Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 10:15 AM
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Korie Steede Powers to Fourth GNCC Victory of 2025 at Buckwheat 100
Teammate Craig DeLong earns hard-fought third place finish in the XC1 Open Pro Class
Fresh from claiming a record-equaling sixth 6DAYS victory with the U.S. Women’s World Trophy (WTT) team, Steede and her Husqvarna FC 250 were once again a formidable combination in the GNCC competition, as she charged to a decisive holeshot.
After leading for the first two laps, a bottleneck in one of the sections sent her down the order to fourth, although an inspired climb forward from there saw the 24-year-old claw her way back to the top and earn her fourth WXC Class win this year.
With her win at Round 10 – directly following the annual summer break – Steede has closed the gap atop the WXC standings to 13 points with only three rounds remaining in the season.
“I started strong with the holeshot and led the first two laps until a bottleneck cost me some time and dropped me to fourth,”reflected Steede“That just fueled the fire! I put my head down, kept charging, and clawed my way back to the front. I’m pumped to snag another win and already looking forward to the next round.”
Former GNCC Champion DeLong maintained a front-running pace onboard his Husqvarna FX 350 at the Buckwheat 100, factoring in the mix throughout the entire three-hour duration to claim what was a well-earned P3 result in the XC1 Open Pro Class. He was also just outside the podium overall in fourth position.
“Revitalized is for sure the word I’d use after the summer break,”commented DeLong.“I wasn’t in a great place during the opening stages of the year, for some reason, I was down and not myself. I took a break and managed to find that fire again – it’s been a while since I have been as disappointed as I have been, so this feels really good. Being in the mix and up front felt really good, and this is a big step in the right direction.”
XC1 Open Pro Class Results
1. Jordan Ashburn, GASGAS
2. Liam Draper, Yamaha
3. Craig DeLong, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
4. Ben Kelley, KTM
WXC Class Results
1. Korie Steede, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Brandy Richards, KTM
3. Danielle McDonald, Yamaha
UPCOMING OFFROAD RACES – SEPTEMBER 2025
9/21: Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 11