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Whibley Wins Amsoil
Ironman GNCC
Thomas takes XC2 win
Photo By:
Shan Moore
Paul Whibley finished off the year with a win.
Crawfordsville, IN (October 24,
2010) - Paul Whibley claimed a spectacular
win at the Amsoil Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville,
Indiana - the 13th and final round of the 2010 Can-Am
Grand National Cross Country Series.
The win was Whibley's second in a
row and it was witnessed by over 10,500 spectators;
the largest crowd to attend a GNCC in recent times.
The Am Pro/FMF/Yamaha-backed Whibley
was pressured late in the race by newly crowned XC1
champ Josh Strang, but in the end the cards fell in
Whibley's direction and the New Zealander went home
with the checkers and the check.
"This was a really good way to
finish off the year and it's good momentum for next
season," said Whibley. "It will give me
confidence and good motivation over the break."
Photo By:
Shan Moore
A crowd of over 10,500 came to the Ironman.
Whibley led most of the three-hour
race, but it was newly crowned XC2 champion Kailub
Russell who kicked off the race by grabbing the $250 MotorcyceUSA.com
Holeshot Award on his FMF/KTM. Since he had
wrapped up the XC2 title at the previous round in
Ohio, Russell decided to jump to the XC1 class for the
Ironman, and he led Whibley and FMF/KTM's Cory
Buttrick into the woods to start the opening lap.
Russell's day was short lived, however, after he
drowned out in a waterhole on the opening lap, leaving
Whibley with clear sailing for the rest of the lap.
Due to the extreme drought that
Indiana has experienced over the summer, dust played a
factor in this year's race, as a few top riders,
including Strang, suffered problems due to clogged air
filters. Strang closed in on Whibley at the midway
point of the race, and he took the lead in one of the
fastest areas on the track. However, Strang's bike
started to sputter shortly afterwards, and the
Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider limped in for an eventual
11th.
Photo By:
Shan Moore
Thad DuVall was second overall.
Obermeyer/Am Pro/FMF Yamaha's Charlie
Mullins suffered a similar fate after running as his
as second at one point.
Second overall went to Am Pro/FMF/Yamaha's
Thad DuVall, who held off a late charge by third place
finisher Chris Bach.
DuVall came into the race wanting to
get a win, however, he lost at least a minute to the
pack when he got stuck on one of the event's gnarly
uphill climbs, which severely hurt his chances.
"I knew I blew a chance at the
win when I got stuck, but I just kept my head down and
charged," said DuVall. "I got a second wind
on that final lap and I saw Bach was coming so I
picked it up and was able to get second."
After getting off to a mid-pack
start, Bach worked his way steadily to the front and
was able to come away with third on his Clockwork/Ride
PG-backed KTM with a strong push on the final lap.
Photo By:
Shan Moore
Chris Bach came from behind to finish third.
"It was sketchy out there,"
said the Indiana native. "But all in all it was a
good day. It's good to get up on the podium, I was
worried there for a while I wasn't going to get on the
box for my hometown people, but I dug down deep and
got it done."
Glenn Kearney blew the start, as
well, but managed to find has way into fourth by the
end of the race. The factory Husqvarna rider crashed
on the first lap and got mud on his gloves, but picked
up the pace in the late stages of the race.
"My bike didn't start on the
first kick, so I was about 10th going into the
woods," said Kearney. "It was tough to see
that far back, but we got to a muddy place and I
thought I might be able to make a few passes but I
ended up crashing. I struggled for the first couple of
laps trying to get things sorted, but I started
rolling pretty good after that."
Meanwhile, fifth went to Buttrick,
who heads to Mexico this week for the ISDE.
Photo By:
Shan Moore
Glenn Kearney finished fourthon the day.
"I got off to a decent start, but
on one of the big hills I hit a root at the top of it
and the bike slid out on me," said the first year
XC1 rider. "It was a tough day, but I'll figure
this stuff out. This is the type of terrain I need to
work on."
GEICO/JG Off Road/ Monster Energy
Kawasaki's Jimmy Jarrett finished out the day in sixth
with a steady ride while Australian Jarrod Bewley was
a credible seventh on a KTM he borrowed from Shane
Watts.
