Mud mucker race report

The opening round of the 2014 Amsoil GNCC Series was one of the most hyped openers in recent history.  With a field of veterans and rookies on the front row that made up five XC1 Championships, four XC2 Championships, three National Enduro Titles, and three Supercross wins, the line up promised to showcase a great battle for the first three hours of the season. 

The action did not disappoint.  Rocky Mountain MC backed Josh Strang took the All Balls Racing $250 Holeshot, leading AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley and Rockstar KTM’s Ryan Sipes close behind.  Behind Strang, chaos ensued when the entire FMF KTM team went down exiting the first turn, collecting Factory Husqvarna’s Andrew Delong in the process.  Delong and Stu Baylor would take off first, with Kailub Russell and Charlie Mullins finally going about 30 seconds later.

Up front the top three would stay close through the opening lap, with Sipes making a pass on Strang before the endurocross section, while Whibley had around a 3 second lead just ahead.  Morgantown Powersports Honda’s Thad Duvall and JCR Honda’s Chris Bach would round out the top five.

By the time the front pack would complete lap 2, Charlie Mullins would come from sixth all the way to the lead, in the process solidifying himself for the KR4 Performance Fast Lap Award.  Whibley would follow close behind, setting up a great battle for the next 3 laps, taking the lead back on lap 4.  Duvall and Strang would wage their own battle for third as Sipes would begin to fall back in the field, after snapping off his brake petal on lap four.  Defending Champ Kailub Russell would work his way into third on lap 5, though with two laps to go, his bike would stall during his final pit stop of the afternoon.  The FMF KTM team would push Russell’s bike most of the way down pit lane before it finally fired.  Russell would drop to fifth in the process.

In the end, Mullins would stretch his lead over New Zealand’s Whibley, taking the first overall win of the year.  Whibley would take second while Duvall would put in a huge charge on Strang through the final field section.  Strang would hold off Duvall for the final spot on the podium, with the West Virginia native less than a bike length behind.  Delong would charge from down in the first turn, to round out the top five in his first race in XC1.  Stu Baylor would take sixth, while AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn would follow in seventh.  Sipes with no rear brake would take eighth, with Russell right behind him in ninth.  Japan’s Takeshi Koikeda would round out the top ten.

In the XC2 class, it would be KR4 Performance backed Shane Hufford grabbing the Digital Offroad $100 Holeshot.  Hufford, who was only able to finalize his KR4 ride less than two weeks before the first round, would lead the field through lap 1, with AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell in tow.

At the halfway point, Dirtwise KTM teammates Jesse Groemm and Rory Mead would make their way to the front, displacing Russell.

With two laps to go, Groemm would carry a 49 second lead into pit lane for his final fuel stop.  There he would experience mechanical issues that were being worked on while teammate Mead would make his way in for his final stop.  Fuel and goggles would all the New Zealand rider would need, as he would lead Groemm out of the pits by the front wheel, and Yamaha’s Russell would follow after his final stop, only twenty seconds behind.

Mead would carry the lead the final two laps into the finish to take the win over Russell, while holeshot winner Hufford would take third.  Groemm wouldn’t complete another lap after his final pit stop.  Fourth would go to rookie Trevor Bollinger, with Chris Douglas rounding out the top five.  Defending Champ Grant Baylor would struggle with crashes all day, eventually taking sixth ahead of Yamaha mounted Callen May, Florida native Garrett Edmisten, Kyle Hangos, and Michael McGinnis.

Top Amateur honors would go to Pennsylvania’s Craig Delong.

The 2014 Amsoil GNCC Series continues this weekend, March 15 and 16 at The General in Washington, GA.

XC1 Results

1.   Charlie Mullins

2.   Paul Whibley

3.   Josh Strang

4.   Thad Duvall

5.   Andrew Delong

6.   Stu Baylor

7.   Jordan Ashburn

8.   Ryan Sipes

9.   Kailub Russell

10. Takeshi Koikeda

XC2 Results

1.   Rory Mead

2.   Ricky Russell

3.   Shane Hufford

4.   Trevor Bollinger

5.   Chris Douglas

6.   Grant Baylor

7.   Callen May

8.   Garrett Edmisten

9.   Kyle Hangos

10. Michael McGinnis

Overall

1.   Charlie Mullins

2.   Paul Whibley

3.   Josh Strang

4.   Thad Duvall

5.   Andrew Delong

6.   Stu Baylor

7.   Jordan Ashburn

8.   Rory Mead

9.   Ricky Russell

10. Shane Hufford