GNCC: Strang fourth in season opener

Australia’s Josh Strang has finished fourth in the opening round of the 2011 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in Florida on March 6, with Charlie Mullins the victor ahead of KTM team-mate Mike Brown.

Strang, the defending GNCC champion, admitted he felt tired during the early stages of the race.

“I led for a while and then I dropped off the pace,” said Strang. "I started feeling better at the halfway point of the race and I began moving forward and Mullins was behind me, I think we were running third and fourth, but I ended up going down pretty hard. I had to stop and straighten out my bike and that was it.”

Last year, Strang only became the second Aussie to win the prestigious GNCC title after Shane Watts.

Mullins played his cards to perfection on the rough and sandy course, staying within striking distance of the leaders for most of the three-hour race, but saving just enough energy for a final push which saw him dislodge Brown – who has been the pacemaker since lap two.

“I was pretty much where I wanted to be all day,” said Mullins. “The last two laps I was behind Brown and I just put on a charge and was able to get the win.

“On the last lap we came up on a mud hole that was getting pretty deep. He went around it and I went through it and I came out in front. After that, I just stayed on the gas.”

New Zealand’s 2009 champion Paul Whibley (Yamaha) was first off the line, but he then hit a tree on the opening lap and broke the radiator off his YZ450F. He returned to the pits to repair the damage and then turned in a gutsy performance, which garnered him eighth.

The second round will be held this weekend (March 12-13).