A trio of Kawasaki riders, Justin
Williamson, Kenneth Gilbert and Eric Bailey rounded
out the top 10 in the XC1 division.
In the XC2 class, Monster Energy
Andrews Cycles' Jason Thomas claimed his third win of
the year, beating out KTM rider Jesse Robinson by just
under a minute.
"I wanted to go out with a win
and I could see Jesse back there and I kept crashing
but I just kept going and I'm happy I could get the
win," said Thomas. "I was dead last off the
start but I just rode smart and I was able to work to
the front and finally catch up to Jesse."
Photo By: Shan Moore
JJesse Robinson, Jason Thomas and Steward Baylor
filled the XC2 podium.
Robinson, who was sick with a cold on
the morning of the race, led during the early going,
but couldn't hold off Thomas's late charge.
"Once I got in the lead I put
my head down but when I would charge I would start
coughing, so I was never able to ride like I wanted to
ride," said Robinson.
Steward Baylor Jr. rounded out the
XC2 podium on his KTM, despite also suffering from a
clogged filter.
"I was getting off the bike and
pushing up the big hills because I didn't have any
power," said Baylor. "Then, I hit a big
kicker out in the field and went end over end, so it
wasn't my best day."
Ted Mullins finished fourth in his
first GNCC race of the year, beating out fellow Yamaha
rider Morgan Moss.
Photo By:
Shan Moore
A huge crowd filled the hills and fences.
John Maschino edged Brian Maschino for
sixth, while Kawasaki rider Gregory Funk was eighth
ahead of Yamaha Cody Gragg.
Daniel Sims was 10th on his Yamaha
after grabbing the $100 Motorcycle-USA.com
Holeshot Award to start the race.
Jordan Ashburn was once again the
Overall Amateur Award winner after taking a solid 10th
overall finish. The Kawasaki rider also won the Open A
division.
In the morning race, Shawn Clark
beat out fellow Yamaha rider Jeff Cregg to win the
Sportsman A class with Kawasaki rider Chad Tallman in
third.
In the Youth race, Austin Lee topped
Anthony Jackson to claim the Youth Overall win. Lee
also won the Super Mini (12-13) division, while
Jackson won the Super Mini (14-15) class.
XC1 Results:
1. Paul Whibley (Yam)
2. Thad DuVall (Yam)
3. Chris Bach (KTM)
4. Glenn Kearney (Hus)
5. Cory Buttrick (KTM)
6. Jimmy Jarrett (Kaw)
7. Jarrod Bewley (KTM)
8. Justin Williamson (Kaw)
9. Kenneth Gilbert (Kaw)
10. Eric Bailey (Kaw)
XC1 Standings:
1. Josh Strang (290/5 wins)
2. Charlie Mullins (256/3 wins)
3. Paul Whibley (250/2 wins)
4. Cory Buttrick (241/1 win)
5. Chris Bach (212)
6. Glenn Kearney (207)
7. Nate Kanney (171)
8. Barry Hawk Jr. (160)
9. Kenneth Gilbert (143)
10. Thad DuVall (138)
XC2 Results:
1. Jason Thomas (Hus)
2. Jesse Robinson (KTM)
3. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
4. Ted Mullins (Yam)
5. Morgan Moss (Yam)
6. John Maschino (Yam)
7. Brian Maschino (Yam)
8. Gregory Funk (Kaw)
9. Cody Gragg (Yam)
10. Daniel Sims (Yam)
XC2 Standings:
1. Kailub Russell (313/8 wins)
2. Jason Thomas (312/3 wins)
3. Jesse Robinson (272/2 wins)
4. Scott Watkins (230)
5. Steward Baylor Jr. (219)
6. Brain Lawson (150)
7. David Snyder (123)
8. Mark Fortner (122)
9. Dustin Gibson (108)
10. Nicholas Hunter (100)
MotorcycleUSA.com
$250 XC1 holeshot - Kailub Russell
MotorcycleUSA.com
$100 XC2 holeshot - Daniel Simms
Overall Amateur Award - Jordan
Ashburn |
