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Whibley
Wins ITP Power Line Park GNCC
Strang wraps up XC1 title, Russell takes XC2
title.
Photo
By: Shan Moore
Paul Whibley claimed his first win of the year in
Ohio.
St. Clairsville,
OH (October 10, 2010) - Paul Whibley won the
battle, but Josh Strang won the war at an exciting
round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country
Series at ITP Power Line Park in St. Clairsville,
Ohio.
Strang came into the
Ohio round with a chance to wrap up the XC1 title
early, needing to finish ahead of series rival Charlie
Mullins to do so. After starting the race in last
place, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider clawed his way
into fourth position by the second lap of the race.
Strang then spent the next two hours trying to find a
way around Mullins, finally doing so a few turns
before the finish to take third for the day and giving
him the 2010 XC1 championship - his first-ever AMA
national title.
Photo
By: Shan Moore
Glenn Kearney got his best finish of the year with a
second.
"This was the
toughest race of my life," said Strang. "I
didn't get the start I usually get, I couldn't find my
rhythm and Charlie was riding really good. I finally
just put my head down and rode as hard as I could and
I got him just as we came out of the woods before the
finish. It was a heck of a race and it's incredible to
win the title."
Meanwhile, at the front
of the pack, Whibley and Glenn Kearney waged an
equally fierce battle over first. Whibley got off to a
great start, claiming the $250 MotorcyceUSA.comHoleshot
Award on his on his AmPro/FMF Yamaha to start the
race. However, it wasn't long before Kearney moved his
310cc-kitted Husqvarna onto Whib's rear fender, the
two riders going back and forth for most of the
three-hour race. Kearney made a few last-ditch pass
attempts near the end of the race, but Whibley was
able to hold on to take the win - his first of the
season.
"It feels great to
win again," said Whibley. "I got a good
start and about midway through the first lap I started
getting in a groove. I really didn't want to have the
lead that early but I was going a good pace and then
Glenn caught me and we went back and forth. He closed
on me near the end and I just had to push a little
harder and it ended up being a pretty tough race,
Glenn was going really well."
Photo
By: Shan Moore
Josh Strang wrapped up the XC1 title in Ohio.
Kearney held on to finish
second - his best finish of the year - after leading
for much of the race. Kearney started out the year on
the Husqvarna 250 TXC, but struggled to keep pace with
the bigger 450Fs. The 310cc kit made a big difference
in Ohio, putting him on more of an even playing field.
"This year has
been a real struggle, racing the 250 against the
bigger bikes, but the new motor is really strong and I
have to give props to Husky for make a great
bike," said Kearney.
Am Pro/FMF Yamaha's
Barry Hawk Jr. had one of his best rides of the year,
finishing fifth behind the Strang/Mullins battle.
Behind Hawk came eight-time National Enduro Champion
Michael Lafferty, who was making one of his rare GNCC
appearances.
Cory Buttrick took a
nasty fall on the opening lap of the race, but the FMF/KTM
rider rebounded to finish seventh, crossing the finish
line five minutes in front of Australian Enduro Champ
Toby Price, who rode a KTM on loan from Shane Watts.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Charlie Mullins battled all race with Strang.
Ninth went to former XC2
champ Justin Williamson, while fellow Kawasaki rider
Kenneth Gilbert rounded out the top 10.
In the XC2 division,
FMF/KTM's Kailub Russell also wrapped up a title
early, taking his second-straight XC2 championship
with a come-from-behind performance. Like Strang,
Russell charged to the front after a poor start and
crossed the finish line with almost a minute to spare
over runner-up Scotty Watkins. The win was Russell's
eighth on the year.
"I knew it was
going to be tough to catch up on this track and it
was," said Russell. "I was mid-pack and I
couldn't see the ruts in the woods and I fell over and
everyone passed me. I finally got it together but I
still didn't feel comfortable all day. I just did what
I needed to do to get the win and it feels good to get
the title."
Watkins bought his
GEICO/JG Off Road/ Monster Energy Kawasaki home for
second, with Monster Energy Andrews Cycles' Jason
Thomas rounding out the podium.
Photo
By: Shan Moore
Kailub Russell won the XC2 class.
KTM's Steward Baylor Jr.
was a solid fourth in the XC2 class, while Yamaha
rider Morgan Moss finished fifth. Zach Nolan (KTM) was
sixth ahead of former Arenacross Champion Jeff Gibson
(KTM). Brian Lawson (Yam) and Josh Gaitten (KTM) were
eighth and ninth, while Jesse Robinson (KTM) finished
10thafter taking the $100 Motorcycle-USA.comHoleshot
Award at the start of the race.
Jordan Ashburn was tops
again in the Amateur ranks, finishing 11th overall and
clinching another Overall Amateur Award in addition to
winning the Open A division.
Meanwhile in the
morning race, Yamaha rider Chadd Orr beat out
Kawasaki-mounted Chad Tallman and Yamaha rider Aaron
Miller to win take the overall win and first in the
Sportsman A class. Mike Crane was fourth overall and
first in the Sportsman B division.
In the Youth race,
Dillon Shoemaker claimed his first-ever overall win,
beating out fellow KTM riders Zack Hayes and Anthony
Stone to do so.
The Can-Am Grand
National Cross Series will return on October 23rd and
24th for the series finale - the Amsoil Ironman GNCC,
held in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
XC1 Results: 1.
Paul Whibley (Yam) 2. Glenn Kearney (Hsq) 3. Josh
Strang (Suz) 4. Charlie Mullins (Yam) 5. Barry Hawk
Jr. (Yam) 6. Michael Lafferty (Hsb) 7. Cory Buttrick (KTM)
8. Toby Price (KTM) 9. Justin Williamson (Kaw) 10.
Kenneth Gilbert (Kaw)
XC1 Standings: 1.
Josh Strang (280/5 wins) 2. Charlie Mullins (248/3
wins) 3. Cory Buttrick (225/1 win) 4. Paul Whibley
(220/1 win) 5. Chris Bach (191) 6. Glenn Kearney (189)
7. Nate Kanney (167/1 win) 8. Barry Hawk Jr. (154) 9.
Kenneth Gilbert (131) 10. Jimmy Jarrett (117/1 win)
XC2 Results: 1.
Kailub Russell (KTM) 2. Scotty Watkins (Kaw) 3. Jason
Thomas (Hsq) 4. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM) 5. Morgan
Moss (Yam) 6. Zach Nolan (KTM) 7. Jeff Gibson (KTM) 8.
Brian Lawson (Yam) 9. Josh Gaitten (KTM) 10. Jesse
Robinson (KTM)
XC2 Standings: 1.
Kailub Russell (313/8 wins) 2. Jason Thomas (282/1
win) 3. Jesse Robinson (247/2 wins) 4. Scott Watkins
(230) 5. Steward Baylor Jr. (198) 6.
Brian Lawson (136) 7. David Snyder (123) 8. Mark
Fortner (122) 9. Dustin Gibson (108) 10. Nicholas
Hunter (100)
MotorcycleUSA.com
$250 XC1 holeshot - Paul Whibley
MotorcycleUSA.com
$100 XC2 holeshot - Jesse Robinson
Overall Amateur Award -
Jordan Ashburn |
