GNCC Racing

GNCC Racing Heads to Ironman Raceway for Season Finale

GNCC Racing Heads to Ironman Raceway for Season Finale

Friday, October 22, 2021 | 3:00 PM
by:
Friday, October 22, 2021 | 3:00 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GNCC Racing Heads to Ironman Raceway for Season Finale
The 2021 Season Comes to a Close This Weekend

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (October 21, 2021) – The 2021 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, comes to a close this weekend with the season finale Yamaha Racing Ironman. Over the course of this weekend, October 23 and 24, the world’s fastest off-road racers will race on the historic grounds in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

On Saturday the 2021 Champion, WFR/GBC Tires/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Walker Fowler will take on Ironman as he tries to take the season finale win and add another overall win to the record books. Fowler, who clinched his eighth-straight championship earlier in the season, is eager to end the season on a high note and prepare for the 2022 season.

Fowler is aiming for one more win this season. Photo: Ken Hill
Fowler is aiming for one more win this season. Photo: Ken Hill

One rider looking to comeback and finish the year with another podium finish is the OBOR Tires/Moose Racing/Parts Unlimited-backed rider, Adam McGill. This weekend McGill is aiming for his fourth podium finish of the year, but he is really looking to battle for the spot in the center of the podium.

Action Off-Road/Kenda/Tely Energy’s Cole Richardson is another rider looking to finish on the podium this weekend after coming in third at the previous round. Richardson is hopeful he can battle up front and earn his first win of the season at the finale.

Another rider looking for success once again is Hunter Hart Racing/Maxxis/Fly Racing’s Hunter Hart. Hart had earned his first win of 2021 at round 10, but he has since finished just off the podium at the last two rounds. Tomorrow Hart will be aiming to end the season on a high note with that number one spot. 

Looking to battle up front on Saturday will also be JMR/GBC/Elka/Moose Racing’s Jarrod McClure. McClure has found success at Ironman before, and he will be looking to get a good start once again and compete at the front of the pack. These riders along with a handful of other eager XC1 Pro ATV riders will be looking to battle for those top three spots atop the Ironman podium.

Adam McGill is aiming to take the season finale win tomorrow. Photo: Ken Hill
Adam McGill is aiming to take the season finale win tomorrow. Photo: Ken Hill

In the XC2 Pro-Am class it is looking to be a battle with PirateMX.com /OBOR Tires/Moose Racing’s Brandon Owens hoping to come out on top with his third-straight win, and his sixth win of the season.

In the 10 a.m. race all eyes will be on the WXC class as their championship comes down to this final race. Action Off-Road/Moose Racing/GBC Motorsport’s Katelyn Osburn sits six points ahead of Hannah Hurricane Hunter/OBOR Tires/Fly Racing’s Hannah Hunter as the duo head into the finale. Both riders have five wins throughout the season, and this weekend one will emerge as the 2021 WXC ATV GNCC National Champion.

The 4x4 Pro battle is looking to be a good one as OBOR/Can-Am/DeRisi Racing’s Landon Wolfe heads back to the line and Kenda/BNR/Nine2/Custom Axis’ Cody Collier along with HMF Engineering/GBC Tires/BNR Motorsports’ Brandon Frazier are ready to battle at the front of the pack once again for the Ironman win.

Ben Kelley is aiming to battle for the 2021 GNCC National Championship on Sunday afternoon. Photo: Mack Faint
Ben Kelley is aiming to battle for the 2021 GNCC National Championship on Sunday afternoon. Photo: Mack Faint

On Sunday the GNCC National Championship has come to the final round for FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley and AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor. This race will declare who the 2021 National Champion is, and with only an eight-point gap between the two riders the battle will be one you do not want to miss.

Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Thad Duvall made his return to the podium this season after sitting out for six rounds due to a lingering injury. Duvall is hopeful he can battle up front and remain in the hunt for the win after the three-hour race on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier this year at the same property, AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Michael landed himself his first podium finish of the season. This weekend Michael is hopeful he can repeat that performance, especially after running inside the top three at the previous round of racing West Virginia for the first-half of the race.

