Kelley Triumphs at Camp Coker Bullet GNCC
A
fter sitting out last year's se-
ries to recover from injuries,
FMF KTM Factory Racing's Ben
Kelley entered this weekend's
Camp Coker Bullet GNCC, the
fourth round of the series, with
a mix of anticipation and deter-
mination. Having finished with
a fourth, a third, and a seventh
in the previous rounds, Kelley
was eager to prove himself once
again.
At the picturesque Moree's
Sportsman's Preserve course,
Kelley seemed to be back in top
form. He came from behind,
passing AmPro Yamaha team
-
mates Kailub Russell and Liam
Draper to secure a thrilling victo-
ry. Kelley made a decisive move
with two laps to go, overtaking
Draper and holding off the New
Zealander until the finish line.
Draper took the early lead
after passing Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna Factory Racing's Craig
DeLong, who had a challenging
season until the previous round
at Talladega, where he finished
third overall and second for the
XC1 class. Draper led the pack
into the woods section, followed
closely by Russell, Thad Duvall,
DeLong and Mike Witkowski.
Kelley rode a smooth race,
working his way into third by
passing Duvall, DeLong and
Witkowski. Meanwhile, the KTM
rider positioned himself behind
Draper and Russell. However, on
adjusted time, FMF KTM Fac
-
tory Racing Team Landers' Grant
Davis had moved into the lead.
Draper was on the move and
by the 11th mile of lap one had
established a 15-second lead
over Russell with Kelley closing
in. On lap two, Russell started to
fade, and Kelley and Witkowski
moved into second and third.
Halfway into the race, Kel
-
ley was on Draper's rear wheel,
pushing the Kiwi in every section
of the track. Kelley dogged the
WIND
IN THE
P44
Ben Kelley got
back to his winning
ways at the Camp
Coker Bullet GNCC.
PHOTOS: MACK FAINT
