Josh Strang with Husqvarna for 2018 AMA Grand National Cross Country series
29-year-old Enduro expert Josh Strang, from Inverell, NSW, is set for yet another season in the high-profile AMA Grand National Cross Country series riding the FX 450 alongside teammate Thad Duvall, who will ride an FX 350.
Strang will also be racing the Full Gas Sprint Enduro which is a challenge he is looking forward to.
The 13-round GNCC series takes place in nine different states through the eastern half of the United States, making stops at many of the series’ traditional favorites, while adding three all-new venues to the schedule.
The GNCC series will kick off with the Big Buck GNCC on February 24 and 25 in Union, South Carolina, then continue to the Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka, Florida, held in conjunction with the 2018 Daytona Beach “Bike Week” festivities on March 10 and 11. The Big Buck and Wild Boar GNCCs will also play hosts to the opening rounds of the six-race UTV championship.
After Florida, the series continues to its first new venue of the season in Georgia. This new location in the Peach State will be announced in the coming week and promises to incorporate the same grueling obstacles that GNCC racers are used to, while adding a new batch of terrain they have yet to experience.
“We’ve taken the time to develop a one-of-a-kind GNCC schedule, and it’s already shaping up to be a great season,” explained GNCC Trail Boss, Jeff Russell. “The three new venues all have something different to offer and should be an instant hit with the GNCC Racing Nation.”
After summer break, the series will grace another new facility in Harpursville, New York for the Black Sky GNCC. The Johnson Family Farm is no stranger to woods racing where they have hosted a few local off-road events, but still offers plenty of virgin woods for the GNCC track crew to develop a unique and brand-new course.
The Mason-Dixon GNCC will be the following round on the weekend of September 29 and 30 in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania – another hotbed for off-road racing. Located adjacent to High Point Raceway, the racetrack will travel across the Mason-Dixon line with sections in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“It’s been over 15 years since we’ve been at the High Point Raceway property” continued GNCC Trail Boss Jeff Russell. “By being able to host and start the race on the Mathews Farm, we are excited to layout a brand new track that will cross over to one of America’s most iconic motocross tracks, as well as travel between Pennsylvania and Racer Productions’ home-state of West Virginia.”
The schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues for 2018, including Steele Creek in Morganton, North Carolina; Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Odessa, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC; St. Clairsville, Ohio’s Powerline Park; and the Ironman in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
2018 AMSOIL GNCC Racing Schedule
Rnd 1 Feb. 24/25 Big Buck Union, SC UTV SETRA
Rnd 2 Mar. 10/11 Wild Boar Palatka, FL UTV
Rnd 3 Mar. 17/18 TBA TBA, GA Micro SETRA
Rnd 4 April 7/8 Steele Creek Morganton, NC Micro SETRA
Rnd 5 April 21/22 Camp Coker Bullet Society Hill, SC UTV SETRA
Rnd 6 May 12/13 X-Factor Peru, IN Micro IXCR
Rnd 7 May 26/27 The John Penton Millfield, OH UTV WEXCR
Rnd 8 June 9/10 Tomahawk Odessa, NY Micro
Rnd 9 June 23/24 Snowshoe Snowshoe, WV
Rnd 10 Sept. 15/16 Black Sky Harpursville, NY Micro
Rnd 11 Sept. 29/30 Mason-Dixon Mount Morris, PA Micro
Rnd 12 Oct. 13/14 Powerline Park St. Clairsville, OH UTV WEXCR
Rnd 13 Oct. 27/28 Ironman Crawfordsville, IN UTV IXCR
