2019 Round 8 Race Report - Snowshoe Mountain
Snowshoe Mountain never disappoints and is considered one of the toughest races now on the GNCC Schedule. It was a little rain and wind then came the Sun on Sunday. Tely Energy Race team fielded 12 riders for the weekend and ended up with 5 podium finishers and 8 racers in the top 5. Great results as a team once again!
Steward Baylor, Jr. came from 5th place in the first two laps and was gaining ground every lap on Snowshoe Mountain in XC1 but when the race ended 17 minutes earlier than expected, he just ran out of time and had to settle for 2nd place. He only lost by :01.461 which is almost too difficult to comprehend by that small of a margin on time adjustment. But with the second place and another podium appearance for Tely Energy Racing, it keeps Steward in a top 3 spot for the class championship.
Grant Baylor ended his day in 5th place but had to ride one side of the mountain without a foot peg which prevented him from further placement in XC1.
Liam Draper had his first GNCC podium appearance of the year in XC2 with a 3rd place finish on the day only losing to second by 28 seconds. He was consistent the whole race and this is definitely something to boost his confidence and build on for the rest of the season.
In the 10am race, Bill Gold, a support member of Tely Energy Racing, had a rough day that ended in stitches but still walked away with an 8th place in Masters A (50+).
Dylan Ely had a bike issue when his crank went out within the first 20 minutes of the race in Sportsman A. On to the next race and hoping for better luck.
JoJo Cunningham continues to throttle (pun intended) the competition with another impressive victory by over a minute. He is undefeated so far in 2019 and only needs 3 more wins to secure the top youth overall for the season. He is on a mission to get that done over the next 3 races in YXC1 to finish the year undefeated. This kid has a bright future in the world of GNCC racing so look out for him in the years to come.
It didn’t take Paul Best long to get back to his familiar spot on the podium. In just his third race back, he battled from 7th place and kept pushing to end the day in 3rd place in 85 (12-13). He will only continue to improve as he gets back to the same shape he was in prior to the injury.
Andrew Segars managed another podium appearance on Snowshoe Mountain with a 3rd place finish in 85 (7-11). He has been a consistent presence on the podium all year and continues to battle for the class championship.
Ty Ely battled the mountain to end the day in 5th place while teammate Paul Best finished in 11th out of 29 riders in the 85 (12-13) class.
Well one thing is for certain, I do not believe that Keifer Galiano is dropping any lower than third in the class championship anytime soon. Keifer finished with his 7th third place finish in a row in 65 (10-11).
Ronnie Rusch can feel how close he is to a podium position and it is definitely coming soon. He ended the day on the mountain coming from 6th place to finish in 4th place on the day in XC2. For his first year in the pro class, he is exceeding all expectations at this point. A podium appearance in his first year pro would just be a bonus.
Thank you Moose Racing for the amazing gear, Morgantown Powersports for the great equipment, Kenda Tires for tires that gave us an advantage in the muddy conditions, Tely Energy Services for allowing us to keep doing what we love, FMF Racing for the best exhaust system in the trade, Forma Boots, Spectro Performance Oils for the best chemicals to put in our bikes, Motion Pro for the top of the line tools we need for repairs, DP Brakes for the best brakes in the business, Seat Concepts for great looking and durable seats, ODI Grips and handlebars to limit blisters and make the bike look good, Twin Air for keeping our bikes running clean and great, Cometic Gaskets for the best gaskets on the planet, KTM for taking care of the parts we need, G2 Ergonomics for protecting our riders hands, IMS Products to limit pit stops, and Senge Graphics for making our bikes and pro pit looking good.