Whibley Rocks Rock Run GNCC
Whibley took the lead at the start of the race after passing $250 Motosport.comHoleshot Award winner Jedidiah Haines in turn three, but then gave way to Strang and FMF/KTM's Charlie Mullins, who took the lead position later in the lap. Whibley, however, regained the top spot at the three-mile mark when Strang made a mistake and Mullins took a bad line in a mud hole and from there the New Zealander pulled a considerable gap on the field.
Strang cut into Whibley's advantage near the halfway point of the race and took the lead when Whibley got stuck on a steep climb. However, Whibley took control again when Strang pitted for gas and from that point on the Kiwi was never headed.
At the finish, Whibley claimed his second win of the year, with Strang second and Mullins third.
Paul Whibley took the overall at Rock Run.
Photo: Shan Moore
"For me, it feels good to get another win," said Whibley. "Being one of the older guys in the field the wins are harder to come by and the last two races a few of the younger guys have been up front. So it's good to still be able to run with these guys."
"I have to admit I wasn't really enjoying it out there. I'm not a huge fan of rocks, but this past week I practiced in the rocks and I was somewhat prepared," added Whibley. "The course was quite fast and the penalty for going down in this stuff is severe so I was a little cautious out there and I think Strang might have had problems at the end of the race so everything ended up going my way."
Indeed, Strang admitted after the race that he was suffering brake problems during the later laps, however, his runner-up finish was enough to elevate the defending champ back into the series points lead, two points ahead of Mullins.
"The last two laps the brakes started fading on me, so it was difficult, but Paul rode a good race and it's good to get back in the lead in the standings," said Strang. "I had the lead and then Whibs got me when I pitted. After that I struggled with the brakes. But I felt good and I'm happy with how the bike worked. We did some testing and we got a good set-up for the rocks and the suspension worked great in the rocks."
Strang and Mullins have been battling back and forth over the series points lead all year, and at this round Strang seemed to have the upper hand.
Josh Strang is the new XC1 points leader after Rock Run.
Photo: Shan Moore
"I would like to think I could have won this if things had gone different at the start, but that's racing," said Mullins. "But I made a mistake and it cost me. I took a bad line in the mud and went from first to about eighth. After that I just did the best I could to catch up, but it was hard to pass out there. I got up to third and tried to put on a charge, but things just weren't going my way."
Michael Lafferty ran as high as second on the opening lap, and eventually settled into a solid fourth on his factory Husaberg. The eight-time National Enduro Champ is making a return to GNCC racing in a big way this year and looked comfortable in the rocky terrain.
Kailub Russell finished fifth despite suffering a severe case of blisters. The FMF/KTM rider had to pull in at one point and have his mechanic put duct tape on his hands so he could finish.
Further back, Chris Bach put the factory Beta into sixth, ahead of WMR Off-road/Clockwork/Planet Fitness KTM's Nate Kanney.
New Zealand's Rory Mead substituted for the injured Jimmy Jarrett on a JG Off-road/GEICO Powersports Honda and brought home an eighth place finish in his first-ever GNCC.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Gilbert (KTM) and factory Husaberg rider Nick Fahringer rounded out the top 10.
After five rounds of the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series, Strang holds the XC1 points lead with 123 points, while Mullins sits second with 121. Whibley is third in the standings with 103 points.
Steward Baylor Jr took the win in the XC2 class.
Photo: Shan Moore
Steward Baylor Jr. nabbed his third win of the season, coming out on top of a fierce battle with fellow KTM rider Jesse Robinson. Baylor came from the back of the pack after getting off to a poor start and once at the front he swapped the lead several times with Robinson before taking the win. Less than two seconds was all that separated them at the finish.
"We were tire to tire for most of the race, and it came down to the finish," said Baylor. "It was an incredible race."
Robinson's runner-up finish was his first podium since taking the win at round two in Georgia.
