GNCC Round 6
William Yokley Wins GNCC Round 6 in Tennessee
May 23, 2005 – Rain dampened the ongoing battle for the 2005 Suzuki Grand National Cross Country title, but it didn't harm the playful spirit of Yoshimura Suzuki's William Yokley at Round 6 in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
After
Loretta Lynn's Ranch ended up almost completely underwater after rain Friday
night, Racer Productions re-routed the track on Saturday, and Yokley charged
to his first victory of the season.
And in trademark Yokley fashion, the Kentucky boy crashed at the finish line, landed in a huge mud puddle, and started dancing and screaming in the mud to the cheers of all of his fans.
It was another classic moment from the William Yokley school of having fun while racing.
"It feels good!" yelled Yokley from the podium. "You had to ride a smart race because there was a lot of mud and water out there and a lot of places to get stuck. I have a lot of years riding in this stuff so I know where to go, but luck plays a big factor, too. I finally got luck on my side. Maybe I can keep this going and get back into the championship."
With such wild, muddy conditions to deal with, chaos ensued for most of the day. Yokley stayed smart and consistent while battling Yamaha's Bill Ballance, the five-time and defending GNCC Champion, and a mistake by Ballance on the last lap let Yokley slide past and take the win.
2004 GNCC Pro-Am Champion Jeremy Rice finally got on his pro game by taking second overall, while Ballance scored valuable championship points by getting third.
"It went awesome," said a happy Rice. "I didn't get that great of a start but I just kept rolling forward. I was following Borich and Ballance there but it was a game of survival, and they made a few mistakes and I got around. It was wet and muddy, but it was fun."
Ballance was also happy with his ride. "We were having a good day out there and the bike was running strong," said Ballance. "But I made one big mistake on the last lap. I picked a bad line. This season has been a heck of a battle and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."
The rain and mud had an impact on the battle for the Suzuki GNCC Title, as Ballance moves back into a tie with Alba Actionsports' Chris Borich for the series point lead. Borich was in the hunt all day, but he could only muster fifth in the grueling conditions.
Fourth came Pro-Am rider Scott Baron, who many thought had actually landed on the overall podium based on adjusted time. The Racer Productions scoring crew reviewed video of the finish to ensure the results were accurate, and Barron was credited with fourth overall.
"It was a wet race but I just kept plugging away," said Barron. "It takes a lot of determination. The track wasn't too bad, but it got really choppy and rough at the end."
No matter the conditions, Yokley's loyal fans were pumped to see their hero whooping it up on the podium after the race.