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 Kailub
Russell Wins AMSOIL Ironman GNCC Finale Aboard a KTM 150 Two-StrokeNick Davis Captures First-Ever XC2 Pro Lites Victory at the GNCC Season Finale CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana (October 26, 2014) - It was another historic weekend in Crawfordsville, Indiana as the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, celebrated 20 years of the legendary AMSOIL Ironman GNCC. Nearly perfect weather conditions surrounded the newly renovated Ironman Raceway motocross facility where almost 2,300 riders showed up to compete in America's premier off-road racing series over the course of two days. Tallying approximately 200 more riders than the record-breaking Unadilla GNCC saw earlier this year, the 2014 AMSOIL Ironman GNCC posted the highest rider count that GNCC has ever seen in its 40-year lifespan.
Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell secured his 22nd career victory on Sunday at the Ironman GNCC finale, marking a total of nine wins this season alone. Since Russell clinched the National Championship two rounds early, the two-time champion set his sights on landing a KTM 150XC two-stroke in the center of the podium at the final two rounds, a feat that most thought could not be done, especially after coming up a little short at the previous round. However, this time Russell put forth a convincing performance from start to finish, where he led four of the six laps en route to capturing the 2014 AMSOIL Ironman GNCC Overall. "I want to thank everyone who told me I couldn't win on a 150, because you gave me the motivation to come here and do my best," stated Russell on the podium. "I am so excited to win on this bike and that it has helped raise a lot of money for Rory Mead. Thank you to everyone who participated in the raffle."
Russell's Factory FMF/KTM teammate Charlie Mullins grabbed the early lead, with Rockstar Energy/WMR KTM's Ryan Sipes following close behind. The KTM duo swapped back and forth throughout the first couple laps but it was Sipes who officially led the first two laps-nearly one hour-of the race. Russell made his way up to the lead battle by the end of lap two and it didn't take long for the reigning champ to make the pass to take over the lead by the third lap.
Once out front, Russell capitalized on the clear track ahead and began to put a gap on the rest of the field. Meanwhile, Mullins experienced a setback that caused him to slowly drop outside of podium contention as a result of sore wrists from a previous injury.
As the race wore on, Sipes continued to stay strong and charge ahead but the Kentucky native was soon joined by a hard-charging battle between Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang and JCR Honda/Rockstar Energy's Chris Bach. The three-way battle for second place shaped up just before the two-lap card fell but an unfortunate mechanical issue ultimately removed Bach from that equation. From there, it was a head-to-head battle between the former motocross/supercross racer Sipes and the 2010 GNCC National Champion Strang for the second place position, where the duo swapped positions several times throughout the final two laps. Russell was in a league of his own for a majority of the three-hour race, where he ultimately finished a minute and a half ahead of second place, aboard a KTM 150XC. Despite being underpowered in a few different ways, Russell was able to capture the $150 KR4 Performance fastest lap award on lap two, which is an impressive feat in itself.
Strang was able to solidify his move into the second place position on the final lap but Sipes didn't let up, putting on a last-minute charge to finish only six seconds behind Strang in the third and final podium position. Strang's second place finish at Ironman gives the Aussie native a number two ranking heading into next season, which he said isn't a bad thing. "Today was fun and I'm happy to end the season on top of the podium," Strang said. "The last time I came into a season with the number two I ended up winning the championship [in 2010] so I'm looking forward to it." Sipes' impressive third place finish marked his first career podium finish in his rookie season of GNCC Racing. "It feels really good to finally get a podium finish here in GNCC," Sipes said. "I led for two and a half laps and it's just good to know I can charge at the end of a race and not get tired like I was at the beginning of the season. I had a good day and I'm just really thankful to end the season this way."
Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong finished a solid fourth place overall, with Factory FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor in fifth, N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn in sixth and Moto Vations Suspension/Palmer Motorsports' Takeshi Koikeda in seventh. N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley finished eighth in the XC1 class, while KTM Support rider Grant Baylor finished ninth in his XC1 debut, followed by Mullins in tenth.
With two-time champion Grant Baylor graduating into the XC1 Pro ranks for the final round, the XC2 Pro Lites podium was up for grabs at the last round of racing. KR4 Arrive-N-Ride KTM's Nick Davis came out swinging right away by grabbing the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award, but it was RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda's Layne Michael who took over the lead on the opening lap. Michael led the way for the first two laps, with Davis and Factory Husqvarna-supported rookie Craig Delong joining in the three-way battle for the lead position.
Davis took over the lead by lap three and the Pennsylvania native immediately put his head down to create a gap between him and the second place battle between Michael and Delong. The two young guns came together for an exciting battle in the final two laps of racing but Michael used his veteran experience to hold off the rookie Delong and capture second place in the class. Delong, the recently crowned 250 A Champion, maintained his position to finish on the podium in just his second XC2 Pro Lites appearance since making the move from 250 A.
If you missed any of the racing action from Sunday's AMSOIL Ironman GNCC, you can catch it all right now on www.racertv.com or by clicking HERE. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com . Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. AMSOIL Ironman GNCC Crawfordsville, Indiana Round 13 of 13 Sunday, October 26 XC1 Event Results: 1 Kailub Russell (KTM) 2 Josh Strang (YAM) 3 Ryan Sipes (KTM) 4 Andrew Delong (HSQ) 5 Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM) 6 Jordan Ashburn (YAM) 7 Takeshi Koikeda (HON) 8 Paul Whibley (YAM) 9 Grant Baylor (KTM) 10 Charlie Mullins (KTM) *Overall National Championship Standings: 1 Kailub Russell (348) 2 Josh Strang (241) 3 Jordan Ashburn (223) 4 Charlie Mullins (208) 5 Grant Baylor (202) 6 Andrew Delong (178) 7 Paul Whibley (177) 8 Steward Baylor Jr. (134) 9 Chris Bach (123)10 Ricky Russell (117) *Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2014 National Champion. XC2 Event Results: 1 Nick Davis (KTM) 2 Layne Michael (HON) 3 Craig DeLong (HSQ) 4 Scott Grills (KAW) 5 Sam Evans (KTM) 6 Alex Teagarden (YAM) 7 Mark Heresco (KTM) 8 Ian Blythe (KTM) 9 Lucas Statom (YAM) 10 Mat Herrington (KTM) XC2 Series Standings: 1 Grant Baylor (322) 2 Trevor Bollinger (253) 3 Ricky Russell (233) 4 Layne Michael (177) 5 Nick Davis (162) 6 Callan May (151) 7 Sam Evans (141) 8 Jesse Groemm (119) 9 Shane Hufford Jr. (114) 10 Jed Haines (105)
The penultimate round of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, was full of excitement and chaos on Sunday as 18 of the world's best off-road racers lined up in the star-studded XC1 Pro class. Equipped with four GNCC National Champions, a few international stars and many new additions to the front row, the ITP Powerline Park GNCC was the ultimate showdown in off-road racing. In a come-from-behind fashion, it was 2010 GNCC National Champion Josh Strang who emerged victorious to capture his first GNCC win since 2011. But it wasn't without a fight from two-time champion Kailub Russell, who literally banged bars with Strang in an intense battle for the lead, all aboard a 150cc KTM 2-stroke. While the XC1 Pro battle got a little heated in the concluding moments, defending XC2 Pro Lites Champion Grant Baylor rode uncontested all afternoon to wrap up his second straight title in the class.
As the green flag dropped for the XC1 Pros, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley and Factory FMF/KTM's Russell jumped out ahead of the rest of the field but Whibley prevailed once again to capture another $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. In just his first race back from injury, Factory FMF/KTM's Charlie
Mullins commanded the lead on the opening lap with a hard-charging Russell
on his tail. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn settled into the third
place position, with Steward Baylor, Andrew Delong,
By the second lap, Russell was able to make his way to the front, with his KTM teammates Stu Baylor and Mullins close behind. Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang was making his way through the pack after a miscue on the start caused him to take off at the back of the pack. "I started falling on the starter before the flag flew and the bike just started," Strang said. "I knew I was in trouble so I tried to make as many passes as I could because I knew I was going to get a penalty." Race officials held Strang for 15 seconds after the first lap to reflect a penalty from the start, and the Aussie native used that time to fuel his fire as he put on a hard charge toward the front. In fact, Strang laid down the $150 KR4 Performance fastest lap of the race on lap three as he focused on closing Russell's lead gap. When the two-lap card fell, Strang was within striking distance and the intensity skyrocketed between Russell-who was leading the overall on a 150cc machine-and Strang-who was hungry to capture his first win of the season.
