Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X
  • All Series
  • Subscribe Now
  • Supercross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • Motocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Teams
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • SuperMotocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • MXGP
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • GNCC
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • Loretta Lynn’s
    • News
    • The Vault
  • More Series
    • MXoN
    • WSX
    • WMX
    • Australian SX
    • Australian MX
    • Canadian MX
    • EnduroCross
    • Straight Rhythm
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Arenacross Report
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Next Level
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Galleries
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Films
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Lives They Lived
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • UnPhiltered
    • Videos
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
    • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Shop
    • New Releases
    • Men's
    • Women's
    • Youth
    • Accessories
    • Sales Rack
    • Stickers
  • About Us
  • The Mag
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Customer Care
    • Current Issue
    • Newsletter
    • Store Locator
    • Subscribe
    • Sell Racer X
  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • GNCC
  • News
  • Schedule
  • TV Schedule
  • Results
  • Standings
  • Riders
  • Tracks
  • Subscribe Now
  • Table of Contents
Results Archive
Mini Os
THOR Mini O's
News
Results
WSX
WSX Australian GP
News
Live Now
GNCC
GNCC Cruise
News
Upcoming
WSX
WSX Swedish GP
Sat Dec 6
News
Upcoming
WSX
WSX South Africa GP
Sat Dec 13
News
Full Schedule

The Mountaineer GNCC Motorcycle Report

September 14, 2020, 3:25pm
Press Release Press Release
The Mountaineer GNCC Motorcycle Report
  • Home
  • GNCC
  • Breaking News
  • 2020 The Mountaineer GNCC Motorcycle Report - GNCC Racing
Glen Jean, WV The MountaineerProgressive GNCC Racing

BECKLEY, W.Va.—The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued Sunday, September 13, as the motorcycles took to the woods of West Virginia. Round 9, the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer, took place at Summit Bechtel Reserve in Beckley, WV. Cloudy conditions made for a great weekend of racing, even with some showers taking place on Sunday afternoon’s Pro race.

In the XC1 Open Pro class it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell racing off the line first to grab the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award. However, as the pack of riders headed into the woods, Russell would make a mistake and be forced to fight through the pack of riders early in the race. Russell’s teammate, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would capitalize and move into the lead for the opening lap.

Making his return to racing aboard a new brand for the event was Steward Baylor Jr., who was allowed to race an AmPro Yamaha practice bike for the weekend. As the lead pack of racers came through timing and scoring on lap one, Baylor found himself sitting 5.5 seconds behind Kelley. Throughout the course of lap two, Kelley and Baylor would engage in a battle with Baylor taking over the top spot as they came through just 1.9 seconds apart. Russell had made his way into the number three spot, but found himself 53 second behind the lead duo.

As the race wore on Baylor Jr. would put his head down and push to put a sizeable gap between himself and Kelley. With the fans cheering him on throughout all six laps, Baylor Jr. would come through to take his first overall win of the season with over a minute lead. Kelley, who tangled with some lappers, would manage to hold onto second overall with Russell rounding out the top three overall at this year’s Mountaineer GNCC.

Steward Baylor Jr. clinched his first overall win of the season aboard an AmPro Yamaha in West Virginia.
Steward Baylor Jr. clinched his first overall win of the season aboard an AmPro Yamaha in West Virginia. Ken Hill

FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor steadily moved up through the pack after a seventh place start to the day. Baylor found himself running in the third place position at the halfway point in the race, but would be unable to hold off a charging Russell. As the checkered flag flew Baylor would check-in with a fourth overall on the day.

Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn found himself sitting just outside the top five as the race began. Ashburn would put his head down and push making the pass for fifth on lap two, however, he would soon find himself back in sixth. As the white flag flew Ashburn knew he only had one more lap to make the pass stick, and he would do just that crossing the finish line fifth overall.

After missing the last two rounds before GNCC’s summer break, AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Michael made his return to racing in his home state of West Virginia. Michael had a mid-pack start to the day, but would work his way up to fourth for the second and third laps. Michael put up quite a fight for a top five finishing position, only missing out by 20 seconds behind Ashburn.

