Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | 2:00 PM
XC1 OPEN PRO CLASS VICTORY FOR FMF
KTM FACTORY RACING'S BEN KELLEY AT BIG BUCK GNCC
KTM Offroad Weekend Update
GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES – ROUND 1
In a treacherous opening encounter for the 2025 GNCC Series, former champion Kelley returned to the winner's circle after a challenging 2024 season due to injury, beginning his championship conquest in exceptional fashion.
Amidst a muddy, slick and rut-lined circuit, Kelley displayed patience and speed aboard his KTM 350 XC-F, with the conditions proving the ultimate test for the nation's top riders. After the five laps, it was the number 530 who reigned supreme in the XC1 Open Pro Class.
Ben Kelley: “The conditions today were super muddy, rutty and slippery. You needed to ride measured, not push too hard and get stuck, while not being too careful and getting caught. I was a bit cautious at the beginning and that created a long day battling the XC2 boys, but overall I am content. I had a good off-season, I’m feeling good, so I’m ready for the heat in Florida.”
Defending GNCC Champion Johnny Girroir had a more difficult day at the office, falling shortly after capturing the all-important holeshot on board his KTM 350 XC-F. With a couple more mishaps characterizing his day, Girroir chalks Round 1’s seventh-place XC1 finish up to bad luck and is ready to rebound at Round 2.
Johnny Girroir: “I had a good race going when I pulled the holeshot, but then tucked the front and flipped over the bars while leading. Not ideal, then Jordan [Ashburn] got stuck on a hill, I bumped his rear tire, and then it was me that was stuck. Just some bad luck here today, so we’ll get them at the next one.”
The Big Buck GNCC Overall was headed by a trio of XC2 250 Pro Class riders, with FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers' Gus Riordan earning not only third-place in class, but the Australian would also power his KTM 250 XC-F to third position in terms of the Overall.
Angus Riordan: “It was a cool day today, being at the front of the field. I was looking at the pit board and I knew that we were in a decent spot because we passed a lot of the XC1 riders, but then to be P3 was awesome. My start wasn’t too bad, but on that opening lap I went down and was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ I charged hard, came through the field and am stoked to start the championship like this.”
![GRANT DAVIS - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING TEAM LANDERS - BIG BUCK GNCC]()
GRANT DAVIS - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING TEAM LANDERS - BIG BUCK GNCC Mack Faint ![GUS RIORDAN - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING TEAM LANDERS - BIG BUCK GNCC]()
GUS RIORDAN - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING TEAM LANDERS - BIG BUCK GNCC Mack Faint
Teammate and defending XC2 250 Pro Class Champion Grant Davis was running up-front until the final lap of the race, before problems encountered late in the race would relegate the number 1 plate-holder to fourth position in class.
Grant Davis: “It was going well until it wasn't out here today. I lost a lot of time on the last lap, maybe six or seven minutes, and that took us from second to fourth. Happy to salvage a fourth place in these conditions, and we’ll get after it in Florida.”
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers WXC Class contender Brandy Richards was also on-track in Union, commencing her 2025 title tilt with a fourth-place finish onboard her KTM 250 XC-F. It was a consistent result in challenging conditions to begin the series.
Brandy Richards: “Round 1 of GNCC didn’t quite go as expected. We had rain leading up to the weekend and also a lot of rain Sunday morning, which made the track treacherous. I had a decent start, picked some bad lines in the first few miles and fell back a little, but moved my way back up after that. I was battling in the top three until the last lap, getting stuck for a few minutes in a section and pushing me back to fourth. I’m happy with how well I rode in the mud, just need to tidy a couple of things up for the next one.”
XC1 Open Pro Class Results
1. Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Lyndon Snodgrass, Husqvarna
3. Michael Witkowski, Honda
7. Johnny Girroir, FMF KTM Factory Racing
8. Jordan Ashburn, GASGAS
13. Craig DeLong, Husqvarna
XC2 250 Pro Class Results
1. Nicholas Defeo, Kawasaki
2. Josh Toth, Kawasaki
3. Angus Riordan, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
4. Grant Davis, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
8. Jason Tino, GASGAS
WXC Class Results
1. Rachael Archer, Kawasaki
2. Shelby Turner, GASGAS
3. Korie Steede, Husqvarna
4. Brandy Richards, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
WEST HARE SCRAMBLES – ROUND 2
FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Mateo Oliveira captured the Pro Class victory at Round 2 of the AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) series in Lake Isabella, California, producing a convincing result by leading seven of the 11 laps completed.
Equipped with his KTM 450 XC-F, Oliveira completed the opening laps in second place, before the young Californian took control of the lead on lap four, which is a position he would hold all the way until the checkered flag.
Mateo Oliveira: “It was a good day today, finally a P1 result! This has been a long time coming, I holeshotted the race and then made a couple of mistakes slipping into second. At about the hour mark, the leader had some issues and I was able to slip into the lead. It was a very physical day after busting some knuckles and my clutch finger on Wednesday.”
Pro Class Results
1. Mateo Oliveira, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Giacomo Redondi, Kawasaki
3. Ivan Ramirez, KTM