by: Chelsea Taylor
Wednesday, October 14, 2015 | 5:05 PM
Excitement Buzzes Around New Winners in the XC1 Pro Division
Thomas Looks to Win Again After Clinching XC2 Pro Lites Championship
The 13-race AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC), presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, reaches the penultimate round of racing this Sunday, October 18 with the ITP Powerline Park GNCC in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Although, the 2015 National Championship has already been decided, there is still plenty of excitement and anticipation buzzing around Thad Duvall, Grant Baylor and the rest of the XC1 class.
Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell wrapped up his third consecutive GNCC National Championship at the Unadilla round. Even though the 2015 champ will be absent for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear, he plans to return in 2016 to defend his championship.
Following his first overall GNCC win this season, Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/KR4/FAR-backed Thad Duvall comes into this round with the confidence to add another win to his personal record book. He vaulted himself into second place in the championship standings with his impressive overall victory.
“Powerline Park is pretty much a hometown race for me, because it’s only about 45 minutes from my house, and has similar dirt to what we have at home,” said Duvall. “I’m just going to keep the ball rolling and keep the momentum going as we head into this weekend.”
With a commanding lead over fourth place, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Grant Baylor sits third in points. Baylor also had a notable race at the last round finishing second overall behind Duvall. Although he dropped one position to third in the championship standings, it seems that Baylor is officially over the mid-season rough patch and ready to prove himself once again at the last two rounds.
JCR Honda’s Chris Bach sits in fourth in the championship chase with one win this season, and is followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Josh Strang. The 2010 GNCC National Champion was on track to contest this year’s title before injuring his shoulder, scoring four-second place finishes in the first five rounds. With only two rounds remaining, Strang has nothing to prove as he sits seven points behind Bach for fifth place in the championship standings.
AirGroup/Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes holds sixth place in the championship standings following a rough day at round 11, where he suffered mechanical issues ultimately crossing the finish line in tenth place overall. The 2015 ISDE Overall Winner is still looking to capture his first overall win of the season.
Coming off arguably his best race of the season at the Mountain Ridge GNCC, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn might just have what it takes to contend for an overall victory. Ashburn suffered from a flat rear tire after dominating the first half of the race at Somerset, but was able to rebound and still finish in the third position. Currently sitting seventh in the points championship, Ashburn will be looking to repeat his success from the last round.
DirtWise/Maxxis/KLIM’s Jason Thomas wrapped up the XC2 championship at the previous round, but heads into this weekend hoping to add an additional class victory to his record. The three-hour race will not be easy for Thomas as he will be competing against E & H Honda’s Trevor Bollinger and Raines Riding University/Atlas Yamaha/OffRoadViking.com’s Ricky Russell who will both be fighting for the top position on the box.
With the 2015 WXC Championship in hand, Factory FMF/KTM’s Kacy Martinez continues her battle for race wins in a highly competitive Women’s class. Last round, Martinez topped the podium followed by N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Becca Sheets, who currently sits in the second place position in the points. She is followed by teammate, Jessica Patterson, who holds the third position.
Local racers expected to compete this Sunday on motorcycles will be: Clayton Andrews (Super Mini 14-15), Korie Steede (Super Mini 12-13), Tanner Collins (85 12-13), siblings Tyler (85 12-13) and Dawn Silvia (Women Amateur), Blaceton Moore (65 10-11), Phil Smith (Super Senior A 45+), father and son Todd (Super Senior A 45+) and Collin Ghearing (85 7-11), Troy Stanley (Super Senior A 45+), Thomas Dotson (Masters A 50+), Cain Blackwood (Masters B 50+), Terry Dodson (Masters B 50+), Brian Jasper (Silver Masters 55+), Devon Newkirk (Open C College 14-21), Michael O’Bryant (Open C Junior 22+), Jacob Givens (250 C 17-21), father and son Kyle (250 C Schoolboy 12-16) and Adam Prysmont (Masters C 50+), Ian Smith (250 C 22+), Colton Hale (250 C Schoolboy 12-15), Mike Barber (Vet C 30+), Darin Darmos (Super Vet C 35+), Craig Smith (Super Senior C 45+), Cory Buttrick (XC1 Pro), Scott Grills (XC2 Pro Lites), Zach Dotson (Open A), Ryan Slopko (250 A), Brandon Ghearing (250 A), Triston Landrum (4 Stroke A Lites), Nathan Alering (Vet A 30+), Adam Clark (Junior A/B 25+), Ryon McManus (Open B), Cope Beckert (250 B), Gregory Coffee (250 B), Alex Ankrom (4 Stroke B Lites) and Jeremy Dexter (Vet B 30+).
Youth bike racing will take place Sunday at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs and Women at 10 a.m., while the top amateurs and pros race at 1 p.m.
Spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for kids (6-11) for the full weekend (Saturday through Sunday), with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge. Local riders are invited to race the event, as GNCC Racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the event.
Tune into Racer TV on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST to catch LIVE streaming coverage of the Pro Bike race. For more information on GNCC LIVE coverage, visit www.racertv.com. A highlight show featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network on Sunday, December 13 at 4:30 p.m. EST.
The 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series heads to St. Clairsville, Ohio this weekend, October 17 and 18, for the ITP Powerline Park GNCC. For more information on the series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Also follow the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for exclusive content and to catch the latest news.
Previous Round Results
Car-Mate Mountain Ridge GNCC
Somerset, Pennsylvania
Round 11 of 13
Sunday, October 4
XC1 Event Results:
- Thad Duvall (HSQ)
- Grant Baylor (YAM)
- Jordan Ashburn (YAM)
- Josh Strang (HSQ)
- Chris Bach (HON)
- Ryan Sipes (HSQ)
- Daniel Milner (YAM)
- Cory Buttrick (BET)
- Chris Douglas (SUZ)
- Adam Bonneur (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings
- Kailub Russell (283)
- Thad DuVall (200)
- Grant Baylor (198)
- Chris Bach (173)
- Josh Strang (166)
- Ryan Sipes (154)
- Jordan Ashburn (132)
- Jason Thomas (132)
- Trevor Bollinger (94)
- Ricky Russell (93)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2015 National Champion.
XC2 Event Results:
- Nick Davis (HSQ)
- Jason Thomas (KTM)
- Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
- Austin Lee (YAM)
- Mike Witkowski (KTM)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Jedediah Haines (YAM)
- Ryder Lafferty (HSQ)
- Callan May (YAM)
XC2 Series Standings:
- Jason Thomas (277)
- Ricky Russell (190)
- Trevor Bollinger (182)
- Nick Davis (180)
- Craig Delong (175)
- Layne Michael (142)
- Tegan Temple (130)
- Cory Buttrick (122)
- Austin Lee (121)
- Callan May (105)