Russell was out front early after earning a 2nd place start. He spent the majority of the race swapping the lead position with competitor Jason Thomas. Baylor started in 9th position and quickly worked his way up through the pack. The cold, soggy conditions seemed to fit the South Carolina native well as he blitzed by riders to the front of the pack. At one point Baylor actually took the lead but shortly after got stuck in the mud and lost time. After he recovered from the mud hole he collided with a lapper and lost a few more positions. He eventually finished in 4th while Russell pulled away out front to take the win with a 38 second lead over Thomas. KTM privateer Jesse Robinson rounded out the podium in 3rd. All top three XC2 riders finished 6th, 7th and 8th respectively in the overall standings for the day from all classes combined.

"It feels great to get my first win of the season. This round went a lot better for me than the first week. I felt comfortable all day and really had fun on my bike," commented Russell after the race.
FMF/KTM rider Kailub Russell earned his first win

Overall XC2
1. Kailub Russell - KTM
2. Jason Thomas
3. Jesse Robinson - KTM
4. Steward Baylor - KTM
5. Dustin Gibson - KTM
7. Jake Korn - KTM
8. Brad Bakken - KTM

Next Round: March 20-21, 2010 - Morganton, NC - Round 3