Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell bagged his second AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country win of the year despite sloppy conditions to secure his second straight victory in as many rounds at the Maxxis General GNCC Aonia Pass Motocross Park in Washington, Georgia, today.
Russell got off to a great start in the race by picking up the $250 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award, but AirGroup/Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes tried to test the two-time and defending GNCC Champion early. As if that wasn’t enough, Russell had trouble on the opening lap and slipped back as far as fourth before he was able to regain his focus.
Sipes pushed hard on the opening lap, but his charge was spoiled when he got stuck in a mud hole on lap two. He lost a substantial amount of time while trying to extricate himself from the mud hole, and he would spend the rest of the race in catch-up mode.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Josh Strang worked his way into second place and then collided with a lapped rider, which damaged the front brake rotor on the Australian’s factory Husky. An unscheduled stop for a replacement wheel cost him track position, but he quickly made it up and retook second place.
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KR4/FAR’s Thad DuVall came from outside the top five off the start and worked his way into third place. DuVall lost a lot of time in the early going, but a late-race charge put him into the final podium position on the last lap.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn battled back and forth with DuVall for much of the six-lap race before dropping back and battling with JCR Honda’s Chris Bach for fourth place. Bach, who started the race outside the top five, held on for fifth place. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Grant Baylor finished sixth, with Factory FMF/KTM’s Russell Bobbitt seventh. Visiting Canadian Motocross Lites Champion Tyler Medaglia finished eighth in XC1 on a Husqvarna Canada/Parts Unlimited Canada machine, with Funmart Cycle/FLY/Maxxis/Powersport Graphx-backed Adam Bonneur and Sipes rounding out the top 10 in XC1.
The XC2 Pro Lites class played host to a close race between DirtWise/Maxxis/KLIM’s Jason Thomas and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KR4/FAR’s Nick Davis. The pair went wheel to wheel all afternoon, exchanging the lead several times throughout the three-hour race. Davis held the lead coming into the final segment of the racetrack, but Thomas was able to make a move just in time to collect his first win of the season by 11 seconds. Thomas also finished an impressive seventh overall for the day with Davis coming in eighth.
Following a rough start to the season at round one, Moto-Tech/KTM’s Trevor Bollinger landed atop the podium with a third place XC2 finish and ninth overall at round two. Bollinger maintained a steady pace, keeping himself inside the top five all afternoon.
Davis holds a four-point lead over Thomas in the XC2 Pro Lites Championship standings as the series heads to North Carolina in two weeks for the FMF Steele Creek GNCC.
The 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes March 28 and 29 with the FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, North Carolina. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com.
2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series
The Maxxis General GNCC
Aonia Pass Motocross Park
Washington, Georgia
Results: March 15, 2015
XC1
1. Kailub Russell-KTM
2. Josh Strang-Hus)
3. Thad DuVall-Hus
4. Jordan Ashburn-Yam
5. Chris Bach-Hon
6. Grant Baylor-Yam
7. Russell Bobbitt-KTM
8. Tyler Medaglia-Hus
9. Adam Bonneur-KTM
10. Ryan Sipes-Hus
2015 AMSOIL GNCC National Championship Standings (After 2 of 13 rounds)*
1. Kailub Russell-60/2 wins
2. Josh Strang-50
3. Thad DuVall-39
4. Chris Bach-37
5. Nick Davis-28
6. Jordan Ashburn-28
7. Grant Baylor-26
Jason Thomas-26
Tyler Medaglia-26
10. Craig DeLong-16
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2015 National Champion.
XC2
1. Jason Thomas-KTM
2. Nick Davis-Hus
3. Trevor Bollinger-KTM
4. Craig Delong-Hus
5. Layne Michael-Hon
6. Cory Buttrick-Bet
7. Justin Sode-Bet
8. Sam Evans-KTM
9. Callan May-Yam
10. Brad Bakken-Yam
2015 AMSOIL GNCC XC2 Class Point Standings (After 2 of 13 rounds)
1. Nick Davis-55
2. Jason Thomas-51
3. Craig Delong-34
4. Layne Michael-31
5. Cory Buttrick-29
6. Ricky Russell-25
7. Brad Bakken-23
Trevor Bollinger-23
9. Tegan Temple-19
10. Phillipe Chaine-17
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