Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1547330
managed to retain third. Then disaster struck when Baylor ran out of fuel with two laps to go, forcing an extended 56-second pit stop that dropped him to 10th and dealt another blow to his championship aspi- rations. Davis inherited third, but his own podium hopes disappeared when his KTM came to a stop within view of the checkered flag due to a clogged air filter. The misfortune promoted Phoenix Honda Racing's Mike Witkowski, last year's Ironman winner, to third overall, while Davis ended the day in 13th. Liqui Moly Beta's Jhak Walker won the XC2 250 Pro division with a fourth-place overall finish. Walker ran as high as third over- all midway through the race. Ashburn, meanwhile, staged an impressive recovery after falling outside the top 15 on the opening lap. The current points leader steadily worked his way through the field, reaching eighth by lap three before eventually finishing sixth behind DeLong. Baylor was seventh. Jason Tino (KTM) finished second in XC2 and eighth overall. Ryder Lafferty (Honda) was ninth, while Toby Cleveland (Husqvarna) rounded out the overall top 10 and finished third in XC2. With Russell celebrating a milestone victory and Draper gaining valuable ground, the championship battle remains un- settled heading into the season- ending Buckwheat 100 GNCC in West Virginia, November 7-8. Ashburn heads into the series finale with a nine-point advan- tage over Baylor, 202-193, while Draper remains firmly in con- tention, just two points behind Baylor. Despite three DNFs in the opening five rounds, Baylor has fought his way back into the championship picture, setting up a three-way showdown with the top contenders separated by just 11 points. Brandy Richards (KTM) took the win in the WXC class, pass- ing Danielle McDonald (Yamaha) late in the race. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Korie Steede was third, ahead of Tayla Jones (Honda) and Megan Janyssek (Husqvarna). The win put Richards in sole control of the class champion- ship; she was tied at the top with Steede coming into the race. "We were sprinting pretty much the whole time during that race," Richards said. "It was a fast pace and difficult to main- tain physically, but we dug deep on the final lap to get into the lead and put in a sprint all the way until the finish. I'm happy with the points lead entering the finale. I will likely need to win that one too." The WXC title race is wide open, with Richards, Steede and McDonald separated by just nine points. Shan Moore Overall (Top 10) 1. Kailub Russell (Yam) 03:09:42.690 2. Liam Draper (Yam) 03:11:09.730 3. Mike Witkowski (Hon) 03:14:03.078 4. Jhak Walker (Bet) 03:14:52.574 5. Craig DeLong (Hus) 03:15:15.211 6. Jordan Ashburn (Hon) 03:16:27.236 7. Steward Baylor Jr (Kaw) 03:16:30.894 8. Jason Tino (KTM) 03:16:46.001 9. Ryder Lafferty (Hon) 03:17:29.220 10. Toby Cleveland (Hus) 03:17:40.092 Brandy Richards took the WXC-class win and is now the sole championship leader. The WXC division will be decided at the next, final-round showdown. WIND IN THE P54