on the starts and we got dialed
now. I got out front and Nelko
was leading. He was kind of
sprinting away from me, but I
was content with my speed. I
came around a corner and he
was tagged up in some vines
and stuff. Once I got around
him, I was like, all right, I think
I can get a little gap. So, I just
rode in my comfort zone and
was really smooth."
Russell got around DeLong at
the one-hour mark to take the
lead but lost it during a pit stop
and cruised home with fourth.
"I knew it was going to be a
that happy medium. I'm happy
to come away with a podium
and tied for the points."
DeLong was pleased to make
the podium in Florida, especially
after a fifth-place finish at round
one.
"I had a great start for once,"
said DeLong. "It was cool to be
up front. It's something that I
always kind of struggle with, but
my mechanic and I, we worked
Baylor had to make up for a
bad start to claim the runner-up
slot.
"I was on the struggle bus
out there on that first lap," said
Baylor. "We've had a really
tough time trying to find a happy
medium on these bikes. It was a
big change and a late change. I
had hand surgery late last year,
so I wasn't able to start testing
until January, and then you kind
of get thrown to the wolves. So,
we're testing as we're racing.
The bike was phenomenal at Big
Buck but different here in the
sand. So, we just have to find
ROUND 2 / MARCH 5, 2023
HOG WALLER RACEWAY / PALATKA, FLORIDA
OFF-ROAD I GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
P82
(Left) Craig DeLong led the first
three laps. He filled out the podium.
(Right) Ricky Russell led a lap but
eventually finished fourth.
