GNCC Racing

Moose Racing Wild Boar Youth Bike Race Report

Moose Racing Wild Boar Youth Bike Race Report

Friday, March 15, 2019 | 4:30 PM
by:
Friday, March 15, 2019 | 4:30 PM

Moose Racing Wild Boar Youth Bike Race Report
Cunningham and Moretz Win at Wild Boar

The Moose Racing Wild Boar, round one of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, took place on March 9th and 10th. The race takes place at Hog Waller Mud Bog, on the edge of Rodman Plantation. Many years ago, Rodman Plantation was the site of The Hurricane GNCC, and since 2015 GNCC has been returning for the Wild Boar. 

Joseph Cunningham took the youth overall win at round one.
Joseph Cunningham took the youth overall win at round one. Ken Hill

The youth bike course in Florida was approximately five miles and was pretty typical for a Florida race – lots of sand. In some places it’s a fine sugar sand, while in others it mixes with black dirt, making a slightly loamier sand. Of course, there are plenty of swampy sections as well. But for the minibikes with the smaller wheel base, the sand, mud and exposed palmetto roots present in the youth course still make for a tough day. While the shorter 1.3 mile micro course is designed to accommodate the younger racers and even smaller bikes in the micro race, it is undeniable that sand is hard on them, making Florida an especially tough event. A total of 108 youth riders and 36 micro riders took part in the Wild Boar. Of them, Joseph Cunningham was the overall winner in the youth race while Maddox Moretz was the overall winner in the micro division. 

In addition to his overall win, Cunningham won the YXC1 class in a dominating fashion, taking the lead on lap two and finishing with a nearly five-minute gap on the next closest rider, Brayden Nolette. Nolette worked his way from fifth, to third, and then into second by lap three, and pulled a respectable lead over third place Blaceton Moore. Despite his great performance, relatively speaking, Cunningham does not appear to be a fan of the Florida sand: “The race went pretty good for the most part, I stayed off the ground and led my own race right to the checkers. I’m very happy to get this race over with though and move onto different terrain where I know how to ride.”

Grant Davis took the YXC2 class win and placed second overall in the youth race at the Wild Boar GNCC in Florida.
Grant Davis took the YXC2 class win and placed second overall in the youth race at the Wild Boar GNCC in Florida. Ken Hill

Grant Davis also had a very successful race – not only did he win the YXC2 class by about three and a half minutes, he also placed second overall from the second row. Davis held the lead from the start of the race, and had no real challengers for the duration. Cooper Jones placed second, after battling his way up from seventh on the first lap. Meanwhile, despite a mistake on lap five that knocked him back a position, Garyson Smith was able to recover in time to nab the final podium spot at the Wild Boar. When asked about his race, Davis stated “I had a great weekend at the first round of GNCC racing. I am happy to get the win in my class and second overall.”

The overall non-YXC rider in the bike youth race was Owen Barnes (KAW), racing in the 85 (12-13) class. He finished 12th overall. 

In the micro race, Colby Goodman placed second overall and earned his first ever win in the MXC1 class! Goodman had a very up-and-down race, dropping as far back as fifth place and as far off the leader as two minutes following a bad third lap. However, he was able to charge forward and regain the lead on the next to last lap. Second place finisher Brian Poindexter wasn’t letting Goodman off easy though and finished close behind. Ashton Pellegrini was a ways back from the lead pack, but still finished in a comfortable third place. Colby Goodman provided an excellent race report for such a young kid, saying “The track had a good flow but was wet and sandy. There were some places I struggled to keep the bike under me, but I managed to hang on and win MXC1 and finish second overall. I had a great time and can’t wait until this weekend for round 2 in Washington, GA!”

Maddox Mortez took the overall Micro 50cc Bike race win and MXC2 class win.
Maddox Mortez took the overall Micro 50cc Bike race win and MXC2 class win. Ken Hill

Not only did Mason Moretz win the MXC2 class, he won the overall in the Micro race from the second row! Although Nash Peerson held on as long as he could, he finally began to drop back from Moretz at about the halfway point in the race, but still finishing second by a safe margin. Sawyer Clayton was the last MXC2 rider to complete the full number of laps, which was enough to give him the final podium spot. Moretz seems to not like sand very well despite his win, with the quiet eight-year old simply laughing and saying, “take me back to the mud!” 

The overall non-MXC rider in the bike micro race was Trent Gaines, competing in the 50 Sr. (6-11) class. He placed 8th overall. 

Colby Goodman earned second overall in the Micro 50cc Bike race, and the MXC1 class win.
Colby Goodman earned second overall in the Micro 50cc Bike race, and the MXC1 class win. Ken Hill

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.

Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC
Palatka, Florida
Round 1 of 13
March 9th and 10th 

Bike YXC1 Race Results

  1. Joseph Cunningham (KTM)
  2. Brayden Nolette (KTM)
  3. Blaceton Moore (HQV)
  4. Drew Calloway (HQV)
  5. Blake Yahraus (KAW) 

Bike YXC1 National Championship Standings

  1. Joseph Cunningham (KTM) 20
  2. Brayden Nolette (KTM) 19
  3. Blaceton Moore (HQV) 18
  4. Drew Calloway (HQV) 17
  5. Blake Yahraus (KAW) 16

Bike YXC2 Race Results

  1. Grant Davis (KAW)
  2. Cooper Jones (YAM)
  3. Garyson Smith (KTM)
  4. Nicholas Defeo (HON)
  5. Jack Joy (KAW)

Bike YXC2 National Championship Standings

  1. Grant Davis (KAW) 20
  2. Cooper Jones (YAM) 19
  3. Garyson Smith (KTM) 18
  4. Nicholas Defeo (HON) 17
  5. Jack Joy (KAW) 16 

Bike MXC1 Race Results

  1. Colby Goodman (YAM)
  2. Brian Poindexter (KTM)
  3. Ashton Pellegrini (HQV)
  4. Caleb Wood (KTM)
  5. Lance Stephenson (KTM)

Bike MXC1 National Championship Standings

  1. Colby Goodman (YAM) 20
  2. Brian Poindexter (KTM) 19
  3. Ashton Pellegrini (HQV) 18
  4. Caleb Wood (KTM) 17
  5. Lance Stephenson (KTM) 16 

Bike MXC2 Race Results

  1. Maddox Moretz (COB)
  2. Nash Peerson (KTM)
  3. Sawyer Cayton (HQV)
  4. Bentley Saxton (KTM)
  5. Isabel Boorom (KTM) 

Bike MXC2 National Championship Standings

  1. Maddox Moretz (COB) 20
  2. Nash Peerson (KTM) 19
  3. Sawyer Cayton (HQV) 18
  4. Bentley Saxton (KTM) 17
  5. Isabel Boorom (KTM) 16 

About GNCC Racing

The AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized 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.

About eMTB Racing

The Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship brings off-road racing and pedal-assist or electric bicycles together for an eight-round championship produced by Racer Productions. Much like a typical cross-country racing event, these races feature varied terrain featuring hills, rocks, roots, and more but are limited to electric, or pedal assist model mountain bikes only. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

How to Watch

Racer TV and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) are the official homes for coverage of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opening Big Buck GNCC in South Carolina to the finale at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, will air in 30-minute, taped-delayed telecasts on NBCSN, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 1 p.m. ATV and motorcycle races from each event. Catch all the action at http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.racertv.com/.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join