Cycle News Staff | April 18, 2023
“Grizzly” Grant Baylor broke through the pack to claim his first Grand National Cross-Country Championship win of the season, stalking his prey from behind to become the fifth winner in as many rounds, making for one of the most hotly contested GNCC series in recent years. Grant’s victory came at the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC at the Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve in Society Hill, South Carolina, on April 16.
After getting off to a midpack start, the Babbitt’s Online Monster Energy Kawasaki rider passed the previous four 2023 winners to move to the front and then held on to take the victory over round-three winner, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong, by 37 seconds. Grant wicked it up in the final laps, getting faster as the race wore on.
Grant Baylor is the latest new winner in the 2023 GNCC Championship. The first five races of the season have seen five different winners. Photos: Ken Hill
“I’m pretty speechless, honestly,” said Grant. “I felt like crap this week heading in. I had a sickness, a cold in my chest and was struggling to breathe all week. Plus, I was struggling with my hand injury from the last round, but we came out here and got it done. I didn’t get the best of starts, but that’s kind of par for the course. I was kind of towards the back of the pack, as usual, but I made my way through the pack and then about midrace I found myself out there behind Craig.”
Previous “white plate” holder, Tely Energy Racing/Rocky Mountain ATV-MC KTM Racing’s Steward Baylor, Grant’s brother, DNF the race, surrendering his lead in the point standings.
XC1 Podium
“I just keep running into issues,” said Steward. “It was a day that I was too far back to do anything and I saw where I was in the overall. I had those guys give me a pit board on the overall, and chances were if I kept going at the rate we were going, either I was going to end up on the ground or barely making that top-20 anyway, so I just decided to park it. It was a sketchy track out there.”
After grabbing the holeshot and leading the entire race, DeLong made a critical mistake on the next-to-last lap, going off the course and allowing Grant to take the lead. “He made a little mistake and I made the pass for the lead,” said Grant. “After that, I kind of just tried to manage that lead. I could see Craig about five to ten seconds behind me there until about the last lap, then the last lap I just put the hammer down and gave it everything I had out there for that final lap.” DeLong’s runner-up finish proved his win two weeks ago was no fluke.
Ben Kelley finished third.
“That was tough,” said DeLong. “This place is never easy; I knew that coming in. I did what I needed to do. I got a good start. We worked on a lot of starts the last two weeks and it paid off. I kind of got out there to a decent lead, but I saw my gap kind of going down and down. I could see GB out in the field. I know how he is. When he gets rolling, he’s rolling. I did the best I could to get ready for him because I knew the pace was going to pick up. I hung onto him there until about the last lap. I was hurting. It was a tough day. Happy to get back on the box.
DeLong is looking forward to the series moving northward. “In the past, I’ve never quite shined down here in the South, so I’m happy to get north,” added DeLong. “That will make it more interesting. I think it will be a good rest of the season.”
Kelley is the new points leader.
FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley, who finished third, took over the points lead and is now sitting three points ahead of DeLong in the championship standings.
“Today was gnarly; that’s the fastest paced track we’ve had all year, so I was a little out of my element,” said Kelley. “Craig ripped a holeshot and just put a good pace from the beginning. I worked my way into third behind Ricky Russell (AmPro Yamaha) and Ben Nelko (Tely Energy Racing Rocky Mountain ATV-MC KTM) was there in third for a while. They were going really fast. It was kind of the three of us running a train the first two laps. I fell into third there behind Ricky and then Craig kind of gapped us, then Grant passed me like I was standing still. I just had nothing for him. I tried to hang with him that lap, but he kind of just slowly pulled away.”
Ruy Barbosa was the top XC2 250 Pro finisher in fourth overall.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Ruy Barbosa, who won the previous round, led the XC2 250 Pro class from the start and held on to win the class in addition to a career-best fourth overall finish. The Phoenix Honda rider leads the XC2 250 Pro point standings by 12 over RPM KTM’s Angus Riordan, who was 10th on the day.
“This kind of track is not my favorite,” said Barbosa. “It’s more wide open, but I had a decent start and passed (Liam) Draper and (Mike) Witkowski. I pushed all race and passed some XC1 riders on the first lap,” said Barbosa. “I’m really comfortable with the bike, it was a perfect day for me.”
Rachael Archer nabbed her third win in a row in the Women’s Pro category.
Eighteen seconds behind Barbosa came Magna1 Racing Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn with a fifth-place finish. Meanwhile, Babbitt’s Online Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Strang was sixth.
Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Mason Semmens claimed his best finish to date with a second place in the XC2 250 Pro class and seventh overall. Phoenix Honda Racing’s Cody Barnes came eighth, 36 seconds behind Semmens. Coastal Racing GasGas’ Ryder Lafferty and Riordan rounded out the top 10. Toby Cleveland (Husqvarna) claimed his fourth win in five races in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, defeating GasGas-mounted Jahk Walker by nearly four minutes. Zack Hayes (KTM) was third.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer grabbed her third win in a row in the WXC class, beating Over and Out GasGas’ Rachel Gutish by nearly a minute. Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Korie Steede finished third. Archer now leads Gutish by 23 points, 140 to 117, in the WXC standings, with Steede another two points back. CN
Gutish leads Archer early on.
OVERALL RESULTS
- Grant Baylor (Kaw)
- Craig DeLong (Hus)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Ruy Barbosa (Hon)
- Jordan Ashburn (Hus)
- Josh Strang (Kaw)
- Mason Semmens (KTM)
- Cody Barnes (Hon)
- Ryder Lafferty (GG)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
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