Following the annual summer break, GNCC took off again in Newburg, West Virginia, this weekend, where Girroir rode his KTM 350 XC-F to the XC1 Open Pro victory – his third in a row in class – to build a 53-point advantage with three rounds in the season remaining. He only narrowly missed out on the overall after near three hours of competition, finishing just two seconds short of Davis. 

Former GNCC champion Ben Kelley made a welcome return with FMF KTM Factory Racing and impressed from the outset, pressuring Girroir at one point of the race before a mistake saw him eventually settle into fourth position. It was a strong outing that he will be able to build upon in the coming rounds, taking a lot from today's race experience following an extended period on the sidelines. 

Ben Kelley: "It's a good feeling to be back out here racing again and the result was positive today. I haven't lined up in a long time, so to come out with a top-five was solid and we will keep building into the final few rounds."

Davis became just the second XC2 250 Pro rider to stand on top of the podium overall, edging Girroir to the win aboard his KTM 250 XC-F. It was a milestone achievement for the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers standout, joined on the class podium by teammate Gus Riordan. A sixth XC2 win of the year sees Davis now 42 points ahead of Riordan in the title race. 

Grant Davis: "Today was a good one! I got a good start and just kept picking my way through the pack from there. I got behind Gus and he made a mistake, but honestly, I was having trouble staying off the ground out there as well! I kept getting pit boards telling me about the overall, that I was beating Johnny – I can't believe this happened and we got an overall. I was just sending it that last lap and we were able to get it done."

Gus Riordan: "It was a good race. I got the holeshot, which made it a bit easier, and then started catching the XC1 boys by Lap 2. At the two-hour mark I was in the lead and then I crashed with two to go, lost my flow, and Grant was riding well. It takes a bit more out of you than you think when you crash, so we're happy with the result here the weekend."