FMF/KTM Factory Racing's Ben Kelley claimed the second overall spot at round nine.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing's Ben Kelley claimed the second overall spot at round nine. Ken Hill

Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong had a great start, and as he came through timing and scoring he would find himself fourth overall. However, as Delong made his way through the second lap and then third laps he would have to take make a long pit stop. Delong’s team worked feverishly to fix the mechanical issue with his bike, and he would head back out into the race still running in that eighth place position. By the time the checkered flag flew Delong had worked his way to seventh in the XC1 Open Pro class.

FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth was running a good race as he registered in third on the opening lap. However, a small mistake in the woods happened to reaggravate his knee from a practice incident a couple of weeks ago. With rain showers presenting themselves and the tough conditions, Toth made the difficult decision to pull out of the race after three laps of racing.

Trail Jesters KTM's Jonathan Girroir battled for three-hours to take home his fourth XC2 250 Pro class win of the season.
Trail Jesters KTM's Jonathan Girroir battled for three-hours to take home his fourth XC2 250 Pro class win of the season. Ken Hill

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir taking his fourth class win of the season. Girroir was off to a great start and would come through on the opening lap in the first place position. Girroir would find himself up into the third overall position based off of his adjusted time. However, as the race worse on Girroir found a good flow and did not want to make a mistake to jeopardize his XC2 class win. Girroir would come through to take the win with a 13 second gap back to second place.

Tely Energy Racing/KTM’s Liam Draper made his way onto the XC2 class podium with a second place finish in West Virginia. Draper had started off his day running in the fourth place position, but would steadily work his way through the pack. When the white flag came out, Draper would make a last lap charge to ensure his second place finish.

Rounding out the XC2 top three finishers was AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would have his work cut out for himself throughout the race, as he would find himself back in the fifth place position at one point in the race. Witkowski found himself third as the white flag was flying, and he would hold onto that position until the checkered flag flew.

Raines Riding University/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Jason Raines would battle throughout the duration of the race with Moose Racing/Carolina KTM/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes for the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class win. Raines and Hayes would swap the lead position multiple times throughout the three-hour race; however it would be Raines making a last lap pass to take the win. Hayes would finish out the day with a second in the class, with FXR/KTM’s Jason Lipscomb making his way up to third in the class.

AmPro Yamaha's Rachael Archer earned her second WXC class win of the season.
AmPro Yamaha's Rachael Archer earned her second WXC class win of the season. Ken Hill

AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer battled throughout the 10 a.m. race to take her second WXC class win of the season. Archer made her way into the lead position early in the race, but would face a battle with Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish on the second lap of racing. Gutish, who grabbed the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award, was eager to battle at the front of the pack. Archer would make the pass back around Gutish to retake the lead as the white flag came out. When the checkered flag flew after four laps of racing, Archer would cross the finish line a minute ahead of her competition. Gutish would come through to hold onto second place at round nine. BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis’ Becca Sheets maintained her third place position throughout the duration of the two-hour race. Sheets remains in the WXC points lead after nine rounds of racing are complete.

It was Team Green Kawasaki’s Grant Davis earning his seventh Youth overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win of the season in West Virginia. Davis grab the early lead, but would soon be faced with a battle from behind. KTM’s Cole Forbes would make the pass on Davis, and both would engage in a heated battle as Davis came through the finish just .3 seconds behind Forbes on the fifth lap of racing. With two laps to go Davis would make his way back around Forbes to retake the lead. Davis would then put over a minute gap between himself and Forbes as he took the checkered flag. Team Green Kawasaki’s Jack Joy rounded out the youth overall podium, and YXC1 class top three.

In the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. it was Matthew Hallenbeck making his way through the pack to take his first win of the season. Nicholas Defeo would be there to challenge Hallenbeck and swap positions with him throughout the race. Defeo would come through to finish second in his class followed by Chase Landers rounding out the YXC2 class top three. Rounding out the top 10 overall youth finishers was 85cc (12-13) competitor Colton Shields, who also took his class win this weekend at the Mountaineer GNCC.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer GNCC Overall Winner: Steward Baylor.
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer GNCC Overall Winner: Steward Baylor. Ken Hill

Two highlight shows featuring ATVs and motorcycles will be featured on MAVTV at a later date. View the full broadcast schedule.

