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Snowshoe, W.Va., (June 28, 2009) - The Snowshoe GNCC, round nine of the Grand National Cross Country Series, looked like another win for Team FMF Suzuki Makita Off Road's Josh Strang, but resulted in heartbreak for the former point's leader.
Strang and his teammate Charlie Mullins, both made excellent starts which took place on a blacktop road with a live-engine start next to the Snowshoe ski village. The Suzuki teamsters hit the toughest track of the 2009 season in four and fifth respectively. The double loop course was more than 20 miles in its entirety and riders needed more than endurance to make it six laps. Strang moved to the front on lap two where the race broke down to a David Knight versus Josh Strang battle for the win. To most spectators, it looked as though Strang had it sewn up and would take his fifth win of the season. But on the fifth lap, disaster struck for Strang when he crashed into a deer in the woods portion of the course and got knocked out! He was able to remount after waking up and finished sixth. At the time of his close encounter with the deer, Strang was leading by more than four minutes over third place.
Charlie Mullins fought his way up to fourth after he also had some bad luck earlier in the event.
"Unfortunately luck, both good and bad, is a component in racing," said Team Manager Mike Webb. "Today we didn't have good luck. Josh did everything right, he was fast, patient and made good decisions, you just never factor in a deer on the course. We have to take the good which is the fact that he and Knighter were in another league compared to everyone else. Josh has also proven to be the best in the mud, the high speed dust and now the gnarly technical, the kid has no weakness. We will come back; this thing is far from over."
Team FMF Makita Suzuki Off Road highlights
Josh Strang - sixth place GNCC round 9, 2nd in GNCC point's standings with 201/4 wins.
Charlie Mullins - fourth place GNCC round 9, 3rd in GNCC points standings with 197/1 win.XC1 Point Standings
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