2014 AMSOIL GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES, PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
Factory FMF/KTM's Kailub
Russell prevailed through it all to
earn his third consecutive win at
round four, but only after he was
forced to overcome yet another
first-turn barrier when another
rider crashed in front of him off
the start. Through the mud and
the rain, the heat and struggles,
one thing remains constant for
the reigning champ - he knows
he's fast and he doesn't panic.
Confidence is the one thing Rus-
sell can count on from race to
VOL. 51 ISSUE 15 APRIL 15, 2014 P99
Briefly...
The Big Buck track conditions
were said to be pretty brutal com-
pared to what these riders have seen
in the first three rounds. Several rid-
ers commented that they couldn't
get comfortable on their bike due to
the rough and fast-paced track.
Rockstar Energy/WMR/KTM's
Ryan Sipes has been hoping for
dry track conditions to see how he
matches up in the off-road racing
world. Sipes proved that he's got the
speed, but the motocross/Super-
cross rider realized how difficult the
final hour of GNCC racing really is.
From third, to sixth, Sipes held his
own for a majority of the race, but
the last lap claimed three more po-
sitions from the Kentucky-native and
he finished ninth for the day. "I had
just passed Whibley for third and I
found the only mud hole in the track
and got stuck," Sipes said. "I felt so
stupid because this place is bone
dry! Then I had a real good battle
going with Delong and Ashburn and
then the third hour just whooped me.
I need to work on my fitness. These
guys are used to riding three hours,
I'm used to riding 30 minutes, but
it's coming around. I bent my back
brake pedal with two laps to go and I
kept stalling the bike so I just had to
figure out how to ride with it like that
and keep going."
continued on next page
For the first time
all season, rac-
ers got to enjoy
dry conditions
at the Big Buck
GNCC in South
Carolina.
THREE AND
COUNTING
KAILUB RUSSELL TAKES
OVER POINTS LEAD WITH
THIRD STRAIGHT WIN.
