Lone Star GNCC, Gilmer, TX 2004
- Updated: January 30, 2004
William Yokley hasn’t won an overall since the 2003 Sparta, KY GNCC. After seeing his display at round one we’re pretty sure he’ll give Bill Ballance fits all year.
The Lone Star GNCC
Jan 30, 2004
Gilmer, TX
By Bonnie Hamrick
Round One of the GNCC series in January? Yep, it’s true, the 2004 GNCC season is officially under way and the Barnwell Recreation Park in Gilmer, Texas played host to the kick off event. The LoneStar GNCC was complete with brutal cross country terrain which included plenty of rocks. As the racers pulled into the red clay parking lot up on the only hill in Texas, they realized that no desert patches lay amongst this barren rocky clay soil. The practice track scared most the riders. Rocks, creeks and nasty terrain was abundant. Most riders just rode one lap of the practice track hosted on Friday to see that this season opener was going to be more demanding than the Rausch Creek GNCC in 2003. Many teams kept their riders out there to test on suspension and new parts. Hosting the season opener in January cut out over a month of testing that many Pro riders needed.
Ballance’s Troy Racing Yamaha YFZ was decked out looked great. It sports the new Ballance signature HMF pipe.
Riders were working on their quads, changing tires, axles, a-arms, putting on stickers, and purchasing Tireballs, (this year’s most talked about racing necessity). For those that don’t know, Tireballs are small balls that fit inside the tire, preventing flats. With all but two of the top 15 having tireballs, changing flat tires will be a thing of the past. Tireballs will play a huge part in the race competition at Round One with the track littered with huge rocks and stumps.
New teams for 2004 top ten
This year’s top ten sponsorship has changed around quite a bit from 2003. Bill Ballance still holds onto the number one plate, working on Championship number five this season. Ballance puts aside the 2 stroke this year for a Troy Racing Yamaha YFZ. Chris Borich had an incredible 2003 season, landing him with the number two plate. Borich will be working hard for number one this year aboard his East Coast ATV Yamaha YFZ. William Yokley holds onto the number three plate aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki Z400. Chad Duvall, the 2003 Pro Production class champion is on board a shiny new YFZ of his own courtesy of Yamaha Motor Corp. Yamaha is backing Duvall and Ballance in the GNCCs (Shane Hitt and Jeremiah Jones are also receiving factory support from Yamaha). Matt Smiley, Mr. Consistency himself, dropped back from the number two of 2003 to number five. Smiley is a part of Team Safari on a Yamaha YFZ. Florida’s Greg Trew leaves the Honda 400EX at home and jumps on the East Coast ATV Yamaha YFZ this year with the number six plate. North Carolina’s Santo DeRisi joins Team Safari this year with his number eight Yamaha YFZ. Todd Knippenberg rides the HMF Yamaha YFZ, running the number nine plate. Rounding out the top ten overall of 2004 is Brandon Ballance aboard his Troy Racing Yamaha YFZ.
Yokley’s Yoshimura Suzuki was ready to do battle after being rode nearly everyday after the 2003 Ironman. “That is what it took to get here, a whole lot of riding!” Yokley said after the race.
Also on the pro starting line of round one in Texas is number eleven, Johnny Gallager on an HMF Suzuki Z400. Bryan Cook with Four Stroke Tech has the number twelve Yamaha YFZ. Jeff Stoess is aboard the ATK factory ride with number fourteen. Dirt First sponsored Andy Lagzdins on a Yamaha YFZ with number fifteen. Jared Gruca with the number eighteen plate is racing a Yamaha YFZ as well. Mike Houston is racing a Honda 450R with the number twenty plate. Dirk Decesare aboard a Yamaha YFZ with number twenty-one. Kim Kuhnle is racing his number twenty-two Cannondale. Also in the pro class Paul Rowlands, Thomas Barrett, and Rob Zimmerman.
Enough of the introductions. Let’s wave the green flag!
With the wind blowing and the tension tight, ten seconds was called for the pro class row. Ricky Towery raised the green flag with Matt Smiley, William Yokley, and Bill Ballance all headed straight for turn number one. By the one mile mar Ballance had just a three second lead over Smiley, Chad Duvall, and Yokley. Nine miles later, with the end of lap one, Ballance still held onto the lead with Smiley, Yokley, Duvall, Greg Trew, and Brandon Ballance all together, separated by just seconds. Chris Borich worked his way up to seventh, ten seconds back after a rough start. Bryan Cook was less than a minute back for eighth with Todd Knippenberg all over his rear tires for ninth. Santo DeRisi was twenty seconds back rounding out the top ten.
Here’s the target that the rest of the pro riders are aiming for. Bad luck struck as Bill had to fix bent handlebars in the pits, but still managed to hold on to second place.
