Brycen Neal put together a solid 2013 season wrapping up the XC2 ProAm championship early and making the jump to XC1 to get his feet wet there. We caught up with Brycen to talk about his 2013 season, plans for the future, and more.

GNCCRacing.com: How's everything going today?
Everything's good today, just recovering from a long weekend on the road.

What have you been up to since the season ended?
Actually I haven't stopped yet, I've been racing almost every weekend since The Ironman!

Are you ready to get back into the swing of things yet?
Yeah, I’m ready!

Do you have any plans for the rest of the winter?
For the rest of the winter I'll be competing in the Mid South XC winter series and road tripping south with Landon Wolfe and Josh Merritt to Durhamtown and also doing some snowmobiling.

So tell us how your 2013 season went.
My 2013 season went amazing, I had a blast, made some really great friends and really learned a lot.

How did it feel to take the XC2 championship?
It was a dream come true. Since I was a kid I always dreamed about getting to this level, and to capture the championship my rookie year was the greatest feeling in the world.

Coming into the season did you expect to have such a solid season?
Coming into the season nobody really knows what to expect, especially in a new tougher class. But I knew that I wanted to win very bad, and I put my time in over the winter to get in shape for the season. I came out and won the first two rounds, really never looked back, kept my head down, kept pushing myself and I was fortunate to come away with the championship.

How did it feel to wrap it up early?
It was a huge pressure relief. I put so much pressure on myself that it might not be healthy (laughs) I'm hard on myself, when somebody beats me, I take it to heart. It lights a fire in me and it makes me want to push myself harder to come back and beat them.

What was the XC2 competition like this season?
The competition was stiff, it doesn't matter what class you race in GNCC, there’s always 2-3 guys in the class that are tough! I had some really great competition this year, and many of whom I can call my friends. There's nothing better in the world than battling it out with somebody down to the last corner and being able to give them a high five after and say ‘that was awesome!’

What was the biggest highlight of the season for you?     
The biggest highlight for me personally this year was finishing 4th overall at The General in Georgia and 5th overall physically at The Gusher in Pennsylvania, where I locked up my championship.

Do you have any plans for 2014 yet?
My plans for 2014 are to compete in the XC1 pro class.

What do you hope to accomplish in 2014?
Well, for 2014 I’d really like to enroll in speed class 101 (laughs) Every race learn something new from those guys and keep learning to put the puzzle together. I'll catch on, I hate to lose.

What about beyond 2014, what do you hope to accomplish down the road?
Beyond 2014, I want to advance further and further and better myself every year that I'm doing this. If I could someday say that I was a top 3 rider in the nation once and I did my absolute best, then that would be great for me, we aren't here for long in this world. I want to have fun with this while it lasts.

Very well put! Alright, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
First off I would like to thank my dad. Without him I wouldn't be where I'm at today, he's puts in so much hard work for me and in my mind, I never feel unconfident when I step on a bike he prepared for me. I'd like to thank my mom and my sister. Dave and Angie Bayless, I can't thank enough for all the work they have put out for me these past couple of years, they are like a second set of parents to me. David Crane at DC Cycles, he's got my motors dialed in right and they were very reliable all year, thank you David for all the long hours! Josh and Randy Owens at Dirtworks Motorsports, what can I say? Probably the two nicest guys I've ever met! My bike handled amazing all year, and my frames were like a rock. Ed at Teixeira Tech had some amazing products for me this year from his a-arms, steering stems, chain guards, skid plates, heel guards and pegs. He's got some awesome products and can't thank him enough for the support. I'd like to thank Spider Graphix for all the sick graphics kits and jersey prints. Maxxis tires for always hooking up no matter what conditions are thrown at us. Fox Shox for all the support and handling the best in any condition no matter how rough! I'd like to thank HMF for all their support and amazing products this year. Precision for making the best steering stabilizer on the market. Fly Racing for having the most comfortable and best looking gear out there. Rekluse for their innovative clutches, DP Brakes for always stopping us on a dime, Clarke gas tanks, Fasst company for their reliable products, Dragon Racing Fuels, CV4, Wiseco products, RPM for the reliable axles, ASV, ODI Grips, Acerbics, Boyeson, Leatt braces for their awesome product, Gaerne boots for the most comfortable boot out there, ORP, Motion Pro, Get It Performance, C&L companies, Scott goggles, Arai helmets, Hiper, Quadtech and I would like to thank the Jackson family, Ahart family, and all the friends, and fans who support me. Thank you all very much!