But can it stop Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell and his bid for a second straight XC1 championship? This season, Russell will attempt to become the next back-to-back champion on the bike side since the UK’s David Knight came over and dominated in 2008 and 2009. Furthermore, Russell could be on his way to becoming the next American-born champion to win back-to-back since Rodney Smith last pulled it off in 2001 and 2002.

GNCC’s level of competition has increased to a point where multi-time champions are becoming few and far between, but Russell has the opportunity to make history this season. With five rounds remaining in the 2014 season, there are approximately 15 hours of racing left to go, and not to mention a hard-charging field of competitors looking to stand atop the center of the podium.

Perhaps the rider who can taste it the most is Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Josh Strang, who has finished in the third place position at six of the first eight rounds. Strang, who currently sits third in the championship standings, is working toward surpassing FMF/KTM’s Charlie Mullins for the second place position. But in order to do so before the summer break, Strang must secure an overall win on Sunday, which awards 30 championship points. Of course, a race win is ultimately what Strang is looking for, and it’s not out of the question as the 2010 GNCC Champion emerged victorious at Snowshoe in 2011.

N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn isn’t far behind Strang with fourth place in the championship standings. Ashburn heads into round nine with a pair of fourth place finishes behind him, where he just missed the overall podium at the last round when XC2 Pro Lites rider Grant Baylor pulled off a fast lap at the end to steal second place overall from the second row. The young Baylor, who currently leads the XC2 Pro Lites championship standings, has been successful in challenging the overall leaders with two second place overall finishes (beating all but one XC1 Pro rider) through the first nine rounds. Baylor’s advantage comes from the adjusted time clock as he starts on the second row at approximately 30 seconds behind the XC1 Pro Class. 

However, Snowshoe has unique starting structure where riders line up on a paved road in groups of five based off the overall point standings and each row takes off 10 seconds apart. For this round only, Baylor will start on the front row as the fifth place rider in the standings, thus pitting him directly against the fastest riders.

One rider who may be able to capitalize on the time adjustment at this round is RideMPS.com/AMSOIL/Honda’s Thad DuVall, who currently sits 11th in the championship standings. Mechanical issues and a shoulder injury, both of which have caused him to score points in only four rounds this season, have plagued DuVall this season. As a result, DuVall will begin on the third row at Snowshoe, which is approximately 20 seconds behind the front-runners. DuVall earned a podium finish at Snowshoe in 2013, where he even led some of the race, so there’s no doubt that the West Virginia native will be a favorite heading into Sunday.

N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley currently sits back in sixth overall in the championship standings. While Whibley has made it clear that he’s not a fan of the treacherous conditions that Snowshoe has to offer, the two-time champ will be an expected front-runner.

Although he holds the second place position in the championship standings, 2011 GNCC Champ Charlie Mullins will miss his second consecutive race due to injury. Mullins currently has two injured wrists, both of which he underwent surgery to repair, and it is not certain when he will return to GNCC Racing this season.