SIPES CAPTURES CAREER FIRST GNCC WIN
I
t was only a matter of time be-
fore Ryan Sipes would win his
first GNCC race, and that time
has finally come for the Coastal
Racing Husqvarna Team rider at
the Mountaineer Run in Mason-
town, West Virginia, September
24. And Sipes left no doubt as
to who was the fastest rider on
this day, as he led pretty much
from start to finish.
It would have been a perfect
day for Sipes had he nabbed
the $250 All Balls Racing XC1
Holeshot Award, but that instead
went to Ricky Russell. However,
Sipes quickly put his Husqvarna
to the front a few turns later and
never looked back. He held a
commanding 43-second lead
after the first lap and expertly
managed that gap for the re-
maining seven laps, eventually
taking the checkered flag 33.5
seconds ahead of defending
champ Kailub Russell on the
FMF/KTM.
Russell ran second the whole
way. He had a good battle with
Trevor Bollinger early in the
race before Bollinger dropped
back a few positions just past
the halfway point. Then late in
the race, Russell could hear
another bike closing in on him—a
Yamaha being ridden by Ricky
Russell of the N-Fab/AmPro
Team. But Kailub went just fast
enough to take the checkered
flag in second place, only five
seconds ahead of the charging
Ricky Russell.
WIND
IN
THE
P42
Ryan Sipes captured
his first GNCC
win, after leading
every lap of the
Mountaineer GNCC
in West Virginia.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
KEN
HILL
