on it, but you could push too
far. So, there was a lot of times I
found myself saying, 'slow down,
get a breath, attack this next
section.' That's what we did. We
just controlled the race."
Jordan Ashburn, who claimed
the holeshot to start the race,
ran in second behind Baylor for
most of the three-hour race. The
Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna
rider appeared to have the
runner-up slot all nailed down
when Kelley caught him in the
final stretch and made a bold
pass to snatch second away at
the finish, preserving his point
lead. Had Kelley finished third it
would have handed the points
lead to Baylor.
"Literally, I caught him a
quarter mile from the finish," said
Kelley. "I took an outside line to
try to pass him, and we jumped
into each other and slammed,
but then he stayed ahead. Then
I had no front brake because my
rotor hit his bars. You really need
that front brake out there, but I
was going for it. I was able to roll
through the last bit of woods and
square him up on a different line
and just take his line away com-
ing into the finish. I was deter-
mined to get second."
Ashburn was visibly upset at
losing second so close to the
finish, but maintained a solid grip
on third overall in the series with
his finish.
"We got out front and led
about half the first lap, but then
Stew got around me and he was
cooking. I just tried to latch onto
him for I guess four laps," said
Ashburn. "That last lap, I think
I had a minute on Ben. In the
last hard section back there, I
didn't end up making the hill and
lost some time, and he kind of
closed up real close and then it
was a battle. I was pretty gassed
after I didn't make it and had to
flip around. He got me right here
before the finish, just a split line
choice. I gave it all I had."
FMF/KTM's Josh Toth pushed
Kelley for the last half of the
race, crossing the finish less
than a minute behind in fourth.
"I kind of struggled, honestly,
to make passes early in the
race," said Toth. "Midway into
the race I was able to grab an-
other gear in this one gnarly rock
garden and pass, I think, three
riders. And then didn't hear any-
body for another good bit, but
then out of nowhere, Ben dove
in on me and I made a mistake.
I latched right on and we picked
our way back up through another
couple guys, I think. It was kind
of cat and mouse with him all
day, pushing him along."
Rockstar Energy Factory
Husqvarna Racing's Thad Duvall
improved on a spotty year with
a solid fifth-place finish, cross-
ing the line some three minutes
behind Toth.
Coastal Racing GasGas'
Johnny Girroir was the first of the
XC2 250 Pro class riders, win-
ning the class with a sixth-overall
finish, despite nailing a tree in
the FMF Power Point section of
the course.
VOLUME 58 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 P57
Jonathan Girroir won the XC2 250 Pro class for the sixth time this season.
