RUSSELL AND BAYLOR FINISH 1-3 AT ROUND 5 OF THE GNCC SERIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
SOCIETY HILL, S.C. – KTM-mounted riders Kailub Russell and Steward Baylor Jr. prevailed through tough conditions on Sunday to put the orange brand atop two steps of the podium at round five’s Camp Coker GNCC in South Carolina. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Russell claimed the center spot once again to earn his fourth-straight victory in the class, while also tallying career-win No. 44. Additionally, KTM-supported Baylor continued his perfect podium streak with a 3rd overall finish.
Russell didn’t get the best jump off the start but he positioned himself just inside the top five on the opening lap. The three-time GNCC National Champion jumped into 2nd place by the end of lap one and began his quest for the lead position. Beginning with a 20-second deficit to the leader of Thad DuVall, Russell diligently worked to reduce the gap during the first half of the race. Russell was able to bring himself to within striking distance of DuVall as the two-lap card came out and that’s where he made his charge.
Russell made a pass on DuVall to take over the lead early in the final lap but a quick pit stop by Russell allowed DuVall to reclaim the lead shortly after. However, Russell continued to push himself in the final miles of the race to eventually overtake the lead once again. From there, Russell held strong to ultimately capture his fourth-straight victory of the season. Unfortunately, DuVall ran into an issue soon after, which caused him to lose sight of Russell for good. DuVall finished in the 2nd place position, just ahead of a hard-charging Baylor in 3rd.
Russell: “It was a good day. It didn’t start off so well - we ended up in a 4th place start and got passed by a couple guys in the field. I just wasn’t flowing at the beginning, those guys gapped me in the first lap and a half and once I got to 2nd I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me but I just put my head down and kept charging. I went to work all day, chipped away at it and never gave up. Thad was riding well so it’s going to be an interesting rest of the season for sure. These guys are keeping me on my toes and making me strive a little harder so it’s time to raise the bar again and it’s time to get better.”
Bobbitt maintained a top-ten position throughout the entire three-hour race where he put forth a consistent pace all afternoon. In the end, Bobbitt finished 8th place in the XC1 Open Pro class and 10th overall for the day.
Bobbitt: “This was my first time racing Camp Coker and the dry conditions, dust and exposed tree roots everywhere made it pretty difficult. I rode a pretty consistent pace all day but I definitely need to find more speed to get back to where I know I can finish.”
KTM-mounted rider Jesse Groemm had a solid day of racing in the XC2 250 Pro (16-24) class where he captured a season-best 2nd place in the class and 9th overall for the day.
Next Event: GNCC Round 6 – May 7, 2017
*PROVISIONAL* Overall Results (XC1 Open Pro and XC2 250 Pro Combined)
1. Kailub Russell (KTM)
2. Thad DuVall
3. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
4. Ricky Russell
5. Josh Strang
OTHER KTM
9. Jesse Groemm (KTM)
10. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
17. Mike Witkowski (KTM)
18. Benjamin Kelley
20. Zack Hayes
Overall Point Standings
1. Kailub Russell (145)
2. Steward Baylor Jr. (114)
3. Thad DuVall (100)
4. Ricky Russell (75)
5. Josh Toth (74)
OTHER KTM
8. Russell Bobbitt (54)
12. Mike Witkowski (44)
13. Chris Bach (38)
15. Jesse Groemm (35)
20. Cory Buttrick (15)
