Shan Moore | May 24, 2021
After two straight unlucky races that resulted in a DNF and a 12th overall, Josh Strang (Babbits Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green) threw his hat back into the ring among championship contenders with an inspiring performance in hot and demanding conditions at the John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio, May 23.
After getting off to a top-five start, Strang paced himself in the heat while keeping the front-runners in sight. Then, on the final lap, the Aussie off-roader pounced, passing FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley in a grass track section to take the lead. At the end of the lap, Strang crossed the finish line with just over five seconds to spare ahead of Kelley.
Josh Strang finally nabbed a win at the John Penton GNCC after 15 years of trying. Photos: Ken Hill
“It was hot today, and I just rode there behind the boys, about 10 to 15 seconds behind, and then I think honestly they just started getting tired,” said Strang. “There was one section that I used to pass Ricky [Russell] early in the race and it was faster, so I knew if I got right behind Ben right there and tried to do that I could get past and I was able to.”
The win was special for Strang. “This is the only race of the series that I have raced every year I’ve been here [15 years] and this is my first time to win it.”
Strang received the traditional Penton gas tank that goes to the winner.
After winning the second round of the season, Kelley has been stymied in his attempt to win another, but his runner-up finish in Ohio helped extend his lead in the championship standings. He now sits nine points ahead of AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor, who had won the previous four races. Kelley was running around fifth early in the race, but on the first lap moved up into third behind Russell and Baylor.
Ben Kelley had a shot at the win but the veteran, Strang, out-lasted the KTM rider in the heat.
“I was right behind Stew, and I just washed the front end; I was so mad,” said Kelley. “I was able to put in some good laps and pass those guys—just kind of held a better line in some sections and snuck in on them. I was behind Ricky for like two laps. I was faster than him and put in a charge to try to pass him, but he was going good. I couldn’t make it happen. We kind of yo-yoed for a bit, and I finally passed him at the end of the second lap right after the finish.”
After taking the lead from Russell on the second lap, Kelley held the lead until the final lap. “Strang was slowly reeling me in; we would get to that grass track section, and he would just suck right up to me,” said Kelley. “It was like I was working so hard out there but he was just faster. I just put in a hard charge that second-to-last lap, got about seven or eight seconds. Coming out of one of the creeks and there was a bottleneck, so Strang was right on my wheel. I pushed to try to get a gap again, but we were right before that Penton section and the grass track and he caught me. I had nothing left in the tank. I ran off the track into some trees a few times. I was giving it my all, but he bested me. It seemed like he just had good lines there at the end and he beat me, outsmarted me.” Kelley also had to hold off Steward Baylor, who turned some blazing laps on the final two times around to nearly catch the KTM rider at the finish. Kelley crossed the finish line with Steward on his rear fender.
“It was upsetting,” said Baylor. “We did everything we could. I gave it absolutely everything I had. Those last two laps, there was nothing left. I don’t think I could have done anything better or anything different.”
Steward Baylor saw his win streak come to an end but he still ended up on the podium.
Ricky Russell turned in his second-best finish of the year (he finished second at the Tiger Run), and he grabbed the holeshot to boot!
“I had an awesome start, and finally got that holeshot,” said Russell. “I led for almost two laps and made a little mistake and Ben Kelley got by. I was following him for a while, and we came to a bottleneck area and there was probably about twenty guys kind of blocking the trail. Ben was able to just kind of plow a trail through there and Josh Strang followed him and got by me and the two just kind of got a little gap on me. Then Stew went by.”
Josh Toth was fifth. The FMF/KTM rider got a great jump off the line but went down in turn three and was the last of the pro riders to enter the woods section. After passing Steward later in the first lap, Toth ended up having to ride the remainder of the lap with no rear brakes.
>Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn led the second half of the top 10, finishing sixth, nearly three minutes behind Toth.
Craig DeLong was the first of the XC2 250 Pro class riders. It was the Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna rider’s first win of the year, putting an end to Coastal Racing GasGas Johnny Girroir’s run of five-straight.
Craig DeLong won the XC2 class, putting an end to Jonathan Girroir’s win streak.
KLM Milwaukee GasGas’ Grant Baylor had an off day, finishing eighth overall.
Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass was ninth overall and second in the XC2 250 Pro class, 11 seconds ahead of Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Trevor Bollinger, who was 10th overall.
Coastal Racing GasGas’ Ben Parsons claimed his first win of the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class, finishing ahead of class points leader Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jonathan Johnson, while Lojak Cycle Sales/Yamaha’s Chase Coleville was third.
In the XCW class, AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer took the win by over two minutes ahead of Babbits Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Korie Steede, who came on strong in the end to finish second. Steede’s runner-up finish matched her best performance of the year. Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones was third, ahead of BABS Racing Yamaha/Fly/Maxxis/Pro Circuit’s Becca Sheets and Enduro Engineering/FLY/KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker.
Rachael Archer won the Women’s class for the third time this season.
2021 John Penton GNCC Overall Results
- Josh Strang (Kaw)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Steward Baylor (Yam)
- Ricky Russell (GG)
- Josh Toth (KTM)
- Jordan Ashburn (Hus)
- Craig DeLong (Hus)
- Grant Baylor (GG)
- Lyndon Snodgrass (Kaw)
- Trevor Bollinger (Hus)
