GNCC Racing

KR4 On The Podium at Big Buck GNCC

Thursday, March 9, 2017 | 11:30 AM

The 43rd Annual Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) kicked off this weekend, March 4-5, with the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina. The season opener was greeted with mild, sunny weather, creating ideal race conditions for close to a thousand riders. 

Women's Pro rider, Tayla Jones, took advantage of the optimal conditions and began her race with the hole shot. Tayla took a fall just after the third turn and had to battle back from 6th place and was still able to hold off Becca Sheets and pass MacKenzie Tricker to achieve her 1st place podium! 

Tayla Jones WXC 1st Place
Tayla Jones WXC 1st Place Provided

Grant Baylor in the XC1 on Husqvarna 2017 FX450 had a tough start to the race and was in last place because his bike did not start on the line. Once he got moving, he began making good time and worked his way back to 6th place. He came into the pits with his bike making some noise and stalled and ended up running out of fuel. The KR4 team got him fueled up and back on the track quickly and then he battled closely with others in his class to finish in 8th place.

Jesper Borjesson in the XC2 realized early before the race that he was battling some sort of flu and was running a temperature but decided to ride and give it his best for the day. Jesper still managed to finish in 12th place despite the sickness.

Other riders and their placement for the Big Buck were:

  • Scott Grills XC1- 13th place
  • Hunter Neuwirth XC3 - 5th place
  • Troy Horbaty 85 7-11 - 8th place
  • Conner Keegan 4 Stroke A Lites - 5th place
  • Brandon Keegan 200B - 5th place

Colin Keegan had a great race and received a 2nd place finish in the 4 Stroke A Lites after battling his way up from 6th place in the beginning of the race. He had maneuvered his way into 3rd place and then during the last lap managed to get the gain he needed to move up one more position. 

Colin Keegan 4 Stroke A Lites 2nd place
Colin Keegan 4 Stroke A Lites 2nd place Provided

Chase Sweda started the race strong in 250B and stayed relatively consistent throughout the race. He was in 3rd place for part of the race and rode the best race of his career. He maintained his position lap after lap to settle in and finish the race in 2nd place. 

Chase Sweda 250B 2nd Place
Chase Sweda 250B 2nd Place Provided

Grass Roots Riders for the Big Buck GNCC Race:

  • Hunter Williams 4Stroke A lites - 19th place
  • Johnny Trump 125 B/C - DNF
  • Rachael Archer WXC - 8th place
  • Dylan Kosarik 65 10-11 - 17th place
  • Ronnie Kosarik Super Mini 14-15 - 31st place
  • Jacob Pacheco 85 7-11 - 12th place
  • Bill Gold 55+ Silver Masters - 1st place
  • Peter Anania Golden Masters 60+ - 8th place
  • Hank Hays 200A - 7th place
  • Derek Pacheco Sportsman A - 22nd place
  • Ethan Pacheco 4 stroke C - 13th place 

About KR4

KR4 Performance is a leading professional and amateur race team that participates in the Grand National Cross Country Championships (GNCC), the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series (FGSE), and the National Enduro Promotions Group (NEPG) Series. KR4's team won the 2016 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Championship. KR4 Pro Thad Duvall was a member of the historic American ISDE team, which won the 2016 International Six Day Enduro Championship. KR4's solid team structure is made up of former GNCC pros, expert motorcycle mechanics, and industry enthusiasts that are 100% dedicated to helping clients achieve their racing goals. Visit www.kr4performance.com for more information.

About the KR4 Arrive-N-Ride Program: KR4 is paving the way for the future of off-road racing with its unparalleled Arrive-n-Ride Program, saving riders time, money, and hassle. For an affordable fee, KR4 can offset the cost of racing and have everything ready for riders on race day. With the KR4 Arrive-N-Ride program, bikes are prepped by the KR4 team before a race and delivered with gear to riders on race day to the location of their choosing. To learn more or sign up for the Arrive-n-Ride Experience, please contact [email protected]m or visit www.kr4performance.com. For additional information, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. For the team's photo gallery, visit their Flickr page.

 

About GNCC Racing: The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis is America's premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,400 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised weekly on NBC Sports and RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.