Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell wrapped up his third consecutive GNCC National Championship four rounds early at Unadilla. Although he won’t be participating in the season finale due to recovering from surgery to repair an ACL tear, he will return to defend his championship in 2016.

One rider who has proven his merit this season is N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Grant Baylor, who has been a strong podium contender throughout his rookie XC1 Pro season. Baylor, who first made the move to XC1 at the 2014 Ironman GNCC where he finished ninth, goes into this weekend with hopes that having a full season competing this ultra-competitive class has allowed him to gain much needed experience to hold onto his second place in the points championship. 

Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/KR4/FAR-backed Thad Duvall heads into the season finale going from getting his first overall win this season just two rounds ago, to then experiencing a mechanical issue at the next round. The West Virginia native continues to make his presence known against the sport’s heavy hitters. However, a win won’t come easy for Duvall as everyone will be looking to claim the final victory of the season, whether it’s for pride, points or even to seal the deal on a ride for next season.  

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Josh Strang has his eye on the prize with a successful couple of weekends behind him, taking the overall win at Powerline Park and then winning the Gotland Grand National race last weekend in Sweden. The 2011 National Champion vaulted himself into the fourth place position in points after returning to the second half of the season with his shoulder injury behind him.

As an Indiana native, JCR Honda’s Chris Bach heads into the weekend with a home state advantage over the rest of the field. Bach currently sits fifth in points and hopes to have an impressive race before competing in Japan in the Japan National Cross Country Series on November 8.

AirGroup/Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes holds sixth place in the championship standings following a rough patch of races where he has faced mechanical issues. The 2015 ISDE Overall Winner is still looking to capture his first overall win of the season.

N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn has been on a hot streak for the second half of the season and may just have what it takes to contend for an overall victory. Currently sitting seventh in the points championship, Ashburn will be looking to repeat his success from the last couple of rounds.

DirtWise/Maxxis/KLIM’s Jason Thomas wrapped up the XC2 championship at Mountain Ridge, but heads into this weekend hoping to add one more class victory to his record. The three-hour race will not be easy for Thomas as Raines Riding University/Atlas Yamaha/OffRoadViking.com’s Ricky Russell and E & H Honda’s Trevor Bollinger will look to assume 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. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Becca Sheets took home her first ever WXC win at the last round after Martinez suffered a mechanical issue. With that boost of confidence for Sheets’ and her second place standing in the points chase, the WXC class is sure to be a crowd pleaser this weekend. N-Fab AmPro Yamaha-backed Jessica Patterson also found her way back to the podium at the last round finishing second and currently sits third in the championship points standings.

GNCC Racing encourages spectators to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness by dressing in pink all weekend long. The race facility will be adorned in pink, including a pink-themed podium backdrop, t-shirts and much more. RidePG.com will also sell exclusive GNCC breast cancer themed awareness stickers for a minimum $1 donation, with contributions going to the Montgomery County Free Clinic (MCFC), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free mammogram examinations. A recent partnership with Montgomery Country Community Foundation (MCCF) has allowed MCFC to continue to provide support for those affected by breast cancer. MCCF will match 50 cents to every dollar that is raised throughout the event.