Walker Fowler GNCC Rd 7 Race Report 2018

Race Report by Walker Fowler Racing

MILLFIELD, Ohio (June 2, 2018) – Walker Fowler made the short trip to Athens, Ohio on Memorial Day Weekend for The John Penton GNCC which served as round seven of the 2018 Grand National Cross Country Series. This home-state track has been a long-time favorite for Fowler and he kept the positive momentum from past years rolling as the green flag waved.

Fowler grabbed the holeshot on his way into the woods and began pushing the limits in order to gap his competition.

“I’ve not been able to sprint and get away very often this season, but I worked on my sprint speed between races and felt I was ready to go fast early in the race,” said Fowler.

At the conclusion of the first lap Fowler was nearly a minute ahead of second place. Knowing he was back where he belongs, Fowler kept riding diligently and was able to pick and choose his lines through the lapped riders. The race remained uneventful until the final lap when the skies opened up and completely changed the race course. The John Penton is known for being one of the most difficult track on the circuit when it rains and this year was no different.

“I just took my time and focused on forward momentum and good decisions and it paid off with our fourth win of the season,” reported Fowler.

This round also hosted UTV racing. Fowler got off to another good start and battled his way into the woods in third. After making a quick pass for second, Fowler shifted his focus on catching the leader. Toward the end of the last lap Fowler began to notice a problem with this machine lacking power in the field sections which allowed several competitors to pass him. As he continued feeling the machine out on the second lap things began to worsen and the smell of a mechanical issue emerged. Fowler elected to come back to the pits where it was confirmed he had a rear-end mechanical failure. Fowler then made the tough decision to end his race early to avoid more costly damage.

Despite his misfortune, the other Weller Racing/GBC/WFR/Yamaha car piloted by Vickie Fowler, found success in Ohio. After struggling off the start, Vickie navigated her way around the slick track and worked her way through the competition to score a second place podium finish in the Women’s class.

“The YXZ worked flawlessly. I just wish I had another lap to see how close I could have gotten to stealing the win!” said
Vickie.

Current WFR Team Results:

Walker Fowler – XC1 Open Pro – 1st overall
Walker Fowler – UXC1 Pro Turbo – 7th overall
Vickie Fowler – UTV Women – 3rd