Australia’s defending Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Champion Josh Strang has finished runner-up in the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina, over the weekend.

The FMF Suzuki rider made a late-race charge toward eventual winner Charlie Mullins, but it was a case of too little too late.

“I caught up with Charlie fairly easy there on the last lap and I think I should have won it,” said Strang. “I felt good today but I just let those guys get away too much early on. I just ran out of time and had too much distance to make up at the end.”

Ohio rider Mullins made amends for a crash in the final turn at the previous round in North Carolina where he threw away a certain victory.

Mullins was not about to let anything get in the way of a win in South Carolina, and grabbed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award to start the race before leading FMF/KTM teammates Kailub Russell, Russell Bobbitt and Cory Buttrick into the opening lap.

On lap three, Russell took the lead when Mullins stalled his bike in a tight turn. However, Mullins regained the top position after Russell slowed up on pit lane.

With one lap to go, Strang made good on a race-long charge that carried him to within 30 seconds of Mullins.

However, Strang came up short in his quest to catch Mullins, and Mullins took the checkered flag with 14 seconds to spare.

“This feels pretty good,” said Mullins. “It’s a little bit of redemption after what happened at Steele Creek. Luckily, I had a bit of a cushion on the last lap and I was able to cruise in for the finish.”

Mullins had a scare when he hit a rock and got sideways with less than a mile to go, but he was able to save it and avoid another last lap disaster like Steele Creek.

“I’m just lucky I didn’t go down,” said Mullins. “I couldn’t take another finish like that.”

Russell finished the day in third, the first podium of his XC1 career, despite feeling the effects of a sinus infection.

Buttrick made a late race pass on Bobbitt to claim fourth, with Bobbitt taking fifth ahead of Am-Pro/FMF/Yamaha’s Paul Whibley.

The 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series heads to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee for the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn’s GNCC on 1 May.

2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series

XC1 Results:
1. Charlie Mullins (KTM)
2. Josh Strang (Suz)
3. Kailub Russell (KTM)
4. Cory Buttrick (KTM)
5. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
6. Paul Whibley (Yam)
7. Nate Kanney (KTM)
8. Chris Bach (Bet)
9. Jimmy Jarrett (Hon)
10. Mike Lafferty (Hsb)

XC1 Standings:
1. Charlie Mullins (100/2 win)
2. Josh Strang (98/1 win)
3. Paul Whibley (73)
4. Cory Buttrick (72)
5. Nate Kanney (58)
6. Kailub Russell (53)
7. Chris Bach (48)
8. Garrett Edmisten (46)
9. Mike Lafferty (46)
10. Jimmy Jarrett (43)