An Undefeated Russell Scores 27th Career Victory At The Limestone 100 GNCC
[caption id="attachment_45589" align="alignright"
width="300"] Photo: Ken Hill[/caption]
FMF KTM Factory rider Kailub
Russell extended his win streak in the 2015 GNCC Series to
five-in-a-row on Sunday after capturing another win at the
Limestone 100 GNCC in Springville, Indiana.
Rainfall the day before the race made for challenging track
conditions, where the course was shortened to only eight miles,
with lap times much shorter than usual. Russell got a great jump
off the line where he entered the first turn in second place.
However, Russell quickly lost his advantage in a collision with
another rider's wheel, causing Russell to go down in the second
turn and ultimately take off in a dead last position.
Russell worked his way up to fourth after lap one, where he
continued to push his way to the front, taking over the lead on lap
four. From there, Russell swapped lead positions several times with
Thad DuVall at first, and then with Grant Baylor.
"It was a tough day straight from the start," remarked Russell.
"The track was slick and a lot worse than I anticipated but it got
better and better. It took me a good bit to catch the leaders and
see them but it was one of those days you wanted someone in front
of you.
[caption id="attachment_45586" align="alignleft"
width="300"] Photo: Ken Hill[/caption]
It was really hard to lead because there were so many lines. That
last lap I knew I needed to minimize mistakes and ride well, and I
was able to do that. But those guys were riding really well."
Russell maintained his composure through the final moments of the
nine-lap dirt bike race, ultimately
finishing 19 seconds ahead of Baylor for the win. Sunday's victory
marks Russell's 27th career win in GNCC, where he now sits third on
the all-time wins list.
Russell's teammate, Kacy
Martinez, captured her fourth win of the season at round five.
Despite challenging track conditions at the beginning of the 10
a.m. race, Martinez fought back from outside the top five to put
herself into the lead by lap three.
From there, Martinez got into a rhythm and extended her lead to
over two and a half minutes at the conclusion of the two-hour race,
where she also finished third overall for the day. Martinez, the
reigning WXC Champion, holds a ten-point lead in the class after
five rounds of racing.
Next Event: Odessa, New York - May 10, 2015
Limestone 100 Overview And Point Standings
2015 GNCC Series Limestone 100 Image Gallery (Click for full size images)
Overall Results - XC1 Pro and XC2 Pro Lites Combined
- Kailub Russell
- Grant Baylor
- Thad DuVall
- Josh Strang
- Jordan Ashburn
- Ryan Sipes
- Chris Bach
- Andrew DeLong
- Jason Thomas
- Craig DeLong
Overall Point Standings - XC1 Pro Class
- Kacy Martinez
- Becca Sheets
- Sarah Baldwin
- Brooke Cosner
- Rachel Gutish
- Jessica Patterson
- Samantha Steiner
- Ashley Copeland
- Natasha Lachapelle
- Annelisa Davis
Overall Results - WXC Class
- Kailub Russell - 50
- Josh Strang - 18
- Grant Baylor - 0
Overall Point Standings - WXC Class
- Kacy Martinez - 9
- Becca Sheets - 9
- Rachel Gutish - 5
Source: KTM North America