The Grand National Cross Country Series visited Millfield, OH for the annual John Penton GNCC. Rain on race day turned the Ohio clay into a slick, muddy mess and provided a challenging racing landscape for the full three hour Pro main event.
Ricky Russell #212 just about nailed his start, coming into turn one in front; however, a cautious Russell was passed by eventual race winner Josh Strang in the opening corners. Russell and Strang stayed tight all race long, never more than a handful of seconds apart as the duo lead the field with Russell eventually finishing 2nd Overall. In XC2, Ryder Lafferty #19 put forth a strong opening lap, only to lose a few positions on lap two. Over the remaining three laps, Lafferty put his head down and charged back up through the field to 2nd XC2 and 7th Overall.
Cole Whitmer #518 put up another Open A win, though a heavy mistake on lap two saw him drop back a few minutes, only to rebound and win his class by over six minutes. Lane Whitmer #587 led from start to finish, winning the 4-Stroke A Lites class seemingly with ease. Shawn Remington #76 ran an uncontested 2nd in the 40+ A class all race long, leading to every Coastal rider finishing on the podium at The Penton.
