Off-Road Junkies

From the Vaults – Unseen 2011 Footage

Rob Mitchell — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:29:08 +0000

Robby Norwood – A Day in Wilmington

Rob Mitchell — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:30:26 +0000

Robby Norwood – A Day in Wilmington Teaser

Rob Mitchell — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 04:06:13 +0000

2012 JDay GP Series Preview

Rob Mitchell — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:04:50 +0000

A recap of the 2011 JDay GP season and a look at whats to come in 2012. We're excited to finally head North and check out the series.

Goon of the Month – January

Rob Mitchell — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:00:24 +0000

In this month's GOTM we learn how to become a pro offroad racer.

Bill Conger’s Custom Husqvarna TE449 Rally Bike

Press Release — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:55:12 +0000

December 23, 2011 – Corona, CA - Husqvarna doesn’t make a production rally bike… but Bill Conger didn’t let a minor detail like that get in the way of him pursuing his dream of competing in the Dakar Rally. Conger, a Motorcycle Instructor at BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina, was thrilled to be accepted as one of only 200 motorcycle riders for the 2012 edition of the world’s most grueling “raid marathon” race. As a BMW employee, it naturally followed that Conger opted to ride a Husqvarna in the South American event, but selecting the 449cc 4-stroke base model was only the beginning of his “race to the starting line.”

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.

“The ingenuity that has gone into this build is truly remarkable,” commented Husqvarna’s Product and Racing Manager Derek Sorenson. “The fact that a privateer effort like Conger’s made it to the starting line is an achievement in itself. Now all that’s left to do is go racing! We’ll all be rooting for Bill Conger and his Husky TE449 Rally every step of the way.”

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.

GNCC Introduces the Parts Unlimited GNCC Dealer Challenge

Press Release — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:52:23 +0000

Morgantown, W. Va. (December 23, 2011) - Racer Productions is pleased to announce details for the 2012 Parts Unlimited GNCC Dealer Challenge, an incentive program designed to enhance the involvement of dealership support to racers in the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series.

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.

GNCC Announces Full Series Schedule for 2012

Press Release — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:49:02 +0000

Morgantown, W. Va. (December 23, 2011) - Just in time for the holidays, Racer Productions is pleased to announce the locations for the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. America’s largest off-road racing series will once again kick off its 13-round schedule at Westgate River Ranch Resort in River Ranch, Fla., coinciding with Daytona Bike Week March 10-13.

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.

Round	Race Dates	Event	Location
Rd. 1	March 10-13	Westgate River Ranch	River Ranch, FL
Rd. 2	March 17-18	The General	Aonia Pass, GA
Rd. 3	Mar 31-Apr 1	Steele Creek	Morganton, NC
Rd. 4	April 14-15	Big Buck	Union, SC
Rd. 5	April 28-29	The Mammoth	Park City, KY
Rd. 6	May 12-13	Indy 100	Springville, IN
Rd. 7	May 26-27	Buckwheat	Masontown, WV
Rd. 8	June 23-24	Snowshoe	Snowshoe, WV
Rd. 9	July 7-8	John Penton	Millfield, OH
Rd. 10	Sep 15-16	Unadilla	New Berlin, NY
Rd. 11	Oct 6-7	Powerline Park	St. Clairsville, OH
Rd. 12	Oct 20-21	Ironman	Crawfordsville, IN
Rd. 13	Nov 3-4	Loretta Lynn’s	Hurricane Mills, TN

For more information visit www.gnccracing.com.

About GNCC Racing

Cory Buttrick – Leatt Brace Video by Kyle Cowling

Rob Mitchell — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:42:57 +0000

Kyle Cowling produced this great Cory Buttrick video for Leatt Brace to talk about some of the great things the company is doing.

AMPRO / FMF / Yamaha Factory Offroad Team Announces 2012 Rider Line Up!

Press Release — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:56:07 +0000

Travelers Rest, South Carolina (December 22nd 2011) – After an incredible year of racing in 2011, the AmPro / FMF / Yamaha Factory Offroad Team has made some pretty significant changes heading into the upcoming 2012 race season. Over the past several years, the team has piloted riders in both the Pro 450cc Class and the Pro 250cc Class. For 2012, the team will be represented exclusively by two 450cc Pro Class riders.

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