FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell claimed his 67th career overall XC1 win at Round 8 of the Grand National Cross Country Championship.
When the green flag waved for GNCC Round 8 it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth getting a great jump off the line to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. As the riders navigated their way through the course on the opening lap, it would be Toth holding onto the lead as he came through timing and scoring 32 seconds ahead of his fellow competitors. RPM KTM/Klim’s Dante Oliveira held onto second early in the race, with Russell charging back in third overall.
By the second lap, Russell had made the move around Oliveira and had his sights set on his teammate Toth. Toth, however, would remain in the lead with almost a 40 second lead as he continued to have a pretty open trail ahead of him. Babbitt’s Online Kawasaki’s Josh Strang had made his way to third by the second lap, making the pass stick on Oliveira.
When the lead pack came around on lap three, Toth’s lead had diminished to 22 seconds over Russell. Toth continued to push, and Russell continued to reel in his teammate. Strang would remain back in third, with FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley charging ahead in the fourth place position. Lap four saw Russell continuing to inch closer to Toth with a 12 second gap between the two. Strang and Kelley would continue to push, with Babbitt’s Online Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn making his way into the fifth overall position.
Things were heating up by the competition of the fifth lap, with just an 8 second gap between Toth and Russell the battle was on as they headed through the pro pits and back into the woods. Kelley had moved within two seconds of Strang to battle for the third place position and Ashburn remained fifth with FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor running in the sixth place position. However, as Baylor headed back out he would be unable to finish another lap due to a mechanical issue. Baylor would ultimately finish 10th in the XC1 class.
When the leaders emerged out of the woods and began their descent to the finish line to complete lap six of racing, and receive the white flag, there was new leader, Russell had made his way around Toth and came through timing and scoring 3.45 seconds of him. Strang would remain in the third place position, but would still have his work cut out for him as Kelley was still just 2.5 seconds behind him. Ashburn continued to make his way in the fifth place position, and Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew DeLong was running sixth in the XC1 class. Unfortunately disaster would strike DeLong once again, and a mechanical failure would take him out of the last lap. DeLong would finish the day eighth in the XC1 class.
Husqvarna/FXR/Thornhill Automotive’s Cory Buttrick and Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne were battling their way through the dust and riders, making their way around in the eighth and ninth place position on lap six. With one more lap of racing to go Buttrick and Osborne both continued to push to better their finishing positions.
With everyone’s eyes on the lead pack during the last lap of racing, Russell and Toth were bar-to-bar. Toth made the pass on Russell, but would get caught up trying to pass a lapper. This left a main line open for Russell, and he would capitalize making the pass back for the lead with less than a mile to go. With the checkered flag waving it was Russell coming through to earn his 67th career XC1 victory. Toth would finish second, just three seconds back from Russell. Strang would hold off Kelley to take third overall, but Kelley would hold onto fourth overall for the day.
In WXC, AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer took her first-ever class win. Archer jumped out to the early lead, and begin to place a gap over the rest of the field early on. Archer is currently ranked third in the WXC points standings.
BABS Racing Yamaha’s Becca Sheets battled her way to second overall and in the WXC class. Sheets would continue to push throughout the race, but would ultimately be unable to catch Archer for the lead. Sheets remains in the points lead after eight rounds of racing. Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones worked her way from a mid-pack start up to third overall by the time the checkered flag flew.
GNCC Round 8 XC1 Pro Event Results:
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Joshua Toth (KTM)
- Josh Strang (KAW)
- Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
- Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
- Cory Buttrick (HQV)
- Zach Osborne (HQV)
- Andrew DeLong (HON)
- Josh Heintz (KAW)
- Grant Baylor (SHR)
*Overall National Championship Standings after GNCC Round 8:
- Kailub Russell (235)
- Josh Strang (193)
- Jordan Ashburn (127)
- Craig DeLong (122)
- Michael Witkowski (111)
- Jonathan Girroir (107)
- Grant Baylor (85)
- Cody Barnes (82)
- Joshua Toth (81)
- Liam Draper (70)