Using a 2011 Husqvarna TE449 as a base model, see how Bill Conger built his Dakar Rally race weapon.

Competing in an event like the Dakar Rally calls for a highly specialized machine, and Husqvarna’s 449 is a perfect baseline model. Aside from the obvious physical and mental preparation needed for the toughest off-road race on the planet, Conger had a lot of work to do in fabricating his ideal mount for traversing over 5,000 punishing miles through Argentina, Chile and Peru.

“This wasn’t a simple case of bolting on parts,” commented Conger. “It took a lot of brainstorming, sketching and fabricating to do this build. But fortunately we got a lot of help from great guys like Scott Schriver, who is a Hendrick Motorsports fabricator/expert welder.”

Check out the combination skid plate, toolbox, water tank unit fabricated for Conger’s Husqvarna TE449 Rally. Also see how the team built the fairing, increased the oil capacity by 70%, and managed to mount an oversize fuel tank with the help of some Play-Doh®.

The finished product heading out for an off-road shakedown.

You can follow Conger and his Husqvarna TE449 Rally too. Go to BC2Dakar.com to check out photos and video clips of the custom bike build, and find regular updates from Conger during the 2012 Dakar Rally, which begins on January 1, 2012.

The Parts Unlimited GNCC Dealer Challenge boasts an opportunity for any authorized motorcycle, ATV or accessory dealership to put together a team of racers to compete against other dealership teams throughout the 13-round GNCC Series. Teams will earn points based on each rider’s respective class finish and will be tracked under an exclusive Dealer Challenge tab on the GNCC Results Page.

Benefits of the Dealer Challenge are extensive since there is no cost to the dealer or racer to sign up a team. However, the dealership must be providing each racer on the team some kind of support for the 2012 season. Dealerships and racers will be publicized through GNCC’s Facebook, Twitter and the series website all season and dealers have the chance to win a Grand Prize, courtesy of Parts Unlimited! A paid trip for (2) to Las Vegas for the 2013 Parts Unlimited Dealer Show and VIP Access to the Vegas Supercross will be awarded to the winning dealer at the end of the season.

For more details on the Parts Unlimited GNCC Dealer Challenge or to get your team signed up now, click HERE.

The 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off once again at Westgate River Ranch Resort in River Ranch, Fla., in conjunction with Daytona Bike Week on March 10-13. ATV practice will take place on Saturday and racing on Sunday, followed by bike practice on Monday and racing on Tuesday. For more information visit www.gnccracing.com.

About GNCC Racing

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,500 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and airs every week on NBC Sports. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

Highlighting the 2012 calendar is the addition of three all-new venues in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia-giving racers the opportunity to compete on fresh soil next season.

“We’re really excited to introduce three new venues to the GNCC schedule next year,” said GNCC Trail Boss, Jeff Russell. “Since the Loretta’s GNCC, we’ve been traveling all over to find new venues for our GNCC Racers and I think the fresh trail and new scenery will add a whole new level of excitement for everyone.”

The series returns to many GNCC favorites in 2012, including Snowshoe Resort, Unadilla MX, Ironman and Loretta Lynn’s, which will once again serve as the season finale.

A special weekend format will take place at Loretta Lynn Ranch in November, in order to accommodate the 2012 ISDE and National Enduro schedules. Motorcycles will compete throughout the day on Saturday and ATV racing will follow on Sunday-atypical from the other 12 rounds of racing where ATVs compete on Saturday and motorcycles on Sunday.

For more information visit www.gnccracing.com.

About GNCC Racing

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,500 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and airs every week on NBC Sports. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

The riders for the 2012 AmPro / FMF / Yamaha Factory Offroad team will be: 2011 OMA National Champion Paul Whibley and 2011 GNCC XC2 Class Runner-Up Jordan Ashburn.

“We had to make some tough decisions heading into the new season,” says AmPro Yamaha Owner and AMA Hall of Fame Member, Randy Hawkins. “The choice to pilot only two Pro 450cc Riders just seemed to be the right one. Paul and Jordan work excellent together I and honestly believe that they will push each other to be the best!”

Whibley will be competing in both the Parts Unlimited National Series (OMA) and the Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC).

“I’m very excited with the way everything worked out,” says Whibley. “Jordan and I work really well together and that will help a bunch when it comes to training and riding. I think having a smaller team will also help us stay focused on what’s important… winning races.”

Ashburn will be lining up next to his teammate in the GNCC series, while also competing in all 10 rounds of the AMA / Rekluse National Enduro Series.
“I don’t even think the ink is dry on my contract yet,” laughs Ashburn. “The decision to bump me up to the 450 Pro Class in both the GNCC and the National Enduro Series was one we were all pretty excited about. Riding for a Factory Race Team is dream come true and I’m so excited to see what 2012 brings!”