"It was really rough, especially in the open stuff and not having enough power to go up some of the hills and through the bumps," Russell said. "But I saw Josh [Strang] coming and he was riding well. We kind of came together over by pro pits, but I wasn't going to let up, this is racing." Russell and Strang banged bars throughout the remainder of the race, where things especially got heated on the final lap just before the pro pits. Russell came charging through first but was forced to stop for a splash of fuel and that's when Strang was able to make a clean break for the lead. Russell ended up spending more time in the pits to repair his brake pedal, which allowed Strang to maintain a comfortable gap into the finish. "Like Kailub said, he's on a 150 and I'm on a 450 so when I caught him I had so much more power," Strang commented. "He was just trying to protect the line and we got a little close but it's alright, it's racing." Strang was able to carry his lead into the finish, where he claimed his first victory since the 2011 season, a bittersweet moment for the past champ. "It's been a really long time since my last win so it feels good to get up here," Strang added. "Kailub was obviously on a 150 today, so yeah he was riding awesome considering it was such a little bike. I'm happy I won either way. It's good to be up here, it's a relief."
The battle for third was just as exciting with Ashburn, Mullins, Steward Baylor and JCR Honda/Rockstar Energy's Chris Bach exchanging positions all afternoon. After leading the opening lap, Mullins settled into the third place position for a majority of the day. But in just his first race back from a double wrist injury over the summer, Mullins admittedly struggled toward the end of the three-hour race and that's when Ashburn began making moves. On the final lap, the Tennessee native got by Mullins and maintained his position to secure third overall for the day. Ashburn now sits only eight points behind Strang for third place in the championship standings. "I felt like I really needed be on the podium points wise," Ashburn said. "Going into the second-to-last lap I knew I needed to make up some time. On that last lap, I pushed real hard and when I came up on the guys I knew I had to get in front and get out."
Mullins held on to secure fourth overall, followed by Steward Baylor in fifth and Bach in sixth. Australian 4-Day Enduro Champion Daniel Milner finished eighth overall in only his second GNCC appearance, riding aboard the N-Fab AmPro Yamaha machine that he will also ride at the season finale in Indiana. Whibley finished ninth overall, with Moto Vations Suspension/Palmer Motorsports' Takeshi Koikeda rounding out the top 10 overall.
Ending his XC2 Pro Lites career with a commanding victory, KTM Support rider Grant Baylor was crowned with his second straight XC2 championship. Baylor put on a hard charge to top his class competition by over four minutes, while also finishing seventh overall for the day.
It was an all out battle for second place in the XC2 Pro Lites class between KR4 Arrive-N-Ride KTM's Nick Davis and RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda's Layne Michael. The duo battled back and forth all afternoon but it was a head-to-head battle on the final lap as they got together on a hill climb. Michael made it through and went on to secure second place, while Davis lost some time to finish nearly one minute back in third.
Pennsylvania's Michael McGinnis captured the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award, finishing eighth for the day.
Indiana's Michael Witkowski earned another $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with 21st overall and the 250 A class victory. The 10 a.m. race saw a few shake-ups in the overall running as 200 C Schoolboy (12-15) winner Hunter Shelton and 125 B/C winner Timmy Crosby interjected themselves into podium contention through the adjusted time clock. It was Masters A (50+) Vance Earl who came away with the overall victory, followed by Tennessee's Shelton in second, and Pennsylvania's Crosby rounded out the top three overall.
KR4 Arrive-N-Ride's Brooke Cosner captured her first-ever WXC victory, finishing sixth overall for the day. The N-Fab AmPro Yamaha duo of Becca Sheets and Jessica Patterson rounded out the WXC podium with second and third respectively.
In a hard fought battle for the Youth Overall, Tennessee's Sam Thurman came out on top with his second overall victory of the season, as well as the Super Mini (14-15) win. Thurman was joined atop the podium by South Carolina's Cole Mattison in second and Pennsylvania's Austin Bryant in third. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will head to Crawfordsville, Indiana on Oct. 25 and 26 for the ITP Powerline Park GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ITP Powerline Park GNCC St. Clairsville, Ohio Round 12 of 13 Sunday, October 5 XC1 Event Results: 1 osh Strang (YAM) 2 Kailub Russell (KTM) 3 Jordan Ashburn (YAM) 4 Charlie Mullins (KTM) 5 Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM) 6 Chris Bach (HON) 7 Daniel Milner (YAM) 8 Paul Whibley (YAM) 9 Takeshi Koikeda (HON) 10 Andrew Delong (HSQ) *Overall National Championship Standings: 1 Kailub Russell (318) 2
Josh Strang (216) 3 Jordan Ashburn (208) 4 Charlie Mullins (198) 5 Grant
Baylor (191) 6 Paul Whibley (164) 7 Andrew Delong (160) 8 Chris Bach (123) 9
Steward Baylor Jr. (118) 10 Ricky Russell (117) XC2 Event Results: 1 Grant Baylor (KTM) 2 Layne Michael (HON) 3 Nick Davis (KTM) 4 Scott Grills (KAW) 5 Trevor Bollinger (HON) 6 Craig DeLong (HSQ) 7 Callan May (YAM) 8 Michael McGinnis (KTM) 9 Ian Blythe (KTM) 10 Justin Sode (BET) XC2 Series Standings: 1 Grant Baylor (322) 2 Trevor Bollinger
(251) 3 Ricky Russell (233) 4 Layne Michael (152) 5 Callan May (142) 6
Round 11 of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, took place in Somerset, Pennsylvania on Sunday with the Car-Mate Mountain Ridge GNCC. Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell clinched the 2014 National Championship two rounds early after claiming his 5th straight victory of the season on Sunday. Russell's KTM-backed teammate, Grant Baylor, had a stellar day as well, capturing his fourth consecutive win in the class and taking home second overall for the day.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley led the way through the first turn, grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award and took the early lead, followed closely by Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang on the opening lap. However, despite tipping over on the first corner of the start, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn made his way to the front by the opening lap, where he led his teammates and former GNCC Champions Whibley and Strang early on.
Meanwhile, Russell got off to a not-so-favorable start, where the reigning champion checked in around fifth place on the opening lap. But it didn't take long for Russell to push his way toward the front as he joined Ashburn for the lead battle on lap two. The top three running order tightened up immensely on the third lap where less than 15 seconds separated Ashburn, Russell and Strang as they all three headed into the pits for fuel at the same time. Ashburn made it out first, followed by Russell and then Strang. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst for Strang when he acquired some extra fuel in his lap near the end of his pit. Only seven seconds behind the lead battle, Strang attempted to continue racing but the pain became intolerant so the Australian native was forced to return to his pit and take care of himself, thus removing himself from the race. Strang's misfortune opened up the doors for Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong to gain a position in the overall running, where he made it from eighth to third by lap four. Rockstar Energy Racing/WMR KTM's Ryan Sipes then slipped into the fourth place position, followed by Whibley in fifth.
But just as Delong and the other XC1 riders began their quest for an overall podium finish, XC2 Pro Lites leader Grant Baylor swooped in on the adjusted time clock. Baylor eventually made his way into the top three with time adjustment, and from there, the 17-year-old pushed his way into the second place spot. The intense battle for the physical lead continued on between Ashburn and Russell and as the two-lap card fell, Russell finally made his move to the front. But Ashburn didn't let up as he pushed to stay about 10 seconds behind on the final lap. In the end, Ashburn finished one minute behind Russell to capture second place in the XC1 Pro class but Baylor's fast pace from the second row was enough to bump Ashburn back one position to finish third overall for the day, while Baylor added a third podium finish to his overall arsenal. Kailub Russell added another career victory to his collection, now sitting with 21 career overall wins, which is good enough to tie Scott Plessinger for fifth place on the All-Time Bike Wins list. But for Russell, a big weight has been lifted as he captured his second straight title with two rounds left to go. "It feels great to get the championship wrapped up early," stated Russell. "My team worked so hard to help me accomplish this goal and I am so grateful for their hard work. I hope to continue my win streak at the next two rounds to finish the season off with a couple more victories."
