FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell landed his third consecutive Amsoil GNCC victory at the ninth round of the GNCC Series at the Snowshoe Ski Resort in Snowshoe, West Virginia, on June 30. Russell’s teammate, Charlie Mullins, finished just 10 seconds behind him after the three-hour battle to finish second overall for the day, leaving the two tied for the series lead.
Russell and Mullins both got decent starts at the beginning of the race, and they battled for the lead until Russell suffered a crash early on the first lap. Russell quickly recovered and moved back up to second place before another crash dropped him to seventh place.
“My second crash on the first loop hurt me more than the first, as I had to dig my bike out of the woods and lost about 30 seconds,” Russell said. “Once I was back on track, it took me a while to get back into a podium position. It was difficult to make passes in the wooded sections and a little sketchy to try and pass everyone in the wide open parts. Eventually, I got it done and found myself back in second before the halfway point of the race.
Russell then began turning quicker lap times than Mullins, and he closed the gap, setting up another battle for the lead. With two laps to go, Russell passed Mullins on an uphill ski slope, and he stayed smooth enough to distance himself from Mullins, who was 10 seconds down when the checkered flag flew.
Heading into the summer break, the two KTM teammates now find themselves in a tight battle for the overall points lead. Mullins has 223 points in the overall standings that determine the series champion, while Russell has 220. Four rounds of the series remain.
In the XC2 Pro Lites class, rookie rider Grant Baylor took his third win of the season while also finishing fifth overall. Baylor caught and passed Jason Thomas for the lead on the final lap to secure the win and strengthen his points lead.
The next round of the Amsoil GNCC Series is scheduled to take place in New Berlin, New York, September 7-8.
Amsoil Snowshoe GNCC
Snowshoe, West Virginia
Results, June 30, 2013
XC1 Event Results:
- Kailub Russell-KTM
- Charlie Mullins-KTM
- Thad DuVall-Hon
- Chris Bach-KTM
- Paul Whibley-Yam
- Rory Mead-KTM
- Adam Bonneur-Kaw
- Takeshi Koikeda-Hon
- Mark Fortner-Bet
- Ricky Russell-Yam
XC2 Event Results:
- Grant Baylor-KTM
- Jason Thomas-KTM
- Shane Hufford Jr -KTM
- Scott Grills-Kaw
- Layne Michael-KTM
- Jesse Groemm-KTM
- AJ Stewart-Yam
- Ian Blythe-KTM
- Chris Douglas-Hus
- Sam Evans-KTM
XC1 Series Standings:
- Charlie Mullins-227
- Kailub Russell-220
- Chris Bach-157
- Thad DuVall-157
- Josh Strang-147
- Paul Whibley-143
- Jordan Ashburn-123
- Takeshi Koikeda-114
- Adam Bonneur-112
- Ricky Russell-104
XC2 Series Standings:
- Grant Baylor-203
- Jason Thomas-180
- Andrew DeLong-121
- Shane Hufford Jr -115
- AJ Stewart-102
- Zach Nolan-96
- Travis Coy-91
- Layne Michael-89
- Jedediah Haines-88
- Chris Douglas-86
Overall Amsoil GNCC Standings:
- Charlie Mullins-223
- Kailub Russell-220
- Chris Bach-151
- Thad DuVall-135
- Paul Whibley-127
- Josh Strang-122
- Grant Baylor-109
- Jason Thomas-106
- Jordan Ashburn-91
- Andrew DeLong-61
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