2014 Loretta Lynn’s Ranch GNCC Results
For the third time in the GNCC Racing Series, Factory FMF/KTM pilot Charlie Mullins took a win.
His latest victory, which was his second-consecutive win, arrived at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Hills, Tenn., round 6 of the 2014 GNCC Series. Joining Mullins on the podium were his teammate Kailub Russell and Yamaha’s Josh Strang.
Under hot temperatures, high humidity, and a slick track due to rain before the start, the riders competed on an 11.5-mile rocky track for a total of six laps.
Russell took his first holeshot of the season, followed closely by Mullins. KTM says the two riders immediately began a battle that would last the next three hours. Russell led the race until mile eight where he stopped to get goggles. This quick stop dropped him to fifth place. By the end of the second lap, Russell was able to catch back up to second place behind Mullins. On that same lap, both riders came into the pits for goggles and Russell decided to refuel.
At the end of the third lap, Mullins stopped for gas which allowed Russell to get out front and pull a 16-second gap on Mullins. A few miles into that lap, Russell suffered a crash which allowed Mullins to close the gap. With two laps to go, only 10 seconds separated the teammates. On the final lap, Russell had to stop for a splash of gas which allowed Mullins to close within five seconds of him, KTM reports.
Around the eight-mile marker of the final lap, Mullins was able to challenge Russell for the lead and made a pass to take over the top spot. Russell fell as a result of the contact made during the pass and lost a few seconds to Mullins. At the end of the race, Mullins took his third win of the season by a 6 second victory over Russell, KTM reports.
“It was a tough battle today,” stated Mullins. “Kailub (Russell) rode a strong race as he always does and we battled the whole time. I am happy to get a win here and gain a few more points toward the championship.”
Steward Baylor had a day he would like to forget in the XC1 Pro class. He started the race in the bottom ten, but got dizzy as a result of a concussion suffered at the third round of the series. The team decided it was best for him to pull off and seek medical attention. Baylor will be evaluated this week and it will be determined if he will need to sit out any remaining rounds to recover.
In the XC2 Pro Lites class, Grant Baylor had an 8th place start off the line. He quickly moved up to 3rd place by the end of the first lap. On the second lap he was able to make a pass for the lead and never looked back. He went on to lead the remaining laps and took the win by 37 seconds over the 2nd place ride of Ricky Russell. Baylor now holds the points lead heading to the next round, KTM reports.
In the WXC class, Martinez came out first around the opening corner and never lost her lead position. She led all four laps of the race to take her fifth win of the series over fellow KTM rider Sarah Baldwin. She now holds an 18 point lead in the championship standings, KTM reports.
The 2014 GNCC Series no heads to Masontown, W.V., May 25. for round seven.
2014 Loretta Lynn’s Ranch GNCC Overall Results:
- Charlie Mullins – KTM
- Kailub Russell – KTM
- Josh Strang – Yamaha
- Chris Bach – Honda
- Jordan Ashburn – Yamaha
- Andrew Delong – Husqvarna
- Paul Whibley – Yamaha
- Grant Baylor – KTM
- Ricky Russell – Yamaha
- Takeshi Koikeda – Honda
Overall Results XC2 Pro Lites:
- Grant Baylor – KTM
- Ricky Russell – Yamaha
- Layne Michael – Honda
- Jessie Groemm – KTM
- Chris Douglas – KTM
- Jedediah Haines – Yamaha
- Samuel Evans – KTM
- Callan May – Yamaha
- Trevor Bollinger – Honda
- Shane Hufford – KTM
Overall Results WXC:
- Kacy Martinez – KTM
- Sarah Baldwin – KTM
- Jessica Patterson – Yamaha
- Mandi Mastin – KTM
- Brooke Cosner – KTM
- Karlynn Beam – KTM
- Samantha Steiner – KTM
- Allie Spurgeon – Husqvarna
- Becca Sheets – Yamaha
- Taylor Gray – Yamaha
Overall Point Standings XC1:
- Charlie Mullins – 155
- Kailub Russell – 143
- Josh Strang – 111
Overall Point Standings XC2 Pro Lites:
- Grant Baylor – 151
- Ricky Russell – 148
- Trevor Bollinger – 117
Overall Point Standings WXC:
- Kacy Martinez – 119
- Mandi Mastin – 101
- Becca Sheets – 100