PRESENTED BY MAXXIS, AN AMA CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 53 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 4, 2016 P65
there wasn't anyone real close
by so I just maintained my pace
to hold onto second."
"I didn't get off to the great-
est of starts, but I made some
moves and got into the lead
early on," said Russell of his
title-clinching race. "I pulled a
gap and tried to settle into a
pace since it was so slick, but
it wasn't fast enough. Thad and
Josh were able to catch up and
we rode together until Thad went
down. I was so focused on the
task at hand that I didn't realize
he went down until I got the pit
board a few miles after that."
For Strang, the last lap was
a disaster. After putting in five
strong ones, his bike coasted
didn't seem too fazed by it all.
The KTM rider maintained that
four-second gap on Duvall, as
he, Duvall and Strang headed
out on the final lap. Russell put
on a last-lap sprint and took the
checkered flag 26.8 seconds
ahead of Duvall, who lost a bit
of time on a hill when he tipped
over.
"I felt good the whole race.
I was on the edge of winning,
but I wanted to leave it all on
the track," said Duvall. "On the
last lap I reached the hill climb
around the five-mile marker and
we took a new line and I just
couldn't make it over a log at the
top. Once I fell I was stuck and
by the time I got out I realized
ankle injury, and Duvall. Ricky
Russell had slipped back to fifth
but was still right in the thick of
things.
Duvall (Rocky Mountain ATV-
MC/KR4 Arrive-N-Ride Husqvar-
na) went on the attack, passing
Strang for third and chasing
down Ashburn for second. The
Husky rider (Duvall) eventually
got around Ashburn on the third
lap, as did Strang.
Once into second, Duvall had
about 20 seconds between him
and the leader, Kailub Russell,
and was able to whittle that
down to about 10 seconds, then
four seconds. And not too far
behind him was Strang, who was
able to maintain the quick pace
of the two leaders.
Duvall kept the pressure
turned up high on Russell, who
(Left) Russell led from
the end of the first lap
on at the Powerline Park
GNCC in Ohio.
(Right) Layne Michael
recorded his second
victory of the year in XC2.