"Stu was faster in a couple of sections and I was faster in a couple of sections and we both knew where the racing was going to happen and we went in there every man for himself," said Robinson. "At the end, Stu had a line on me and just rode right around me."
Brad Bakken claimed his second podium of the year with a third place finish.
"I'm super-pumped to be up here, I had a four-kicker on the start so I was way back there in the beginning," said Bakken. "I just charged really hard and worked up. Andrew DeLong and I battled back and forth for most of the race and I passed him about a mile before the finish."
FAR Husqvarna's Jason Thomas was fifth, behind DeLong, while Am-Pro/FMF/Yamaha's Jordan Ashburn beat out JG Off-road/GEICO Powersports Honda's Scotty Watkins for sixth.
Charlie Mullins rounded out the podium in the XC1 class.
Photo: Shan Moore
Zack Nolan (KTM), Ryan Lojak (Yam) and Ted Mullins (Yam) rounded out the top 10. Meanwhile, Cody Cragg grabbed the holeshot to start the XC2 race to claim the $100 Motosport.com Holeshot Award.
Mark Heresco Jr. was the top finishing "Non-Pro" rider, taking the 250 A class win with a 19th overall finish.
In the morning race, Dennis Decker took the overall win in addition to first in the Super Senior A (45+) class with a strong ride on his Suzuki. Mark Patterson, also on a Suzuki, was second overall and first in the Masters A (50+), while third overall and second in the Masters A (50+) class went to Randall Riggs (Yam).
Maria Forsberg finished fourth overall on a KTM and claimed the Women's class win over Husqvarna rider Mandi Mastin.
In the Youth race, Austin Lee passed fellow KTM rider Levi Keller to take the overall win, in addition to first in the Super Mini (12-13) division. Keller ended up second overall and first in the Super Mini (14-15). Ryan Slopko rounded out the overall podium and was second in the Super Mini (14-15) on a Yamaha.
The 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Snowshoe, West Virginia for the MotoSport.com Snowshoe GNCC on June 25 & 26. ATV racing will take place on Saturday, followed by bike racing on Sunday. For more information, please visit gnccracing.com.
XC1 Results:
1. Paul Whibley (Yam)
2. Josh Strang (Suz)
3. Charlie Mullins (KTM)
4. Michael Lafferty (Hsb)
5. Kailub Russell (KTM)
6. Chris Bach (Bet)
7. Nate Kanney (KTM)
8. Rory Mead (Hon)
9. Kenneth Gilbert (KTM)
10. Nick Fahringer (Hsb)
XC1 Standings:
1. Josh Strang (123/1 win)
2. Charlie Mullins (121/2 win)
3. Paul Whibley (103/2 wins)
4. Cory Buttrick (81)
5. Nate Kanney (72)
6. Kailub Russell (69)
7. Michael Lafferty (64)
8. Chris Bach (63)
9. Garrett Edmisten (46)
10. Jimmy Jarrett (43)
XC2 Results:
1. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
2. Jesse Robinson (KTM)
3. Brad Bakken (KTM)
4. Andrew DeLong (KTM)
5. Jason Thomas (Hsq)
6. Jordan Ashburn (Yam)
7. Scotty Watkins (Hon)
8. Zack Nolan (KTM)
9. Ryan Lojak (Yam)
10. Ted Mullins (Yam)
XC2 Standings:
1. Steward Baylor Jr. (131/3 wins)
2. Jason Thomas (113/1 win)
3. Andrew DeLong (94)
4. Brad Bakken (90)
5. Jesse Robinson (83)
6. Jordan Ashburn (76)
7. Scotty Watkins (69)
8. Shane O'Banion (61)
9. Morgan Moss (57)
10. Zackery Smith (48)
MotoSport.com $250 XC1 holeshot - Jedidiah Haines
MotoSport.com $100 XC2 holeshot - Cody Cragg
About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1979, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles, competing for more than $3 million in prizes. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. For more information, please visit gnccracing.com.
