Kailub Russell Leads a KTM Sweep in GNCC's XC1, XC2 and XC3 Classes in Florida
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 | 11:05 AM
KAILUB RUSSELL LEADS A KTM SWEEP IN GNCC’S XC1, XC2 AND XC3 CLASSES IN FLORIDA
PALATKA, Fla. – FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Kailub Russell made it two-in-a-row on Sunday with a flag-to-flag victory at Round 2 of the 2020 AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in Palatka, Florida. Additionally, KTM riders made it an orange sweep in GNCC’s premier afternoon classes as Trail Jesters KTM Racing Team’s Johnny Girrior claimed his first-career XC2 250 Pro win and KTM-mounted Zack Hayes topped the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am division for the second-straight round.
Located just north of Daytona’s Bike Week festivities, the Wild Boar GNCC is known for its brutally tough course conditions with a mixture of sand, black soil and a few mud holes in between. New for this year was four miles of fresh trail, which gave the pro riders a unique stretch of new terrain to factor into their already intense three-hour race.
XC1 Open Pro
For Russell, the race started off well as he captured the XC1 Open Pro holeshot aboard his KTM 350 XC-F and set the race pace out front early on. He encountered a small crash on lap three when a vine got caught in his front brake, twisting the handlebars and jerking him off the bike. However, he was able to re-mount with plenty of time to spare and from there, the seven-time GNCC Champion gradually extended his lead to over two minutes by the checkers.
Kailub Russell: “It was a tough day but I got a great start and just kind of did my own thing, trying not to make any mistakes. I kept a pretty steady pace the first three laps and I was able to get that buffer and kind of bide my time and ride the final three laps. It’s easy to do that when you’re not under pressure and you can kind of pick your lines and get around the lappers a little more stress-free. It was a brutal course but it wasn’t as bad as it has been in years past.”
Russell’s XC1 teammates, Ben Kelley and Josh Toth, were both forced to miss the second round due to injury. Kelley recently underwent shoulder surgery and he is expected to return to racing by the end of July. Toth re-fractured his right tibia while preparing for the opening round and he is currently rehabbing his leg with plans to return to racing by the end of March.
With just one week off between rounds, Russell and the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team will return to action next Sunday, March 15 with The General GNCC in Washington, Georgia.
XC2 250 Pro
Coming off a runner-up finish at the season opener, Girrior came into Round 2 with vengeance on his mind. The Massachusetts native got off to a mid-pack start aboard his KTM 250 XC-F and came through the first mile of the opening lap just outside the top-10. He quickly picked up the pace and charged his way into the top-five by the end of lap one and by the next lap he was inside podium contention. Heading into the third lap, the lead battle began to shape up and Girroir was able to overtake the top spot by the halfway point. From there, he put his head down and charged through the final half of the race, leading the last four laps to secure a 24-second victory in the class.
Johnny Girrior: “Honestly, I didn’t hydrate and prepare myself for the race at Big Buck and I knew I had a lot more to show, so I was coming out here wanting to win really badly. I just want to continue getting on the podium and go after this XC2 Championship."
It was another great ride for KTM-mounted rider Zack Hayes, who secured his second win of the season in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class. Hayes made a big climb from a 10th place start to ultimately take over the lead on the final lap of racing.
Next Race: Washington, Georgia – March 15, 2020
XC1 Open Pro Results – Wild Boar GNCC
1. Kailub Russell, KTM
2. Josh Strang, KAW
3. Ricky Russell, HQV
Overall Championship Standings
1. Kailub Russell, 60 points (2 wins)
2. Josh Strang, 46
3. Ricky Russell, 46
XC2 250 Pro Results – Wild Boar GNCC
1. Johnny Girroir, KTM
2. Michael Witkowski, YAM
3. Craig DeLong, HQV
XC2 250 Pro Championship Standings
1. Michael Witkowski, 55 points (1 win)
2. Johnny Girroir, 55 (1 win)
3. Craig DeLong, 42