GNCC Racing

Kailub Russell Looks to Become Victorious at X-Factor Whitetails GNCC

Kailub Russell Looks to Become Victorious at X-Factor Whitetails GNCC

Thursday, May 10, 2018 | 9:00 AM
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Thursday, May 10, 2018 | 9:00 AM

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(304) 284-0084
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Kailub Russell Looks to Become Victorious at X-Factor Whitetails GNCC
Thad Duvall Aiming For Second Win of Season

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (May 10, 2018) – This weekend, May 12 and 13 the 2018 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, returns to Peru, Indiana for the Second Annual X-Factor Whitetails GNCC. FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell earned his fourth win of the season at the previous round, however he was only .620 second ahead of Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Thad Duvall.

Kailub Russell (#1) and Thad Duvall (#989) have been battling to the checkered flag for the last couple rounds, only time will tell who will take home the win this weekend at the X-Factor Whitetails GNCC.
Kailub Russell (#1) and Thad Duvall (#989) have been battling to the checkered flag for the last couple rounds, only time will tell who will take home the win this weekend at the X-Factor Whitetails GNCC. Ken Hill

Russell and Duvall have dominated the beginning of the season, but Duvall has only earned one win thus far. Duvall will be looking to repeat his success from last year’s inaugural X-Factor Whitetails GNCC. With a 19-point deficit, Duvall and K. Russell will be a pair to keep an eye on come Sunday’s 1 p.m. race.

After finishing third overall in the points last year, AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell was a favorite coming into the 2018 season. However, a slew of bad luck and mechanical issues has put R. Russell back to ninth in points. R. Russell finally had a breakthrough race in South Carolina, where he finished the day third overall. R. Russell will be looking to once again earn a podium finish, and put the bad luck behind him.

Tely Energy Racing/KTM’s Steward Baylor is currently third in the championship point standings, and after finishing off-pace at round five he will be looking to return to the XC1 Open Pro class podium. The frustration from his performance at the previous round may very well be used as motivation to propel him to the front of the pack.

Steward Baylor has consistently finished inside the top five overall, but he's hoping for another podium finish this Sunday.
Steward Baylor has consistently finished inside the top five overall, but he's hoping for another podium finish this Sunday. Ken Hill

Coming into round six JCR Honda’s Trevor Bollinger has consistently been in the top five overall. After finishing third at his hometown race, Bollinger pushed through small issues at the previous round to finish fourth place in the XC1 Open Pro class. With his first XC1 Open Pro podium behind him, Bollinger knows what it takes to remain at the front of the field and will ultimately be looking to do so once again.

2010 GNCC National Champion, Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Josh Strang, currently sits fifth in the XC1 Open Pro class standings. Strang landed on the podium at last year’s X-Factor Whitetails event, finishing second place. With fifth and sixth place finishes thus far in 2018, Strang will be looking to make his way onto the podium and possibly contend for the overall win. 

KR4/Husqvarna’s Layne Michael and Beta USA’s Jordan Ashburn have seen up and down moments through this point of the 2018 GNCC Racing season, however both riders have been able to challenge the front of the pack at various points in the first five rounds. Rounding out the top ten XC1 Open Pro class riders are KR4/Husqvarna’s Cory Buttrick and Solid Performance KTM/Fly Racing’s Jesse Groemm, who are both, looking to improve on their results from the beginning of the season. 

Defending XC2 250 Pro Champion, Josh Toth is hoping to earn another win this season and take home some valuable points in the championship battle.
Defending XC2 250 Pro Champion, Josh Toth is hoping to earn another win this season and take home some valuable points in the championship battle. Ken Hill

The XC2 250 Pro class battles have been heated between FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth and Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Ben Kelley. Kelley currently leads the championship point standings, with Toth 30 points behind him. Coastal Racing/Husqvarna’s Pascal Rauchenecker is currently third even after suffering a hand injury during round four. Rauchenecker flew home to Austria to have surgery as quickly as possible, and has since made his return to the United States for this weekend’s GNCC.

Indiana native, M&E Honda/Fly Racing/Alpinestars Austin Lee earned his first podium finish of the season two weeks ago in South Carolina. Lee is now hoping for another battle at the front of the XC2 250 Pro class this weekend in front of his family and friends.

Starting from the third row Sunday afternoon is the FMF XC3 125 Pro Am class. FMF/Maxxis/RPM KTM’s Jesse Ansley holds the first place position in points after winning three races, followed by Raines Riding University/Yamaha’s Jason Raines in second. Cody Barnes, who is tied with Raines sits third, but will be looking to earn his second win of the season.

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 pros and top amateurs race at 1 p.m.

