Josh Strang took second place at Round 8 of the GNCC motorcycle series, while Jason Thomas snared his first XC2 Pro Lites win of the year. The race was held June 16 in Masontown, West Virginia.

Riding over muddy terrain, Strang got a good start and went on to post his best finish of the season. “It was rockier than I thought it would be,” said Strang. “In the open areas it was slick; I guess overall, it was pretty slick and technical. Once we were in the woods, it was rocky, and you had to keep the RPMS low to keep traction. The [Maxxcross] SI front and rear were great again.”

Fellow Maxxis rider Chris Bach took fourth place despite a mishap in the final lap, and holds fourth place in XC1 Pro standings as well. Maxxis’ sponsored riders Adam Bonneur and Rory Mead also made the top ten, in eighth and tenth places. Strang and Bach are third and fourth in points for the class, with Bonneur and Ricky Russell in ninth and tenth places.

Thomas gained the front position after the second lap of the XC2 race, increasing his lead to more than a minute by the finish line. "That was so much fun today,” Thomas said. “Once I got in the lead, I just settled into a smooth consistent pace until the last lap, when I thought it was time to put in a heater of a lap to just reaffirm to everyone who they need to beat.” Thomas is second in points for the class.
Two other Maxxis riders turned in excellent finishes in XC2 as well, with Chris Douglas in fifth place and Travis Coy in ninth. Andrew Delong (currently recovering from an injury) is third in XC2 points for the season, while Coy is eighth.

In the Women’s class, Kacy Martinez and Mandi Mastin took second and third places. Maxxis also sponsored the day’s top amateur, Zach Love, who earned 14th place overall.

Maxxis congratulates Josh Strang and Jason Thomas and thanks all of its riders for their excellent performances.