RUSSELL AGAIN AT SPARTA GNCC
K
ailub Russell made it back-
to-back wins in the 2017 Am-
soil Grand National Cross Coun-
try (GNCC) series, presented
by Maxxis, an AMA National
Championship, after taking top
honors at the Maxxis Cannon-
ball GNCC in Sparta, Georgia,
March 26. Russell, on the FMF
KTM, had to work hard for it, as
he and rival Thad Duvall, on the
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna,
battled it out on the dry course
that drained the energy out of all
the racers.
Russell grabbed the All Balls
Racing Holeshot Award, and the
$250 that goes with it, and tried
sprinting away, but Duvall wasn't
about to let that happened.
He got around Ryan Sipes
early on and chased Russell for
the lead, and completed the first
lap just two seconds behind the
defending champ.
Russell managed to stretch
out a few seconds by the end
of the second lap then surren-
dered the lead to Duvall for a bit
after suffering a small get-off.
Russell got the lead back when
Duvall pitted and held a scant
five-second lead after the fourth
lap. That shrank to just three
seconds, and then toward the
end of the race, Duvall actually
passed Russell for the lead but
then crashed and nearly ripped
off the front of his bike. Minus
a front fender and front number
plate, Duvall managed to get up
and finish the race 18 seconds
behind the winner, Russell, who
later said he was suffering with
stomach cramps.
"I had bad stomach cramps
in South Carolina [the last race],
and I got them again today,"
said Russell. "I don't know if
it's what I'm taking in my drink
bottles during the race or what. I
IN
THE
WIND
P46
Kailub Russell won
the Cannonball
GNCC but he had
to work for it.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
KEN
HILL
