Also in the XC2 line up was Simon Johnson who had a great jump off the line and was able to push his way towards the front as he headed into the woods in 5th place in class. The dusty conditions caused poor vision throughout the entire track and Johnson struggled to feel confident or comfortable because of it. By the end of lap one Simon sat in 12th in XC2 but throughout the race was able to make passes and worked his way up to the 10th place position in class and 26th overall with this being just his second GNCC of the season. After the race Johnson stated, “I’m definitely looking forward to round 6 in Indiana. The Midwest terrain is a lot more similar to New England so I’ll be riding my favorite local spots! I’m ready for another 3 hours to continue to improve.”

In the 250A class, Brayden Nolette grabbed a top ten position as his line headed through the first corners and out into the rolling South Carolina woods. Through the chaotic first lap Nolette was able to make some valuable passes and move his way up into 5th place as they checked into scoring the first time. Brayden noted, “I definitely like the dusty conditions over the muddy ones but the Big Buck Farm track is always very gnarly and demanding!” As the race continued, Brayden had a strong first half of the race feeling as though his riding and body felt good but heading into the second half Nolette felt like he had a brick in his stomach and went into survival mode. He was able to finish the race sitting in 8th place in 250A and 44th overall.