Overcoming a brutal late-race crash, Andrew Delong topped the XC2 Pro Lites podium at Round 4 of the GNCC motorcycle series. The race was held April 21 in Union, South Carolina.

Delong had gained the lead by the second lap, and repeatedly fended off challenges from other riders. Despite being momentarily sidelined by the crash, he took the front spot again by the last lap. "The [Maxxcross SI] tires were great. It was a rough day; it was really sort of beat up. The bike was great. I liked the course until I wadded myself," he chuckled. "It was fun, awesome. I came here with having fun in mind, and I did today, so it was all worth it." A strong start for Maxxis’ Jason Thomas ended in a sixth-place XC2 finish. Delong and Thomas are first and third in class standings.

Chris Bach did well in XC1, taking fourth place, while Josh Strang and Ricky Russell grabbed fifth and sixth. All three are in the overall top ten: Bach and Strang are third and fourth in XC1 standings, and Russell is seventh. Bach rode the Maxxcross SX rear, which is typically used for motocross and supercross conditions. "The SX rear was great,” he said. “I knew coming into this race that this place always has some low spots with mud and roots, but the fields and a lot of the four-wheeler trails are like concrete. So I opted for the SX because it has more knob spacing and the knobs flex more [than the SI or IT]. It was a good compromise between the mud and concrete. It worked just how I hoped, and I came away with fourth. I will definitely run it again!"

RPM Racing Team’s Kacy Martinez took second in the Women’s race and is second in the point standings by just two points.

Maxxis congratulates Andrew Delong on his victory and thanks all of its riders for their fine performances.