Orange Crush GNCC
De Leon Springs, FL
March 6, 2005
Story and photos by Bonnie Hamrick
Bill Ballance took the holeshot with brother Brandon and Chris Borich eager to get a good start as well. Check out Bill’s nose wheelie as he approaches the first turn!
Round two of the GNCC series in De Leon Springs, Florida is called the “The Orange Crush GNCC”. The Florida race has always been notorious for hot weather, sand, and blisters. This year’s event was held only miles Daytona Beach. And the timing couldn’t have been any better as motorcycling’s biggest vacation simply called “Bike Week” was in full progress. With all the nearby motorsport enthusiasts swarming the area, spectator count was outstanding! Spectators lined fences, littered the course and overflowed from the parking lots! The Orange Crush was ready to begin and anticipation for the start was exciting as ever!
Bill Ballance leads Chris Borich through the GNCC man-made obstacle. This didn’t appear to be too much trouble for the pros, but spectators seemed to like it nonetheless.
Over 200 quads entered for the afternoon event. On the starting line, Chris Borich, the season opener overall finisher, took to the starting line first with five time GNCC champion, Bill Ballance behind. The crowd was glad to see Chad Duvall, number five aboard the Am Pro Yamaha back on the field from battling with leukemia. This will be Duvall’s first race back and he admits to not having hardly any seat time up to this event due to being so tired at home. Nineteen pros were on the starting line and ready to race as Ricky Towery, official GNCC starter, took to his position. GNC racer, Doug Gust made the trip to Florida and called out “Ten Seconds” for the Pros. Gust’s and Jeremiah Jones’ Suzuki Semi truck was in the pits for William Yokley to pit out of, so Gust decided to come watch the festivities of GNCC racing. Gust said he has raced a GNCC before – but didn’t’t even finish a lap.
Mike Houston was battling hard making his way to getting a top ten overall number in 2006!
When the green flag went up, Bill Ballance and Chris Borich went into turn one, battling for the holeshot, which Ballance took before rounding the second turn. With the eleven mile course ahead of them, the race was on between Ballance and Borich. Before the race, Bill Ballance talked about how much he had prepared for this race and taking back the overall position. Only the time and whoops of the sandy terrain will tell after two hours of racing.
On lap one, Bill Ballance emerged from the woods and headed through the man-made obstacles, which consisted of three large sand covered tree trunks – then a tricky whoops section. The fans shouted with excitement as Bill Ballance, Chris Borich, Brandon Ballance, Matt Smiley, William Yokley, Chris Jenks, and Michael Houston all came clipping through within seconds of one another. Just about twenty-five seconds back in eighth was Rob Zimmerman with Thomas Barrett, Santo DeRisi, and Bryan Cook right on his rear wheels. The scoring tent was just over a mile from the man-made obstacle with the pits just under a mile from the scoring tent. The leaders kept their order, but kept up the fight.
Chris Borich was rounding the last of the track to capture his second straight overall victory here at the Orange Crush.
Before coming in on the end of lap two, Chad Duvall made his way into the pits without completing his first lap. Duvall looked tired and he had injured his right thumb in a simple crash with a tree. Duvall was not the only pro to not complete the first lap. Johnny Gallagher also met the ugly fate of a DNF after crashing in the whoops, but was okay once he made it back to the pits. Bryan Baker and Greg Trew also did not complete the first lap, which makes two races in a row for Trew.
“Update Update – Chris Borich has taken over the lead at the first check point. Bill and Brandon Ballance are battling for second with Smiley following the Yamaha’s closely for fourth.”
