Australian Josh Strang watched his Can-Am Grand National Cross Series title slip further from his grasp with a fighting fourth place finish at Crawfordsville, Indiana, on Sunday.

Strang turned in an amazing charge from the back of the pack to finish fourth, after the FMF Makita Suzuki rider broke a footpeg on the opening lap and had to return to the pits for repairs.

Continuing his recent run of bad luck since the summer break, Strang minimised the damage with an incredible effort.

Charlie Mullins took a giant step towards winning his first GNCC title with an impressive victory in Indiana, the penultimate stop of the series.

The Ironman GNCC is historically known for it’s spectator-friendly obstacles and festive aura, usually serving as the final round of racing, but due to a previous rainout, the Ironman provided a penultimate round of exciting racing action in all classes.

With the win, Mullins now has a healthy 38-point lead in the series standings, which he will carry into the double-header finale at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch on 4-6 November.

Strang holds down second place, however little chance remains for him to defend his title after scoring just two wins amongst a host of frustrating problems in the latter stages of the season.