Glen Helen MX, Devore, CA 2006
- Updated: February 5, 2006
GNC MX Round 1
Glen Helen Raceway
Devore, CA
Feb 5, 2006
Story and photos by Ray Larez
Joe Byrd picked up where he left off last year when he won the Loretta Lynn GNC finale. Byrd took this year’s GNC opening round win with a 3-1 finish and collected a few more fans along the way.
In late January many of the top pros began their migration to the west coast to prepare for the opening round of the GNC series at Glen Helen Raceway. There were many surprises this year leading up to round one as racers were switching brands faster than the gate dropped on this 2006 season. The two biggest changes for the year for racers seemed to be machines and suspension.
Honda has once again taken over as the most predominant machine in the pro class as names such as Keith Little, Harold Goodman and Tavis Cain made the red machine switch. In the suspension world, Ohlins will be represented this season in force with names such as Kory Ellis, Keith Little, Dunk and Pat Brown all running gold Ohlins shocks.
Adding to all the hype of the new season is the debut of the new Suzuki QuadRacer LT-R450. As Suzuki struggled throughout the 2005 season we kept hearing promises of their new machine’s outstanding performance and how Suzuki was going to turn it all around in 2006. Jones and Gust did indeed show up with two impressive looking QuadRacers, one later made the podium with Gust on board, while the other, with Jones on board, suffered a mechanical failure caused by a first turn collision.
Rather than bore you with a bunch of words, check out the photos, captions and video highlights from the opening round of the 2006 season at Glen Helen Raceway.
H-bomb Films’ Wes Miller had this heavily modified rhinocraft.com Yamaha Rhino on display.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s William Yokley makes himself at home at the Yosh.Suzuki pits, and rightfully so. William is excited to continue his sponsorship with the Yosh Suzuki team and race the new LT-R QuadRacer at this year’s GNCC Series.
Speaking of the new LT-R QuadRacer… They were in force at the Glen Helen opener. American Suzuki brought a fleet of the sport’s hottest new quad for the ATV media to ride and race. Needless to say the lone Honda rider in the new stock class was yellow with envy.
Thanks to Steve Bielman and Alba, Todd Macke was able to race the Glen Helen opener. Todd finished 7th in the C class and loved every lap he got to ride on Bielman’s ultra- plush desert racing YFZ.
PA’s Jason Dunkelberger volunteered to take the new Suzuki LT-R QuadRacer for a spin in front of 40 some thousand people at the Anaheim SuperCross on Saturday Night. Clear Channel didn’t allow Dunk to air out the ATV, but many people oooed and ahhhed nonetheless.
A well-earned fifth overall went to Joe Haavisto. Joe might have drove the farthest of anyone in attendance — all the way from New Hampshire! More Haavisto news to report…. The FMF Media Allstar team took note and is about to sign Joe (and Matt White) to their already impressive ATV racing team.
Duncan Racing’s Tavis Cain proved ready for the much too early GNC opener as he motored to a respectable 6th overall.
Ever wonder what it might be like to be a factory ATV racer? Our Brit Mansell got a small taste when Suzuki assigned him a mechanic and set him loose in two classes (4 Stroke A and the Plus 25). Brit, seen here with George Anthanasiou of Precision Racing Products, tells all about it (and comes clean with the low-down on the new QuadRacer) in our LT-R QuadRacer review
Brit and George
Legend ATV racer, Rodney Gentry, marked his comeback at the Glen Helen opener only to be plagued with mechanical glitches. He didn’t make the main event, but boy did seeing Gentry and his number 17 on the track bring back some fond memories. With his Pro GNC 250 and 500 championships, some call Gentry the best quad racer of all time!
Look who ate his Wheaties over the short break. Alabama’s Keith Little says he loves his new LSR Honda and proved just that with a 2-4 fourth for the day.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki Support rider Jeremy Lawson didn’t get his new QuadRacer in time for the opener. Not willing to sit by and wait, Jeremy rode this Honda. In the process he took a top five in moto one! Nice ride Jeremy!
Roco Arno visions a good star prior to his qualifier. Roco just missed qualifying for his first GNC pro class race but looked like he’s been training hard in the off season.
Here John “Ironman” Natalie holeshots the moto one pro field. John held the lead all the way to the checkers.
Here’s a few sharp dressed spectators. Riders Travis Spader, Pat Brown, and Dustin Wimmer had some mechanical problems in moto one and helplessly watched the action on the track. Here they sit close to the finish line ready to push there machines across to salvage a few points.
Wes Miller of H Bomb Films had the best seat in the house.
Our first “Behind the Gate” guest, Ryan Cox looks over Jones’ new QuadRacer before moto one.
Last year’s Glen Helen winner, Tim Farr was involved in a tangle up and didn’t finish as well this year. However his newly formed Team MotoSports teammate, Josh Upperman (right) finished the day with a Pro Am Production victory and a runner up in the Pro Am Unlimited.
There were a few cross county racers on hand like Bill Ballance, William Yokley, and Johnny Gallagher. They were out to enjoy the California sun and to confirm a few new sponsor deals for the 2006 GNCC Series. Here Bill chats with Ohlin’s newest shock guru, Mike Hallock.
National Champ John Natalie started the new season with plenty of new sponsors. His weekend started great with a moto one win, but he later had a stroke of bad luck in moto 2, when his seat fell off.
