SOCIETY HILL, S.C. (April 17, 2023) – Round five, the FMF Camp Coker Bullet, of the 2023 Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, (GNCC Racing) concluded Sunday, April 16 at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve in Society Hill, South Carolina. GNCC Racing saw its fifth different winner in just five races, with Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor battling to earn his first win since the 2021 season.
Grant Baylor (Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green) battled through to earn his first win of the season. Photo: Ken Hill
As the race got underway, it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong jumping off the line first to grab the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Open Pro Holeshot Award and the early lead as the racers headed into the woods. DeLong would continue to lead the way, but Baylor would begin to reel him in and by the five lap mark would make the pass for the lead. DeLong would continue to push, but Baylor would put his head down and try to place a gap between the two. Baylor came through to the checkered flag with a 36 second gap back to DeLong would hold onto second overall on the day in South Carolina.FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley came through fourth on the opening lap but would soon make his way into third on the second lap. From there Kelley would remain for the duration of the race. Kelley continued to push through the challenging conditions, but he was ultimately unable to catch Baylor and DeLong at the front. Kelley now takes over the points lead in the National Championship standings.Defending Champion and Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna-backed racer, Jordan Ashburn would battle throughout the day, finishing just shy of the podium in fourth in the XC1 Open Pro class and fifth overall on the day. Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang would come through after working his way up from an eighth place start to round out the top five in the XC1 Open Pro class at the FMF Camp Coker Bullet.
Craig DeLong (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) held the early lead, and would continue to battle for second overall at round five. Photo: Ken Hill
After getting off to a good start in South Carolina, AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would come through in second on the first couple of laps. On the third lap Russell would fall back to fifth and then sixth where he would remain for the remainder of the race. The FMF/KTM Factory Racing-backed rider, Jonathan Girroir would move up through the field after a 10th place start to the day. After a small injury set him back before the race, he pushed through the pain to finish seventh in the XC1 class.Unfortunately for Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Steward Baylor, he was only able to complete four laps after having to return to his pits for a bike issue that seemed to linger, ultimately ending his day earlier than expected. As for his teammate, Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Benjamin Nelko, he would have a great start to the day but as he headed out onto the third lap would suffer a leg injury ending his race as well. Both GASGAS/FXR/Scott Goggle’s Layne Michael and Canada KTM Racing’s Alexandre Gougeon would also only complete one lap in South Carolina at the fifth round of racing.
Ruy Barbosa (center), Mason Semmens (left) and Cody Barnes (right) rounded out the XC2 250 Pro class podium. Photo: Ken Hill
Coming through to earn his second-straight XC2 250 Pro class win was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Ruy Barbosa. Barbosa would get a good jump off the line, behind Phoenix Racing Honda’s Mike Witkowski who snagged the $250 Steel City Men’s Clinic XC2 Holeshot Award. Barbosa would remain in the lead for the remainder of the race, virtually unchallenged by the rest of the XC2 field. Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Mason Semmens would battle his way through the class as he came through seventh on the opening lap. Semmens would steadily pick off the riders and make a last lap pass to take over second place in the class.Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes would have his work cut out for him as he had to battle with Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ryder Lafferty for the last couple of laps for the final podium position. Barnes would be able to hold off Lafferty, coming through to round out the podium with Lafferty in fourth. FMF/RPM KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan would battle back from a 10th place start on the day to round out the XC2 250 Pro top five finishers.
