2007 SORCS Round 10

Bryan Cook overalls Aonia

In what turned out to be yet another hot ultra-dusty race event, Bryan Cook along with a GNCC Freight train, saw the checker flag first. I don't think Aonia has seen any rain since before the General this year. When the ATV's lined up for the start of the race, it was hot, without a cloud in the sky. Ahead of the competitors was 8.5 miles of dusty dry trails.

When the ATV Pro class took the green flag, It was Zach Lovell getting the holeshot, getting to the first turn ahead of the other riders and the dust. Brian Toney was second and David Crane was third. Scott Rogers went into the first turn in fourth place in a billowing cloud of red Georgia clay. Bryan Cook and Kaleb Nichulson came off the line in last place. At one point in the race Scott climbed as high as second, finally settling into 3rd. Throughout the race, it was the GNCC crew fighting for the lead. All the while, Bryan Cook was methodically working his way to the front. As the laps wound down, it was Bryan Cook in the lead, Brian Toney in second and Scott was in third. Somewhere on the dusty course, Scott overshot a turn and got stuck in the brush. It was at this point that Kaleb passed Scott for the third position. On the last lap, it was Bryan Cook, Brian Toney, Kaleb Nichulson, Scott Rogers, Zach Lovell, and David Crane. These guys were setting some fast lap times and put on a good show. Bryan rode a fast, smart race and took the overall and the ATV Pro win. Scott came home with a comfortable 4th place win. We discovered after the race that Scott was running with a slow leak in a front tire. He said that he thought he felt something funny on the bike, but it stayed up enough to get him to the finish without any problems.

In the ATV A Class, Cam came from a very bad start to finish a solid fourth. Cam was coming down with a summer cold before the race and the dusty conditions did not help. Lining up with Cam Was GNCC regular, Jennifer Albright. Austin Allen hit the first turn with the lead, Jennifer was a close second. With seven people signed up in the A class, the competition was tight and fierce. When Austin entered the first turn, he was flanked by Yamaha riders Chuck Norris and Jennifer Albright on either side. Into the first turn, the riders were so tight, you could have thrown a blanket over them! As the A class settled down, Jennifer was setting a blistering pace until electrical problems took her out of the race. Cam worked his way up to a solid fourth place while Austin charged for second. Chuck Norris finished 3rd, Will Cashron finished 5th, and Michael Pryor took 6th. Oh, Cam might not have won the race, but he had the prettiest Umbrella ladies ever! We would like to thank the Tatum Crew for keeping Cam and Scott cool and shady on the line.

The B Class winner was Brad Thompson, followed by Justin Seabolt and Bill Graham. In the Quad Beginner class, it was Jacob Coffey taking another win. Jacob was setting some solid laps and looked really smooth throughout the race. Behind Jacob was; Ben Jenkins, Cody Taylor, Hunter Renfroe, Zach Tidwell, Joe Vanacore, and Brandon Nichols.

The Quad C class winner was Danny Mcelwaney followed by Lucas Walker and Joe Goodman. The Quad Utility class finish was; Martin Laurich, Victor Garcia, Mark Coffey, and Jeff Edge. John Pilkey was the lone entry in the Quad Senior class.

The Quad Vet class was won by Billy Payne, followed by; Heath Warlock, Brian Schrantz, Kenny Payne, Jason Turley, and Phil Albright. Phil was setting a great pace and pulled out when Jennifer developed problems.

One of the best races of the day was in the Women's class. Laura Strother jumped out to an early lead with Kristy Fortenberry in a close second. At some point early in the race, Laura attempting to make a pass, encountered a tree stump. The stump won! She was pitched off the quad onto the dusty course. Showing the spirit of a true competitor, she got back on the quad and charged toward the front. Kristy was in the lead with Kelly and Kristen Deloach in tow. Kristy and Laura were setting a good pace, little did we know that Laura was riding in pain. On the last lap, in the last section, Laura caught Kristy. Going into the big sweeper at the top of the hill, Laura moved inside Kristy. They were side-by-side when they came by our pits. Laura would inch forward and then Kristy would pull a few feet. Finally going into the last turn before the finish, Laura took the lead. It was an exciting battle and we enjoyed every minute of it! The finish order was Laura Strother, Kristy Fortenberry, Kelly Deloach, and Kristen Deloach.

Our good friend Bill Bryant got a solid fourth place finish in the Master C bike class. With one race to go, we should certainly see Bill on the podium in October.

Although the race was hot and dusty, there was a breeze blowing for most of the race. This did make it bearable. Brenda was able to get some great pics. Check 'em out on the web site.

One more race to go! In three short weeks, we will be converging on Broad River for the final round of the SORCS series. God willing, we will see everyone there. We hope to see all our friends at the final round.

Until next time; take care, God Bless, stay safe.....