Shan Moore | May 13, 2024
After leading this weekend’s Powerline GNCC in St. Clairsville, Ohio, for the final five laps of the six-lap race, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong had to block FMF/KTM Factory rider Johnny Girroir with two turns to go on the final lap to grab his first win of the season.
Defending champ Craig DeLong got back to his winning ways in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Girroir (behind) finished a close second. Photos: Mack Faint.
The defending series champ led most of the five laps by at least 30 seconds on the slippery, old-school track, until Girroir caught fire to give the crowd one of the most exciting finishes in GNCC history. Meanwhile, Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Grant Baylor came from last place to round out the podium, making the race even more exciting.
XC1 Start.
DeLong grabbed the holeshot to start the race but was quickly passed by Coastal Racing GasGas’ Ryder Lafferty. However, DeLong was able to regain the lead at the start of lap two. Behind Lafferty, Coastal Racing GasGas’ Jordan Ashburn, Phoenix Honda Racing’s Mike Witkowski and Girroir were tied up in a scrum of their own.
Ryder Lafferty led early on but later finished ninth.
With clear air out front, DeLong was able to slowly build his lead until it reached a gap of 30 seconds from Girroir, who had passed Witkowski mid-lap. Ashburn pulled into the pits with clutch problems, and after a lengthy repair, was only able to muster 20th place at the finish.
DeLong increased his lead to 30 seconds at one point.
FMF Factory Racing Landers’ Grant Davis led the XC2 250 Pro class and, on adjusted time, was sitting in the top three overall for a while.
Grant Davis was flying on his 250. He was top five overall and first in the XC2 Pro class.
Not wanting to throw the lead away, and knowing he had a considerable cushion, DeLong backed off the pace a bit. However, it was just enough for Girroir to get into position to see DeLong, and the race was on. Girroir picked up the pace and was right on DeLong’s rear fender for most of the final mile.
Johnny Girroir finished a close second.
Within sight of the finish, Girroir tried to slip under DeLong, but the Husqvarna rider was able to block him and held on for the win, backing up his runner-up finish at the previous round, the Hoosier in Indiana. Grant Baylor crossed the finish line in third.
XC1 Podium.
“I know everybody here on the team worked hard to keeping me going the first couple of races, so this one’s for them,” said DeLong, who got a slow start to the season. “I just got a good start and I was comfortable there following Ryder and then I was able to sneak around him and was ready to go, and I sprinted and got that gap and tried to maintain it all race. I did pretty much that till the last lap when I got a little too comfortable and Johnny wicked ’er up. I was not expecting him to be right on me there the last couple miles. That was wild for sure. That definitely had my heart rate going, but it was fun. He said ‘You’re lucky, my friend, or I would have taken you out there,’ so thanks to Johnny for not completely killing us out there! But good ride for him: he had a killer last lap.”
Grant Baylor came from last place to finish on the podium.
Girroir came within inches of taking his fourth win of the series after chasing DeLong for almost four laps. Girroir’s runner-up finish leaves him with a 29-point lead over Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor Jr., after Steward suffered a massive crash on the opening lap and bent his bike. In the end, Steward finished 15th.
Mike Witkowski finished just off the box in fourth.
“I started off a little too slow and made a couple of mistakes,” said Girroir. “I feel like this was a speed-limit track and anytime you wicked it, you’d be down on the ground. I washed the front end three times. But I got within 10 to 15 seconds of DeLong with two or three laps to go, and I could see him, and then I tucked the front end again. The next thing, I got a pit board ‘plus 40 seconds’ and I was like, man, Grant Baylor was closing on me. So I said, ‘It’s time to work,’ and ended up reeling DeLong in on the last lap and I got up beside him three or four times there. And I thought I was going to get him, but just couldn’t make it happen. Damn good ride, back on top of the box there, this year, so good for him. [He’s my] training partner and friend, and I’m just happy for him and happy to get some more points.”
XC2 Start.
Grant Baylor held true to his typical M.O.—get a bad start and then slowly move up the pack and then wick it up on the final lap. Grant went from last to third overall.
Grant Davis won the XC2 division and finished fifth overall.
“Oh man, it was a brutal day out there, and I didn’t make it easy on myself,” said Grant Baylor. “I got off the line in last and, about five miles into the track coming down the slick rocky hill, I just lost the front and went off straight into a big oak tree and tangled up in the bushes there for a good 30 seconds. Actually, one of the guys right behind me made a mistake and that allowed Grant Davis to get by me, so I was back behind a few places on lap one. I just put my head down, but Steward [Baylor, Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki] got right around me there. He and Trevor Bollinger [Rockstar Energy Husqvarna] made a little mistake, so I was able to get by those guys and just put my head on down.”
Liam Draper landed second in XC2.
In his first year in the XC1 class, Phoenix Honda’s Mike Witkowski seems to be warming up to his big 450 and finished fourth after going 5-5 at the previous two rounds.
Gus Riordan rounded out the XC2 podium.
“I got a good start and was in third most of the time,” said Witkowski. “I was staying with Girroir pretty good but then I had a slip and he got away. I could see Grant [Baylor] coming and did my best to hold him off, but he got me before the finish.”
XC2 Podium.
For the first two laps, FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Grant Davis ran in third overall on adjusted time from the XC2 250 Pro class. Davis is definitely one of the up-and-comers to keep an eye on, as he won the XC2 250 Pro class and finished fifth overall.
Korie Steede chalked up her first WXC-class win of the season.
“I got the holeshot [in the XC2 250 Pro class] and then I just tried to check out a little bit. I wanted to get behind some XC1 boys so I could hang on to them for the rest of the race,” said Davis. “I saw Stew and then I started making up some time, like passes and stuff, and then I think me and AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper were staying like 30-40 seconds apart all day. And on the last lap, I don’t even know what I was doing, and came into a corner hot and lost the front end; I just smacked my face off the ground. It got my whole face pretty good but other than that it was a good day.”
Steede’s stoked level.
AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper fought back and forth with FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Angus Riordan and eventually came out on top to place sixth overall and second XC2 250 Pro rider, with Riordan dropping back to 10th and third XC2 250 Pro rider.
Shelby Turner finished second.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Trevor Bollinger and Sherco’s Josh Strang finished just a second apart, with Bollinger finishing seventh and Strang taking eighth. Multiple crashes cost Ryder Lafferty, who led the first lap, enough time that he dropped to ninth at the finish.
WXC Podium.
Dakoda Devore (KTM) took another win in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class ahead of Jhak Walker (Beta) and Sawyer Carratura.
XC3 Podium.
In the Women’s Pro class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Korie Steede claimed her first win of the season, finishing ahead of GasGas rider Shelby Turner of Canada and Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Rachael Archer.
OVERALL RESULTS
- Craig DeLong (Hus)
- Johnny Girroir (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (Kaw)
- Mike Witkowski (Hon)
- Grant Davis (KTM)
- Liam Draper (Yam)
- Trevor Bollinger (Hus)
- Josh Strang (She)
- Ryder Lafferty (GG)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
