Times are tough in the world of motorcycle racing. The entire industry is down, which means fewer rides–especially in the world of off-road racing. We’re three months from the start of the 2010 season and a lot of big names are still unsure of their future. We took the top-20 overall from the 2009 GNCC series and did our best to figure out what and where they’ll be riding next season. If you think we’ve made a mistake, or have heard otherwise comment and let us know!
| Place | Name | 2009 Team | 2010 Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Whibley | Geico/JG Kawasaki | After wrapping-up his first GNCC championship the rumor mill began to go crazy with what Whibley would do in 2010. With Kawasaki reportedly not continuing its extremely large contingency program ($10k per XC1 win) in 2010, and the Geico/JG racing team reportedly without a definite manufacturer for the season the rumors only got more wild. Talks of a big dollar deal with Husqvarna were heard, a return to the Suzuki team, and a move to the AmPro Yamaha team were also mentioned. Don’t be surprised if Whibs shows up in Florida on a blue bike. |
| 2 | Joshua Strang | FMF Makita Suzuki | Josh Strang is one of the few riders in the series that actually knew what he would be riding before the year ended–he’ll be back sporting the #2 on a Suzuki in 2010. Strang is moving his home-away-from-home to California from North Carolina for 2010, so look for Strang to bring even more speed to the series after a winter of practicing with fast motocross guys out West. |
| 3 | Charlie Mullins | FMF Makita Suzuki | Maybe the best example of how silly this silly season really is, Charlie Mullins is still looking for a ride. Mullins had maybe the most dominating win of the year in Florida, and managed an impressive 9 podiums in 2009 but was unable to find the top spot on the box after Florida. Rumors have Mullins possibly on the AmPro team or even making a go of it as a privateer. |
| 4 | Jimmy Jarrett | Geico/JG Kawasaki | Jimmy Jarrett finished 2nd four times in 2009, showing the veteran still has the speed to run up front. There aren’t too many rumors about what JJ will be doing in 2010, but look for him to be back on the Geico/JG Racing team–whatever color they may be racing. |
| 5 | Kailub Russell | Shock Doctor KTM | Early rumors had Kailub Russell moving up to the XC1 pro class for KTM, and then we heard he may be racing a Suzuki in the XC2 Pro Lites class to defend his title. When all the dust settled, KR resigned with the Shock Doctor KTM team and will be sporting the #1 plate in the XC2 class for 2010. |
| 6 | Nate Kanney | Shock Doctor KTM | Reports are that Nate Kanney’s late season hot streak, including a podium at Unadilla and a win at Ironman may have secured his ride for 2010 as Kanney will be riding orange again next season. |
| 7 | Jason Thomas | Monster/FAR Yamaha | In his first full season as a GNCC racer Jason Thomas managed a 3rd in the super-competitive XC2 Pro Lites class, a 7th overall number, and 3 race wins. Despite those impressive results JT is still looking for a ride in 2010. |
| 8 | Cory Buttrick | Shock Doctor KTM | Cory Buttrick could’ve elected to stay in XC2 for 2010 and take a run at the title, but has decided to move up to the XC1 Pro class for the Shock Doctor KTM team. Buttrick was in the mix for a few overalls this year and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do starting on the front row. |
| 9 | Barry Hawk | AmPro Yamaha | Barry Hawk bleeds Yamaha blue, and reports are that he’ll be returning with the AmPro team for 2010. The pro pits wouldn’t be the same without Barry and we’re hoping the rumors are true that he’ll be back. |
| 10 | Scott Watkins | Geico/JG Kawasaki | We haven’t heard too much about Scotty Watkins’ plans for 2010. But would expect to see him back with the Geico/JG team. |
| 11 | Kurt Caselli | Shock Doctor KTM | After a rough first season in GNCC, Kurt Caselli will be returning to the WORCS series in 2010 with the Shock Doctor KTM team. |
| 12 | Jake Korn | KTM Support | Jake Korn grabbed an impressive podium spot at the first GNCC round, and another in the rocks of Snowshoe showing his ability to ride diverse terrain along with the speed he has. We’re not sure what Korn will be up to in 2010, but hopefully someone gives this kid a ride! |
| 13 | Jesse Robinson | Factory Husaberg | Robinson was picked up in the middle of the season by Husaberg and things seemed to start to click for him. A wrist injury set him back at the end of the season, but the likable North Carolina native will get another shot on the Husaberg for 2010. |
| 14 | Chris Bach | Privateer Kawasaki | Chris Bach made a big splash in the GNCCs, finishing as the top amateur in nearly ever race and grabbing the #14 overall position. Bach will be moving up to the XC1 Pro Class for 2010. He’ll be back on a Kawasaki, but the level of support is still up in the air. Look for more on this soon. |
| 15 | Jordan Ashburn | Team Green Kawasaki | Jordan Ashburn edged out Chris Bach for the 2009 Open A championship and nabbed the #15 overall number. We’ve heard a few rumors about Ashburn, including him racing XC2 for Fred Andrew’s team. Ashburn is a big kid, and could be one to benefit from the rule change to allow 250cc two-strokes in the XC2 class in 2010. |
| 16 | Glenn Kearney | Factory Husqvarna | Kearney had a pretty rough year, but had glimpses of great speed and potential. He’ll be back on a Husky in 2010, and we’re hoping he’s got the bugs worked out of the machine and will be able to get back on the podium. |
| 17 | Thad DuVall | AmPro Yamaha | No one in GNCC had worst luck than Thad DuVall in 2009. “Bad” Thad will be back with the AmPro Yamaha team in 2010 and look for him to make an impact in the championship. |
| 18 | Andrew Matusek | Privateer Kawasaki | After only 6 rounds of the 2009 season Matusek decided to put his GNCC career on hiatus and return to his motocross racing roots. He had a tough go at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals and we’re wondering if he’ll be pondering a return to GNCC in 2010. |
| 19 | Michael Brown | Shock Doctor KTM | Mike Brown showed how talented he is with two top-5 finishes in the 4 GNCCs he raced this year. But, more impressive than that was his winning of the WORCS Championship. As much as we’d like to see Brownie race a full season of GNCCs, he’ll be back out West for 2010 defending his title for the Shock Doctor KTM team. |
| 20 | David Knight
|
Privateer Kawasaki | The 2008 GNCC Champion made one appearance in 2009 aboard a privateer Kawasaki and showed why he had the #1 plate by putting in a dominating performance. Rumors had the Knighter returning to GNCC in 2010 with possible support from Powersport Grafx. Those rumors were put to rest when it was announced that Knight had signed with the Farioli KTM team to compete in the WEC E3 class. |
