats and mains to Sunday. The rain left a muddy red clay mess. The drainage at Birch Creek worked very well so the racing would not suffer one bit.
The action started around noon on Sunday morning. Pro-am heats and mains were intertwine with the amateur main events. The pro main started around 3 pm.
Farr’s new starting spot was “Farr” from the front row, but in the end it didn’t matter, he nearly won the race anyway.
Pro Main
Darin Ogden aboard his Fischer Cycle Honda boasted the fastest heat ahead of Honda/DG/Baldwin/PEP rider Tim Farr. Farr’s front row start wasn’t to be however. As Farr was lining up in his spot he was holding on to the front brakes and dragging his front tires in an effort to try to get some of the loose dirt out of his run way. This caused an uproar from the crowd. A few very vocal individuals in the crowd yelled that Farr went over the start line while doing this. Officials quickly reacted. The signal to not start the race was quickly radioed to the starter.
Farr was on the gas!
Mark Baldwin didn’t agree with the call and let Referee Smitty a piece of his mind.
As revving motors quieted, the ref approached Farr and told him that he needed to go to the back row for going over the line. Farr pleaded that only dirt from his front tires went over the line, but it was no use, officials saw otherwise and insisted that he either go to the back or not race at all. Tim went to the back row but not after Farr’s mechanic, Mark Baldwin had some choice words with the ref.
The incident was a close call. And the call might have been overlooked but earlier in the day this was talked about in the rider’s meeting. It was said that if anyone crossed the white line they would be sent to the back row, no matter what.
So Farr’s perfect starting spot was moved to the worst possible, behind all 16 riders. He chose the extreme inside area. At the flash of the green light, Lonestar Racing’s Keith Little grabbed the holeshot and was first into corner one, followed by Jathan Seale, Darin Ogden, Mike Walsh, and Harold Goodman. Farr launched off his dead last spot, jumped the backside of a berm while passing on the extreme inside portion of the starting area and somehow blitzed through the pack like the rest of the riders were riding with their brakes on. After only a front straight’s worth of Virginia real estate, Farr had already passed more than half the field!
Little negotiates some rough terrain in the inside of a turn.
It wasn’t smiles before the race but it sure was after.
By the end of lap one he was already in 7th spot and charging toward the front. The incident at the line must have made him angry because he was passing through the field like an angry tornado. Little was flying out front and left everyone behind him to battle for the #2 spot. Walsh Racecraft’s own Mike Walsh, snuck past Darin Ogden, as Farr knocked on Ogden’s door. Farr knew he needed to pass riders as fast as possible in order to still win the race. Much to the crowd’s approval he did just that. On lap two Farr gave Darin Ogden an opportunity to move out of his way, but Ogden wasn’t budging, so Farr slipped past on the extreme inside of the next turn and made a slight bump pass on Ogden. Next on his hit list was Mike Walsh. He went past Walsh while hauling down the back stretch for third place. “The Bumblebee” Harold Goodman, aboard his Nicholas/Curtis Sparks/PEP Yamaha was the next quad in Farr’s way. He slipped by and then focused on American Dream Motorsport’s Jathan Seale. Seale wanted to show that his Honda 450R was just as fast as Farr’s. The two were neck and neck for several hard and aggressive laps. Farr finally got around Seale through the sweeper turn as Seale got a little loose. Seale eventually gave way to Goodman, who wanted the final podium spot just a little more.
Here Little leads Farr on the last lap.
Terry Pope and Brian Owens both using Turtle Racing Engines pulled the hole shot in the Production A class.
Farr caught up to his final prey of the day, Keith Little. The story remained the same as it did in ’96 when Farr started from the back row and passed 18 riders on the very same race course. Back then it was PEP’s Ian Ffitch, who held his ground on lap 19 for the win. This time, Little held lap 19’s ground and crossed the finish line in a respectable first place. Farr dangled from his rear bumper but couldn’t find a spot to pass. Little respectfully led the race from wire to wire and won his first GNC national of the season. Farr followed with Goodman, Seale and Walsh rounding out the top five.
Pro am Bettis and Gary battle for 3rd.
Open A Huston Lowder leads pack.
Womens
In the Women’s Main KTM rider Amanda Slayton would pull the holeshot followed by Mandy Brodil, and Bethany Clayton. Brodil would out run Slaton down the backstretch on her new Curtis Sparks/Graydon Proline/Custom Axis Honda TRX450R. Brodil and Slayton would battle close for several laps allowing Clayton to inch closer, but it just wasn’t enough to make the move she needed. Brodil would go on to win, followed by Slayton, and Clayton in third Candace Lee in fourth, and Thelma Bowman in fifth. Amanda Slayton would cross the finish line and then sudden have an unfortunate get off, but she would walk away ok.
Open C
In the Open C Main Kent Shaver would pull the holeshot, but slide wide in the first corner into the infield allowing Honda rider Jordan Orr to creep by and the Yamaha of Roy Lambeth. Orr would go off to a helpful lead, as Shaver and Lambth would battle for second. Lambeth would get the best of Shaver and try to reel in Orr. Polaris rider Josh Banner would get around the Shaver down the backstretch for third, but would shoot wide allowing the Shaver back around him to make it stick. In the end Orr would win followed by Lambeth, Shaver, and Josh Banner in fourth and Steven Phthisic in fifth.