Toby Cleveland (Beaver Creek Cycles/Bells Electric/Wossner Pistons) earned another FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win in South Carolina. Photo: Ken Hill
In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class it was Hall’s Cycles/Enduro Engineering/Moose Racing’s Jhak Walker jumping off the line first to grab the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales XC3 Holeshot Award. However, it would not take long for Beaver Creek Cycles/Bells Electric/Wossner Piston’s Toby Cleveland to put the pressure on Walker and make a pass for the lead on the opening lap. Cleveland would come through timing and scoring first, and he would remain there for the duration of the race. Walker would remain in second for the entire three-hour race as Carolina XC/Moose Racing/KTM’s Zack Hayes would battle back in third to round out the FMF XC3 class podium. Earning the Camp Coker Bullet Top Amateur Honors was 250 A racer, Brayden Nolette as he came through to earn 17th overall and his class win. Nick DeFeo would earn the 4-Stroke A Lites class win and come through 18th overall to sit second on the Top Amateur podium. Earning second in the 4-Stroke A Lites was Caleb Baltimore as he came through to earn third on the Top Amateur podium with a 19th place finish.
Rachael Archer (AmPro Yamaha) continued to battle, and earned herself another WXC win as she continues to hold the points lead in the class. Photo: Ken Hill
As the WXC class took off it was Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Korie Steede grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award and the early lead. Steede would continue to hold the lead for the first two laps of the race, but she would have company from both AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer and GASGAS/Over and Out/RG Factory Racing’s Rachel Gutish as the race wore on. Archer would make the pass stick for the lead, with Gutish tailing behind her making the pass on Steede as well to take over second in the WXC class. Archer would push for the remaining two laps, with Gutish running behind her and Steede holding onto third as they crossed the finish line.In the 8 a.m. youth race it was Canyon Richards battling back to take his second overall youth win and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win of the season. Following Richards was Ryan Amancio coming through second overall and in the YXC1 class, while James Jenkins rounded out the top three finishers in the youth overall and in the YXC1 class.Caleb Wood came through to earn the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class win, while Jiggs Fustini and Mason Raynor would take home second and third in the class. Ryder Sigety came through to take home the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) class win, Travis Lentz earned the 85 (12-13) class win, while the 85 (7-11) class win went to Evan Porter in South Carolina. Addison Harris took home the 65 (9) class win, Tripp Lewis earned the 65 (7-8) class win. Sahara Robinson would take home the Girls 85 (7-13) class win, Paisley Harris earned the Girls 65 (7-11) class win. In the Trail Rider class, it would be Cale Dejarnett earning the win.
Canyon Richards earned his second Youth overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win of the year. Photo: Ken Hill
The next round of GNCC Racing will take place on May 6-7 in Crawfordsville, Indiana at Ironman Raceway with the sixth round of racing, Hoosier GNCC.
Grant Baylor (center), Craig DeLong (left) and Ben Kelley (right) rounded out the top three finishers at the FMF Camp Coker Bullet GNCC. Photo: Ken Hill
FMF Camp Coker Bullet Results and Points Standings
Society Hill, South Carolina
Round 5 of 12
Sunday, April 16, 2023
XC1 Pro Event Results:
- Grant Baylor (KAW)
- Craig DeLong (HQV)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
- Josh Strang (KAW)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
- Steward Baylor (KTM)
- Benjamin Nelko (KTM)
- Layne Michael (GAS)
*Overall National Championship Standings:
- Ben Kelley (113)
- Craig DeLong (110)
- Steward Baylor (98)
- Grant Baylor (85)
- Jordan Ashburn (80)
- Ricky Russell (78)
- Josh Strang (68)
- Ruy Barbosa (58)
- Angus Riordan (54)
- Cody Barnes (50)
*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2023 National Champion.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results:
- Ruy Barbosa (HON)
- Mason Semmens (KTM)
- Cody Barnes (HON)
- Ryder Lafferty (GAS)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
- Jesse Ansley (KTM)
- Michael Witkowski (HON)
- Evan Smith (BET)
- Jonathan Johnson (BET)
- Liam Draper (YAM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:
- Ruy Barbosa (111)
- Angus Riordan (99)
- Ryder Lafferty (96)
- Cody Barnes (95)
- Liam Draper (84)
- Mason Semmens (84)
- Lyndon Snodgrass (83)
- Evan Smith (69)
- Michael Witkowski (61)
- Jonathan Johnson (56)
