The GNCC season is wrapping up in dramatic fashion, with the Yamaha Racing Ironman taking place this month at the Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Named after the late great GNCC ATV Champion Bob "Ironman" Sloan, this is unquestionably one of the most popular races on the circuit today.
“Bob was a good friend and an amazing competitor,” says Davey Coombs, founder of Racer X. “He's also the first GNCC competitor to ever have a race named after him, and justifiably so. He epitomized the spirit of GNCC racing.”
Year after year, Ironman has grown in popularity, attracting not only the best racers on the circuit, but throngs of fans and companies who will be giving us a sneak peek at their new products for next year.
“The Ironman has become a massive event. It's the last round of the series, so everyone is ready to celebrate the season,” Coombs says. “It's also become an autumn tradition for local fans who go out to the track to camp out and enjoy the pre-race concerts.”
Yeah, the place will be packed. And it will be electric.
You can bet there’ll be lots of drama. Not to mention lots of dirt. And rocks. And hills. And (if the forecast calls for rain) mud, mud and more mud.
Which is why so many amateur and professional racers will be competing with Sunstar sprockets and chains. Sunstar products are designed for courses just like this, where the terrain can cause major wear and tear.
From tight trails to steep hills, gullies to rocks, dirt to creeks, this course will put every racer’s skills to the test. And it will be putting the bikes to the test, too. In a race as important as this, part failure is not an option.
This track will literally throw it all at the riders. With the course routed across cornfields, riders will have a number of opportunities to push their bikes to the limits. And when they hit the winding turns along riverbanks, there’s enough elevation change to keep every competitor honest. In fact, the hills here are some of the steepest they’ll face all year.
If it rains, look out – the hills will be an extra challenge, as the course will be routed around the creeks. If clear skies prevail, the riders will hit the rocky creeks – and the chances of cutting a tire rise dramatically.
And let’s not forget – it’s late October in Indiana. And it can get cold.
GNCC riders, as they will proudly admit, are suckers for punishment. So it’s no surprise that the Ironman course is among their faves.
At Sunstar, we are thrilled to be part of The Yamaha Racing Ironman event. And we are so proud to support our many Sunstar amateurs and professionals who will be competing.
Go get ‘em!
IRONMAN-Ready
One product we really want to tell you about is the new Sunstar EXR1 chain. Designed to meet demanding factory race team specs, this chain is perfect for the rugged GNCC terrain. EXR1 is race ready. It’s lightweight. It’s durable. And it’s ultra-strong.
If you want to geek out on specifications for the EXR1, here ya go!
- Sealed gold on gold
- Heat curated
- dual-guard sealed rings with 4 seal points
- Handles 250-cc and 450-cc engines
- Handles 8,000 lbs. force per foot