Kailub Russel wins 8th Consecutive GNCC Title

SCOTT athlete and FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Kailub Russell clinched his eighth-consecutive GNCC National Championship on Sunday with a courageous podium performance at Round 11 of the 2020 AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series.

Russell came into Sunday’s race with a comfortable lead in the championship standings, but after sustaining a PCL and lateral meniscus tear in a big crash two weekends ago, Russell dug deep to push through the adversity as he fought for three grueling hours through the extremely dusty conditions to land a podium finish and wrap up his eighth straight title in his final year of professional GNCC racing.

Kailub Russell: “To win one title is tough and to back it up is even harder, so to keep it going and go eight-straight is unreal. I never would have dreamed it was an actual possibility. There are too many variables in offroad racing – there’s too much going on, too much time out there on the track and too many different conditions. I have to give it up to the whole team, without Antti and everybody that supports us, this would never be possible. It’s been a real honor to race for the factory KTM team my entire career and finish it out with them, and to go out on top is awesome.”

Team Manager, Antti Kallonen: “Congratulations to Kailub and the entire team. Eight consecutive GNCC Championships speaks volumes of Kailub and the team that has stood behind him from day one. It has been true pleasure working with Kailub for all of his eight championships and this last one tops his amazing GNCC career.”

Photo credit: Mack Faint