OFF ROAD
AMSOIL GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES
FINAL ROUND/OCTOBER 26, 2014
IRONMAN RACEWAY/CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA
P74
at round one, is push to the end,"
Sipes said. "I'll be honest; I was
cramping, but I just said it's worth
the pain to make it all the way to
the end."
Strang held strong in the final
moments of the chaotic 3-hour
battle to finish second overall at
the season finale. With a strong
finish to the 2014 season, Strang
heads into 2015 with the number
two plate and a bundle of confi-
dence to contest the champion-
ship next season.
"Today was fun and I'm happy
to end the season on the podi-
um," Strang said. "The last time I
came into a season with the num-
ber two I ended up winning the
championship [in 2010] so I'm
looking forward to it."
Strang also commented, "I'm
pumped for Sipes getting on the
podium. I saw him have to turn
around on the hill and I was hop-
ing that didn't ruin his chances at
getting his first podium finish. It
was fun to battle with him there
at the end."
Coming through the finish line
a minute and a half ahead of the
second-place battle, Russell
proved to be in a league of his
own, despite the disadvantage of
a smaller bike.
"I knew it was going to be a
tough track and it was a real big
disadvantage with the bike in the
woods; I couldn't do anything
to separate myself at the begin-
ning," Russell said. "But I was
able to ride some of the technical
sections a little bit faster and just
keep that gap all day and every-
thing worked out."
Russell now holds 22 career
victories in GNCC, surpassing
Scott Plessinger to solely sit in
fifth place on the All-Time Wins
List. At 24 years old, the two-time
champion is slowly adding to his
legacy in the GNCC history book.
DELONG PUSHES HARD
Factory Husqvarna's Andrew De-
Long began just inside the top
ten on the opening lap where he
charged toward the front all af-
ternoon. DeLong closed the gap
on the second place battle near
(Left) Husqvarna's
Andrew DeLong
pushed hard
and consistent
through the
3-hour charge
to finish fourth,
ending the year
sixth in the
championship.
(Below right) Nick
Davis broke into
the top-ten overall
en route to the
XC2 Pro Lites
victory – a career-
first for the KR4/
Arrive-N-Ride KTM
rider.
