OFF-ROAD
GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES PRESENTED BY SPECIALIZED, AN AMA NATIONAL
ROUND 2 / MARCH 7, 2021
HOG WALLER / PAL ATKA, FLORIDA
P78
BY SHAN MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN HILL
T
he race for the 2021 Grand
National Cross Country
Series Championship just
got interesting with FMF/KTM's
Ben Kelley moving to within two
points of round-one winner Grant
Baylor (KLM/GasGas) with a big
win at the Wild Boar GNCC near
Palatka, Florida.
Rain leading up to race day
combined with a massive turnout
made for a rough and choppy
course, which took its toll on the
riders after three hours of racing,
leaving even the fittest of riders
running on fumes.
After getting off to a rough
start, Kelley used the slow but
steady approach to win one of the
most grueling races on the GNCC
calendar, moving from seventh
at the end of lap one to a one-
minute, 23-second advantage
over runner-up Babbitt's Online/
Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team
Green's Josh Strang at the finish.
According to Kelley, the race
was chaotic in more than one
way. "About mile four of the first
lap it was mayhem," said Kelley.
"Lines everywhere, mud, ruts.
KELLEY
CAPTURES
WILD BOAR
WIN
BEN KELLEY TURNS UP THE HEAT AT PALATKA
