Thursday, March 12, 2015 | 3:50 PM
The 41st annual AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, got underway last weekend in sunny Florida, where Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell secured the first win of the season in the XC1 Pro class. With only one week to prepare man and machine, the series now heads to Washington, Georgia for round two, The Maxxis General GNCC.
The Georgia terrain offers a much different experience than the Florida sands, but with little time between the first two rounds, many riders will still be in recovery mode at the second round. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Josh Strang captured a second place finish aboard an all-new race program, after making the switch during the off-season. With one victory in the 2014 season, Strang, the 2010 GNCC National Champion, looks to increase his time in the center of the podium in 2015.
Strang battled with JCR Honda’s Chris Bach and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KR4/FAR Husqvarna’s Thad DuVall throughout the three-hour race in Florida, all three riders showing strength and endurance along the way. AirGroup/Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna-backed Ryan Sipes entered his sophomore season of GNCC Racing in a big way, battling with the front-runners early on. With a year of solid off-road experience under his belt, Sipes could perhaps be an additional spoiler to the championship run.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Andrew Delong will unfortunately join 2011 GNCC Champion Charlie Mullins on the injured list for round two. Delong experienced a crash at the season opener that reportedly injured his collarbone. Mullins continues to sit out as he recovers from an ongoing double wrist injury. Additionally, two-time GNCC Champion Paul Whibley announced his retirement from GNCC in 2014 and will not be racing the series this season. With 19 career wins and two National titles (2009 and 2012), Whibley remains one of the most successful GNCC racers in the history of the sport.
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KR4/FAR’s Nick Davis holds the early points advantage in the XC2 Pro Lites class after a big victory at the season opener. Davis extends his win streak to two-in-a-row after taking the 2014 season finale as well. Davis has a talented field of competition behind him, including Raines Riding University/Atlas Yamaha/OffRoadViking.com’s Ricky Russell, who finished second at the season opener. DirtWise/Maxxis/KLIM’s Jason Thomas grabbed a podium finish in his first race back in the XC2 Pro Lites class as he starts his bid for a second championship.
Sunday’s race schedule is as follows: Youth Bike racing begins at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs and Women at 10 a.m. and the top amateurs and pros begin at 1 p.m.
Adult (12+) gate admission is $20 for the full weekend and $10 for kids (6-11). Kids five and under are free. All admission includes pro pit access. Local racers are invited to compete at this event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur racer entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the track.
Tune into RacerTV.com on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST to catch LIVE coverage of the Pro Bike race at Round 2. For more information on GNCC Live coverage, visit www.racertv.com.
The 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series returns to action this weekend, March 14 and 15 for The Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Georgia. For more information on the series, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
Previous Round Results and Point Standings
Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC
Palatka, Florida
Round 1 of 13
Saturday, March 7
XC1 Event Results:
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Josh Strang (HSQ)
- Chris Bach (HON)
- Thad DuVall (HSQ)
- Tyler Medaglia (HSQ)
- Ryan Sipes (HSQ)
- Grant Baylor (YAM)
- Jordan Ashburn (YAM)
- Takeshi Koikeda (HON)
- Cory Graffunder (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Kailub Russell (30)
- Josh Strang (25)
- Chris Bach (21)
- Thad DuVall (18)
- Tyler Medaglia (16)
- Nick Davis (15)
- Ryan Sipes (14)
- Ricky Russell (13)
- Jason Thomas (12)
- Grant Baylor (11)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2015 National Champion.
XC2 Event Results:
- Nick Davis (HSQ)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Jason Thomas (KTM)
- Tegan Temple (KTM)
- Craig Delong (HSQ)
- Layne Michael (HON)
- Cory Buttrick (BET)
- Michael Witkowski (KTM)
- Brad Bakken (YAM)
- Drew Torrance (KTM)
XC2 Series Standings:
- Nick Davis (30)
- Ricky Russell (25)
- Jason Thomas (21)
- Tegan Temple (18)
- Craig Delong (16)
- Layne Michael (15)
- Cory Buttrick (14)
- Michael Witkowski (13)
- Brad Bakken (12)
- Drew Torrance (11)
About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series presented by Maxxis 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 2,000 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 NBCSN and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.