GNCC Racing: For starters, let’s go back to where it all began. What was your first bike or ATV? When did you start racing, and when was your first GNCC event?

Braxton Grosse: My first ATV was a DRR 50 when I was 4 years old, and I started racing shortly after, around 5 years old at Worcs Racing. My first GNCC race was in 2020, the Burr Oak, I did it on a hybrid 150 in YXC1. I can’t remember how I did, but I don’t think it was very good 😂.

You’re a West Coast native competing on the East Coast in GNCC. How do you make that work on a week-to-week basis?

Do you stay out East most of the time, or are you traveling back and forth throughout the season? Last year, my first full season, I flew back after every round, which was not ideal, but we made it work. This year, I lived in WV basically the whole year. I made a few trips back home, but I lived with a family over here almost full-time.

Coming from California, you deal with a much different type of terrain than what we see on the East Coast. How have you adapted to the mud, roots, and rocks that GNCC is known for?

 To me, it is fun, and it was a new challenge to learn, still, every race, I would say I run into something different, and you just have to adapt and overcome. I’m sure I’ll be learning things throughout my whole career, but these opening 2 years have been nothing short of frustrating on some days and just awesome on others.

You wrapped up the 2025 GNCC season 14th overall in the National Championship and second in the XC2 class. Looking back, how would you sum up your season as a whole, and what moments stand out most to you?

The 2025 season was a big stepping-stone year. I really turned it up in the things I was working on, the mud, rocks, roots, and winning multiple rounds. To sum up 2025, I showed myself and my team that I am a diverse rider that can win these races on any weekend. Looking back, a standout race for me was the Mason Dixon It was a muddy race, and I just kept making the right decision and won. It was my first race I had won with mud on the ground. That’s when it switched for me; I proved to myself I can do it.

What was your favorite GNCC track this season and why?

I am a big sand guy, Florida all the way, best GNCC track.

Racing against the fastest riders in the country, how do you stay confident and motivated even when the competition is tough?

For me, staying motivated is mixed. The grind gets never ending, and it’s hard to keep moving forward, but every time I show up to race, that fire relights, and all the work you put in off the bike on the bike it seems so worth it, and I’m like I would do it 5 times over to do this.

Ironman marked your debut in the XC1 class. What was the biggest takeaway from that experience, and how did it compare to what you expected heading into the race?

The biggest takeaway from that first XC1 race was the speed straight off the start. I have always struggled with sprint speed. I have the endurance to race with them, but I just have to work on my raw speed.

Now that you have had that race in the XC1 class, what are your plans and goals for next year?

Moving into 2026, I am racing XC2 again. It will be my third year in that class, my first year I got 3rd, my second year I got 2nd, so year number 3 I want that XC2 national championship. As far as the overall goes, I would like to have a single-digit number top 10 for 2027.

What do you like to do for fun when you're not racing or training?

In the off-season, I like to snowboard a lot, but mostly I ride dirt bikes. I have tons of friends at home, I ride with and I live very close to a lot of tracks, so I just ride as much as possible.