The Factory FMF/KTM team celebrates Kailub Russell's Championship Photo: Ken Hill Russell captured an extra $150 courtesy of the KR4 Performance Fastest Lap Award, where he laid down the fastest lap on the final lap with a time of 25:49. After leading four of the six laps, Ashburn's stellar performance vaulted the Tennessee native into the second place position in the championship standings where he surpassed Strang, who wasn't able to finish on Sunday. Strang now sits one point back in third.
DeLong finished out strongly, capturing third place in the XC1 Pro class and fourth overall for the day. Sipes finished put forth an impressive ride to capture a career-best fourth place in XC1 and fifth overall for the day after coming back from outside the top 10 on the opening lap.
Whibley rounded out the top five in XC1 and sixth overall for the day, followed by Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jason Thomas in sixth, Chris Douglas in seventh and Takeshi Koikeda in eighth. RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda's Thad DuVall finished ninth in XC1 after he reportedly blew his rear shock on the third lap of racing, where he rode the remainder of the race at a disadvantage. JCR Honda/Rockstar Energy's Chris Bach battled for a top five position all afternoon and the Indiana native was well on his way until he tipped over in a rock section and punctured his water pump cover. Bach came into the pits to fix his bike and returned to the race but his valiant effort wasn't enough to score championship points at round 11.
KTM Support rider Grant Baylor extended his lead in XC2 Pro Lites with a fourth straight victory in the class. At the beginning of the three-hour race, XC2 rookie Trevor Bollinger held on to the pace of Baylor and the duo battled it out for the lead position. However, as the race wore on, Baylor picked up his pace dramatically, where he rode on uncontested for yet another win in the class, as well as an impressive second place overall finish.
Bollinger was able to hold on for another second place finish for the season, while KR4 Arrive-N-Ride KTM's Nick Davis rounded out the top three with his fourth podium finish of the season. Davis also earned an extra $100 courtesy of the DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award.
Craig Delong went home with another $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award after finishing ninth overall for the day in a heated battle with 250 A class competitor Austin Lee.
The WXC front-runners dominated the 10 a.m. race once again, securing the top three overall positions for the day. It was KR4 Arrive-N-Ride's newest team member, Sarah Baldwin, who captured her first victory of the season, followed by Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez in second, and KR4 Arrive-N-Ride's Brooke Cosner came in third for her second podium appearance of the season.
South Carolina's Cole Mattison made it eight-in-a-row on Sunday with yet another Youth overall victory, as well as the Super Mini (14-15) class win. Mattison was joined atop the podium by Florida native Jesse Ansley, who also grabbed another win in the 85 (12-13) class, and North Carolina's Conner Smith, who finished second in the Super Mini class and third overall for the day. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will head to St. Clairsville, Ohio on Oct. 4 and 5 for the ITP Powerline Park GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Car-Mate Mountain Ridge GNCC Somerset, Pennsylvania Round 11 of 13
Saturday, September 21
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, descended upon New York's legendary Unadilla Valley Sports Center on Sunday for the tenth round of the 13-race GNCC series. Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell every lap of the three-hour competition, further extending his points lead in the XC1 Pro class as the series approaches its final three rounds of racing. KTM Support rider Grant Baylor put in an impressive ride to capture the XC2 Pro Lites victory and fourth overall for the day, finishing only three seconds shy of securing an overall podium at the tenth running of the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC.
Kailub Russell secured his 20th career victory and became one step closer to the 2014 National Championship Photo: Ken Hill As the green flag dropped for the XC1 Pro bike start, it was N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley who captured yet another $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. Whibley didn't hold the lead for long, though, as Russell put himself out front as he entered the famed Unadilla motocross track. Whibley maintained second early on while Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong, Rockstar Energy Racing/WMR KTM's Ryan Sipes and N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn all settled into the top five on the opening lap. After the first two laps the running order flip-flopped quite a bit as the front-runners began approaching lapped traffic amongst the 360 racers scattered over the 9-mile course. RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda's Thad DuVall went down on the opening lap, where he checked in as far back as tenth place. Ashburn experienced his first crash of the day on the second lap, dropping outside the top ten due to several pit stops used to tweak the front end of his bike. As DuVall and Ashburn experienced minor setbacks in the beginning, Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang and JCR Honda/Rockstar Energy's Chris Bach charged toward the front of the pack and engaged in a race-long battle for a podium position. With Russell out front commanding a comfortable pace, Bach continued to chip away, where he was able to close the gap to only 15 seconds on Russell's early lead. In fact, Bach's early pace was good enough to earn the Indiana native an extra $150 courtesy of the KR4 Performance Fastest Lap Award, which he earned on lap two with a time of 20:39.8. Meanwhile, DuVall put on a valiant charge toward the front where he worked his way into the second place position just after the halfway mark. And that's when the four-way battle ensued between DuVall, Bach, Strang and Delong. As the lappers became more prevalent, passing strategies became even more important to the front-runners. As DuVall cleared his way through a mass of riders, Bach got caught up and went down, allowing Strang to eventually catch and pass him for third.
Paul Whibley captured the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award Photo: Ken Hill However, that didn't seem to faze Kailub Russell, who successfully led every lap of Sunday's three-hour race. Russell's feat is a continuation of an impressive four-race winning streak where he's led each and every lap-totaling 26-through the last four rounds. Russell's victory also gave the 2013 National Champion his 20th career overall victory as he continues his bid for a second straight title in 2014 with a 50-point lead over second place. "I'm glad I was able to get the win today and increase my points lead heading into the final three rounds," Russell said. "I'm already looking forward to a rock race in a couple weeks in Pennsylvania, it's going to be fun!" DuVall put in an impressive come-from-behind performance to capture second overall for the day, finishing only 27 seconds behind Russell in the overall. Perhaps the key for DuVall came in a switch up in machine choice, as he rode the Honda CRF450 rather than his previous machine of choice in the Honda CRF250. "I usually don't feel as comfortable on the 450 as I did on the 250F but we spent all summer testing the 450 and raced it at a local race and now I love it," DuVall said. "Especially on this Unadilla track, I was able to ride in a higher gear and I think it helped out a lot."
XC1 podium: (left) Thad DuVall, Kailub Russell, (right) Josh Strang Photo: Ken Hill Strang maintained the third place position on the final lap, where he rounded out the overall podium for the day. Strang's third place finish allowed him to move into second place in the championship standings, where he now sits 50 points back from Russell's lead. "Third place isn't where I'd like to be obviously but I'm glad to finish on the podium and keep working to get that win this season," Strang said.
XC2 podium: (left) Trevor Bollinger, Grant Baylor, (right) Nick Davis Photo: Ken Hill Despite running second for a majority of the race, Bach finished fourth in XC1 and fifth overall for the day after a series of crashes slowed his momentum down late in the race. Delong rode a comfortable pace in the final laps, finishing six overall for the day, followed by Whibley in seventh, Japan's Takeshi Koikeda in eighth and Ashburn salvaged a ninth place overall after a rough day of coming through the pack. XC2 Pro Lites points leader Grant Baylor once again made waves in the overall running as the young gun came within three seconds of finishing atop the overall podium on Sunday. Baylor engaged in an early battle with XC2 rookie Trevor Bollinger and the duo quickly worked their way into the XC1 front-runners on time adjustment. Bollinger kept the pressure on Baylor throughout the first half of the race but Baylor soon set a pace that just couldn't be matched by the North Carolina native.
Grant Baylor padded his XC2 points lead a little more after round ten Photo: Ken Hill Baylor's victory marked his third consecutive win this season, where he now enjoys a 29-point lead over Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell in the championship standings. Bollinger currently sits third place in the championship standings with two consecutive podium finishes behind him. KR4 Arrive-N-Ride KTM's Nick Davis began his afternoon outside of the top ten in the XC2 class but the Pennsylvania native quickly began picking his way through the pack. By the mid-way point, Davis had made his way into third and he maintained that position throughout the remainder of the race to claim his third consecutive podium finish this season. In just his second GNCC appearance of the season, Rhode Island's John Day captured the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award where he eventually finished 18th for the day.
