Shan Moore | May 23, 2022
“I went to [the John Penton GNCC] for 15 years and never got a win, and now I’ve got two in a row,” said Josh Strang after winning this weekend’s John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio. Last year, the Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green rider passed Ben Kelley on the final lap to take the win. This year, though still not 100 percent after breaking his arm earlier in the year, Strang led for most of the three-hour event, taking the checkered flag 11 seconds clear of second place. Kelly, unfortunately, didn’t make the race this time due to a broken leg suffered at a National Enduro the week before, ending the FMF/KTM rider’s six-race win streak.
“I’m a little surprised about the win today but I’ll take it,” said Strang. “I felt like I had a good pace, and I actually was fairly comfortable, but I still have some healing to do. The next two races, I just need to get through, have a good result and then heal up over the summer break so I’m ready to go for the second half.”
Strang grabbed the holeshot and the win at the John Penton GNCC. Photos: Ken Hill
Like many before, this year’s John Penton GNCC was a muddy affair after a downpour greased up the track about an hour before the start.
“There were some parts of the track that were so grippy, and then other parts that were just so slippery,” said the 34-year-old Strang. “The last little hill climb coming out of the creek, on the last lap I had a big enough gap that I took a new line, and it was sketchy. Just happy to get through with it and stoked to get another win. Sometimes they’re few and far between, but there’s not many other people winning, so I’ll take it.”
Ricky Russell, who is also rebounding from an injury, was equally pleased with a runner-up finish. The Coastal Racing GasGas rider passed Strang twice on the second lap but fell each time, handing the lead back to the Aussie.
“Most people are like, ‘He’s not going to last three hours,’ but we came out here and proved them wrong,” said Russell. “It’s been a struggle to get here, to say the least; I told the boys I’m finally healthy and feel strong again coming in here. It felt good because we were right in contention the whole race. With two laps to go, Josh really laid the hammer down and got away from me. I tried to pin it last lap as hard as I could and hit my lines. I felt like I had a good last lap, but he was about ten, fifteen ahead of me on the finish.”
Ricky Russell grabbed a podium after three hours of racing.
Consistent as usual and known for his mud-riding skills, Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna rider Jordan Ashburn made up for a bad start, chipping away at the competition until finally landing third at the finish.
“I didn’t get a very good start and I was pretty frustrated because I just couldn’t ride to my potential,” said Ashburn. “I couldn’t get around anybody. Passing was really difficult on this track, so I did the best I could. Midrace I kind of got with it a little bit and was able to get my breath and start pushing hard. I kind of just reeled it in towards the end and snagged third. Just another lap maybe we could have kept on going. I felt good at the end of the race. That’s what we’ve been working on this year. So, we’ll keep on it.”
Just missing the podium was FMF/KTM’s Josh Toth, who ran as high as second early in the race but had to make two pit stops for clean goggles, as well as losing time when he got stuck on the side of a hill. Toth made a strong push on the final lap to make up ground and managed to salvage fourth.
“I just stayed behind the leader, but I kept getting hammered with roost and went through all my tear-offs, so I had to stop for goggles after lap one,” said Toth. “Then, I hit a short hill climb and made a mistake running into the back of somebody. I got hung up and had to make another run at it and it covered my goggles and gloves in mud. It was super difficult for a lap and a half, but then after pitting, I felt good and fresh and fought to the end for fourth.”
That’s Jordan Ashburn under that mud. He landed the final spot on the podium.
REV Motorsports GasGas Grant Baylor also had problems with the mud en route to fifth.
“I went down on lap four, over the bars into a mudhole and got my gloves kind of muddy, and I lost a bit of time,” said Baylor. “I tried to get back up and salvage third place, but Jordan and Josh just came up on me and went flying by me. I didn’t have anything for those guys. So, we rode it in for fifth place.”
For the first three laps of the race the XC2 250 Pro class was a tight battle between FMF/Husqvarna’s Evan Smith, who grabbed the holeshot, Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green Lyndon Snodgrass, Coastal Racing GasGas’ Ryder Lafferty and Phoenix Honda Racing’s Cody Barnes. However, when Barnes finally got into the lead he checked out, claiming a sixth-overall finish which was good enough for first in the XC2 250 Pro division. It was Barnes’ first win in the class.
“I knew it was slick out there and a lot of the guys were sliding around and crashing, so I just tried to ride smooth,” said Barnes. “I’m pretty speechless. I’ve been chasing this for a while, and I’ve been close a couple times. To win it is awesome. I’m pumped. We’ve been up there, but just had some bad luck. I think I was just able to put it all together.”
Cody Barnes was the big winner in the XC-2 division, the first of his career.
Lafferty was second in class and seventh overall, almost a minute-and-a-half behind Barnes.
“I was grinning when I saw it raining, because I like to ride the mud,” said Lafferty. “I knew that whoever minimized their mistakes would come out on top.”
Lafferty caught up to Smith early on and ran second for a while but then fell in a ravine and lost a lot of time but was able to dig in to work his way back up to second.
Tely Energy Racing’s Liam Draper claimed his best finish of the season with an eighth overall, which was good enough for third in the XC2 250 Pro class.
AmPro Yamaha’s Mike Witkowski and Snodgrass rounded out the top 10 overall, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in the XC2 ranks.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna/Surge Off-Road Coaching Team’s Tayla Jones took the win in the WXC class, beating KTM’s Brandy Richards by over a minute. Jones retook the points lead with the win.
In drier conditions, Tayla Jones took first overall in the morning race and the WXC class.
“It’s been crazy tight this first half of the season with the points lead going back and forth,” said Jones. “Today I took it back. Korie took it last round. I was pumped to grab the win. It was super gnarly out there, especially in the end when the rain came. It got so slippery.”
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer was third, with Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Korie Steede in fourth and Enduro Engineering/Fly Racing KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker in fifth.
Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Brody Johnson beat out XC/Moose Racing/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes to win the FMF XC-3 125 Pro-Am class, with Husqvarna-mounted Jake Froman in third.
Brody Johnson topped the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am division.
OVERALL
- Josh Strang (Kaw)
- Ricky Russell (GG)
- Jordan Ashburn (Hus)
- Josh Toth (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (GG)
- Cody Barnes (Hon) XC2 250
- Ryder Lafferty (GG) XC2 250
- Liam Draper (KTM) XC2 250
- Mike Witkowski (Yam) XC2 250
- Lyndon Snodgrass (Kaw) XC2 250
