Steele Creek GNCC
Morganton, NC
April 2, 2005
Story and photos by Bonnie Hamrick
Here Bill Ballance knows what he does best, win!
Round Four of the GNCC Series was in sunny North Carolina at the Steele Creek Campground in Morganton, NC. Sunny? April Fools!! Well, it was for three days during the week, but soon inches on inches of rain fell, with a threatening flood warning for many surrounding counties. So, Steele Creek turned into a mud fest. The spectator turn out was one of the highest for the year and the crowd was ready to see some real action. At nearly every mud hole, spectators were camped out waiting to jump in and get dirty.
Bill and Brandon Ballance, One and Two in turn four off the holeshot.
The nine and a half mile track ended up being cut down to just eight miles by the time Racer Productions had to cut away some swampy mud sections. During the a.m. race, one of the concrete bridges that the racers were to cross washed away in the raging stream that was just above a gentle flow Friday. Heavy rain washed down off the mountain streams during the night and the stream turned into a fierce river for Saturday, causing some intense action along each stream crossing. As usual Steele Creek fashion, the racers went underneath a bridge, but this year, Racer Productions had to pump three times more water out of the damned section to make it at least passable, in icy cold water. The sun started out shining, but the temperature never reached fifty with on and off rain drizzling during the entire race. And just to make things interesting, the last half hour of racing, the rain was coming at a steady downfall.
Just where Bill wanted to be for most of the day – out front!!!
Green Flag Time
“Ten Seconds.” Bill Ballance took another holeshot with Chris Jenks hot on his trail till he got jammed up in turn four and dropped to last. With the mud to be tackled, the leaders would be jumbled up by the end of lap one.
Lap One
On the end of lap one, Ballance held onto the lead with Borich, Brandon Ballance and Greg Trew together through the pits, but after a mile of more mud, William Yokley put the pass on Brandon and took over fourth place. Sixth place was a battle between Jeremy Rice, Bryan Baker, Todd Knippenberg, Andris Lagzdins, Matt Smiley, Bryan Cook, and Rhett Butler. The race was going to be tight. Coming to the bridge section, Ballance was managing to hold off Borich well, with Trew keeping up the fight. Coming through the pack in a hurry was Chris Jenks and Matt Smiley.
Chris Borich went under the bridge with ease as fans cheered him on.
Lap Two
Pit strategies were playing a factor here at Steele Creek; coming through the pits, Trew decided not to pit, while Yokley, Ballance, and Borich took their pit stops for goggles and gas. Trew wasn’t able to hold onto the lead while Yokley took over the number one position through the scoring tent. Bill Ballance, Borich, and Trew pulled away from fifth on lap two. Brandon Ballance and Smiley were wheel to wheel on lap two, fighting for fifth. In seventh, Chris Jenks and Bryan Cook , Four Stroke Tech teammates were working their way through the pack – pushing one another to the front. Just ten seconds back was Knippenberg with Lagzdins in tenth, fifteen seconds back.
Here just ahead of Chris Borich and William Yokley, on the way to the checkered flag.
Lap Three
On lap three, the battle got intense; top six were within thirteen seconds of the leader: Bill Ballance, Trew, Yokley, Borich, Brandon Ballance, Smiley. With the fastest lap time going to seventh place rider, Chris Jenks as he was fighting his way to the front. In eighth, over a minute back was Bryan Baker with Lagzdins in ninth. Rounding out the top ten was Knippenberg. Moving up to eleventh place with the second fastest third lap was Michael Houston, another Four Stroke Tech rider.
Lap Four
With one lap left of racing, Bill Ballance was done fighting the competition and pulled a thirty second lead over Chris Borich. Ballance was wanting a two in a row win streak, so today’s win will mean a lot to him. In third, a fierce battle was waging for the podium positions as Yokley, Smiley, Trew, and Jenks pulled a bigger lead over seventh place – Bryan Baker. In eighth place, Lagzdins was holding off Brandon Ballance, but Ballance had his head held down and was ready to put on the last lap charge. Rounding out tenth place was Rhett Butler.
Smiley, Borich, and Yokley still neck and neck.
Overall
Coming through the last two miles of the race track, Bill Ballance knew the win was his if he was able to think straight and keep it together. When he rounded the final turn for the checkered turn, he threw his fist in the air and took his second consecutive win to tie up the point’s race with Chris Borich. Taking the win by nearly fifty seconds, second through fifth was within seconds coming through the pits. Matt Smiley took second overall with just four seconds separating him from William Yokley. Just missing the podium by three seconds was Greg Trew, as he put in his best finish for 2005.
“I needed this win today. Now, I am ready to put the first few races of the season behind and look forward to the rest of the year,” Ballance said with all smiles on his face as he wore the wreath of the Overall victory.
Bill Ballance takes his win.
With two podium finishes for the year, Matt Smiley put the Team Polaris machine in second place at the checkered flag and was excited about the finish.
In third was William Yokley, who wore a more serious expression on the podium than the fans were used to seeing. “At times it wasn’t my day, but in the end, I pulled it together and brought my Yoshimura/Roll Suzuki up here where it counts. It was tight battle all day long, and I am glad I am here.”
Taking fifth overall was Chris Borich, dropping seconds more behind Trew after knowing the podium was lost for him. With bad luck in just the last half mile, Borich had his first non-podium finish. In sixth overall was Chris Jenks, over a minute behind Borich. Bryan Baker took sixth overall, his best 2005 finish. In seventh overall from the Pro Am class was Adam McGill, working his way into the top twenty overall for 2005. Andris Lagzdins and Brandon Ballance rounded out the top ten overall.