Craig Delong with the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award Photo: Ken Hill Pennsylvania's Craig Delong earned the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with 17th overall, while grabbing the 250 A class win at Unadilla. In the 10 a.m. race, it was an all-out battle between WXC competitors Kacy Martinez and Sarah Baldwin for the overall win. After dicing back and forth, it was
10 AM overall podium: (left) Paul Goyette, Kacy Martinez, (right) Sarah Baldwin Photo: Ken Hill
Factory FMF/KTM's Martinez atop the podium once again. KR4 Arrive-N-Ride's newest team member, Sarah Baldwin, put in a hard fought battle, where she led Martinez for a portion of the race. Baldwin finished a career-best second overall, as well as second place in the WXC division. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Becca Sheets rounded out the WXC podium with a third place finish in the class. Massachusetts native Paul Goyette captured the Super Senior A (45+) win, in addition to third place overall for the day.
Cole Mattison is on a hot streak in the Youth ranks Photo: Ken Hill South Carolina's Cole Mattison made it seven-in-a-row on Sunday with the Youth overall victory, as well as the Super Mini (14-15) class win. Mattison was joined atop the podium by Tennessee's Sam Thurman in second and North Carolina's Conner Smith in third. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will head to Somerset, Pennsylvania September 20 and 21 for the Car-Mate Mountain Ridge GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Can-Am Unadilla GNCC
West Virginia's Snowshoe Mountain played host to the 7th Annual AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC on Sunday, where racers from all over the world converged atop the largest ski resort in the state to try their hand in conquering the toughest racecourse on the circuit. After three hours of battle between man and machine, it was Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell who came out on top.
As the current XC1 Pro points leader heading into the ninth round, Russell began on the first row of the unique live engine start, alongside Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn and KTM Support rider and XC2 Pro Lites points leader Grant Baylor, who entered this race in fifth place in the overall standings. Russell got a good jump and led the front-runners into the opening lap of racing, but the reigning champ had a few heavy challengers early on with the time adjustment.
Back on the third row was RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall, who quickly made his way into the second place position with about twenty-seconds of time adjustment on his side. Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong interjected himself into the battle by lap two, where he exchanged positions with DuVall and Ashburn throughout the first three laps. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst for DuVall on the fourth lap just as he broke into the overall lead on the adjusted time clock. DuVall began experiencing mechanical issues that ultimately ended his day with a tow back to the pits, which was a very disappointing ending to the day for the West Virginia native.
Amidst the increasingly difficult Snowshoe track conditions, the top three contenders seemed to keep the pace and consistency all afternoon. Russell maintained a lead that just couldn't be touched, while Ashburn continued to chase down the leader in the second place position. Despite a hard charge by the Tennessee native of Ashburn, Russell finished more than three minutes ahead of the pack to capture his third straight win of the season. After nine rounds of racing, Russell holds the XC1 Pro points lead heading into the summer break.
Ashburn put forth a career-best performance with a second place overall for the day. Factory FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor Jr. had a come-from-behind performance, making his way from outside the top ten on the first lap to finish fifth overall for the day and fourth in the XC1 Pro class. Johnny Campbell Racing Honda's Chris Bach began just behind Baylor and finished fifth overall for the day. After running just outside the top three overall in the beginning, Strang finished the day sixth in the XC1 class, and ninth overall.
The battle for the lead position in the XC2 Pro Lites class was one of the most exciting, as Grant Baylor and Trevor Bollinger went head-to-head for the class win. The duo went back and forth all afternoon, but it was the reigning XC2 champ Baylor who came out victorious after three hard hours of racing. Baylor's performance was good enough to land him fourth overall, while Bollinger came in second in the XC2 class, and sixth overall.
Pennsylvania's Nick Davis put his KR4 Arrive-N-Ride KTM atop the XC2 Pro Lites podium for the second straight week with an impressive hard-charge late in the race. Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jesse Groemm finished fourth in the class, while Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell rounded out the top five.
Indiana's Mike Witkowski earned yet another $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with 17th overall, while grabbing the 250 A class win at Snowshoe. In the 10 a.m. race, it was West Virginia's very own Stephen Thaxton who captured the overall victory. Thaxton edged out his Super Senior A 45+ competitor Ricky Matteson, who took second overall for the day, as well as second place in the class. In a last ditch effort to capture a podium position in front of his home state crowd, 200 C winner Coalton Cupp put himself into third overall with an impressive last-lap charge for third.
In the WXC Class, it was Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez atop the podium once again. With her eighth win of the season, Martinez was able to secure her first career WXC Championship at the ninth round. KR4 Arrive-N-Ride's Brooke Cosner captured her first career podium with a second place finish in the class, while Virginia native Sarah Baldwin rounded out the podium with a third place finish. South Carolina's Cole Mattison made it six-in-a-row on Sunday with the Youth overall victory, as well as the Super Mini (14-15) class win. Mattison was joined atop the podium by Pennsylvania's Austin Bryant in second and Alabama's Kyler Godwin in third. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series heads into a break for the summer, resuming in October with round ten. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC Snowshoe, West Virginia Round 9 of 13 Sunday, June 22
Through the first seven rounds of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, it's been a head-to-head battle for the XC1 National Championship between Factory FMF/KTM teammates Kailub Russell and Charlie Mullins. However, with Mullins removed from championship chase due to a recent injury, the reigning champ Russell was poised to take over the points lead on Sunday and he did so in a dominant fashion at the 25th running of the Wiseco John Penton GNCC. The stage was set at Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfiled, Ohio for a beautiful and dry day of racing. The day began with sunny skies and warm temperatures but a few rain showers in the hour leading up to 1 p.m. start made for an interesting afternoon of racing. It was the N-Fab AmPro Yamaha ride of Paul Whibley who got off to a great start with the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award but the two-time champ quickly fell back to eighth place on the opening lap. Russell capitalized on a mistake by Whibley and took control of the pace right away, where he led flag to flag of the three-hour race. While Russell seemed to have the lead position on lock, it was an all-out battle for second place all afternoon. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn put himself in a favorable position early on, as he jumped in behind Russell for the second place position. Johnny Campbell Racing Honda's Chris Bach joined the battle, with Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang close behind. The trio exchanged places several times throughout the three-hour battle, making for an exciting spectacle for the race fans in Ohio. But the battle didn't come only from the front row, as reigning XC2 Pro Lites Champion Grant Baylor joined the front-runners on the adjusted time clock where he threatened a spot on the overall podium all afternoon. Not only were the physical battles full of excitement, but the adjusted time came down to the final moments, where the young Baylor finished nine seconds ahead of Strang to capture second overall for the day. Strang, who was forced to come from behind on the opening lap, pushed through to second at the end of the five-lap race, where he led a three-way battle into the final moments of the Sunday Creek motocross track. Despite a valiant effort by Ashburn, and also Whibley in the final moments, the 2010 GNCC Champion was able to hold them off to capture a season-best second place finish in the XC1 Pro Class and third overall for the day. Whibley and Ashburn were bar-to-bar in the final turns but this time it was Ashburn who edged out the two-time champ of Whibley to take third place in the XC1 Class and fourth overall for the day. Factory FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor Jr. struggled on the opening lap but the South Caroina native slowly picked up the pace as the race went on. After missing the last round due to injury, Baylor fought his way back to a fifth place finish in the XC1 Class. After running inside the top three for a majority of the afternoon, Bach lost a substantial amount of time when he crashed on the final lap while running second. Bach ended up just three seconds behind Baylor for sixth place in the class. RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall returned to action after missing the previous round with injury. DuVall managed a seventh place finish in the class as he continues to recover. Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong finished in seventh, followed by HR Motorsports-backed Takeshi Koikeda, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jason Thomas rounded out the top ten. In the XC2 Pro Lites action, Grant Baylor (pictured below) got off to a great start to kick off the afternoon and things only got better for the KTM Support rider as he continued to pick his way through the overall pack on time adjustment. In his quest for an overall position, Baylor put a sizable gap on the rest of the XC2 Pro Lites field. In just his third XC2 race of this season, KR4 Performance-backed Nick Davis put forth an impressive ride at the eighth round. Davis overcame a couple of big crashes early on to secure a season-best second place finish in the XC2 Class. Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell began the afternoon outside the top ten but was quickly made his way into podium contention. Russell got into the third place position on the final lap, where he finished third place in the class. Baylor now holds a three-point lead over Russell in the XC2 Pro Lites championship standings. Sam Evans grabbed the $100 DigitalOffroad.com Holeshot Award, finishing sixth place in the XC2 Pro Lites Class. Indiana's Mike Witkowski battled it out for the 250 A Class win$125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with fourteenth overall for the day. Just two days after securing a Gold Medal at X Games Austin in Women's Enduro X, Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez captured the overall victory at the Wiseco John Penton GNCC. Martinez was joined on the overall podium by Master's 50+ winner Vance Earl, who finished second overall, and Super Senior A 45+ winner Ricky Mattison, who rounded out the overall podium. Virginia's Ashley Copeland finished second in the WXC Class, while N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Becca Sheets rounded out the class podium. South Carolina's Cole Mattison kept his winning streak alive at round eight with yet another overall victory in the Youth division. Mattison also topped the Super Mini (14-15) class, followed by Alabama's Kyler Godwin in second and Tennessee's Sam Thurman rounded out the overall podium with a third place finish in the Super Mini (14-15) class. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes June 21 and 22 with the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC on Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Wiseco John Penton GNCC Millfield, Ohio Round 8 of 13 Sunday, June 8 XC1 Event Results: 1 Kailub Russell (KTM) 2 Josh Strang (YAM) 3
Jordan Ashburn (YAM) 4 Paul Whibley (YAM) 5 Steward Baylor (KTM) 6 Chris
Bach (HON) 7 Thad DuVall (HON) 8 Andrew Delong (HSQ) 9 Takeshi Koideka (HON)
10 Jason Thomas (KTM)
On Sunday, the seventh round of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, embarked upon Marvin's Mountain Top in Masontown, West Virginia for the third running of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC. Reigning XC1 Pro Class Champion Kailub Russell led the three-hour race from start to finish en route to his fourth win of the season.
