Yokley Still the Master of the Klotz Ironman

Things may change throughout the year in the Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series, but when the season-finale Klotz Ironman GNCC rolls around, you can count on Yoshimura Suzuki's William Yokley heading to victory lane.

Once again Yokley held off a torrid pack in the biggest ATV race of the year, holding back defending GNCC Champion Bill Ballance, 2005 runner-up Chris Borich, and even GNC Motocross Champion John Natalie to take the lead and the win.

"I want all of those fans to give me a big 'Hell Yeah!'" said Yokley from the podium. The fun-loving wild man of the GNCC circuit can't even remember how many times he has won this race "This is five or six times, I think. It was awesome. We had a great battle out there. I love all of those guys, and I was just glad to come out on top."

One challenger nearly did stop Yokley, and it was a very unlikely contender. Seventeen-year-old Chris Bithell, GNCC National #28, rode the race of his life to win the Pro Am class and nearly beat Yokley for the overall win on adjusted time.

"I was excited to get out there and run, but I never expected this," said Bithell, a senior in high school. "I didn't know where I was, but people were really starting to yell and cheer for me, so I knew I must have been close. So I just pinned it some more and got up here."

Yokley beat Bithell by just 14 seconds. "They told me someone was back there, so I tried to step it up on the last lap," Yokley explained. "I ended up almost throwing it away. I came over a hill a little hot about 100 feet from the finish and crashed. I was saying 'You idiot, you just threw away the Ironman!' But luckily there were some guys in there and they helped me get all straightened out."

Ballance, who wrapped up the 2005 GNCC Title at the previous round, finished third. "The title was already wrapped up, and I don't think William had much to gain either, but we were going at it like it was worth a million dollars," said Ballance, who rode a yellow and black 2006 YFZ450 to celebrate Yamaha's 50th Anniversary. "It was a lot of fun out there, this is the best track I remember having here. At the top of the hillclimb I just used a different line trying to pass William, and a lapper had stalled his bike. It killed some time there. I tried to run him down, William was rolling out there today."

The Ironman track was as spectacular as ever, with deep mud and steep hillclimbs. "It was a blast, I wish all the tracks had stuff like that," said Ballance. "The fans down there were going crazy, I don't know how many freakin' people were back there lined up in those hills. It just pumps you up when you get to it."

Borich ended up fourth. He stayed with the leaders early but had to stop in the pits to adjust him clutch. That slight delay kept him out of the hunt. Natalie was also there, even taking the lead after Yokley and Ballance pitted. He couldn't hold on to them, though, and finished just inside the top ten.

Matt Smiley ran a strong race on his Polaris Predator 500 and ended up fifth.

The Klotz Ironman GNCC was taped for an airing on the Outdoor Life Network. GNCC races air on OLN Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. EST.

The 2005 Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series concludes with the annual GNCC ATV banquet on November 26th at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown, West Virginia. For all the details on GNCC racing, check out the official website at GNCCRacing.com.

The ATVA-sanctioned Suzuki Grand National Cross Country series is America's premier off-road racing series. The 13-round series is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The nearly three-hour long GNCC races lead as many as 1500 riders through tracks ranging from eight to twelve miles in length. With varied terrain including hills, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. GNCC featured sponsors include Parts Unlimited, Moose, Maxxis, Pirelli, Wiseco, Klotz, FMF and ITP, and riders compete for over $2.4 million in series prizes and contingency money. Associate sponsors include Moose Utility Division, Scott, Alpinestars, hlins, Cometic, Outerwears, Race Tools, Twin Air, SFB Racing, Thor, Motion Pro, MotoTee's, Warrior and Laeger's. Media Sponsors include Dirt Rider Magazine, ATV Sport Magazine and Racer X Illustrated. For more information log on to GNCCRacing.com.

Suzuki GNCC Series Results - The Klotz Ironman GNCC
1. William Yokley Tompkinsville, (SUZ) 02:13:02
2. Chris Bithell Irwin, PA (HON) 02:13:16
3. Bill V Ballance Oakland, KY (YAM) 02:13:18
4. Chris M Borich Sunbury, PA (HON) 02:14:13
5. Matt J Smiley Kunkletown, PA (POL) 02:14:18
6. Bryan Cook Casar, NC (YAM) 02:16:35
7. Brandon Ballance Oakland, KY (YAM) 02:16:39
8. Bryan Baker Knob Noster, MO (HON) 02:17:04
9. Chris Jenks Washington, WV (HON) 02:17:25
10. John Natalie Houtzdale, PA (HON) 02:17:37
11. Jeremy Rice Fombell, PA (HON) 02:17:55
12. Rhett M Butler Oak Grove, MO (HON) 02:18:09
13. Michael S Houston Hickory, NC (HON) 02:18:12
14. Santo DeRisi Casar, NC Pro 016 HON 5 02:18:53
15. James L Wahl Shillington, PA (HON) 02:19:10
16. Andris Lagzdins Baltimore, MD (ROL) 02:19:15
17. Duane Johnson Trenton, MO (HON) 02:20:50
18. Tyler Lenig Shamokin, PA (HON) 02:20:52
19. Joshua Ribley Martinsville, IN (YAM) 02:20:55
20. Brandon Sommers Millersburg, OH (YAM) 02:21:18

2005 Suzuki GNCC Final Points Standings

1. Bill Ballance 288/5 wins
2. Chris Borich 251/4 wins
3. William Yokley 223/2 wins
4. Chris Jenks 191/1 win
5. Matt Smiley 180
6. Brandon Ballance 158
7. Bryan Baker 134
8. Andris Lagzdins 128
9. Adam McGill 118
10. Jeremy Rice 116