GNCC Race Update – Round 9
William Yokley and John Barnes drove Polaris RZRs equipped with STI Roctane XD tires during the John Penton GNCC at Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfield, Ohio. Barnes finished sixth in the race, while Yokley’s run was cut short after contact with another competitor. Sunday Creek’s typical mix of grassy fields, motocross, and woods always make tire choice a key to success. With rain leading into the event, the track was alternately muddy and tacky.
Barnes had a great start and ran as high as second overall. He fell back on the third lap after taking an alternate line in the woods, and rebounded to finish sixth, his best result this season. His Roctane XDs handled everything he put in front of them.
“We were doing really well the first two laps,” said Barnes. We took a line about two and half laps in and got tangled in some trees. That just put us back. We were running the STI Roctanes and they did so well. It’s an aggressive tire and it’s not too hard. With the kind of conditions we had, especially with the mud, they worked really well.”
Yokley was quick at the start, but contact on the first lap slowed his charge. Then he lost four-wheel drive and cruised to an eighth-place finish. Though he had a difficult race, he is still fourth in points going into the summer break.
“The machine worked well, but I just had one of those days,” said Yokley. “I had a good start, but someone ran into me, we locked bumpers and that set us back. Then on the next lap, I twisted my drive shaft. After that, my driveshaft broke and I lost my four-wheel drive. So I just had to cruise around after that and get some points.”
Yokley was also running STI Roctane XD tires. They worked perfectly on the changing racing surface.
“There were slick spots, tacky spots and the tires worked well everywhere,” said Yokley. “I had a good car, but some days it’s just not meant to be. To have that day and still be fourth in points, I don’t have much to complain about.”
Yokley and Barnes will rely on their STI tires as the GNCC Series heads to Masontown, W.V. for the next Mountaineer Run September 23-24.