Factory FMF/KTM's Russell was on the gas from the beginning, grabbing his second consecutive $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award, where he led his teammate Charlie Mullins into the woods on the opening lap. The FMF/KTM duo was followed closely by N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn, along with Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jason Thomas.
Russell steadily increased his gap on Mullins throughout the six-lap competition, where he finished one minute and 47 seconds ahead of Mullins to capture the round seven victory. The exciting battle came just behind Russell and Mullins as Ashburn and Delong fought for third all afternoon. The two were later joined by Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang, who didn't get off to a favorable start. The Australian native began just inside the top ten but made quick work to get into the battle for third place. While it seemed like Ashburn had the third place position wrapped up on the final lap, Strang made his move and the N-Fab AmPro Yamaha teammates dueled into the finish line area. Strang edged out Ashburn for third place by less than one second. Delong wasn't far behind to capture fifth for the day.
XC1 Pro Class Rookie Jason Thomas secured seventh place in the class, followed by two-time GNCC Champion and N-Fab AmPro Yamaha rider Paul Whibley in eighth. Rockstar Energy/WMR KTM's Ryan Sipes came in ninth, while Tom McCormack finished tenth in his XC1 Pro Class debut this season.
Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell took over the points lead in the XC2 Pro Lites Class after capturing his second victory of the season on Sunday. Just as Kailub did in the XC1 Pro Class division, Ricky put forth an impressive ride at the Mountaineer Run, leading the entire three-hour competition from beginning to end.
XC2 Pro Lites rookie Trevor Bollinger made his return to the podium after capturing a second place finish at Round 7. Bollinger grabbed a top five off the start, where he battled with reigning XC2 Champion Grant Baylor all afternoon. Baylor led his fair share of moments throughout the race but Bollinger held strong at the end. Only one second separated Bollinger and Baylor, who finished third for the day and now sits six points down in the championship standings.
Imperium Bicycles' Chris Douglas grabbed the $100 DigitalOffroad.com Holeshot Award, finishing tenth place in the XC2 Pro Lites Class.
Pennsylvania's Craig Delong captured another win in the 250 A class, while earning the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with eighteenth overall for the day. Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez grabbed yet another win in the WXC Class, followed by Mandi Mastin in second and Sarah Baldwin rounded out the WXC podium with third for the day.
In the 8 a.m. Youth race, South Carolina's Cole Mattison secured his fourth consecutive victory, grabbing yet another Super Mini (14-15) class win along the way. Tennessee's Sam Thurman captured second place, while Alabama's Kyler Godwin rounded out the overall podium with third place in the Super Mini (14-15) class. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes June 7 and 8 with the Wiseco John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com . Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC Masontown, West Virginia Round 7 of 13 Sunday, May 25 XC1 Event Results: 1 Kailub Russell (KTM) 2 Charlie Mullins (KTM)
3 Josh Strang (YAM) 4 Jordan Ashburn (YAM) 5 Andrew Delong (HSQ) 6 Chris
Bach (HON) 7 Jason Thomas (KTM) 8 Paul Whibley (YAM) 9 Ryan Sipes (KTM) 10
Tom McCormack (YAM)
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, made its return to the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee for the 33rd running of the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn's GNCC. After just less than three hours of racing through the rough and rocky 11-mile course, it was Charlie Mullins who prevailed with his second consecutive victory of the season. Sunday's Round 6 began with dry and sunny conditions but things quickly switched gears as a big rain storm let loose just one hour before the start of the afternoon race. Along with the wet and slippery conditions on the racetrack, came hot and humid temperatures to add yet another variable into the mix.
As the green flag dropped, it was Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell who shot off the start to claim the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. However, Russell bobbled in the slick first turn and his teammate Charlie Mullins took over the early lead on lap one. Russell reclaimed his lead on the same lap but it didn't last for long as the reigning champion had to make an unexpected stop in the woods to change out a set of goggles. As a result, Russell fell back to fourth place, where Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jason Thomas moved into the second and third place positions.
"On the last lap I made a little mistake and Charlie got around me," Russell said. "We battled pretty hard the next couple of corners, banging bars pretty hard and fighting for the first place position. I kind of got rebounded out of a rut and it sent me to the ground. I put on a hard charge to catch up but the damage was done."
Mullins held off Russell in the final moments to capture his second straight victory of the season, finishing just six seconds ahead of the second place finisher of Russell, where he now holds a 12-point lead over Russell heading to Round 7 in two weeks. "I definitely had to work for this one," Mullins said. "That last lap we got pretty close and it was everything I had. It feels good to get a win but it's far from over. We've got the tough rounds coming up so I definitely need to stay on my game and get ready for the rocks in West Virginia." Russell once again pulled the $100 KR4 Performance Fastest Lap, this time on lap five of racing. Mullins came less than one second away from earning this honor.
Strang put forth a solid performance at the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn's GNCC, where he began the afternoon in a favorable second place position. From there, Strang stuck by himself in the third place position for a majority of the afternoon as he maintained a comfortable gap over JCR Honda's Chris Bach in fourth. Strang made a big push at the end, where he nearly exhausted himself after almost three hours of racing. "It was a tough day today the heat and humidity played a toll on all of us. I'll take third today, considering last round's results," Strang commented. After riding inside the top five all afternoon, Bach scored an impressive fourth place overall, his best of the season, at the sixth round.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn was another consistent front-runner on Sunday, where he battled with Bach and Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong closely all afternoon. Ashburn ultimately finished fifth for the day, followed by Delong, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley came in seventh, while HR Motorsports-backed Takeshi Koikeda took eighth. Illinois native Adam Bonneur finished ninth in the XC1 Pro class, while Rockstar Energy/WMR KTM's Ryan Sipes rounded out the top ten in the class.
It was yet another shakeup in XC2 Pro Lites point standings as KTM Support rider Grant Baylor captured a big win on Sunday to reclaim the points lead after six rounds. Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell rode hard all afternoon but it wasn't enough to stop the reigning XC2 champ this time, as he finished second place in the class.
By the mid-way point, Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jesse Groemm had put himself into a favorable position for a podium finish. However, RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda's Layne Michael joined Groemm in battle with less than one mile to go from the finish. Michael put a spectacular last-minute pass on Groemm in the motocross track, where the West Virginia native captured a podium finish in he XC2 Pro Lites class. Groemm took fourth and Imperium Bicycles' Chris Douglas rounded out the top five.
Pennsylvania's Michael McGinnis captured the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award, ultimately finishing eleventh place in the XC2 Pro Lites class.
Pennsylvania's Craig Delong captured another win in the 250 A class, while earning the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with thirteenth overall for the day.
