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Race Report: Round 7 GNCC
Team: Parts Unlimited, Moose, Honda
Rider: Paul Whibley
Bike: CRF 450
The John Penton GNCC was Round 7 of the GNCC series. The course for the event utilized a local MX track and the surrounding woodlands. This race has a reputation for either blinding dust or being incredibly muddy.
This year it appeared they would strike a happy medium, (of sorts).
After walking part of the course on Sunday morning things looked good. Rain early in the week had killed the dust and the moisture had soaked into the normally hard packed track.
Off the start I got a bad jump (good for a 450) but a few corners later I had passed a few guys and by the time we left the MX track I was up to about 6th.
On a few of the grass track sections early in lap 1, I passed a couple more guys and was running 4th for a while.
We soon discovered where all the rain had gone as several of the creek crossings had cut up really bad during the morning race and already had huge ruts leading up out of them.
I took a couple of wrong ruts during the race and lost a few positions, spending most of the race in about 8th spot.
Late in the race I got into a battle with Shane Watts and we swapped places a few times.
On the last lap I had gapped Watts by a small margin but I got caught up in a vine that was laying across the track. It snagged my brake pedal bringing me to a stop. I had to dismount and pull it out, loosing about thirty seconds.
Meanwhile Watts caught and passed me. I jumped back on and took off after Watts. I reeled him in and passed him. I also caught Fred Andrews who was in 5th position. When I was trying to pass Andrews, he pushed me wide and Watts passed us both. I tried hard but couldn't find a way around Fred. So I finished up in 7th position.
I'm still in 7th in the points. Only 1 point behind 6th in the championship and 3 points behind 5th.
Things are pretty tight.