We will be announcing the official sponsors of the team right after the first of the year. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly!

Brian Elliott
PR | Media Coordinator
AmPro Yamaha Race Team
(949) 606 – 3181
www.AmProYamaha.com

Course cutting is almost a thing of the past! Over the years, one of the major problems with off-road racing is that having long courses made it less difficult for cheaters to cheat or honest riders to go the wrong way on accident.

How can this problem be coming to end, and why now?

Being around the moto-industry and race scene for quite a few seasons, I have heard rumors and stories about people course cutting. I have seen professional race teams instruct their personal to stand in front of good lines (through mud holes, rock gardens, etc.) so that competitors could not see and use the lines. Also, I have accidentally gone the wrong direction during a race and witnessed others do this. I would also like to mention the times that while navigating field sections around the corners marked with hay bales or banner that I have seen other riders cut through the middle of the field with blatant disregard to the course markers. Oh, how about the time that a no name B rider won the overall at a National Hare Scramble?

Course cutting is not a huge problem but it does happen and if you have done any amount of racing it has probably happened to you. This problem does seem to be on the down turn. The recent growth in popularity of helmet cameras is responsible for keeping riders honest and taking action (docking positions) to those that cut accidentally. Up until our present situation, if there was any foul play going on, it was simply one racers word against another’s. Let’s say that you are racing and pass someone from your class on the last lap. Your heart is thumping, your legs and arms are cramping, you can barely hold it together after 3 hours of punishment and then your feel relief as you can see the finish! Wait, hold on, the person you passed two miles ago is now in front of you again and no, they did not pass you back (at least not on the proper race course.)

You tell the promoter, but they cannot do anything because it is just your word against the other racer’s.

Here is your play, pop out the SD card from your GoPro, play the last two miles of the race for the promoter and the other racer. The video evidence will be more legitimate than story vs. story and you will probably send the cheater home with his tail between his legs.

The foundation of the team begins with Yamaha Motor Corp. USA. Yamaha has strengthened its commitment to grass roots racers for 2012 and will support the team directly through Obermeyer Yamaha in Jasper, Indiana. Obermeyer Yamaha has been a long-time sponsor of many off-road series and racers, including 6-Time National Off-Road Champion Jason Raines. Through his Raines Riding University offering one of the most progressive and educational riding schools in the country and his involvement with the Yamaha YZ/WR Off Road Demo Program with Yamaha Motor Corp., Jason has the knowledge and skills to ensure a winning team. Add to that, the popular off-road dedicated web site OFFROADVIKING.COM, owned and operated by Daniel Engle in Erwin, TN and you get the ingredients for something big to happen in 2012. The team will be the feeder Team for the AM-PRO Yamaha Factory Team, owned and managed by AMA Hall of Fame Member Randy Hawkins.

Starting in January the Team will travel to Sumter South Carolina to contend for the AMA Rekluse National Enduro series title. With Team riders Brad Bakken aboard a YZ 250 2-stroke, and Morgan Moss on a YZ 250F, we intend to make our presence known.

Next the Team will be at round 1 of the GNCC series with an arsenal of riders covering more classes than any other team in the pits. The Obermeyer Yamaha/ Raines Riding University / OffRoadviking.com Team will have 2 separate pit set-ups, one on PRO row and the other in the Auxiliary pit area, so the team will have a very solid presence wherever you turn.

In addition to Racing, Trackside support will be available at the races.

Here is our rider list for 2012

XC2
Brad Bakken (YZ 250)
Morgan Moss (YZ 250F)

250A
Zach Nash (YZ 250)

4 Stroke A Lites
Drexel Payne (YZ250F)

Open A
Corey Macdonald (YZ 450F)
Cooper Bailey (YZ 450F)

Womens Class
LeAnn Bange (YZ 250F)
Jordon Milbauer. (YZ 125)

85cc 12-13 Supermini Cody Ruckle (YZ 85)
85cc 12-13 Zack Ponder (YZ 85

These great sponsors support the team:
Obermeyer Yamaha
Raines Riding University
OffRoad Viking.com
Yamaha
Fly Racing
GE
Kenda
Sunstar
FMF
Unabiker Radiator Guards
Yamalube
GYT-R
EKS-Brand Goggles
Yamaha Generators
Factory Connection
GPR Stabilizers
IMS
Rekluse
Flat Tire Defenders
HBD Motografx
Accelerade
Wiseco
Zip-Ty Racing
Fastway
CV4
Raines Racing Products