First Annual GBC Heartland Challenge

Saturday morning found everyone searching for last-minute fixes to issues that could impact their machine's performance during the event, and any place out of the wind that afforded some much needed warmth. The Youth racers would be first to encounter the brutally extreme conditions as their start time was just after daylight! The never-ending wind helped to dry the track, which turned out to be a huge help as the first race of the day took the line. With three hours of racing on tap, the young riders were showing no signs of weakness as the Le Mans-style start kicked off the event. Heading off for the first lap, these youngsters were every bit as eager as their adult counterparts and showed all the style and speed they were capable of. Course workers were everywhere as the Youth racers encountered mudholes and hillclimbs and had almost immediate assistance if needed. In the end, it would be the team of The Banned Young Guns consisting of Chance Kellison and Dakota Stevenson in the 90cc Production class who would take the class and overall win, and the drawing for the Kymco Mongoose 90 had Gabe McCaughey driving away on his new machine!

The stage was now set as the 10-hour main start time was fast approaching. The teams varied wildly in experience and machine setup. From pro riders to first-year racers, the event had drawn in a superb sampling of riders from all over the country. Pro Team PowerMadd/GT Thunder would be flying low-key as they would rely on stock headlights and helmet-mounted lighting to guide them when dark closed in. Brandon Sommers, Johnny Gallagher and Taylor Kiser made up this team, and one couldn't ask for a better pool of talent. While they claimed they were racing the event for fun, they weren't fooling anyone; we all knew they wanted that win as bad as anyone else! Fellow pro team racers Jarrod McClure and Jeff Pickens formed Team GBC/ATVriders.com, and plans were laid to run Pickens' race-prepped Honda 450R and switch to McClure's in the event of any mechanical issues. One machine for 10 hours of constant racing by two of the fastest racers on the planet would really prove how well they had prepped that beast!

The rules of this event were pretty strict, in that only one machine could be in the pits or on the track at a time. The other machine(s) would be in a guarded impound area accessible only by the returning rider after scoring a lap. Any repairs could be performed, but it would be on the rider's time so fast decisions would have to be made whether to switch out a quad or repair the one being ridden. Most teams had scenarios figured out in their race strategy, and fate would see if their choices would be right or wrong as the race played out.

The 58 teams lined up at the starting area for the Le Mans-style dead-engine start. As the horn blew, racers ran wildly to their machines and fumbled with gloved, cold hands to connect the tether switches before firing off the line. With 10 hours of racing ahead, it wasn't imperative to be the first out on the course, but you won't find many racers laying back in any event and the start here was no exception!

Lap after lap were scored as the minutes ticked away. The course itself was laid out to offer a pretty even playing field for the riders. The two exceptions to this were the Can-Am Challenge and the area set up to go around that hazard. While a touch longer, the option line was supposed to be less of an obstacle. The utility teams tackled the Can-Am Challenge with a vengeance as did many of the pro and Pro-Am teams. The large rock formations combined with ultra-slick telephone poles provided a lot of excitement as the race wore on, and if one could get through it without hanging up or damaging their machine, the Challenge was quite a bit faster than the option line.