NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 53 ISSUE 9 MARCH 8, 2016 P65
through the field. With a curve
ball thrown his way right out of
the gate, it was clear that Russell
would not be untouchable this
year, yet the three-time cham-
pion still showed his mettle in an
outstanding comeback ride, all
the way to the podium—even if it
wasn't the top step.
While the defending champion
struggled to regain his momen-
tum after having been down with
a knee injury for most of the
off-season, Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna's Josh Strang con-
tinued his, taking a command-
ing win at the season opener in
Palatka, Florida. N-Fab/AmPro
Yamaha's Daniel Milner took
second on the day ahead of
Russell who earned a commend-
able third.
Following the early-race car-
nage that saw several racers on
the ground, it was another Rus-
sell out front—Ricky Russell—who
grabbed the AllBalls Holeshot
Award and made a run for it.
It wasn't long before Strang
worked his way to the front of
the field and around Ricky to
take over the lead. Strang, who
closed out his 2015 season with
a win-streak, was looking for-
ward to starting his 2016 season
in the same manner, and he
began to build his cushion over
the field. Despite some chal-
lenges from JCR Honda's Chris
Bach, Strang toughed it out in
the brutal Florida sands to take
the first GNCC win of 2016.
"The last half of the 2015
season was good to me," said
