Image: Ken Hill.

Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell came out on top at Sunday’s Maxxis General GNCC after battling it out for the overall lead with reigning XC2 Pro Lites Champion Grant Baylor in the final moments of the race.

Before the race began, it was decided that the race would be shortened to a minumum of two hours due to the heavy rainfall throughout the day. With the leader coming in at 2h17m54, Sunday’s race was just short of a typical three-hour GNCC.

Australian rider Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s Josh Strang grabbed yet another XC1 Holeshot Award with his AmPro Yamaha teammates Paul Whibley and Jordan Ashburn close behind.

It didn’t take long for guys like Charlie Mullins and the XC2 front-runners of Grant Baylor and Rory Mead to join the Yamaha riders in the lead battle, where a chaotic chain of events unfolded until the end.

It was Russell who held strong in the final moments, securing his first win of the season and capturing solid championship points. Despite a valiant effort, Grant Baylor missed the overall victory by only four seconds after time adjustment.

While it wasn’t ideal for the round one winner, Mullins finished sixth overall to salvage the points lead after two rounds.

2014 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series
Round two – Washington, GA

XC1 results:
1. Kailub Russell
2. Jordan Ashburn
3. Paul Whibley
4. Josh Strang
5. Charlie Mullins
6. Steward Baylor
7. Chris Bach
8. Ryan Sipes
9. Takeshi Koikeda
10. Adam Bonneur

Championship standings:
1. Charlie Mullins 45
2. Paul Whibley 43
3. Kailub Russell 37
4. Josh Strang 37
5. Jordan Ashburn 35
6. Steward Baylor 28
7. Grant Baylor 28
8. Rory Mead 27
9. Ricky Russell 22
10. Trevor Bollinger 21