was faster toward the end of the
track than I was. Those last two
laps were tough."
With the win, Ashburn not
only bolstered his championship
hopes but also reinforced his
reputation as one of the series'
most dependable riders when
conditions turn brutal.
"It was super sketchy out
there, but the testing we've done
over the past few weeks really
paid off," said Ashburn. "I felt
comfortable early and was just
cruising. Liam was ripping and
got away for a bit, but I was able
to bring it back in on the last lap
and make the move. It was an
eventful day—I had some close
calls. It was a gnarly track, no
doubt about it."
Ashburn's victory carried
added significance. In addition
to becoming the fifth different
winner in the series, he was also
the first rider to claim an overall
win at the new Kentucky venue.
Meanwhile, DeLong delivered
his strongest performance of
the season, with the former XC1
National Champion rounding out
the podium in third.
"I put myself in bad situations
the first couple of races," DeLong
admitted. "Today I got a good
start, made some early moves,
and put myself in position. I was
tight early on, but once I loos
-
ened up, I felt strong. Every-
thing's still close, so I just need
to capitalize moving forward."
AmPro Yamaha's Kailub Rus-
sell relied on years of experience
and conditioning, the eight-time
GNCC Champion settling into
fourth overall after a midpack
start.
WIND
IN THE
P44
Jason Tino (KTM) was
seventh overall and
topped the XC2 class.
Brandy Richards
topped the WXC class.
