2013 AMSOIL GNCC Snowshoe Results

Kailub Russell Captures Third Straight Victory at AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC

[caption id="attachment_27421" align="alignright" width="300"] The top five XC1 riders battled hard for the win at the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC - Photo: Ken Hill[/caption]

It was a picture perfect day for dirt bike racing in eastern West Virginia as Round 9 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series took place at Snowshoe Mountain Resort on Sunday. In a grueling three-hour battle to the finish, Kailub Russell came from behind to secure his third consecutive win of the season at the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC, closing the points gap on his teammate Charlie Mullins in the National Championship chase. In the XC2 Class, Grant Baylor claimed his third win of the season where he maintains the points lead heading into summer break.

Russell started on the front row alongside Charlie Mullins, Chris Bach, Paul Whibley and Josh Strang, but a crash on the opening lap set the Factory FMF/KTM rider a ways back from the lead pack. Mullins put himself out front right away, where he led the first two laps of the race.

Shenandoah Honda/USWE-Sports.com's Thad DuVall started on the second row, only 10 seconds behind the first five riders. By the end of Lap 1, DuVall had made his way into the second place position where he engaged in a battle with AmPro Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn. DuVall eventually commanded the second place position where he set his sights on Mullins for the lead. DuVall caught and passed Mullins for the lead about halfway through the eight-lap race and the duo went back and forth for the lead position.

Meanwhile, Russell was making a charge from behind despite running into a few roadblocks along the way. Russell eventually caught the leaders just as DuVall began to experience mechanical issues on the course.

[caption id="attachment_27415" align="alignleft" width="300"] Thad DuVall had an impressive ride after a mechanical issue almost ended his day - Photo: Ken Hill[/caption]

"I came through a section and hit a rock pretty hard and it broke my shifter clean off. I ended up being stuck in third gear for almost a lap but my pit crew installed a new one and I lost a few positions in the meantime." DuVall said.

Ashburn sat in a comfortable third place position for a majority of the race until a mechanical issue plagued his AmPro Yamaha machine. Ashburn pulled into his pit but the punctured radiator hose wasn't repairable in time to salvage any championship points.

Ashburn's misfortune allowed Carolina KTM/RidePG.com's Chris Bach to make his way into the third place spot. Bach set his sights on Russell and Mullins but the KTM duo had created a large gap on the rest of the field. From there, Bach rode a solid and consistent race to finish third place physically, but in the end it was DuVall who prevailed with third place overall on adjusted time.

Mullins made a valiant charge on Russell during the final lap, ultimately finishing 10 seconds back for second place. Russell's victory marked three-in-a-row for the Ohio native, closing the points gap on Mullins to only three points heading into the summer break.

[caption id="attachment_27420" align="alignright" width="300"] Grant Baylor topped the XC2 Pro Lites Class at Snowshoe - Photo: Ken Hill[/caption]

AmPro Yamaha's Paul Whibley rounded out the top five in the XC1 class, while 2012 Snowshoe winner Rory Mead captured sixth aboard his FMF/RPM/KTM Team Maxxis ride. RidePG.com/ Maxxis/FLY Racing's Adam Bonneur finished seventh; Litz Racing Honda's Takeshi Koikeda took eighth, while Mark Fortner and Ricky Russell rounded out the top 10.

KTM Support rider Grant Baylor and DirtWise Schools/KTM-Parts.com/Maxxis rider Jason Thomas went head-to-head for the XC2 Pro Lites Class win. Baylor prevailed with the XC2 Class win, also capturing an impressive fifth place overall. Thomas' second place finish in the class was good enough to earn the defending champion sixth place overall for the day. Pennsylvania's Shane Hufford Jr. earned his first career podium finish in the XC2 class with third place.

North Carolina's Trevor Bollinger grabbed another victory in the 4 Stroke A Lites Class, also securing the Top Amateur Award with 14th overall for the day. The next finishing amateur rider was 250 A winner Zach Love with 19th overall.

The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series continues June 29 and 30 with the AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC. For more information on the series, visit www.gnccracing.com.

About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,500 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

Source: GNCC Racing

Kailub Russell Victorious At Snowshoe GNCC

[caption id="attachment_27416" align="alignright" width="300"] Kailub Russell took his third consecutive victory at the ninth round of the GNCC Series - Photo: Harlen Foley[/caption]

Factory FMF/KTM rider Kailub Russell took his third consecutive victory at the ninth round of the GNCC Series in front of an excited crowd at the Snowshoe Ski Resort. His teammate, Charlie Mullins, finished just 10 seconds behind him after the three-hour battle to finish 2nd overall for the day.Russell and Mullins leaped off to decent starts at the beginning of the race. The two KTM riders battled for the lead until Russell suffered a crash early on in the first lap. He quickly recovered and moved back up to 2nd place before he suffered another tip over that set him back to 7th 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. Once I was back on track, it took me a while to get back into a podium position as 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 2nd position before the halfway point of the race," stated Russell.

Once in 2nd position, he dropped the hammer and turned lap times faster than his teammate Mullins, which allowed him to close the gap and challenge for the lead. With two laps to go he was able to get by Mullins on an uphill ski slope and move into the lead position. From there he went on to finish the race without any mistakes to claim his third consecutive win. Mullins remained in the hunt and finished only 10 seconds down when the checkered flag flew. Now heading into the summer break the two KTM teammates are tied for the points lead.

In the XC2 Pro Lites class, rookie rider, Grant Baylor, took his third win of the season. Baylor caught and passed Jason Thomas for the lead on the final lap to secure the win and strengthen his points lead.

Next Event: New Berlin, NY - September 7-8, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Snowshoe GNCC Overview And Point Standings

Overall Results

1. Charlie Mullins - 227
   
2. Kailub Russell - 220
   
3. Chris Bach - 157
   
4. Thad DuVall - 157
   
5. Josh Strang - 147
   
6. Paul Whibley - 143
   
7. Jordan Ashburn - 123
   
8. Takeshi Koikeda - 114
   
9. Adam Bonneur - 112
   
10. Ricky Russell - 104
    

1. Grant Baylor - 203
   
2. Jason Thomas - 180
   
3. Andrew DeLong - 121
   
4. Shane Hufford Jr - 115
   
5. AJ Stewart - 102
   
6. Zach Nolan - 96
   
7. Travis Coy - 91
   
8. Layne Michael - 89
   
9. Jedediah Haines - 88
   
10. Chris Douglas - 86
    

1. Manid Mastin - 141
   
2. Becca Sheets - 141
   
3. Kacy Martinez - 134
   
4. Maria Forsberg - 134
   
5. Hannah Otto - 113
   
6. Jessica Patterson - 97
   
7. Brooke Cosner - 93
   
8. Karlynn Beam - 92
   
9. Allie Spurgeon - 90
   
10. Dawn Silvia - 76
    

1. Charlie Mullins - 223
   
2. Kailub Russell - 220
   
3. Chris Bach - 151
   
4. Thad DuVall - 135
   
5. Paul Whibley - 127
   
6. Josh Strang - 122
   
7. Grant Baylor - 109
   
8. Jason Thomas - 106
   
9. Jordan Ashburn - 91
   
10. Andrew DeLong - 61