Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 1st
Another good start put me in a good position in the early going at the final GNCC of the season. Kailub Russell sneaked up the inside and took the hole shot honors but midway through lap one I had the lead. Conditions were really dusty and I\'m not sure what happened to Kailub but I knew I was in front when I could see where I was going. The drought in the area really had spoiled the usually prime riding conditions found at this event. Just before the halfway point in the race I managed to hit a tree on one of the tough powder filled hill climbs, looping the bike out, bending the bars and giving up a lot of the lead I had built. I held onto the lead to the fuel stop but soon a...
Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 1st
Got to love a bike that can claim hole shots, and my YZ is grabbing them everywhere at the moment. Taking the K&N hole shot award and leading the way out through the dusty corn fields on the first of two 40 mile laps. In to the fresh woods and the pace slowed, I wasn't prepared to take many risks amongst the thick undergrowth and freshly fallen leaves that hide a lot of the logs and nasty's that lay in wait of an unsuspecting front wheel. I continued to lead for a while until a log crossing caught me by surprise and allowed some others to take a shot at blazing a trail. Nick Fahringer, with his freshly broken nose took point and set a brave pace through the woods. I followed...
Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 1st
Launching off the line, the YZ drove me around turn one nabbing another hole shot. Cory Buttrick pushed past and took the lead as we dove into the woods. I was happy to have someone lead the way early on as there were a few mud holes that I didn't want to be first through. Mid way through lap one I got around Cory on one of the big hill climbs and retook the lead. I set a comfortable pace and opened up a small lead. As I completed lap one Katherine gave me a pit board saying I had about 10 second lead over the rest of the pack. Glenn Kearney moved up to second and began closing in on me. I picked up the pace but soon my teammate Charlie Mullins was back there as well putting ...
Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 7th XC1
With the new Vortex Ignition on I was confident of another good start. The YZ fired up faster than ever, shooting me to the first turn in record time and nabbing the MotorcycleUSA.com hole shot money. The YZ was running strong and we led the way on the first lap although the thumb I injured at Unadilla was bothering me on the rocky, square edged track. Near the end of lap one there was a mile long section added for the afternoon race. I blazed the trail through the virgin woods only to hit some loose rocks in some long grass and go down hard. Re injuring my thumb, bending the bars and loosing a lot of positions. At the end of the second lap I came in for fuel and the tea...
Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 3rd
Conditions were very dry and extremely dusty again for the weekends racing. I was a late entry to the Little Brown Jug Enduro when Randy Hawkins asked me to fill in for an absent Charlie Mullins. With not a lot of racing on, being a long weekend, an Enduro would be a fun change of pace. Also learning the rules and how the event runs took some time with a different system than the World Enduro Format, but by the middle of the day I had a grasp of the basics.
Right off the bat, dust was an issue. Racing was limited to what you could see and I couldn't see much. The dust was pretty blinding as it just hung in the still, crisp air and with the sun shining down creating a seemin...
Race Report: Setra Round 1, Chereokee, Georgia Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 1st
We were invited down to Dennis Johnsons property in Wrens, Georgia for a ride day on Saturday. Katherine and I had a great time riding around the 7 mile woods loop, playing on the sandy moto track and having fun on the Enduro X track. Katherine was out there on her little TTR 125 and sporting her new pink MSR gear. We met some good people and sat around the garage festing on a pork roast while the bench racing and smack talk was in full moto. Thanks to the Johnson family for inviting us down and looking after us for the weekend.
Rider: Paul Whibley Team: AmPro Yamaha Bike: Yamaha YZ 450 Result: 1st
Round 7 was a fresh venue for the OMA series located in north eastern Missouri. The woods were surprisingly dry considering the rain that had fallen around the area in the weeks leading up to the event. Also it was going to be a pretty fast track with the woods being fairly open and clean, there was less of the gnarly stuff for Bill Gusse to throw at us. I got a good jump off the line and was in the top 3 going round the first turn. Moving in behind Scott Watkins who shared the hole shot money with Bret Zofchak. I followed Scott for a couple miles and took the lead when he made a small mistake climbing a bank. We set a good pace and op...
Rain the previous day made the Pennsylvania track technical and tough. The trail is littered with rocks and some of the rock gardens found in the woods are pretty gnarly.
I got a good jump off the line but ran a bit wide on turn one. I was with the lead bunch on the first lap, learning some lines and running a comfortable pace. Charlie Mullins was in front of me and seemed happy to just follow the guys in front and wasn't pushing to make any passes.
Round One of the OMAs did not go to plan. I got a good start and was just pipped for the holeshot by Jordan Ashburn. He set a good pace and had some creative lines early in the the lap. I managed to make a pass down in a ravine before we climbed up one of the numerous steep hills. I led the first couple of laps of the shorter than normal track. I was soon joined at the front with Thad Duvall and Jimmy Jarrett swapping positions as lines developed around the virgin course.
Mid race Thad and I had a built a gap although I later learned Jimmy had dropped out with a damaged radiator. I soon had my own problems, bending my gear lever beyond use in a deep rut. The bike was jammed in 2nd gear whi...
Name: Paul Whibley Nickname: The Axeman Hometown (birthplace): Dannevirke, New Zealand Current Residence: Pahiatua, New Zealand or Salem, Ohio
Date of Birth: 27/5/1978 2009 Team: GEICO JG Racing Kawasaki 2009 Machine: Kawasaki KXF450 2009 Mechanic: Monty Pitcrew: Katherine
2009 Sponsors (as of January 2009): GEICO, Kawasaki, Moose, Shoei, Smith, IMS, Sidi, Leo Vince, RG3, Pirelli, CTi, G2, ProMoto ,Billet/Fastway, Height: 1.8m Weight: 73kg Marital Status: Married 31st January 2009
Champion 2008, GNCC 2nd 2008 Favorite GNCC track: Crawfordsville, Indiana Favorite type of terrain: Mud
Hobbies: Training, hunting Pets: Dog How did you get started racing?: I had a bike on the family farm and progressed from there. How/When did you first hear about GNCC Racing?: In American magazines.
Sport Manawatu
