Western: Best in the Desert Nevada 1000
Motocross: Natalie Clinches the GNC Title in Kentucky
Eastern: GNCC Battle Update-Borich Hurt,Ballance Extends Lead
ATVA GNC MX NewsNatalie Clinches the ChampionshipIt was only a matter of time before Honda's John "Ironman" Natalie would earn his first championship title. In fact, before the season even kicked off, Natalie foretold his future on many occasions. Suzuki's Doug "Digger" Gust had reigned as the ATV National series champion since the inception of the new Pro Production quad class in 2003. Last year, Natalie emerged as Gust's greatest challenger but failed to dethrone the king. But '05 has been a different story, and Natalie ran down the competition with a vengeance. He first tackled the stadium series, then the Great Outdoor Games and finally the '05 ATV National series. What a year!
Natalie came into round 10 in London, Kentucky, with six wins, and if the stars are aligned correctly, he could grab the title. He emerged victorious at the Daniel Boone round with the rights to celebrate his very first championship.
"I couldn't be happier right now," Natalie exclaimed, sporting his legendary ear-to-ear smile. Although clinching the season was not an easy task, he received a few breaks from a battered Gust who was still recovering from his High Point crash. "I compressed my T7 vertebra and tore my ACL from my knee," Gust said. "I will have surgery after the season is completed." As if that weren't enough, the concussion he got in the crash still gives him bouts of dizziness. Suzuki would have allowed Gust to skip round 10 to recover, but he knew his hopes for the championship would quickly diminish if he didn't compete. So the champ dug deep to overcome the pain and gave it everything, but he came up short, permitting Natalie to take home his first title.
Aside from Natalie and Gust, Honda's Tim Farr and Suzuki's Jeremiah Jones are holding up the third and fourth positions. Jones hasn't had the best season of his career, yet he trails Farr by a mere 14 points. And Farr is only a point behind Gust. This translates as the scrap for second and third will come down to the wire. Has anyone noticed the top four riders are factory-backed? Not to take away from their amazing abilities, but there is no doubt the factory support has helped boost these four toward the front of the pack. Stay tuned-it's not over yet!
| Point Standings |
| 1. John Natalie Jr./Honda | 249 |
| 2. Doug J. Gust/Suzuki | 180 |
| 3. Timothy Farr/Honda | 179 |
| 4. Jeremiah Jones/Suzuki | 165 |
| 5. Joe Byrd/Honda | 152 |
| 6. Kory Ellis/Yamaha | 144 |
| 7. Keith Little/Yamaha | 133 |
| 8. Travis Spader/Yamaha | 131 |
| 9. Dustin Wimmer/Honda | 122 |
| 10. Patrick Brown/Yamaha | 104 |
| After 10 of 12 rounds |
GNCC NewsBallance Stretches the LeadNestled deep in Maryland's western mountains is The Wisp Ski Resort, which hosts a unique and highly anticipated stop along the GNCC circuit. More like a vacationer's dreamland, the sleepy ski town is transformed into a carnivallike atmosphere as thousands of racers, fans and vendors file in from all over the country. No weekend of rest and relaxation here, this track is one of the most brutal with its huge boulders and steep high-speed ski slopes. But the big news of the weekend was not the exotic location or atmosphere; it was how the outcome of the season might be already forecast.