News Release
Whibley Wins GNCC Round
19 May 2008
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
It was time for total Kiwi domination at round six of the United States Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in Millfield, Ohio, at the weekend as Pahiatua's Paul Whibley led home some of the best dirt bike racers on the planet.
The team FMF Suzuki rider took his RM-Z450 to the top step of the podium at Ohio, his first outright win of the series, and it boosted the New Zealander from third to second in the series standings after six of 13 rounds.
"What a race. The conditions were horrible. The mortality rate was extreme and the finishers' list was short," said Whibley afterwards.
Indeed, when the rains came and turned the course into a quagmire, the man who used to chop down trees for a living and who they now affectionately call "The Axeman" was all smiles.
Brought up in the Manawatu, and hardened by riding throughout the cold, wet and wild winters in the central North Island region, Whibley was in his element.
One of the muddiest, toughest GNCC races ever ended up with a surprise finish and a podium sweep for Whibley's Suzuki team.
Whibley made a pass on his team-mate, Australian Josh Strang, on the last lap to take the win, with Ohio’s own Suzuki talent Jimmy Jarrett third.
Series leader David Knight (Isle of Man) remains top of the series standings but Suzuki riders are now 2, 3, 4 and 5. Whibley is closing in on the lead, although he is still 37 points behind Knight.
Strang led most of the race at Ohio, and he had no idea how or where Whibley got past him, just as Whibley had no idea how he had taken the lead.
“I think this was the muddiest, sloppiest race I’ve ever been in,” said Whibley, a veteran of off-road racing around the world. “I don’t even know what happened. I thought I was in maybe third.
"It was a strange race with riders being covered in head to toe mud, it was hard to pick out who was who," said Whibley afterwards.
"I got a good start but collided with someone on the first turn. I got completely filled in early in the lap and removed my goggles. Riders were going down like flies, crashing, getting stuck, or drowning their bikes in the deep water-filled ruts.
"My gloves got covered in the slick clay mud and I soon struggled with the controls. At the end of lap one, I pulled into the pits for gloves and goggles. I was told I had a good lead over Josh and Jimmy but I didn't work out that they meant I was leading the race.
"With lap two completed, I was in again for fresh gloves and goggles. This time it was confirmed to me that I was leading. The track was cutting up badly.
"On the third lap, I was directed around some bottleneck and ended up completely lost. By the time I found the track again I had dropped to fourth. I didn't know who was in front or how much time I had lost.
"At one point I thought I saw Josh (Strang) behind me and thought 'damn, he has caught me'. I rode as hard as I could to the end, crossing the line to cheers from the crowd. When I was told I had won, I was stunned. It seemed unreal."
LEADING RESULTS:
XC1 Pro1. Paul Whibley (New Zealand, Suzuki)
2. Josh Strang (Australia, Suzuki)
3. Jimmy Jarrett (United States, Suzuki)
4. David Knight (Isle of Man, KTM)
5. Jason Raines (United States, Yamaha)
XC1 Pro points standings after 6 of 13 rounds:1. David Knight (KTM) 155 points (4 wins)
2. Paul Whibley (Suzuki) 118 (1 win)
3. Josh Strang (Suzuki) 108
4. Jimmy Jarrett (Suzuki) 99
5. Charles Mullins (Suzuki) 97 (1 win)
6. Nathan Kanney (KTM) 85
7. Thaddeus Duvall (Yamaha) 79
8. Jason Raines (Yamaha) 68
9. Jesse Robinson (Kawasaki) 60
10. Barry Hawk Jnr (Yamaha) 57
