GNCC Dirt Bike and ATV Racing Event Pumps Money into Local Economy
myatvblog 04.30.12
By all accounts this weekend’s Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) event was a huge success. This was GNCC’s first ever visit to Park Mammoth Resort in Park City, Kentucky. The event called “The Mammoth” was attended by nearly 4,000 power sports enthusiasts over the two days.
For the locals each racer, and their families, event organizers and staff, and guests provided a much needed boost to the local economy. Everyone poured money into lodging and food.
“When we come into communities like this, we bring about 3 million dollars in, between the hotels and the restaurants, the gas stations,” says Jen Kenyon, the Media Manager for the Grand National Cross Country Series.
The co-owner of Park Mammoth Resort says their on-site lodge benefited from the race.
“We have a hundred guest rooms in our hotel and we’ve been booked and sold out forever,” says Nick Noble, the co-owner of Park Mammoth Resort.
Racers and spectators drove long distances to participate in this GNCC event.
One racers father drove his son from South Carolina in a camper, paid 600 dollars in gas alone just to see his son race.
“We never let the gas prices interfere with what he wants to do. For the simple fact, if he’s not doing that, not doing the racing, he’ll be doing something,” says Jeff Ponder, who had a son in a race.
Racing Results
The race also featured some of the “gnarliest obstacles” with 10 miles of freshly cut new trails by Trail Boss Jeff Russell. The new race track also placed a fresh face upon the podium with New Zealand’s’ Rory Mead posting his first win of the season in the XC1 Motocross Pro class.
In the ATV XC1 Pro class Chris Borich on a Suzuki edged out Walker Fowler of Balance Racing Yamaha team. Fowler had earned the holeshot and led the race for all but the last few minutes of the race.
“I was thinking about where I wanted to set Walker up for the pass throughout the entire race and I knew it was going to be somewhere in that last field section,” said Borich of his final pass for the win. “Walker is riding really good this year, but sometimes he just has to slow down to go faster. I had a good time riding with those guys today.”
Round five of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Springville, Indiana May 12 and 13 for the Limestone 100 GNCC. For more information, go to www.gnccracing.com.
I have been riding motorcycles since I was 9 years old. I bought my first ATV in 1984. I have been an addict ever since.
I have also been active in Utah's Jeep/Off road communities since 1993.