Masters A (50+) winner Vance Earl secured his third consecutive 10 a.m. overall win, followed by Kacy Martinez in the second place overall position, with Super Senior A (45+) winner Ricky Matteson rounded the overall podium.
Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez grabbed yet another win in the WXC Class, as well as second overall for the day. Sara Baldwin made her return to the WXC podium this season with a second place in the class, while N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Jessica Patterson finished third in the class.
In the 8 a.m. Youth race, South Carolina's Cole Mattison secured his third consecutive victory at Round 6, grabbing yet another Super Mini (14-15) class win along the way. Tennessee's Sam Thurman captured a second place finish in front of his home state crowd, while Alabama's Kyler Godwin rounded out the overall podium with third place in the Super Mini (14-15) class. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes May 24 and 25 with the Mountaineer Run GNCC in Masontown, West Virginia. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn's GNCC Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Round
6 of 13 Sunday, May 11
Round 5 of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, showcased some of the most exciting action of the season on Sunday afternoon. As an unpredictable chain of events unfolded, it was Factory FMF/KTM's Charlie Mullins who remained poised and consistent to capture a big win at the third running of the Dunlop Limestone 100. Ricky Russell had a breakout performance, capturing his first XC2 Pro Lites victory of the season and an impressive fourth overall for the day.  Charlie Mullins is now the points leader heading into Round 6 Photo: Hill Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell came into the fifth round in Springville, Ind. with a two-point advantage over his teammate Mullins but after three long hours of battle through the woods of the Lawrence County Recreational Park, the 2011 GNCC National Champion Mullins left with a seven-point lead in the championship standings.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley kicked off the afternoon with the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award, where he diced it out with Factory FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor Jr. on the opening lap. However, Russell quickly moved to the lead position with Whibley, Mullins, Baylor, Thad DuVall and Jordan Ashburn close behind. After three laps of leading the pack, Russell experienced a big crash that sent the reigning champion end-over-end and to the ground. "I don't even know what happened really, I grabbed the front brake and my front end just went sideways. I was wide open out of the straightaway and I went flipping several times," Russell said of his crash.
Russell remounted his KTM almost immediately but he lost a substantial amount of time when he was forced to stop in the Factory KTM pit where his crew switched out an exhaust that got ruined in the crash. Mullins capitalized on the opportunity to take over the lead on Lap 4, while RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall moved himself into the second place position. Mullins was able to keep a steady pace in the final laps where he progressively increased his gap on DuVall with each lap. Despite a big charge on the final lap, DuVall wasn't able to catch Mullins to contest the lead position.
"I'll be straight up, I just got tired out there," DuVall said. "I rode good, I just wish I wouldn't have let Charlie get away. I tried to push as hard as I could but I think I pushed a little too early." Meanwhile, a hard-charging Russell continued to push his way through the pack from outside the top ten overall. With two laps to go, Russell had made his way into third place in the XC1 Class, but once again the XC2 Pro Lites front-runners interjected into the lead battle on the adjusted time clock. So not only was Russell battling his XC1 class competitors physically on the track, but he was also competing with XC2 leader Ricky Russell for the third and final position atop the overall podium.
Kailub Russell caught up to DuVall on the final lap and it was a head-to-head battle throughout the final moments of the three-hour race. Despite a valiant comeback effort by Russell, it just wasn't enough to make the pass on DuVall at the end. Only 00.375 separated the second and third place finishers. After the race DuVall mentioned, "I had a pretty good lead on Kailub at the end but I just about threw it away. I crashed just before the finish with a mile to go and by the time I picked it up Kailub was right on me so I just tried to push it into the finish."
Sunday's Limestone 100 victory was a big one for Charlie Mullins, as he not only put an end to Russell's three-race winning streak but he also reclaimed the points lead heading into the mid-way point of the 13-race series.
"Kailub had a good pace going in the beginning and it looked like it was going to be a battle but he ended up going down hard. I knew all I had to do is ride steady and that's what I did," Mullins said. "It was long the last few laps but I felt better than I have been as far as riding goes so it was a good day."
Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles' Ricky Russell had a stellar day of racing as he secured his first career victory in the XC2 Pro Lites class. Russell and XC2 competitor Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jesse Groemm set a fast pace early on but it wasn't until they latched on to a hard-charging Kailub Russell that they were able to move so quickly into overall podium contention.
Groemm dropped back to the third place position as R. Russell and KTM support rider Grant Baylor both went by in a battle for the lead position. However, Russell turned it up in the final laps, where he eventually finished less than one minute away from landing atop the overall podium from the second row. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley maintained a third place position for a majority of the race but the two-time GNCC National Champion fell back a couple spots in the end, finishing fourth in the XC1 Pro class and fifth overall for the day just behind the XC2 winner Russell.
Grant Baylor landed second place in the XC2 Pro Lites division, finishing out sixth overall just ahead of his brother Stu in seventh. HR Motorsports-backed Takeshi Koikeda put forth a stellar ride at the fifth round, running in the fourth place position for a majority of the race. Koikeda, a former Japan National Cross Country (JNCC) Champion, put in a season-best finish of sixth place in the XC1 class and eighth overall for the day.
N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn finished ninth overall for the day, while Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang rounded out the top ten. Groemm finished third place in the XC2 Pro Lites class, which earned the New Jersey native eleventh overall for the day.
Chris Douglas grabbed the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award, finishing twelfth in the XC2 class for the day.
Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez grabbed her fourth win of the season in the WXC Class, as well as second overall for the day. Ohio's Mandi Mastin made her second appearance to the WXC podium this season with a second place in the class, while N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Becca Sheets finished third in the class.
In the 8 a.m. Youth race, South Carolina's Cole Mattison secured his second consecutive victory at the fifth round. Mattison also topped the Super Mini (14-15) class, followed by Tennessee's Sam Thurman in the second place position. North Carolina's Conner Smith rounded out the overall podium with a third place finish in the Super Mini (14-15) class. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes May 10 and 11 with the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn's GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dunlop Limestone 100 GNCC Springville, Ind. Round 5 of 13 Sunday, April 27 XC1 Event Results: 1 Charlie Mullins (KTM) 2 Thad DuVall (HON) 3
Kailub Russell (KTM) 4 Paul Whibley (YAM) 5 Steward Baylor (KTM) 6 Takeshi
Koikeda (HON) 7 Jordan Ashburn (YAM) 8 Josh Strang (YAM) 9 Chris Bach (HON) 10
Jason Thomas (KTM)
Round 4 of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, presented some of the most favorable weather conditions of the season with sunny skies and temperatures nearing the 80-degree mark. While the South Carolina temperatures were a welcomed change for spectators on Sunday, the track conditions were nothing short of brutal for the racers competing in the 18th Annual VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC in Union County. Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell extended his winning streak to three-in-a-row at the fourth stop of the 13-round series, topping his teammate and closest competitor Charlie Mullins by approximately one minute in the end. However, like his other two wins this season, Russell had to work for this one.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley secured the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award, while his teammate Jordan Ashburn grabbed the lead on the opening lap. While the rest of the pack was rounding the second corner, Russell was just getting through the start straight after another rider went down in front of him. From there, Russell charged his way through the pack, eventually taking over the lead from Mullins on Lap 3. Russell's quick pace was enough to earn the $150 KR4 Performance Fastest Lap once again. "I was about 30 seconds down from Charlie's lead and it was tough to make moves real fast and get around those guys quick so I just chose good lines. I knew that if I could catch him [Mullins] I was going to win," Russell said.
Mullins kept the pressure on Russell throughout much of the race, but a couple of mistakes cost him a substantial amount of time in the final laps of the three-hour race. "I clipped a lapper and ended up hitting a tree and hitting my hand pretty good," Mullins said. "The last few laps were pretty tough but I just did the best I could and didn't really make up any time."
Russell's Round 4 victory will give the reigning champ the overall points lead and white number plate background for the first time this season, with only a two point advantage over Mullins heading into the fifth round. Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang ran into issues firing his bike up on the start, where he immediately tucked in behind Russell on the opening lap. Strang made his way into the third place position and set his sights on Mullins for second place. Just as he reeled the KTM duo in, Strang had a crash that set him back a little further. Despite a valiant effort on the final lap, Strang wasn't able to catch the leaders in time for the checkered flag.
