by: Kayla Bolton
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 3:20 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GNCC Racing Returns to Ohio For Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC This Weekend
McGill And Baylor Aim to Keep Their Winning Momentum Rolling
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (September 23, 2020) – This weekend the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, will host round 10 of the 2020 season at Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfield, Ohio for the Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC. The Burr Oak event name comes from the Burr Oak State Park located just up the road in Glouster, Ohio.
This Saturday, September 26, ATV racing kicks off the GNCC weekend. Ohio native and current points leader WFR/GBC/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Walker Fowler will take to the woods to battle for the overall win. Fowler, who is currently on the hunt for his sixth National Championship, is looking for redemption this weekend after finishing third overall at the previous round. Action Off-Road/Tely Energy Racing/Kenda’s Cole Richardson currently sits second in the points standings and made a late race push at the last round to take over the second-place position. This weekend Richardson will be aiming to take over the top spot on the podium.
CST/Houser Racing/Waynesburg Yamaha’s Brycen Neal earned the overall win earlier this year when the series hosted The John Penton GNCC at Sunday Creek Raceway, and this weekend Neal will be looking to repeat that success after a heart-breaking finish at the previous round in West Virginia. JMR/GBC/Elka/Moose Racing’s Jarrod McClure also finished on the podium with a third at round 7, which was held at the same property, and this weekend McClure will be looking to battle at the front of the pack for another podium finish.
Currently Phoenix Honda Racing’s Chris Borich rounds out the top five in points, and this weekend Borich is eager to earn some valuable points in the championship standings. Borich will be aiming to break into the top three, and battle for what could be his first overall win of the season. McGill Mafia/OBOR Tires/LSR/Moose Racing’s Adam McGill sits just outside of the top five in points, but after earning the overall win last weekend he is more determined than ever to keep that momentum rolling into this weekend’s race in Ohio.
In the XC2 Pro-Am class it is now Action Off-Road/Maxxis/Blud Lubricants’ Austin Abney holding the points lead. Abney took the overall win at the Mountaineer just two weeks ago and will be aiming to earn his fourth class win this weekend. LanMills XC/WFR/Magna1 Lubricants’ Drew Landers sits 14 points behind Abney in the XC2 class standings. Landers currently has four class wins too, but this weekend he will be a man-on-a-mission to earn that class win and possibly retake the points lead. Pirate MX Powersports/OBOR Tires’ Branden Owens has one win under his belt this season, and he currently sits third in the class points standings. Owens will be looking to earn his second class win of the season and move closer to the top two in the standings.
On Saturday at 4:30 p.m. round seven of the Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship will take place. Charlie Mullins leads the way in the championship standings, with Kyle Smith just 7 points behind him. Mullins and Smith will both be gunning for a win this weekend to keep their championship hopes alive. Seth Stevens currently sits third, and even with a slight injury Stevens is hopeful to earn an overall win before the season is complete.
Then on Sunday, September 27, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell will look to return to the center of the podium in Ohio. Russell finished the previous round in third overall, but this weekend he will be looking to take his 68th career overall win. It’s still unclear if Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Josh Strang will be able to make his return to racing after suffering some fractures in his scapula. Strang still holds second overall in the points standings, and when he makes his return he will be aiming to battle at the front of the pack once again. Strang’s teammate, Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn sits third overall and is hoping to make his way onto the overall podium this weekend in Ohio.
FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor finished just off the podium at the last round in West Virginia but come this Sunday he will be ready to make his way up to the front and battle for the duration of the three-hour race. FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley finished out the previous round in second overall. Kelley is eager to grab an overall win after missing the first five rounds of racing. AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor returned to GNCC Racing at the previous round after an up-and-down battle in 2020. Baylor came back with something to prove, and he proved it by earning the overall win. This weekend Baylor will once again lineup to battle for the overall win.
Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir leads the XC2 250 Pro class standings but is currently tied in points with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong. Both riders currently have 224 points, but Girroir would hold an advantage with four class wins versus Delong’s three class wins. This weekend both riders will be going full speed to grab another win as the season finale draws closer. AmPro Yamaha’s Michael Witkowski currently sits only 15 points back from the top two and is still within striking distance. Witkowski is hoping this weekend he can make his return to the center spot of the podium and earn valuable points towards the XC2 championship.
In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class Moose Racing/Carolina KTM/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes remains first in the points standings. Hayes is aiming to add a fifth win to his season this weekend in Ohio. Raines Riding University/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Jason Raines sits second in the class standings, and after earning the previous rounds’ win, he will be looking to take another win this Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately for Husqvarna/FXR/Enduro Engineering’s Jake Froman, he ended his season early opting to get knee surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus. Froman will take this time to heal up and make a comeback for the 2021 season.
Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout the day on Saturday, September 26. Youth ATV racing begins at 8 a.m., followed by Micro Bikes at 9:15 a.m. and Micro ATV racing at 10 a.m., then the amateurs, 4x4 pro and women at 11 a.m., and the pros and top amateurs' race at 2 p.m. Then to end the day of racing the Specialized Turbo eMTB racers will take to the woods at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. A fun-filled ePeeWee STACYC race will happen at 6:30 p.m. at the finish line
Motorcycles will compete throughout the day on Sunday, September 27. Youth bike racing beginning at 8 a.m., followed by amateurs and pro women at 10 a.m., and then the pros and top amateurs will race at 1 p.m. For a full weekend schedule, click HERE.
Pre-Registration for this weekend’s Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC closes tonight at midnight. Riders are encouraged to pre-register to maximize social distancing practices. Health and Safety are our priority, be sure to revisit the GNCC Health Plan Guidelines, and adhere by the Mandatory Mask Zone “MMZ” signs throughout the facility.
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
To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com.
How to Watch
Racer TV and MAVTV are the official homes for coverage of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) events. All 13 rounds, from the season opener to the season finale, will air in taped-delayed telecasts on MAVTV, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of the 2 p.m. ATV and 1 p.m. motorcycle races from each event. Catch all the action at http://www.mavtv.com/ and http://www.racertv.com/.
About GNCC Racing
The Grand National Cross-Country Series presented by Specialized is the World’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 two and three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,400 riders through racetracks 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 live on RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.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.