| The
2004 Lonestar GNCC will always be remembered as
one of the toughest season openers of the GNCC series.
With the race of getting a quad built 4 weeks early
to the 20+ hour race to the track - all was going
to be well as we dreamed of beautiful 70 degree
weather and a great TX atmosphere. This past weekends
GNCC opener was everything everyone had imagined
as soon as you entered the Gilmer, TX facility -
racers hurrying to get there quads built, BIG rocks
& very tough clay based course and more rocks
- BUT the weather was in the 40's and stayed there
all weekend.. At least it did not rain.
" The track was
extremely rocky and technical with some awesome
hillclimbs that was just lined with spectators and
stuck quads"
 The
2004 season has brought many changes to the Alba
Action Sport GNCC race team with Traci joining Team
Safari as a co-sponsor - Custom Axis, Hiper Technology
& Pro Armor taking over the shock, wheel &
chassis protection areas too. Traci's Alba Action
Sport YFZ450 looked all too familiar from last years
Championship quad - but in reality it was stronger,
lighter & faster than anything we have ever
pulled out of our trailer before. Over a 100 more
hours of additional prep time was spent this past
off season with several weekend trips to Florida
& North Carolina getting Traci's new quad tuned
and ready for the Texas opener.
"I
had a good clean start around the first turn and
had two great opportunities to pass both Angel and
Stephanie within the first quarter mile - and I
took them"
Off the start
Traci Cecco follows Honda of Troy's Stephanie Parton
and Baldwin Motorsports Angel Atwell around the
first turn and by the third Traci would catch and
pass both riders to take over the lead from start
to finish. Parton would keep Traci within a few
seconds reach the whole race but never showed a
wheel or a pass to put enough pressure for Cecco
to pick up the pace. At the finish line Traci took
the 2004 Lonestar GNCC win 3 seconds over Parton.
At the end Traci spoke of the race -
" During the last
3 laps I had some great opportunities to break away
by taking a few chances on some lines I saw forming
- but I stuck to my game plan to just stay on course
and far enough ahead so that I knew were my competition
was the whole race - and it paid off"
"I have a little
more tuning to do before I feel I can give it my
110% - but we are not far from that" "I
am ready for the Hurricane GNCC in Florida"
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