"I caught Charlie and he picked up the pace and I couldn't hang there at the end of the race," Strang said. "I used a little more energy trying to catch those guys. I wanted to give it a go and I nearly did at the end but once I had that crash I was pretty much done." Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong put forth the best ride of his XC1 Pro Class rookie season in South Carolina. Delong didn't get the best start but the former XC2 Pro Lites standout put himself inside the top five soon enough, where he locked in the fourth place position. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley finished in fifth after an impressive come-from-behind charge, while his teammate Jordan Ashburn followed in sixth.
Factory FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor finished seventh in the XC1 Pro Class, followed by Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Jason Thomas, Rockstar Energy/WMR/KTM's Ryan Sipes and HR Motorsports-backed Takeshi Koikeda rounded out the top 10 in XC1.
It was a tough day for the Honda-backed rides of RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall and Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda's Chris Bach, who both succumbed to the vicious conditions out on the course. Both riders spent some time in their pit areas making suspension adjustments, but neither was able to score championship points at Round 4.
The XC2 Pro Lites championship battled heated up as reigning champ Grant Baylor took over the points lead with a big win in his home state. It wasn't Baylor's from the beginning, though, as Raines Riding University/Yamaha-backed Ricky Russell led five of the six laps out there. Russell experienced a crash on the final lap that allowed Baylor to move by for the win.
Russell held on to finish second, while North Carolina's Trevor Bollinger, Round 3 XC2 winner, rounded out the class podium with a third place finish. West Virginia's Sam Evans captured the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award and finished seventh place in the XC2 Pro Lites Class.
Pennsylvania's Craig Delong grabbed the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with sixteenth overall for the day, while also topping the 250 A Class.
Master's A (50+) winner Vance Earl earned his first Amateur Overall victory of the season, where he was joined by the Master's A runner-up Michael Crane with second place overall. Super Senior A (45+) Class' Rick Matteson rounded out the overall podium with yet another class win.
N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Jessica Patterson secured her first WXC Class win battling it out with second place finisher Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez. Ashley Copeland earned her first podium finish of the season at Round 4 in South Carolina.
In the 8 a.m. Youth race, the Super Mini (14-15) riders once again dominated the overall podium. South Carolina's very own Cole Mattison captured his first overall victory of the season, with Tennessee's Sam Thurman in second and Alabama's Kyler Godwin rounded out the podium.
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes April 26 and 27 with the Dunlop Limestone 100 in Springville, Ind. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com Photos: Ken Hill VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC Union, S.C. Round 4 of 13 Sunday, April 13
Following a day's worth of rainfall in Morganton, N.C., Round 3 of the 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, showcased another challenging mud race at the 15th running of the FMF Steele Creek GNCC on Sunday. It was the 2013 GNCC Champion Kailub Russell who prevailed in the end, closing the gap to only three points behind his teammate Charlie Mullins in the overall championship chase.
It was a Factory FMF/KTM sweep on the opening lap as Steward Baylor grabbed the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award before immediately hooking up with Russell out front. By the time Mullins was settled in the second place spot, Russell had put over one minute on his teammate and the rest of the field and the reigning champ never looked back
"I tried to ride good and charge but I wasn't really making up any ground," Mullins said. "I rode as hard as I could. On the second to last lap I had a pretty good crash in the sand and Strang caught up to me. He kept me honest that last lap and I had to push pretty hard to keep him back."
Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab Am Pro Yamaha's Josh Strang began the afternoon just inside the top 10 but the 2011 Steele Creek winner quickly pushed his way through the pack. Strang caught Mullins just after the two-lap card fell, and after a hard fought attempt at claiming second place, Strang came through the finish just 20 seconds behind Mullins to capture third place overall for the day. "It took a while to get going out there," Strang said. "The last couple of laps felt pretty good. I caught up to Charlie on the last lap but I just couldn't get by him. But all in all it was a good day. Podiums are always nice but it's been two years since I've won a GNCC, I'm ready for a win!"
RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall didn't get the most desirable start but the West Virginia native put his head down and charged his way through the pack early on. Duvall commented after the race, "I lost my front brakes right off the bat, I don't know if there was a bubble in the line or what." Despite not having front brakes throughout the first half of the race, Duvall managed to work his way into the top five. On the final lap, Duvall made the pass on FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor, where he threw down the $150 KR4 Performance Fastest Lap on the sixth and final lap. Steward Baylor not only earned the XC1 Holeshot Award, but he earned his best
finish of the season coming in fifth place Photo: Ken Hill Factory Husqvarna's Andrew Delong captured seventh place for the day, followed by Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda's Chris Bach in eighth, Rockstar Energy/WMR/KTM's Ryan Sipes in ninth and Takeshi Koikeda in tenth.
It was a big day for North Carolina's very own Trevor Bollinger who earned his first career XC2 Pro Lites victory in front of his home state friends and family. Bollinger, an XC2 rookie, was elated to take the class win after an impressive ride in the not-so-favorable conditions. Bollinger led every moment of the six-lap race. "This is a dream come true," Bollinger said. "This is what I've been working toward for so many years and I still can't believe I finally proved to myself that I could do it and that I belong here."
The battle for second in the XC2 Pro Lites Class was between Raines Riding University/Yamaha-backed Ricky Russell, Factory FMF/KTM's Grant Baylor and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Rory Mead. Mead held the second place position until the final lap when the New Zealand native was reportedly involved in a single rider accident. Rory was airlifted to a local hospital and GNCC personnel are currently awaiting an update on his condition as of Sunday evening. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rory and his loved ones at this time. Ricky Russell secured the second place position in XC2, while Grant Baylor rounded out the top three and Layne Michael came in fourth. Imperium Bicycles-backed Chris Douglas secured the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award and eventually finished fifth in the class. Indiana's Austin Lee grabbed the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with twentieth overall for the day, while also topping the 250 A Class by about three minutes.
Super Senior A (45+) winner Stephen Thaxton once again grabbed the morning overall victory after a grueling two-hour competition. Thaxton was joined on the overall podium by WXC winner Kacy Martinez and Super Senior A runner-up Todd Ghearing rounded out the overall podium. Factory FMF/KTM's Martinez grabbed her third consecutive victory in the WXC Premier Women's Class, while N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Becca Sheets took second and Sara Baldwin rounded out the WXC podium.
In the 8 a.m. Youth race, the Super Mini (14-15) riders once again prevailed through the muddy track conditions. North Carolina's very own Conner Smith captured his first ever overall victory, with Tennessee's Sam Thurman in second and West Virginia's Brendan Poling rounded out the podium.
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes April 12 and 13 with the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC in Union, S.C. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com. FMF Steele Creek GNCC Morganton, N.C. Round 3 of 13 Sunday, March 30
Kailub Russell Captures a Victory at Sunday's Maxxis General GNCC Grant Baylor Captures Second Overall and Tops XC2 Pro Lites Class Russell wasn't out front for most of the race, but the Factory/FMF/KTM rider pulled it together in the end to secure the overall win to gain thirty points towards the championship chase. It wasn't without a fight from his KTM teammate and XC2 Pro Lites rider Grant Baylor, who quickly joined the overall battle on adjusted time. Since the second row takes off approximately one minute behind the XC1 Class, perhaps Baylor had an advantage in making his way through the pack.
"Last night I was hoping it would hit us hard with the rain because I was looking forward to a mud race," Russell said. "We changed some things on the bike and it worked out because got some points on Charlie," Russell said. Before the 1 p.m. race began, the GNCC Course Marshalls decided that the race would be shortened to a minimum of two hours due to the heavy rainfall throughout the day. With the leader coming in at 2:17:54, Sunday's race was just short of a typical three-hour GNCC. Josh Strang grabbed his second consecutive All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award Photo: Ken HIll Rocky Mountain ATV/MC's Josh Strang grabbed yet another $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award with his AmPro Yamaha teammates Paul Whibley and Jordan Ashburn close behind. It didn't take long for guys like Factory FMF/KTM's Charlie Mullins and the XC2 front-runners of Grant Baylor and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Rory Mead to join the Yamaha riders in the lead battle, where a chaotic chain of events unfolded until the end.
