Kailub Russell claimed the 2020 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro title with a close victory at this weekend’s Silver Hawk Plantation Sprint Enduro, the series finale in Buffalo, South Carolina. The title was Russell’s third Sprint championship and his 16th in total.

Russell’s win at Silver Hawk came after a great battle with Am Pro Yamaha’s Layne Michael who led the race until the penultimate test before, as he often does, the FMF KTM rider dug deep to take the overall win.

In all, Russell won six tests, one on Saturday and five on Sunday. However, two crashes in test four on Sunday cost him dearly as the North Carolina rider finished the test 12 seconds behind Michael, moving Michael rider into the lead.

Trailing Michael with two tests remaining, Russell made up 1.2 seconds in the Cross test and entered the final test just 0.8 second behind. The final test would be the decider and Russell finished strong, winning the final test by 3.3 seconds and taking the overall victory by 2.4 seconds.

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Crashes don't stop the champ

“I came out swinging today and rode good,” said Russell. “I had awesome times the first three tests and then test four I kind of threw it away and had a couple falls. My front brake lever fell down and I couldn’t get it back up. It was so far down I was having a hard time getting to it, so my timing was a little bit off. But I was able to pull it together and win the last couple tests. So five out of six on the day.”

“It was good to get the overall win, but it was kind of strange how it worked out,” said Russell. “I won one test on Saturday and I won the day, and then I won all but one today and almost lost.

“It was a tough weekend. I was a little unsure how Saturday was going to go because I was a little bit off and you don’t have to be off by much to be pretty slow here. But I rode better on Sunday, and that was enough.”

Michael pushing for the overall

Although Michael won five tests over the weekend, the race marked the second round in a row where he was in a position to take the overall win, only to lose out in the final test.

“It’s frustrating because he got me at the last one in the last test and got me on this one in the last test,” said Michael. “But it was a good weekend, nonetheless. I fought hard. I was there all weekend and pretty consistent. One little mistake kind of cost me, but like I said, he had a big one that kind of put me back in it. All in all, a good weekend. Any time you’re batting with Kailub it’s good.”

Strang back on the podium

Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang won a Cross test and was rewarded with third overall. The Aussie off-roader only returned to racing the week before after missing several weeks due to a shoulder injury.

“I was a little off the pace,” said Strang. “I almost didn’t come this weekend just because of my shoulder. I still have a little bit of pain. To do these things, you have to go at 100% to be competitive, and I just wasn’t comfortable going as hard as I would have liked. There were some sections where I noticed I was just kind of riding around instead of attacking the track. But overall, it was a good day.”

OVERALL Top 10:

1. Kailub Russell (KTM)

2. Layne Michael (Yam)

3. Josh Strang (Kaw)

4. Lyndon Snodgrass (Kaw)

5. Liam Draper (KTM)

6. Jesse Ansley (KTM)

7. Ben Nelko (Hsq)

8. Cole Mattison (Hsq)

9. JoJo Cunningham (Kaw)

10. Dalton Seals (Yam)

Snodgrass on fire for Pro 2 win

Strang’s Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green teammate Lyndon Snodgrass has improved with each race and finished an impressive fourth overall, which was also good enough for first place in the Pro 2 division.

“I haven’t done a Full Gas in a while so it was good to get back to one,” said Snodgrass. “I had a good run. I think I won every test but the first one on Saturday in my class. So it was a good run for me. I was mixing it up with the pro guys a little bit in some of the tests, so that was cool. I think they did a good job this weekend and I was happy to be here.”

Tely Energy Racing KTM’s Liam Draper was fourth in the Pro class and fifth overall. “On Saturday I started off kind of slow, but I figured out the Cross test a lot better this weekend than I have in previous rounds,” said Draper. “It was close racing all weekend with me, Jordan Ashburn and Josh. Then Jordan had some problems. So, it was good. It was a good year. I had fun racing these.”

Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Jesse Ansley turned in his best finish of the year with a sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class. The Florida rider has made big strides this year and his podium at the series finale was a good way to cap off the season.

“I feel like I was really tight on day one,” said Ansley. “I wasn’t on the bike all week and I think it showed on Saturday. I felt like I really shined in the woods test and I was sitting fifth overall going into the last Enduro test and then I just made a dumb mistake, which dropped me back to seventh overall for the day.

“I don’t know what I was thinking, I just went for a line that wasn’t there and ended up getting stuck between two trees and it must have cost me about 10 seconds. I gave up a little time on Saturday in the Cross test, so on Sunday, I just concentrated on that test and was able to pick up some time, which put me up into sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class.”

Pennsylvanian Ben Nelko has been solid all year and finished seventh overall and third in the Pro 2 class this weekend. Nelko is backed by 760 Husqvarna.

Cole Mattison was the top-finishing Pro Am rider in eighth overall on a Husqvarna, while Ohio’s JoJo Cunningham topped the Lites A division with a solid ninth overall finish. Dalton Seals was 10th overall on a Yamaha and second Pro Am rider.

Pro 2 champ sits it out

Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Johnny Girroir, who wrapped up the Pro 2 championship at the previous round, skipped the race due to a sore knee. Meanwhile, Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green Jordan Ashburn was turning in some solid rides in the Pro class, but suffered an unfortunate DNF on Sunday.

Rachel Archer tops the Women’s Pro class

Am Pro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer won every test in the Women’s Pro class at Silver Hawk to take the overall ahead of Samantha Fisher and Alli Phillips.

“Tayla (Jones) and Kenzie (Tricker) were out with knee injuries, so I didn’t have those two to contend with,” said Archer. “All in all, it was a good weekend and I managed to win every test. I made a couple of silly mistakes today, just my suspension was a bit soft. In the last test I wadded my shoulder pretty good, so that’s a bit sore. But other than that, it was a fun track, good day.”

More information on the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series: www.sprintenduro.com

Words and Photo Credit:

Shan Moore

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