On lap two, Ballance held the lead with Yokley taking over second about ten seconds back. Both pulled into their pits for gas with Smiley pulling in for third as they were pulling back out onto the track. Trew, Borich, Duvall, all fighting for fourth pulled in for gas and pulled back out together. Brandon Ballance pulled into the pits and had to sit a little longer to work on the handlebars, pit mechanic Jimmy Duff stated. DeRisi worked his way to eighth overall, passing Brandon while making his pit stop. Knippenberg was just twenty seconds back, not taking a pit stop. Rounding out the top ten overall was Cook thirty seconds back, after taking a gas stop.
Before the two lap card came out, the announcer made the update that Yokley took over the lead just miles before the pits. Coming in, Yokley held a forty second lead over Borich with Smiley all over him for third. Ballance pulled into the pits for fourth to work on his handlebars after flipping down a hill trying to take a shorter line to get by a lapper. Trew took the advantage of his pit stop and passed for fourth. Over a minute back, DeRisi blew by his pits yelling “No Brakes.” Team Safari’s pits shook their heads, hoping DeRisi could hold onto to his speed without brakes. Knippenberg worked his way into seventh, pulling into the HMF pits for some gas. Eighth place was Duvall just ten seconds off Knippenberg’s rear tires. Less than a minute back was Brandon Ballance for ninth and tenth was Cook holding onto Ballance’s dust.
Just a mile into the race Bill held the lead over the pack that was hauling down the track behind him on the rocky terrain.
“Update. Update. 3, 1, 5,” rang out across the PA system as track officials gave the update from the woods. Once again the white flag lap, Yokley held onto the lead with Ballance thirty seconds back. Another thirty seconds later, Smiley crossed for the white flag, barely holding off East Coast ATV racer, Borich. A minute and a half back from the lead pack was Trew aboard his Yamaha. Over a minute later, Knippenberg crossed with Brandon Ballance applying pressure for sixth. James Wahl from the Pro Am Class crossed for first place, but eighth overall with Cook just behind him for ninth overall. Tenth overall was Johnny Gallagher moving up the pack just thirty seconds back. Pit crews in the DeRisi and Duvall pits were pacing as no news about their riders came in.
The checkered flag went out to William Yokley aboard his Yoshimura/ITP/Nac’s/Roll Suzuki. Practicing all summer, riding hard at every race he could find on the west coast, Yokley rode on to take the season opener overall. Less than thirty seconds back, defending champion, Bill Ballance aboard the Troy Racing/HMF/Maxxis Yamaha took second. The crowd waited as the battle between Smiley and Borich came to an end. Over a minute later, Smiley took third overall aboard the Team Safari/Maxxis Yamaha. Borich was just under thirty seconds back for fourth. Over two and a half minutes later, Brandon Ballance aboard his Yamaha pulled in for fifth overall. Sixth overall went to Trew over a minute back with Knippenberg just over ten seconds back for seventh. Wahl from the Pro Am Class took the first place finish with an eighth overall. Over a minute later, Gallagher worked his way into ninth overall, passing Cook, who took tenth overall. All over his rear tires crossing the checkered flag was Andy Lagzdins aboard his Yamaha taking eleventh overall.
photo by: Jason Weigandt
Yokley showed up more than prepared for the 2004 season.
“I was just trying to play it smart. It was fun battling all day with these guys. Real fun! I felt relaxed coming into today’s race. I am running the same set up as last year, so I was confident with my machine today. I passed Bill and then he passed me back on a hill. Later, I saw Bill getting caught up with a lapper and they both tumbled down a hill. I rode by looking and knew I played it safe. From now to Florida, I am just going to ride, ride, ride, and keep swimming laps to train,” Yokley said after taking his overall. Yokley’s sponsors Yoshimura, Nac’s, Roll, ITP/Lobo, Quadtech, Badger, Elka, IMS, Hinson, Tireballs, CTi and more!
Bill Ballance’s mechanic stated that his Yamaha was the best bike he’s rode. Thanks were sent out to Troy Racing, Yamaha, Maxxis, Moose, HMF, Custom Axis, Ars Fx, GYTR, IMS, Pro Armor, Works Connection, Power Madd, Regina Chain, GT Thunder and tons more!
After the race, Duvall was found with his smile on, but head shaking. “I was having suspension problems. After coming in on lap three to fix things, I took back off, hoping to ease my way through the rest of the race and my chain snapped hitting the side case. That’s no way to finish. I am going to be doing some serious working out from now till Florida. I plan on going to the Yamaha Team Owner’s house, Randy, and doing some riding and testing. I’ll be ready for Florida. Hope to see ya there,” Chad Duvall stated after loading his quad into the Am-Pro trailer.
Also in the pits was Santo DeRisi talking with pit-man Thad Cook about his troubles of the day. “First I loose my brakes and my skid plate. My caliber came off and next my chain. I thought all my chain problems happened last year. I will be getting my Team Safari Yamaha ready by Florida.”
