KTM Talks Tennessee GNCC

KTM had another good day in the AMSOIL GNCC Series, with multiple class wins at the Parts Unlimited GNCC in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

1KTM had another good day in the AMSOIL GNCC Series, with multiple class wins at the Parts Unlimited GNCC in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

Charle Mullins (center) and Kailub Russell (left) finished one-two again at round six of the AMSOIL GNCC Series in Tennessee, yesterday. The two FMF/KTM riders account for all six wins thus far in the 2014 series. PHOTOS BY KEN HILL.
Charle Mullins (center) and Kailub Russell (left) finished one-two again at round six of the AMSOIL GNCC Series in Tennessee, yesterday. The two FMF/KTM riders account for all six wins thus far in the 2014 series. PHOTOS BY KEN HILL.

The following is from KTM:

Factory FMF/KTM rider Charlie Mullins scored a hard fought win against his teammate Kailub Russell at the sixth round of the AMSOIL GNCC Series Presented By Maxxis at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, yesterday. Joining Mullins at the top of the podium were teammates Grant Baylor and Kacy Martinez, who landed victories in the XC2 Pro Lites and WXC classes.

Weather was the biggest factor in the sixth round of the series as riders were faced with warm temperatures and high humidity. Hard rainfall dropped immediately prior to the start of the afternoon races, which knocked down the dust during the race but created a very slippery race course. The riders raced an 11.5-mile rocky loop for six total laps.

For the first time this season, Russell pulled the holeshot followed closely by Mullins at the start of the XC1 Pro race. The two riders immediately began a battle that would last the next three hours. Russell led the race until mile eight where he stopped to get goggles. This quick stop dropped him to fifth place. By the end of the second lap, Russell was able to catch back up to second place behind Mullins. On that same lap, both riders came into the pits for goggles and Russell decided to refuel.

At the end of the third lap, Mullins stopped for gas which allowed Russell to get out front and put a 16-second advantage on Mullins. A few miles into that lap, however, Russell suffered a crash that allowed Mullins to close the gap. With two laps to go, only 10 seconds separated the teammates. On the final lap, Russell had to stop for a splash of gas, which allowed Mullins to close to within 5 seconds of him. Around the 8-mile marker of the final lap, Mullins was able to challenge Russell for the lead and made a pass to take over the top spot. Russell fell as a result of the contact made during the pass and lost a few seconds to Mullins. At the end of the race, Mullins took his third win of the season by 6 seconds over Russell.

“It was a tough battle today,” Mullins said. “Kailub (Russell) rode a strong race as he always does, and we battled the whole time. I am happy to get a win here and gain a few more points toward the championship.”

Grant Baylor is the defending XC2 -lass GNCC Champion, and after his win in Tennessee, this weekend, he is also the 2014 class points leader.
Grant Baylor is the defending XC2 -lass GNCC Champion, and after his win in Tennessee, this weekend, he is also the 2014 class points leader.

Steward Baylor had a day he would like to forget in the XC1 Pro class. He started the race at the rear of the field and suffered dizziness as a result of a concussion suffered at the third round of the series. The team decided it was best for him to pull off and seek medical attention. Baylor will be evaluated this week, and it will be determined if he will need to sit out any remaining rounds to recover.

In the XC2 Pro Lites class, Grant Baylor had an eighth place start off the line. He quickly moved up to third place by the end of the first lap. On the second lap he was able to make a pass for the lead and never looked back. He went on to lead the remaining laps and took the win by 37 seconds over runner-up Ricky Russell. Baylor now holds the points lead heading to the next round.

In the WXC class, Martinez came out first around the opening corner and never lost her lead position. She led all four laps of the race to take her fifth win of the series over fellow KTM rider Sarah Baldwin. She now holds an 18-point lead in the championship standings.

Kacy Martinez grabbed her fifth win in six races at the Loretta Lynn round. Martinez is clearly the woman to beat in off-road racing today.
Kacy Martinez grabbed her fifth win in six races at the Loretta Lynn round. Martinez is clearly the woman to beat in off-road racing today.

Comments