GNCC Rd. 12 - St. Clairesville, Ohio Oct. 8

Team KTMHutt.com/Maxxis/M2R rider Shane Watts rode hard for a strong 7th place finish at the second last GNCC of the 2007 season.

Held in perfect conditions on a more faster and flowing course than usual, Watts launched his KTM 250XC-F-W from the start in a decent 10th place and then started his charge forward to an eventual race high 2nd position at the end of lap 2 when he pitted, despite having a small crash in the initial stages of the first lap that ripped the roll-off system completely off his Progrip goggles. Following the early pit stop for new goggles and fuel Watts then rode hard for the remainder of the race but never was able to get back into the lead pack.

“I had a great pace going early on there but once I pitted and lost the lead group I just couldn’t get back on them. Each time that I’d get real close I’d get dogged bad by a lapper and lose the advantage that I had just caught up. And then late in the race when I was freight-training with Knighter and Juha I got wiped out by a lapper on a nasty hillclimb and lost a minute there, and a heap of momentum. I ended up having a great battle with Kanney for the whole of the last lap but just wasn’t able to get back by him before the checkers.”

GNCC Rd. 12

1. Barry Hawk
2. Glenn Kearney
3. Charlie Mullins
4. David Knight
5. Juha Salminen
6. Nate Kanney
7. Shane Watts