We made it up to Washington, Georgia just in time to make sign up for the General GNCC, but I still didn't know which bike I was riding. I had made a half-baked plan to possibly ride Josh McLevy's KX250, but after getting hurt in Florida, he packed it up and went home.
Alan Randt offered up the mighty KTM 576 again, but the Lafferty camp looked bedded down and I wasn't about to go knocking. So I unloaded the trusty CRF450X again. Untouched since it finished the Florida GNCC, I had a little work to do.
Early the next morning, I remounted the 18" wheel with the intermediate tire on it, put in a new air filter and changed the engine oil. I wiped the black Florida sand off and called it race ready. Kevin Foley and Jan Herhor also made the trip to Georgia so there was going to be some competition in the Sport class. That is the morning class for guys who are sissies and won't ride the three-hour race in the afternoon. They should just call it "sandbag" so I don't have to explain it like this...
The course was a 180-degree difference from Florida's sand with rich, red clay and tight, tree-laden trails. There wasn't much moisture in the ground out in the open but in the forest it was loamy and down right sticky and muddy in places, especially the creek crossings.
I got a decent start and slithered through the trees and muddy crossings like a California boy shouldn't and ended up in the lead with Foley and Herhor right behind. They let me lead the first lap, then right after the barrels, passed me and took off. I had nothing for them, although I stayed much closer than I thought as we were constantly lapping the more than 480 other riders. It was non-stop passing to the end of the four-lap race. I ended up third, my second sandbagging podium in less than a week!
My wife, Heather, took our CRF250X out again and found out the hard way about the Georgia mud—from underneath her bike. In the very first mud hole she got T-boned by another rider and fell off a hill into the deep mud with the bike landing on top of her, pinning her underneath, luckily face up. Or unluckily as she got to watch two or three guys ride right over the top of her. Completely covered and finally able to slide out from underneath, she got some help from a spectator to get the bike out. She rode to the pit for some new gloves and goggles and soldiered on to the finish, her nice pink and white Thor gear will forever be red and brown.
Juha Salminen dominated again in the afternoon pro race.
The afternoon race was another great one to watch. With all of the mud holes and tight trees I thought it might tax Juha Salminen a little more, but he proved he can ride in the tighter stuff, too. He got into the lead right from the start and controlled the race from the lead. Mike Lafferty was keeping him honest until later in the race when he got stuck for a few minutes in a mud hole. Barry Hawk was charging and capitalized with what looked to be a easy second, but Lafferty had second thoughts and charged the last three laps, finally making the pass for second on the last go-round. Click here for results from the Maxxis General GNCC.
If you ever get a chance to go to a GNCC, I highly recommend it. And if you are feeling brave, race one! I had a blast in both of mine and I'll be back—thank goodness they make a class for washed up guys like me!
—Jimmy Lewis
More Daytona Road Trip stories:
Part One: The Mini GNCC
Part Two: The Orange Crush GNCC
Part Three: The Alligator Enduro
Part Five: Millsaps Training Facility