Cycle News

INTERVIEW 2016 GNC2 CHAMPION RYAN WELLS P92 learned what I've learned in the GNC2 class, if I went expert in the GNC1 and went through what I went through in this class, it would have eaten me alive. It's just so much more of a different level of racing. I'm glad now that I stayed down and just kind of bit the bullet a little bit and got to ride for an awesome team. It makes you appreciate it more and not take things for granted." I BACK ON TRACK II It may have been a rockier path, but it eventu- ally led to a deal with Parkinson Brothers Rac- ing in 2016. And while Wells was really hoping to advance to the GNC1 class, his experience taught him take full advantage of the opportunity in front of him. That not only was taking the ride that team owner Craig Parkinson offered, but also the opportunity to move to Michigan and live with his bike builder Gordon Schopieray. And with that move, also came the opportunity to train with friend and mentor Bryan Smith, who also clinched his own championship this year in the GNC1 class. "When they told me that it would be a possibil- ity for me to live down here with Gordy, I definitely took him up on it," Wells said. "I hung out with Bryan [Smith] the week that I was here [in Michigan] before Daytona and we talked about how cool it was, even for him, to have somebody to train with too. So it just kind of was cool how it all worked out." When it went well, it went really well. The relationship with his team was a match made in heaven and, even though he was far from home, he had a good support group at his new home in Michigan. "Actually it's kind of crazy how well it worked out," he said about his new team. "How quick it took us to get along and to make a relationship—I don't think I've seen something go that smoothly for other people, so I just feel lucky that it was with that kind of a group of people, that wanting to win and wanting to have fun at races. It's still kind of amazing to me how everything just fell into place perfectly." And that perfect relationship may not have gelled the same way if he had stayed at home in New York. "I live with the guy that works on my bikes every week, so we have a pretty personable relation- ship to where I can just call the guy and tell him how it is and he gets it, as he would tell me the same thing," Wells said. "We communicate really well. Me and my team owner, if something's ever bothering each other we make sure it's known. That's how stuff gets fixed and gets better. I don't I haven't seen my friends from high school since 10th grade, because I got homeschooled after for racing. So for them to see what I've been doing is pretty awesome. Then to hold a number-one plate up in front of them was even cooler.

• Cover