VOLUME 57 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 25, 2020 P71
BY SHAN MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN HILL
H
aving announced that 2020
would be his last year to contest
the Grand National Cross Coun-
try Series, FMF/KTM Factory Racing's
Kailub Russell kicked off his bid for
a final GNCC title with an impressive
flag-to-flag victory at the VP Racing
Fuels Big Buck GNCC in Union, South
Carolina. Russell crossed the finish
line ahead of Coastal Bi-Con Racing
Husqvarna's Ricky Russell by nearly
two minutes in the three-hour race.
By all indications, this was Kailub's
last Big Buck GNCC and leading up to
the race he had been hinting on social
media that he was going to surprise
a lot of people this year. And in fact,
he did, making a statement that just
because this is his last year, it doesn't
mean he's letting up one bit.
The win was the 61st XC1 victory of
Kailub's career, and if he's able to stay
healthy, chances are the West Virginia
rider will finish out his career with an
eighth-consecutive national champion-
ship.
"There was no way I was going to
lose my 'last' first race of the season,"
said Kailub. "So, I put the hammer
down. I got the holeshot and led wire
to wire. I came in really prepared, and
I've been dialed in the last seven weeks
and just training really hard. I'm finally
coming into the season a hundred per-
cent healthy and ready to go. I just kept
a pace that I thought would wear those
OF GNCC
The 2020 GNCC
Series got started
with Kailub Russell (1)
nailing the holeshot
in South Carolina.
YET!
