On The Pegs July 2020 - Volume 5 - Issue 7 | Page 64

On The Pegs 64
Although it was a dogfight, Babbitt’s Online/
Monster Energy/Team Green Kawasaki’s Josh
Strang claimed his first GNCC victory in four
years at the FMF Camp Coker GNCC in Society
Hill, South Carolina, swapping the lead with
seven-time champ, FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell,
before coming away with the “W”.
Russell had won all four rounds leading up to the
South Carolina race, but Strang had been in the hunt
at each event. At Camp Coker, Strang finally got the
job done, crossing the finish with a 35-second margin
after Russell took a pretty hard digger while trying
to cut into the eight-second lead Strang had on
him with just three miles to go in the race.
“It feels pretty good,” said Strang. “It’s long overdue,
but I feel like I’m riding well and I feel like I’m in
shape. It’s good.”
Strang first took control of the race on lap two
when Russell and AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Micheal
were held up by a lapper and Strang took an alternate
line.
Russell re-took the lead on the following lap when
Strang pitted for fuel. On the next lap, it was Russell’s
time to pit, and Strang used that opportunity to retake
the lead.
“I knew I’d have to gas the next lap, but I was able
to get a good enough gap where I came out again
in front,” said Strang. “I think there were parts of
the track where he was faster and parts where I was
a little bit quicker. He ended up catching me, but
because he gassed so early, he had to gas again.
So, once he gassed again, I tried to go again but he
caught me again going into the last lap. With half a
lap to go, I had eight seconds on him, which I didn’t
think was going to be enough, but then he crashed.”