Australia’s defending Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Champion Josh Strang has taken his first win of the season after three hours of intense action at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC over the weekend.

With spectators crowding the barriers to get a better view, Charlie Mullins led Strang into the final stretch of winding trail that led to the finish.

As the two riders got closer to the checkered flag the intensity picked up, with Strang showing Mullins a wheel at every turn. Mullins guarded his lines and held Strang at bay, looking clearly to have his second win of the season in the bag.

That is until the final turn when the FMF/KTM rider fell down. At that point a stunned Strang cruised across the finish line to take his first win of the year. The win was the FMF/Makita Suzuki rider’s third straight at Steele Creek and it gave him the series points lead to boot.

To top things off, Strang also won the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award to start the race.

“I got pretty lucky there when Charlie went down,” said Strang. “It was unfortunate for him but I’ll take the win for sure. I went down myself on the last lap so I had to ride hard to catch him.

“When I caught him I had to try to get by him as quick as I could because we were close to the finish. I tried to go inside him in a corner and after that I was ready to settle for second, but then he went down.

“I was shocked and a little bit relieved.”

Until that point, Mullins had ridden a mistake-free race.

“It was a great race and I felt like I rode a good race,” said Mullins. “The only mistake I made all day was right there at the finish and it was a big one. I’m kind of disappointed in myself and I don’t know what to say. I’ve never thrown away a race like that.”

Cory Buttrick rode his strongest race of the year and battled early on with Mullins, Strang and Am Pro Yamaha’s Thad DuVall. At mid-race the FMF/KTM factory rider settled into his own private race in third, after Mullins and Strang picked up the pace and DuVall crashed out of contention.

The 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Union, South Carolina for the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC on 9-10 April.

2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series
Round Three – Steele Creek

XC1 Results:
1. Josh Strang (Suz)
2. Charlie Mullins (KTM)
3. Cory Buttrick (KTM)
4. Kailub Russell (KTM)
5. Paul Whibley (Yam)

XC1 Standings:
1. Josh Strang (73/1 win)
2. Charlie Mullins (70/1 win)
3. Paul Whibley (58)
4. Cory Buttrick (54)
5. Nate Kanney (44)