by: Rachel Gutish
Friday, March 29, 2019 | 9:00 AM
Specialized General Youth Bike Race Report
Cunningham and Poindexter Win in Georgia
Round two of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, an AMA National Championship, took place March 16 and 17. The Specialized General GNCC is held at Aonia Pass MX in Washington, GA. Other than the motocross track and a mulch pile that always seems to make an appearance on the course, the most notable feature of the General is the red clay.
The youth bike course in Georgia was approximately 5.1 miles. It cuts out some of the harder and more technical sections seen in the big bike races. As mentioned previously, the red clay is one of the most notable features, but near-perfect weather resulted in some of the best track conditions I’ve seen at the General – neither overly dusty nor super slick. While the course did develop large braking and acceleration bumps, that is to be expected here. The micro course contained similar conditions to the youth race, just on a scaled-down, 1.6 mile version. A total of 150 youth riders and 49 micro riders took part in the Wild Boar. Of these riders, JoJo Cunningham was the overall winner in the youth race while Caleb Wood was the overall winner in the micro division.
Cunningham again won both the overall and YXC1 class. He took the lead on the first lap and ended up winning with no real challengers, although by only about a minute and a half this time, not by the five minute gap he pulled in Florida. Brayden Nolette again placed second, with a much smoother ride than last round. Instead of battling his way up from mid-pack, he started in third place and only had to fight his way past Canon Kuneff, who rounded out the YXC1 podium.
Grant Davis again won the YXC2 class, although this time he just missed the overall podium, placing fourth. Like Cunnningham, Davis was able to take the lead early in the race. However, second place finisher Cooper Jones and third place finisher Garyson Smith stayed within seconds of Davis up until the fifth lap. At that point, Davis was able to pull away and finish comfortably in first.
The overall non-YXC rider in the bike youth race was Logan Pellegrini (KTM), racing in the 85 (12-13) class. He finished 14th overall.
In the micro race, Caleb Wood placed first overall and won the MXC1 class. He maintained a steady lead of about 30 seconds throughout the race. Hunter Porco initially started out in a strong second before being passed by both Brian Poindexter and Colby Goodman, last round’s MXC1 winner. These two riders were close all day, but Poindexter was able to slip around Goodman on the last lap to take the runner-up spot. After getting the holeshot, staying smooth through the gnarly ruts, and getting to wheelie across the finish line like Stu Baylor, Wood “figures it was a pretty good day!”
Nash Peerson was the winner of the MXC2 class, and placed fifth overall in the micro race. He led the entire race and finished solidly in front of Mason Moretz. Moretz in turn finished well out of Bently Saxon, who rounded out the podium. When asked about the race, Peerson said “The General is one of my favorite GNCC races – last year at the General was my first-ever win in a woods race and it felt great to do it again!”
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.
The next round of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series will take place on March 30 and 31 in Morganton, North Carolina with the Steele Creek GNCC. ATV and Micro racing will take place on Saturday while Bike racing will take place on Sunday.
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.
- Facebook: @gnccracing
- Instagram: @gncc_racing
- Twitter: @gnccracing
- YouTube: @racertv
Specialized General GNCC
Washington, Georgia
Round 2 of 13
March 16th and 17th
Bike YXC1 Race Results
- JoJo Cunningham (KTM)
- Brayden Nolette (KTM)
- Canon Kuneff (YAM)
- Drew Calloway (HQV)
- Zane Williams (HQV)
Bike YXC1 National Championship Standings
- JoJo Cunningham (KTM) 40
- Brayden Nolette (KTM) 38
- Drew Calloway (HQV) 34
- Dylan Hicks (KTM) 30
- Zane Willilams (HQV) 30
Bike YXC2 Race Results
- Grant Davis (KAW)
- Cooper Jones (YAM)
- Garyson Smith (KTM)
- Case Burton (YAM)
- Nicholas Defeo (HON)
Bike YXC2 National Championship Standings
- Grant Davis (KAW) 40
- Cooper Jones (YAM) 38
- Garyson Smith (KTM) 36
- Nicholas Defeo (HON) 33
- Caden Vick (KAW) 29
Bike MXC1 Race Results
- Caleb Wood (KTM)
- Brian Poindexter (KTM)
- Colby Goodman (YAM)
- Kamden Krause (KTM)
- Hunter Porco (COB)
Bike MXC1 National Championship Standings
- Brian Poindexter (KTM) 38
- Colby Goodman (YAM) 38
- Caleb Wood (KTM) 37
- Ashton Pellegrini (HQV) 33
- Kamden Krause (KTM) 30
Bike MXC2 Race Results
- Nash Peerson (KTM)
- Maddox Moretz (COB)
- Bentley Saxton (KTM)
- EJ Lingenfield (KTM)
- Logan Schafer (KTM)
Bike MXC2 National Championship Standings
- Nash Peerson (KTM) 39
- Maddox Moretz (COB) 39
- Bentley Saxon 35
- Sawyer Clayton 18
- EJ Lingenfield 17
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.