GNCC Racing

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factor Racing's Thad Duvall Earns His First 2017 Win at X-Factor GNCC

Monday, May 22, 2017 | 3:45 PM

X-Factor Round 6 of the GNCC took place this weekend in Peru, Indiana where the area was hit with torrential rain throughout the entire race weekend. Overall conditions were some of the worst to race in due to the amount of soft and slick mud. GNCC shortened the course to four laps of seven miles, where lap times ranged between 24 and 26 minutes for top riders.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Thad Duvall claims his first GNCC win of 2017. 
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Thad Duvall claims his first GNCC win of 2017.  Ken Hill

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall rounded the first corner in the back of the pack due to a poor start off of the line. His speed and agility through the mud allowed him to make passes and by race mile two, he had moved into the top five. By race mile seven, Duvall had pulled into the lead with a battle brewing between himself and the second place racer. Leading up to lap three, Duvall dropped into the top three on the heels of the leaders for some time, but by lap three he made the pass for the lead position. He rode consistent, mistake-free laps, gaining him valuable time over the competition where he would finish with his first 2017 GNCC win aboard his FX 350! 

“Round 6 was a muddy mess, but I was confident that my FX 350 would get me to the finish line! I am excited to get my first GNCC win of 2017 and hope that this is the beginning of more wins to come” said an excited Thad Duvall.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Josh Strang rides his FX 450 into the second place finishing position.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Josh Strang rides his FX 450 into the second place finishing position. Ken Hill

Josh Strang jumped his FX 450 off of the line and rounded the first turn in fourth position. The slick conditions caused him to maintain that position for a few miles before he was able to make the pass into the third place spot. On lap two, Strang was in a heated battle with the third to fifth place riders, swapping positions. He made a fast pass into third place right after the white flag fell. From there, he raced quickly through the harsh conditions and charged into the 2nd position where he would ultimately finish.

Thad Duvall (right) and Josh Strang (left) finished 1-2 at the inaugural X-Factor GNCC yesterday. 
Thad Duvall (right) and Josh Strang (left) finished 1-2 at the inaugural X-Factor GNCC yesterday.  Ken Hill

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Thad Duvall and Josh Strang will make their way next to Millfield, Ohio for Round 7 of the GNCC. 

X-Factor GNCC Round 6 XC1 Results: 

  1. Thad Duvall (HUS)
  2. Josh Strang (HUS)
  3. Ricky Russell (YAM)