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/229152
VOL. 50 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 17, 2013 P159 (Right) Russell celebrates the GNCC title with his father Jeff Russell, who is a former enduro champ and ISDE rider. (Left) Russell came on strong in the midpart of the series and caught points leader and teammate Charlie Mullins. chanical problem. It just so happened that Mullins had a problem at that race, too, and finished seventh, which minimized the bleeding on Russell's part. "Kentucky was just one of those things that happens," says Russell. "But we came out of it okay. Other than that race, it was a close competition all year. During the first part of the year, I would lead 90 percent of the race and then I would make one little mistake and he would get me. It happened that way three or four times and I would just have one little mistake. It was getting frustrating, but I wasn't so much discouraged as I was fired up to win. "Charlie came out of the gate hot and then I figured it out and finished out the year strong. I don't think there was anything I could have done any differently. We could run the season all over again and who knows how it would turn out. It's just making sure you're in the lead on the last lap and I was able to do that during the last few races." After battling all year, Russell held a two-point lead over Mullins. For the most part, it would be a matter of whichever rider finished ahead of the other one would be the champion. How- ever, the race didn't begin well for Russell, who started his bike early on the starting line and suffered a 15-second penalty before the race even got underway. "When the starter says 10 seconds [to go] I count down to myself to 10 and start my bike and I was about a second early. I'm not sure whose counting was wrong, his or mine, but it must have been mine," said Russell with a laugh. Russell explained that his starter button has a bit of play in it, so he has to push it down about a quarter of the way before it starts and then when he's ready he just pushes it the rest of the way and it starts. "Like I said, I counted down and then I put a little too much pressure on the button and it fired right up," said Russell. "I was pretty impressed (laughs); there was no hesitation in it at all. When it started I shut it back off and as soon as I did everyone took off, so I fired the bike back up and got going. After that, I looked over at Barry [Hawk] and said a few choice words in my helmet and then just got down to work." The normal punishment for starting your bike early on the line is a 30-second penalty, however, since Russell immediately shut down his bike it ended up only being a 15-second penalty. "I wasn't really nervous going into that race, but looking in you would think there would have to be some nerves. But it was just adrenaline, and I don't think I was nervous at all. I know when I was first coming up into the pro ranks I was super nervous and I would almost fall over trying to start my bike I was so nervous. I don't know what happened, but I don't get that way any more. I just know that if I give 100 percent on the track, then things will work out. My game plan going into the last race was to just ride the way I had the last six races and if I rode anyway as well as I did in those, then