(left) Josh Strang and Charlie Mullins (right) had one of many battles out there today Photo: Ken Hill
"You know, I put myself into these positions where I have to win and I just have to dig deep and keep plugging away to get that points lead," Russell added. Overall podium: (left) Jordan Ashburn, Kailub Russell, (right) Grant Baylor Photo: Ken HIll Despite a valiant effort from the second row, Grant Baylor missed the overall victory by only four seconds after time adjustment. "I was definitely going after the overall and I'm upset I didn't get it but it was a good points ride today," said the XC2 winner. "The last three laps I didn't have any brakes at all and then I got stuck a few times on the last lap so I lost that minute for the overall but I'll just have to come back and get it next time."
Ashburn put himself into podium contention right away as he latched onto the lead pack on the opening lap. Ashburn showed his strength in the tough conditions, moving up to the second place position just after the halfway mark. Although Baylor finished ahead of Ashburn in the overall, the Tennessee native took second place in the XC1 Class, finishing less than one minute behind Russell, and third overall for the day. "I had a pretty good day, just tried to pick good lines and run my own race," Ashburn said. "It feels really good to be back on the podium again. I'm just looking forward to see what the rest of the year has in store." Whibley sits second overall in the point standings with Sunday's fourth place finish Photo: Ken HIll
"Today was really good," Whibley said. "I had no idea what was going on out there, I guess I was leading at some point. It's one of those days where you have to just keep going, survive and have fun." While it wasn't ideal for the Round 1 winner, Mullins finished sixth overall to salvage points and maintain the lead after two rounds of racing. With 6th place overall, Mullins was able to hold onto the points lead after two rounds Photo: Ken Hill It was a tough fay for both the Factory Husqvarna ride of Andrew Delong and RideMPS.com/ AMSOIL/ Honda's Thad DuVall, as both riders experienced mechanical issues early in the race. DuVall was able to complete one of five laps, while Delong's day was over before the first lap was complete.
The XC2 Pro Lites Class saw a second unique winner in two rounds as the Reigning XC2 Champion Grant Baylor topped the field with an impressive ride from the second row. KR4 Performance's Shane Hufford grabbed the $100 DigitalOffroad.com XC2 Holeshot Award before dropping back to the fourth place position. Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Rory Mead took the early lead where he and Baylor hooked up and pushed their way through the overall pack. The duo flip-flopped the lead several times but Baylor eventually broke away. Mead settled into the second place position and maintained a conservative pace into the finish.
Alabama's Cliff Ousley put forth an outstanding ride from the Open A Class, earning the $125 American Kargo Top Amateur Award with thirteenth overall, as well as the Open A Class victory. It was a Super Senior A (45+) sweep on the 10 a.m. podium as Greg Elrod captured the overall victory in the one and a half-hour competition. Elrod was joined on the overall podium by fellow Super Senior A competitors Rick Matteson and Stephen Thaxton. Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez grabbed her second consecutive victory in the WXC Premier Women's Class, while N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Becca Sheets and teammate Jessica Patterson rounded out the WXC podium. In the 8 a.m. Youth race, Tennessee's Super Mini (14-15) Class winner Sam Thurman captured the overall victory despite the muddy conditions and heavy rainfall on Sunday morning. Alabama's Kyler Godwin made his second podium appearance in two races after capturing second overall for the day and runner up in the Super Mini (14-15) Class. Kentucky's Daniel Spurgeon put in a solid ride to earn the Super Mini (12-13) victory, as well as third place overall for the day. Maxxis General GNCC Washington, Ga. Round 2 of 13 Sunday, March 16
Charlie Mullins Captures 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series Opener in Florida Rory Mead Secures XC2 Pro Lites
Sunday's Mud Mucker GNCC was one of the most highly anticipated season openers in recent history. Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/AmPro Yamaha's Josh Strang shot out to grab the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award, with AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley and Rockstar Energy/WMR/KTM's Ryan Sipes close behind. Incredibly, the riders who dominated last year's championship, the Factory/FMF/KTM duo of Mullins and defending GNCC National Champion Kailub Russell, were down in a heap in turn one, complete with bent bars and parts sent flying everywhere. XC1 Pro Class contenders Steward Baylor and Andrew Delong were down as well, setting up drama-filled charges through the pack. Mullins wouldn't be denied, however. The 2011 GNCC champ quickly made his way from nearly last into the lead position by the second lap. From there, Mullins engaged in a heated battle with Whibley that lasted for nearly an hour, with Whibley, the two-time champion from New Zealand, getting the lead back. Down the stretch, Mullins made the right moves to get away, completing an impressive charge from down on the ground to the center of the Maxxis Victory Lane. Mullins also claimed an extra $150 by laying down the KR4 Performance Fastest Lap Award on Lap 2. Whibley, who spent much of last year battling an injury, was happy to start the year with a solid second place finish. A furious battled for third emerged between Strang and RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda's Thad DuVall. They battled down to the final field section, with Strang grabbing the final podium position by less than one second.
DeLong and Baylor also put in strong comebacks to capture fifth and sixth overall. Whibley's N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha teammate Jordan Ashburn was seventh, with Sipes, in his full-season GNCC debut, showing impressive speed and strength to score eighth place in the class. As for Russell, he, like Mullins, worked his way all the way back to the lead pack, but ran into mechanical problems on the muddy course. Fighting through the adversity and nursing it home for points, he salvaged fourteenth overall. Former Japan National Cross Country Series Champion and Pro Motocross/Supercross rider Takeshi Koikeda rounded out the XC1 top ten. The XC2 Pro Lites Class was perhaps even crazier. KR4 Performance's Shane Hufford was running the race of his career by leading most of the way after grabbing the $100 American Kargo XC2 Holeshot Award. But Raines Riding University/OffRoadViking.com/Yamaha's Ricky Russell made a run to the front. But the muddy course created a race of survival, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team's Rory Mead, who was barely even hanging in the top five early on, steadily worked his way forward and snagged the lead on the next-to-last lap. Like Mullins in XC1, Mead's patience and tenacity paid off with a win. Ricky Russell was second and Hufford nearly collapsed of exhaustion at the finish, but still took third in the class.
In the two-hour 10 a.m. race, the all-new WXC Women's Premier class fell to Factory FMF/KTM's Kacy Martinez, with Mandi Mastin and N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha's Jessica Patterson rounding out the podium. WXC Podium: (Left) Mandi Mastin, Kacy Martinez, (right) Jessica Patterson Photo: Ken HIll In the 8 a.m. Youth race, Florida's very own Jesse Ansley took his first-ever Youth Overall win, while also securing a big victory in the 85 (12-13) Class. Alabama's Kyler Godwin claimed the Super Mini (14-15) Class win and second place overall, followed by Brayden Coler with third overall and second place in the Super Mini (14-15) division. The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series returns next weekend, March 15 and 16 in Washington, Ga., for the Maxxis General GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com Stay up-to-date with exclusive content from the AMSOIL GNCC Series by following the series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moose Racing Mud Mucker GNCC - Bunnell, Fla. - Round 1 of 13 - Sunday,
March 9
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Kailub
Russell gained valuable points towards the championship chase Photo: Ken
Hill
It
was Russell who held strong in the final moments, where he laid down his fastest
lap of the day on Lap 5 with a 26:59.7. For that, Russell took home an extra
$150 with the KR4 Performance Fastest Lap Award en route to his first win of the
season.
Jordan
Ashburn rode tough all afternoon to secure third place overall Photo: Ken Hill
Whibley
came in for fourth overall just six seconds behind his teammate Ashburn, while
Strang captured fifth overall for the day.
Factory
FMF/KTM's Steward Baylor secured sixth place in XC1 and eighth place overall for
the day despite running into issues with his vision. Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR)
Honda's Chris Bach took seventh in the class and ninth overall, while Rockstar
Energy/WMR/KTM's Ryan Sipes finished eighth in the class and fourteenth overall
for the day.
XC2
Pro Lites rookie Trevor Bollinger kept himself within the top five all afternoon
and the consistency paid off as riders such as Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race
Team's Jesse Groemm ran into issues near the end. Bollinger capitalized on the
opportunity to get by and rode his way to an XC2 podium finish and tenth overall
for the day.
Josh
Strang Captured the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award Photo: Ken Hill
Paul
Whibley finished a strong second place overall Photo: Ken Hill
XC2
Podium: (left) Ricky Russell, Rory Mead, (right) Shane Hufford Photo: Ken
Hill