FMF KTM Factory teammates Kailub Russell and Kacy Martinez talk about their Wild Boar GNCC experiences.
KTM has released the following video showcasing its team riders at the 2016 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series-opening Wild Boar GNCC from Palatka, Florida.
Following a six-month layoff after he suffere a knee injury at the 2015 International Six Days Enduro, Russell came into the season opener with only one month of preparation, but he got off to a good start in the XC1 Pro race, only to get caught up in a multi-rider pileup. Russell quickly made up the lost time and moved into the top five, only to tangle with another rider and drop to 14th place. A hard charge in the final two laps put him into a three-way battle for a podium position. Russell passed Ryan Sipes and Chris Bach within the final few miles of the course to claim third place.
“It took me a while to get going but I rode well at the end of the race and I felt good,” Russell said. “The track was super rough today and I’m definitely feeling sore after only being back on the bike for one month before this.”
Team Manager Antti Kallonen added, “Although we were expecting more of a typical result from Kailub, the team is very pleased with his performance considering so many factors throughout the race and his preparation time leading up to it. Kailub hasn’t lost anything from last year.”
FMF KTM Factory Team rider Kacy Martinez not only captured the first victory of the season in the WXC class, she bagged the overall victory ahead of over 500 riders in the 10 a.m. race. The defending WXC Champion, Martinez grabbed the early lead in her class and began to put a substantial lead on the rest of the field. A crash on lap three put her behind rival Becca Sheets, but then Sheets crashed and Martin retook the lead. Martin went on to capture the win at the season opener.
“Kacy finished off strong in what was a tough race for her,” Kallonen said. “We’re expecting the WXC battle to be tighter this year because the level of competition has gone up but we’re ready and Kacy is ready.”
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