VOL. 50 ISSUE 9 MARCH 5, 2013 P61
P FOR GNCC
aboard the number-one bike.
Mullins endured everything from
mechanical issues to a minor injury midseason, sitting out a total
of three races. All the commotion
in 2012 didn���t seem to faze the
resilient Mullins, though, as he
busted into 2013 with a big win
at the National Enduro season
opener in February.
And then there���s 2010 GNCC
champ Josh Strang, who
wrapped up third overall in 2011
before breaking his leg at the
season finale. He did not return
in 2012. Following Suzuki���s devastating departure from GNCC
in 2011, Strang signed with the
Paul Whibley will be back to defend
the GNCC on his familiar Am/Pro
Yamaha team.
Washington-based FMF/RPM/
KTM team to race WORCS last
season and will make his full-time
return to GNCC in 2013. Strang
will be competing aboard a privateer-backed KX450F and his
all-new Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
titled team. Strang stated, ���It���s
been a little stressful putting together my own team, but I feel really good on the new bike and I���m
just excited to get back to GNCC
this year!���
In addition to the former
champs lining the front row this
season, there are several other
heavy hitters back for 2013. New
Zealand���s Rory Mead just announced a late preseason switch
to the FMF/RPM/KTM Team
Maxxis squad, where he���ll continue to race the KTM brand, this
time aboard a 450XC-F.
Shenandoah Honda/USWE.
com���s Thad DuVall, former XC2
Pro Lites champ, is back on a
CRF450R this season - a bike
that helped carry the 23-yearold to one of his most consistent
seasons of his GNCC career
in 2012. Mead and DuVall each
captured their first respective
XC1 wins last season - a feat that
now puts them amongst an elite
group of GNCC racers. Former
XC2 Champion Steward Baylor
Jr. had every intention of making
his XC1 debut aboard the Factory FMF/KTM team at round
one, but the 18-year-old recently
underwent a corrective surgery