Cycle News Staff | April 4, 2016
The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Maxxis set its sights on the legendary Steele Creek Campground for round three of what is now shaping up to be a competitive season. FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell put an abrupt stop to Josh Strang’s win streak, and reclaimed the center spot on the XC1 podium, marking his first win of 2016. Russell’s win came after a three-hour battle with Strang, Chris Bach and a returning Charlie Mullins.
The weather can always be a factor with GNCC races, and this round has a history of throwing the racers a curveball. On Friday, heavy rains turned the region into a wet and sloppy mess, however strong winds rushed in Saturday evening and transformed the once waterlogged facility into one of the best tracks in recent memory, much to the delight of thousands of spectators who flooded the North Carolina hills.
FMF/KTM’s Charlie Mullins made his return to the GNCC racing a memorable one by ripping the XC1 Holeshot and set a blistering pace through the first few laps. After recovering from a double-wrist injury last year, it was just the confidence boost that Mullins needed. Mullins’ pace showed he still had what it takes to run out front, however, his day was cut short when the severe pounding started to affect his wrists. Mullins called it a day after relinquishing the lead to his teammate, Kailub Russell. While the lead would swap back and forth multiple times, it was Russell who was on the move after overcoming a bad start, which once again forced him to battle his way through the XC1 pack to take control.
Behind the leader, the battle for the podium was heating up as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Strang and JCR Honda’s Bach dueled it out. Kailub Russell had a comfortable lead by the end of the race and he captured the win, leaving Strang with a solid runner-up finish and Bach with his first podium of the season.
Strang was disappointed to see an end to his win streak, but still retains to the overall points lead. “I struggled in the first half of the race and when I finally put it all together I was too far back,” Strang lamented. “I’ll take it for this round, but my plan is to be back in the middle of the box at Big Buck.”
“It’s awesome to get my first podium of the season,” Bach said. “I had a decent start and was able to even lead a little bit of the race. I’ve been dealing with issues from my crash in Florida but I’m taking it race by race and we’re finally back where we should be.”
In the XC2 ranks, JCR Honda/Lucas Oil rider Trevor Bollinger was looking to make it three in a row in front of his hometown fans. But Coastal Racing riders Layne Michael and Craig DeLong weren’t about to let Bollinger have it so easy. But in the end, nothing could stop Bollinger—not even a hard crash—from taking the XC2 win.
“It feels great to get a win at my hometown race especially after the race I had,” Bollinger said.
“I just couldn’t get a clean lap in the whole race, but it feels good to come out with another win and keep fighting for the championship.”
Michael took second place followed by DeLong, marking a double-podium for the newly formed Coastal Racing team.
The hotly contested WXC class would see a new name claiming the win as Fly Racing/Maxxis/Yamaha’s Becca Sheets took her first win of the season. With a huge turnout of race entries, the morning race was clogged with lappers that effectively kept the pace changing lap after lap. FMF/KTM’s Kacy Martinez took second place—her first non-win of the season—followed by Bonzi/RideMPS.com’s Brook Cosner.
Steele Creek GNCC Results: Top 10 Overall
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Josh Strang (Hus)
- Chris Bach (Hon)
- Ryan Sipes (Hus)
- Trevor Bollinger (Hon) XC2
- Layne Michael (Hus) XC2
- Daniel Milner (Yam)
- Craig DeLong (Hus) XC2
- Jordan Ashburn (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (Yam)
Results: www.GNCCRacing.com