Aiming to land back on the overall podium this weekend will be the Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna of Jordan Ashburn. Looking to add to his six podium finishes this season, Ashburn is eager for the green flag to wave as he hopes to be in the mix for what could be his first win too.

Steward Baylor is also eager to battle for the 2021 GNCC National Championship. Photo: Mack Faint
Steward Baylor is also eager to battle for the 2021 GNCC National Championship. Photo: Mack Faint

Earning the XC2 National Championship at the previous round was Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir. This weekend Girroir will continue his quest in the XC2 class and battle for the win. Girroir is looking to remain in XC2 for the next season and defend his number one plate.

Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig DeLong will make the move into the XC1 class this weekend as he has secured second place for the season. DeLong is eager to make the move to the front line, aiming to battle for a top finish in the class. 

Returning to the XC2 podium at the previous round was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass. This weekend Snodgrass is hopeful to repeat that success and even aim to battle for the class win.

In the FMF XC3 Pro-Am class it was MX Tech Suspension/Tely Energy/Moose Racing’s Hunter Neuwirth coming through to take the class win, and this weekend he will be eager to battle for a second-straight win. AOMC/FXR Gear/JDP Suspension’s Jason Lipscomb and Enduro Engineering/Husqvarna/FXR Gear’s Jake Froman are two riders hopeful to battle for that overall win at the season finale.

Becca Sheets is aiming to battle for the win and to earn the 2021 WXC Bike GNCC National Championship in her final round of professional GNCC Racing. Photo: Ken Hill
Becca Sheets is aiming to battle for the win and to earn the 2021 WXC Bike GNCC National Championship in her final round of professional GNCC Racing. Photo: Ken Hill

The WXC title on Sunday during the 10 a.m. race will also have fans on the edge of their seat as the battle comes down to BABS Racing Yamaha/Fly Racing/Maxxis/Pro Circuit’s Becca Sheets and AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer. Seven points separate Sheets and Archer, and with these two women being the only two to have won events in 2021 the race should be one to pay attention too.

Another important change to the weekend’s race schedule is that the Youth Bike race will be held on Saturday afternoon at 4 pm to further accommodate the two separate bike amateur races. Click HERE to view the complete Competition Bulletin.

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.

Previous Round Results and Points Standings

Buckwheat 100 Results and Points Standings
Newburg, WV
Round 12 of 13
October 9-10, 2021

XC1 Pro ATV Event Results:

  1. Walker Fowler (YAM)
  2. Adam McGill (HON)
  3. Cole Richardson (YAM)
  4. Hunter Hart (YAM)
  5. Jarrod McClure (HON)
  6. Devon Feehan (YAM)
  7. Chris Borich (SUZ)
  8. John Glauda Jr. (YAM)
  9. Joshua Merritt (YAM)
  10. Austin Abney (YAM)

*Overall ATV National Championship Standings:

  1. Walker Fowler (327)
  2. Hunter Hart (241)
  3. Jarrod McClure (217)
  4. Cole Richardson (197)
  5. Adam McGill (172)
  6. John Glauda Jr. (161)
  7. Joshua Merritt (148)
  8. Devon Feehan (138)
  9. Brycen Neal (133)
  10. Chris Borich (129)

XC1 Pro Bike Event Results:

  1. Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
  2. Steward Baylor (YAM)
  3. Thad Duvall (HQV)
  4. Layne Michael (YAM)
  5. Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
  6. Josh Strang (KAW)
  7. Trevor Bollinger (HQV)
  8. Ricky Russell (GAS)
  9. Michael Witkowski (YAM)
  10. Josh Toth (KTM)

*Overall Bike National Championship Standings:

  1. Benjamin Kelley (292)
  2. Steward Baylor (284)
  3. Jordan Ashburn (215)
  4. Josh Strang (180)
  5. Josh Toth (164)
  6. Grant Baylor (156)
  7. Jonathan Girroir (153)
  8. Ricky Russell (146)
  9. Craig DeLong (131)
  10. Thad Duvall (106)

*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2021 National Champion.

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 in South Carolina to the finale at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, 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

Media Contact:
Kayla Bolton
(304) 284-0084
[email protected]