Power Line Park GNCC, St Clairsville, OH 2004
- Updated: October 9, 2004
Powerline Park GNCC
St. Clairesville, OH
Oct. 9, 2004
Story and photos by Bonnie Hamrick
On lap two, Chris Borich had taken over the lead, and wasn’t looking back. He went on to win his second consecutive overall aboard his new Honda 450R.
Round thirteen of the GNCC Series was hosted at Powerline Park in St. Clairesville, Ohio. The track conditions were the same as every year here – rough. This facility is open for practice on certain days and the twelve mile course out in the woods proved just that. The weather was perfect, low seventies with an overcast breeze. Rain? Well, the track needed it. The last drop of rain to hit the Ohio soil was when Hurricane Ivan flooded much of Ohio and Pennsylvania. I got the opportunity to ride around the track with my dad, track official, Buren Hamrick. It was going to be rough, rutted, and dusty with a few bad mud holes. As we were riding between the tight trees, the dust was still milling around us. A few rocky creek beds would surely eat a few tires and skid plates. More on the mud holes? One was so deep, the four-wheel drive we were riding started spinning a few times. It would be interesting to see riders negotiate this track. So, back to the racers expedition!
William Yokley was leading less than a mile into the course.
With over twenty pro riders on line one, the best of the best were ready to compete. Yamaha’s Bill Ballance held the number one plate securely for 2005 and Yoshimura/Suzuki’s William Yokley was locked into second overall for 2005, but who would be able to take away the number three plate of Matt Smiley, possibly Chris Borich? Borich was hot off a win and came into this event with high confidence to win another aboard his new Honda. Could he do it again this weekend, even though Ballance would be seeking revenge from the upset in West Virginia?
When the green flag waved, William Yokley put his Suzuki out front, with Matt Smiley holding second, Chris Borich and Brandon Ballance battling for third. By the eight mile marker, Borich had taken over the second place position, bringing Bill Ballance to third.
Just after lap one, the crowd was packed at the first real mud hole on the track. William Yokley was the first to arrive and the crowd was eager to show him where to go.
Lap One
I was stationed at a mud hole just a quarter of a mile behind the pro pits on lap one to see which lines the fans would suggest the riders go. Only one line provided no mud for these riders and with all the fans milling around, I wondered if they would show the line to the pros or hide it so they could witness some wheel-spinning-muck-flying action. Coming through the mud hole first was William Yokley holding a solid twenty-five second lead over Chris Borich, who was able to pass Brandon Ballance after going through the scoring tent, dropping him to third. Bill Ballance and Matt Smiley were just seconds behind the top three. Thirty seconds back was Bryan Cook, holding off Greg Trew, Michael Houston, Thomas Barret, and Santo DeRisi, with just seconds separating them.
Once they were at the five-mile marker an update was called, “Yokley has checked out. Borich still in third and Bill has gotten around Brandon for third.”
Back at the eight mile marker mud hole another update was called, “New leader, Borich is out front, neck and neck with Yokley. Bill is twelve seconds back.”
On lap three, coming into the scoring tent, Chris Borich leads Bill Ballance. As you can see this was a close race!
Lap Two
Coming through the pits, Borich was still out front with twelve seconds between Yokley and twelve more seconds till Ballance. Thirty seconds later was Smiley, who could see the dust settling from the boys in front. Moving up to fifth place, over a minute behind Smiley was Houston, a privateer rider from Hickory, NC who has been riding the wheels off his Honda this second half of the season. Riding all over his rear tires was Brandon Ballance, Greg Trew, and Bryan Cook. Ten seconds back was Jeremy Rice, who was riding in fifth overall from the Pro Am Class with Chris Jenks, second in the Pro Am Class, thirty seconds behind him for sixth overall.
Mike Houston had a stand out day. He was running fifth all day, but later dropped back on the last lap after crashing. He actually dragged a tree across the finish line with him!
Lap Three
Coming in through the scoring tent on lap three, Borich and Ballance had their Maxxis tires rubbing with close racing. In third was Yokley, still twelve seconds back. Over a minute behind Yokley in fourth was Smiley. The rider who was out to get in the top ten overall was Mike Houston, who was just a minute back, pulling twenty seconds ahead of Trew. Right behind Trew was Pro Am rider Jeremy Rice again, still in fifth overall. Twenty seconds back was Brandon Ballance battling with Todd Knippenberg and Bryan Cook for seventh place.
Updates came out from around the track with the same news, “Wheel to wheel – Borich and Ballance.”
Lap Four
By lap four is was a legendary Suzuki vs. Yamaha vs. Honda battle. The white flag was out and a new leader popped out of the woods onto the fields stretching to the scoring tent. Yokley took over the lead with Ballance and Borich all together. Over two minutes back from the battling trio was Smiley. With the same lap time as Bill Ballance, Houston was riding in fifth place, less than thirty seconds back from Smiley. Thirty seconds back from Houston was Brandon Ballance holding off Pro Am rider Jeremy Rice. Twenty-five seconds later in seventh place in the Pro Class was Trew with Knippenberg fifteen seconds back. Cook came through ten seconds later with Jathan Seale and Chris Jenks from the Pro Am Class right on his rear tires.
Matt Smiley rode to a respectable fourth place overall.
Yokley was able to cross the finish line in second, after a hard fought battle with ’04 champ, Bill Ballance.
Overall
The crowd packed around the finish line waiting to see who would pop out of the woods first and take the overall. Many were not surprised that the ultra talented Chris Borich aboard his new Honda 450R popped out of the trees in first place. Moment later he took the checkers for his second consecutive overall finish. Eight seconds later was William Yokley with Bill Ballance in third overall just over ten seconds later. The crowd was going wild as Young-gun Borich took another overall victory aboard his Honda. Borich has been the only rider to win an overall on the new Honda as of yet.
Crossing the finish line in fourth place was Matt Smiley, but fifty-nine seconds later, Jeremy Rice was able to finish, taking the fourth overall position from Smiley by just one second. Forty-five seconds later, the Pro Am Class second place battle came roaring across the finish line as Chris Jenks and Jathan Seale were wheel to wheel for another close finish. Thirty seconds later, Brandon Sturdivant, also from the Pro Am Class, crossed the finish line for eighth overall. Coming in for ninth overall and fifth place in the Pro Class was Todd Knippenberg, as he was able to pass Mike Houston just a few miles from the finish line. Houston looked tired, but excited as he knew his top ten overall finish today would boost him into the top ten overall for 2005, going into the final round.
From the Four Stroke A Class, Derek Litterini took fifteenth overall and a fifty second lead over second place, Ryan Lane. In third place, and another top twenty overall was Chris Bithell, less than eight seconds back from Lane. Finishing just outside the top twenty overall in twenty-first was Open A Class winner Josh Whitehead.
