The Gate Drops
As the pro riders jockeyed to their positions on the starting gate, you could feel the excitement in the air. Spectators scattered to scout out the perfect viewing areas so they would not miss a second of the action. The only sounds you could hear were the revving of the loud four-stroke motors and the H-Bomb Films helicopter flying low above our heads. With 10 seconds remaining, the sound of motors revved high, the crowd cheered, hearts thumped and the gates dropped. As the 20 riders felt the G-force of the first turn, which resembles a NASCAR turn, Farr was out front and on the gas. He never looked back as The Digger and Jones battled closely behind him up and down the great elevation changes. Natalie passed Jones at one point and even pressured Gust, but an off-track excursion cost him any chance at a top finish. As Farr floated over the finish-line tabletop, followed by Gust and Jones, he was able to breathe a big sigh of relief as he now owned moto 1.
When the gate dropped on moto 2, it was almost as if we were watching a replay of moto 1. Farr could not have scripted it better himself as he was easily in the lead. The one difference was Ellis trailed him by only seconds. Following close behind Ellis was Suzuki's fleet of bright-white Z400s mounted by Gust and teammate Jones. Ellis was struggling to hold on to his second-place position for about half of the 20-minute moto. Regretfully, he hopped over a whoop and endoed into the steep hill that he was setting up to climb. That gave a clear passage for Gust and Jones to put the pass on Ellis. As the final moments of the race unfolded, the top three riders managed to air out the finish-line tabletop in the same order.
A Great Season Ahead
Farr proved that he and tuner Mark Baldwin had done their homework over the off-season. The Honda pulled decisive holeshots in both motos, and he had the speed to safely win both times.
"I was hesitant to look behind me to see how far back the other riders were," Farr said. "I was able to catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye when going around corners." He added that he felt confident he could keep winning as long as he and Baldwin could continue to improve the Honda. Defending champion Gust and fellow factory Suzuki rider Jones proved they will be contenders in 2005. Natalie and Ellis also showed the potential to win races this year-which means it will be difficult for Gust to dominate again in '05. We will likely have multiple race winners, taking the championship battle all the way to the end of the season.
Round 1: The Lone Star-Gilmer, TX
Being a former Texan, I am aware that everything is big in Texas. As I entered the Lone Star State, I pondered all of the big things that the first round of Grand National Cross Country racing would bring to Gilmer, Texas: a larger factory presence, a new title sponsor from Suzuki and a much-needed face-lift for the series. I could not wait to arrive at the track and experience all of the new and exciting action the 2005 GNCC season had to offer.
Reuniting In The Pits
After spending 12 hours on the road, I had finally arrived and was able to reunite with my extended GNCC family. The sunshine was gleaming, flags were whipping in the wind and everyone was gossiping and catching up on stories from the off-season. I quickly made my way to the pro pits so I could be the first to catch a glimpse of Matt Smiley's new factory Polaris ride. Smiley was kind enough to crack open the back door of the trailer so I could check it out. As the door folded down, I felt as if his beastly Predator was staring me in the eyes. The black plastic gleamed with hints of red and silver from the new Polaris graphic kit. Everything was brand-new and looked as if it had never been ridden. It's great that we can add another name to the list of factories that have decided to support the sport we all love.