OFF ROAD
KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES
ROUND 2 / MARCH 1, 2015
PELION, SOUTH CAROLINA
P96
not counting the extremely wet
first test.
When DeLong finished the
opening test he was sitting at the
top of the leader board despite
suffering a couple of tip-overs.
This was definitely a good
sign for the Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna Factory Racing rider,
to wind up on the ground a
couple of times and still be lead-
ing at the event.
"I actually made quite a few
mistakes in the beginning, and
in the second test my bike got
stuck between two trees and
I couldn't get it out for like 45
seconds, but I actually ended
up with a pretty good time in
that test, so it was just one of
those days where everything
fell my way," said DeLong. "As
I got warmed up all my corners
started flowing pretty good and
once I finally got going it was just
one of those days when every-
thing clicked."
In all, DeLong won four of the
six tests and beat out defending
GNCC champ Kailub Russell by
nearly a full minute to take the
overall win.
"I felt like I had a point to
prove," said DeLong. "I wasn't
happy at all with my ride in
Sumter, and I feel like this is
where I want to be—on top of the
podium—and I was able to make
it happen."
Russell, on the other hand,
was not happy at all with his
ride despite some impressive
times in several of the sections.
Though he didn't win a test all
day, the FMF/KTM rider didn't
have any crashes, didn't get lost,
and was the most consistent
of the remainder of the field.
Russell finished the day with
the second-fastest time in three
tests and three times he was
(Above) Current GNCC champion
Kailub Russell failed to win a test
all day but still finished a solid
second to DeLong. (Right) N-Fab
Am Pro Yamaha's Grant Baylor
moved up six positions from his
ninth place finish at the series
opener for an impressive third at
the Sandlapper.