Coming in through the scoring tent for the end of the second lap it was Borich with a fifteen second lead over the Ballance brothers (Bill in second). Before the race, Brandon talked about how much he and his brother rode together at home and if anyone knew how to beat Bill Ballance best, it would be him. Holding onto third place was Smiley, just five seconds from Brandon Ballance. In fifth was Jenks, forty seconds back and Four Stroke Tech teammate, Mike Houston in sixth, just under a minute behind. Thirty seconds back in seventh and not riding on the throttle as you would usually see him was William Yokley. Yokley wasn’t able to hold onto the handle bars while coming through the man-made obstacle. After the race, Yokley admitted to putting on the wrong size glove before the race and they were so tight they pumped his arms up. He was forced to stop and change gloves when he pitted and then realized it was the gloves causing him the arm pump. Yokley dropped as far back as eleventh place before he pulled into the pits and the arm pump subsided. Coming through the scoring tent in eighth place and gaining on Yokley at the time was DeRisi and Cook still wheel to wheel, riding hard on one another, just as they would do at home practicing, since the two boys are practically neighbors. With Borich’s lead, he was the only pro rider to stop in the pits for a splash of gas and still take back off in the lead.
Brandon Ballance fought the sand all day and was able to take second overall.
The two lap card was out and the pros were finishing up their third lap, coming through the man-made obstacle wheel to wheel in the lead was Brandon Ballance and Borich. Brandon looked smooth aboard his Yamaha as Team Alba Action’s Chris Borich was applying pressure. Just ten seconds back was Bill Ballance with Smiley falling to forty seconds back. Over two and a half minutes later, the second pack of pro riders makes their way out of the sandy woods; in fifth place was Jenks with Houston and Yokley battling side by side across the tree-trunk whoops. Coming through the scoring tent, Yokley had taken over sixth place with Houston still all over his rear tires. Thirty seconds back in eighth was DeRisi with Andy Lagzdins in ninth, a minute back.
Taking third overall aboard the Factory Polaris was Matt Smiley.
On the white flag lap, it looked like Chris Borich was ready to seal another overall victory. He planted himself out front by over a minute and was still riding strong in the sand. Blisters, heat, and tiredness – none of this was affecting him. Holding onto second place was Brandon Ballance, with his brother, Bill, battling Smiley for third. Over a minute back in fifth was Yokley; in sixth nearly two minutes back was Houston with Four Stroke Tech teammate, Jenks, in seventh, thirty seconds back.
When the checkered flag went out, Chris Borich was all by himself coming through the last of the sandy turns to the finish. With over a minute lead, Borich proved again that 2005 will be his year. He sure is off to a great start. “I guess the key to my success so far has been riding. I ride all the time and my Alba Honda is tuned perfectly. I am looking for more of these overall finishes for the year.” Coming in for second overall was Brandon Ballance, who seems to enjoy the Florida terrain and is glad to get up on the podium again in the Sunshine State. If you remember correctly, two years ago, Brandon took the overall at the Hurricane GNCC in Florida. “I guess I like these conditions. All of the seat time and training at home has paid off. I got to follow the pack earlier and see the good lines that I probably wouldn’t have used. Then I was able to get by Borich and lead for a while.”
The Florida podium winners rejoice. The overall went to Chris Borich, second Brandon Ballance, and third Matt Smiley.
At three and a half minutes back, Matt Smiley came rolling through the last few turns, after battling with Bill Ballance on the last lap, Smiley was able to put his Team Safari Polaris up on the podium as well. “Bill was having problems with his Yamaha and couldn’t ride it in the conditions well, so I took advantage. The Polaris was dialed in great. I had a better start and was able to keep the leaders in my sight.”
Taking fourth overall just under a minute off the podium was Team Suzuki rider, William Yokley, who was able to bounce back from dropping to outside the top ten. Taking fifth overall, a position the fans were not used to seeing, Bill Ballance finished just at a minute behind Yokley. After the race, Bill seemed aggravated about his unfortunate start to 2005. “This isn’t how I planned it. I guess I am going to have to dig down and give it more.” Moving up to sixth overall, two minutes behind was Team Four Stroke Tech’s Mike Houston with teammate Chris Jenks forty seconds behind for seventh overall.
With less than a week to get their quads ready for round three in Washington, Georgia, most riders were heading back to their hometowns, many as far as 14 hours away. Some are staying in sunny Florida and enjoying the nice weather to work on their machines and ride. Either way we’ll do it all over again at GNCC round three. See ya there!
