Josh Strang led a majority of the race. Image: Ken Hill.

After three consecutive days of rainfall in South Central Kentucky, The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mammoth GNCC was nothing short of a tough mudder.

This time it was Shenandoah Honda/USWE-Sports.com’s Thad DuVall who sealed the deal after putting in a consistent and smooth race aboard his CR250-F machine.

DuVall put a late pass on Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s Josh Strang to claim the overall victory. After getting stuck on the last lap, Strang finished less than one minute behind DuVall to secure his first podium finish since round one in Florida.

Less than 10 riders were able to complete all five laps of the race, while the top 18 riders made four laps, and the rest of the field only made three laps around the rough course.

Heavy rainfall made for sloppy conditions but perhaps it was the added element of lappers that aided in making Round 5 of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series one of the toughest races in recent history.

The victory was aligned from the start for DuVall, who powered his 250F through the muddy straight to claim the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award.

However, Strang got out to the early lead with DuVall close behind and then it was points leader Charlie Mullins, Kailub Russell and Paul Whibley inside the top five early on.

Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell made his way into the second place spot on lap two, engaging himself in a lead battle with Strang. However, Russell soon experienced a mechanical issue of his own, eventually riding back to his pit for assistance.

Russell was sidelined long enough to lose several positions before heading back on the course, only to be towed in on lap three.

Amidst all the chaos and commotion, Strang and DuVall remained steady and consistent as the duo began putting a gap on the rest of the field. Strang led a majority of the race until Lap 4 when DuVall took over the lead after both riders stopped in the VP Racing Fuels Pro Row.

From there, Strang followed DuVall on the final lap of racing but DuVall was able to break away when Strang got stuck in a deep mud section near the end.

The three-way battle for third became even more intense about halfway through the two-hour race as FMF/KTM’s Charlie Mullins, AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn and Carolina KTM/RidePG.com backed Chris Bach battled back and forth.

Mullins eventually made the pass on Ashburn to briefly claim the third place position, but his day quickly ended due to mechanical issues soon after. Ashburn and Bach battled down to the wire on the last lap but it was Bach who claimed the final podium position, while Ashburn took fourth overall.

AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley put in a consistent ride to claim fifth in the XC1 class and seventh place overall, gaining valuable points in the championship standings.

The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series continues 18-19 May with the Dunlop Limestone 100 GNCC.

2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series
Round Five – Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mammoth GNCC

XC1 Results:
1. Thad DuVall (HON)
2. Josh Strang (KAW)
3. Chris Bach (KTM)
4. Jordan Ashburn (YAM)
5. Paul Whibley (YAM)
6. Adam Bonneur (KAW)
7. Charlie Mullins (KTM)
8. Mark Fortner (BET)
9. Rory Mead (KTM)
10. Takeshi Koikeda (HON)