Cycle News Staff | March 6, 2017
2017 S.C. Big Buck GNCC Results – Steward Baylor got the 2017 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country Series started with a big win at the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC, March 5. It was the first career GNCC win for the SRT/KTM rider.
2017 S.C. Big Buck GNCC Results
Steward Baylor (514) pulled away from defending champ Kailub Russell to win the 2017 GNCC opener in South Carolina. Photography by Ken Hill
Defending champ Kailub Russell (FMF/KTM) finished a hard-earned second and Ryan Sipes (Coastal Racing/Husqvarna) finished out the race in third.
Nearly 700 racers turned out for the series opener, making it crowded on the racecourse, and Josh Strang (Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna) got things started by grabbing the All Balls Racing $250 Holeshot Award, but he came into the race with an ankle that was still not fully healed from an injury that he sustained while competing in last year’s ISDE. As a result, he couldn’t maintain the fast pace and started to drop back. At one point, he stopped to help an injured rider and eventually pulled out of the race.
Beta’s Jordan Ashburn led for a bit, then it was Russell’s turn to take the reigns, but Baylor was right behind him during the second lap of what would be a six-lap race. (Lap times were right around the 30-minute mark.)
Not long after taking the lead, Russell was delayed by a lapped rider right at the worst possible moment—on a hill. This allowed Baylor to take the lead, and Russell started the third lap 23 seconds behind Baylor.
Knowing Russell, the defending champ wasn’t far behind him, Baylor kicked it into high gear and focused on being smooth and fast in the S.C. woods. He actually put a second on Russell after the fourth lap and another five seconds on Russell after the fifth lap.
Russell just couldn’t gain any time on the flying Baylor.
2017 S.C. Big Buck GNCC Results
When the checkered flag came out after the sixth lap, Baylor had opened up his lead over Russell by another full minute, officially crossing the finish line 1:29.187 ahead of Russell.
“I knew coming into this race that Russell and [Thad] Duvall [who was fourth after the first lap] would be the guys to be with,” said Baylor. “I put myself in a position to ride with them. Once Russell made his mistake and I had a clear trail, I gave it everything I could to get a big lead knowing that every second counts, because Russell is the fastest guy on the line. I just knew I couldn’t make a mistake and it feels great to pull off my first win not only at the season opener, but also in front of my friends and family.”
Russell admitted that he just couldn’t catch Baylor once Baylor got into the lead.
“We had a pretty decent day—nothing special but nothing terrible—it was just kind of so-so. Stu was riding really well, he had the pressure on me there when I got into the lead and him and I were out front. I got tangled up with a lapper on the hill climb and dropped back to fourth and he got about 29-30 seconds on me, and I never could close it. I was trying and trying and trying—I mean, he was riding well, I have to give it up to him for that. The track was brutal between the lappers and how many riders there were general today, it was definitely a tough round one.”
Sipes ended up finishing third after having an early battle with fellow Husqvarna rider Thad DuVall.
DuVall, however, was forced to pit early and replace a rear wheel after bending the rear-brake rotor. DuVall would later drop out of the race. It wasn’t how he and the team wanted to start of the season.
Sipes could breath a little easier once DuVall started having his problems. After starting the race off in sixth, he spent most of the it in third and took the checkered flag 25 seconds behind Russell. At one point, Sipes had caught both Baylor and Russell and was just 12 seconds behind Baylor after the second lap, but he just couldn’t keep the two riders ahead of him in his sights. Some of that reason had to do with the congested trail. He was well over two minutes behind Russell at the end of the race.
“I started in sixth but I eventually caught up with Baylor and Russell and was right on their back wheels when the lappers got pretty bad,” said Sipes. “They were both riding really good and when I lost them it was hard to make up time.”
The 2016 XC2 Champion, Trevor Bollinger made his XC1 debut and put his JCR Honda in fourth place at the finish. It was a day of playing catch-up for the Honda rider, as he completed the first lap in 10th place. By lap two he was in seventh, by lap three he was fourth, where he would stay for the duration of the race. He finished 25 seconds behind Sipes.
N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell rounded out the top five. At one point in the race, he was 12th, but after halfway, he put in a charge that carried him up the leaderboard, finishing 36 seconds behind Bollinger.
Enduro champ Russell Bobbitt (FMF/KTM) was sixth, 41 seconds behind Ricky Russell, and Chris Bach, now riding a KTM after a few years on a Honda, was seventh. Grant Baylor (Husqvarna), Ashburn and Cory Buttrick (KTM) completed the top 10 in the XC1 class.
2017 S.C. Big Buck GNCC Results
Josh Toth won the XC2 class. Photography by Ken Hill
In XC2, Joshua Toth (N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha) and Layne Michael (Coastal Racing Husqvarna) battled back and forth for the win. Toth led after lap one, than Michael took over four a couple of laps before Toth got back into the lead, which he kept for the rest of the race. Toth managed to pull away at the end and took the checkers 1:28.828 seconds ahead of Michael.
“I got off to a good start, and was able to work my way into the lead on the first lap,” said Toth. “I knew Michael was right behind me so I just kept pushing and it paid off.”
Craig DeLong (Coastal Racing Husqvarna) wasn’t far behind in third, followed by Michael Witkowski (KTM) and Austin Lee (Hon).
In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, Jack Edmondson (Coastal Racing) took the win, followed by Jason Thomas and former GNCC champ Paul Whibley (N-Fab/AmPro Yamaha).
Cody Barnes was the top Amateur-class rider. Evan Earl and Levi Keller joined Barnes on the podium.
In the WXC class, Tayla Jones (Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/KR4 Arrive-N-Ride) grabbed the early lead and never looked back to take the win. However, Becca Sheets (Fly Racing/Maxxis/Seat Concepts/KTM) kept things close the whole way and had to settle for second.
MacKenzie Tricker (KTM) was third.
2017 S.C. Big Buck GNCC Results
(Left to right) Kailub Russell, Steward Baylor and Ryan Sipes celebrate on the XC1 podium at the Big Buck GNCC.
VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC
Union, South Carolina
Round 1 of 13
Sunday, March 5
XC1 Open Pro Event Results:
- Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Ryan Sipes (HUS)
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
- Chris Bach (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (HUS)
- Jordan Ashburn (BET)
- Cory Buttrick (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Steward Baylor Jr. (30)
- Kailub Russell (25)
- Ryan Sipes (21)
- Josh Toth (18)
- Trevor Bollinger (16)
- Ricky Russell (15)
- Russell Bobbitt (14)
- Layne Michael (13)
- Chris Bach (12)
- Grant Baylor (11)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2017 National Champion.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results:
- Josh Toth (YAM)
- Layne Michael (HUS)
- Craig Delong (HUS)
- Michael Witkowski (KTM)
- Austin Lee (HON)
- Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
- Chris Venditti (YAM)
- Jesse Groemm (KTM)
- Ryder Lafferty (KTM)
- Zack Hayes (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:
- Josh Toth (30)
- Layne Michael (25)
- Craig Delong (21)
- Michael Witkowski (18)
- Austin Lee (16)
- Benjamin Kelley (15)
- Chris Venditti (14)
- Jesse Groemm (13)
- Ryder Lafferty (12)
- Zack Hayes (11)