Josh Toth (center) and Ben Kelley (left) have been battling it out all season, but Austin Lee (right) is a native of Indiana and looking to earn his first win in front of family and friends.
Josh Toth (center) and Ben Kelley (left) have been battling it out all season, but Austin Lee (right) is a native of Indiana and looking to earn his first win in front of family and friends. Ken Hill

The event is co-sanctioned with IXCR, a series that produces local racing events in the state of Indiana, and will ultimately bring out a full slate of local racers. All local riders are invited and encouraged to compete in the event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is only $50 and riders can sign up at the event. To learn more about GNCC Racing, refer to the GNCC 101 webpage.

All local riders are invited and encouraged to compete in the event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. Local racers expected to compete Sunday on bikes are Brook Barker (Masters B 50+), Trenton Baughman (Open B), Jacob Blythe (125 B/C), Austin Bratcher (YXC2 Super Mini Jr. 12-13), Devin Burks (Junior A/B 25+), Corey Burton (Open B), Rick Burton (Senior A 40+), Riley Burton (YXC1 Super Mini Sr 14-15), Mike Witkowski (XC2 250 Pro), Jaryn Williams (Open A), Maxwell Randolph (Open A), David Quillen (FMF XC3 125 Pro Am), Elizabeth Perez (Women), Luke Newton (65 7-9), Rod Marshall (Masters A 50+), Rachel Gutish (WXC), Austin Lee (XC2 250 Pro), Keaton Lawson (65 7-9), John Lawson (Super Vet C 35+), Geoff Lance (250 A), Jack Joy (85 12-13), Logan Grounds (MicroXC2 6-8), Lucas Grounds (YXC2 Super Mini Jr. 12-13) and Joel Creed (Elite Masters 65+).

For a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit the X-Factor Whitetails GNCC event page on the series website by clicking HERE

Tune in to RacerTV.com on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST to catch LIVE streaming of the Pro bike race. For more information on GNCC Live coverage visit www.racertv.com. A highlight show featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, June 9 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

Cody Barnes will be aiming for a finish on the center of the podium this weekend.
Cody Barnes will be aiming for a finish on the center of the podium this weekend. Ken Hill

X-Factor Whitetails of Indiana is a privately owned and operated hunting ranch that offers guided hunts for groups of all sizes. The Indiana preserve has over 1,200 acres with one of the most beautiful lodges in the country. If you are looking for a challenging whitetail hunt for some of the biggest deer in the country, you have found the right place. To find out more about the X-Factor Whitetails Hunting Ranch click HERE

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.

Previous Round Results and Points Standings

CST Tires Camp Coker Bullet
Society Hill, South Carolina
Round 5 of 13
Sunday, April 22

XC1 Open Pro Event Results:

  1. Kailub Russell (KTM)
  2. Thad Duvall (HQV)
  3. Ricky Russell (YAM)
  4. Trevor Bollinger (HON)
  5. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
  6. Josh Strang (HQV)
  7. Jordan Ashburn (BET)
  8. Cory Buttrick (HQV)
  9. Jesse Groemm (KTM)
  10. Andrew Delong (GAS)

*Overall National Championship Standings:

  1. Kailub Russell (145)
  2. Thad Duvall (126)
  3. Steward Baylor Jr. (99)
  4. Trevor Bollinger (90)
  5. Ben Kelley (79)
  6. Josh Strang (71)
  7. Josh Toth (61)
  8. Layne Michael (52)
  9. Ricky Russell (51)
  10. Pascal Rauchenecker (50)

*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2018 National Champion.

XC2 250 Pro Event Results:

  1. Josh Toth (KTM)
  2. Ben Kelley (KTM)
  3. Austin Lee (HON)
  4. Liam Draper (HQV)
  5. Evan Smith (HQV)
  6. Trevor Barrett (YAM)
  7. Braxton McGee (HQV)
  8. Jonathan Johnson (YAM)
  9. Pascal Rauchenecker (HQV)
  10. Nick Davis (GAS)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:

  1. Ben Kelley (140)
  2. Josh Toth (110)
  3. Pascal Rauchenecker (100)
  4. Craig Delong (75)
  5. Liam Draper (69)
  6. Austin Lee (65)
  7. Evan Smith (59)
  8. Trevor Barrett (52)
  9. Nick Davis (51)
  10. Jonathan Johnson (51)

About GNCC Racing
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series 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 2,400 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., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

How to Watch
Racer TV and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) are the official homes for coverage of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opening Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina to the finale at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, will air in 30-minue; taped-delayed telecasts on NBCSN, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 1 p.m. ATV and motorcycle races from each event, in addition to the six UTV rounds. Catch all the action at http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.racertv.com/.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.