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.

  • Facebook: @gnccracing
  • Instagram: @gncc_racing
  • Twitter: @gnccracing
  • YouTube: @racertv

Mountaineer Results and Points Standings

Beckley, West Virginia
Round 9 of 13
Sunday, September 13, 2020

GNCC

The Mountaineer - Overall Race

September 13, 2020
Summit Bechtel Reserve
Glen Jean, WV United States
Rider Time Interval Best Lap Hometown Bike
1 Steward Baylor Steward Baylor 02:49:44.398 Belton, SC United States Yamaha
2 Ben Kelley Ben Kelley 02:51:03.539 Harwinton, CT United States KTM
3 Kailub Russell Kailub Russell 02:54:58.558 Boonville, NC United States KTM
4 Grant Baylor Grant Baylor 02:56:57.678 Belton, SC United States Sherco
5 Jordan Ashburn Jordan Ashburn 02:56:57.750 Cookeville, TN United States Kawasaki
Full Results
GNCC

The Mountaineer - XC2 Pro Race

September 13, 2020
Summit Bechtel Reserve
Glen Jean, WV United States
Rider Time Interval Best Lap Hometown Bike
1 Jonathan Girroir Jonathan Girroir 02:57:25.690 Southwick, MA United States KTM
2 Liam Draper Liam Draper 02:57:39.008 Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand KTM
3 Michael Witkowski Michael Witkowski 02:57:44.758 North Liberty, IN United States Yamaha
4 Craig Delong Craig Delong 02:57:57.050 Morgantown, PA United States Husqvarna
5 Ryder Lafferty Ryder Lafferty 03:00:17.657 Millville, NJ United States Husqvarna
Full Results
GNCC

The Mountaineer - XC3 Pro-Am Race

September 13, 2020
Summit Bechtel Reserve
Glen Jean, WV United States
Rider Time Interval Best Lap Hometown Bike
1 Jason Raines Jason Raines 03:15:16.918 Travelers Rest, SC United States Yamaha
2 Zack Hayes Zack Hayes 03:15:46.099 Sumter, SC United States KTM
3 Jason Lipscomb Jason Lipscomb 03:16:27.610 Parkersburg, WV United States KTM
4 Jake Froman Jake Froman 03:17:34.999 Lynnville, IN United States Husqvarna
5 Brian Dussault Brian Dussault 02:48:28.758 Feeding Hills, MA United States Beta
Full Results
GNCC

The Mountaineer - WXC Race

September 13, 2020
Summit Bechtel Reserve
Glen Jean, WV United States
Rider Time Interval Best Lap Hometown Bike
1 Rachael Archer Rachael Archer 01:58:00.260 New Zealand New Zealand Yamaha
2 Rachel Gutish Rachel Gutish 01:59:44.219 Terre Haute, IN United States Beta
3 Becca N Sheets Becca N Sheets 02:03:47.274 Circleville, OH United States Yamaha
4 Korie Steede Korie Steede 02:06:38.779 Beloit, OH United States TM
5 Brooke Cosner Brooke Cosner 02:13:13.478 Mchenry, MD United States Sherco
Full Results

Championship standings

GNCC

Overall Standings - 2020

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Kailub Russell Kailub Russell Boonville, NC United States 295
2Josh Strang Josh Strang Inverell, Australia Australia 253
3Jordan Ashburn Jordan Ashburn Cookeville, TN United States 206
4Steward Baylor Steward Baylor Belton, SC United States 188
5Craig Delong Craig Delong Morgantown, PA United States 186
Full Standings
GNCC

XC2 Pro Standings - 2020

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Craig Delong Craig Delong Morgantown, PA United States 323
2Michael Witkowski Michael Witkowski North Liberty, IN United States 313
3Jonathan Girroir Jonathan Girroir Southwick, MA United States 280
4Cody J Barnes Cody J Barnes Sterling, IL United States 231
5Liam Draper Liam Draper Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand 208
Full Standings
GNCC

XC3 Pro-Am Standings - 2020

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Zack Hayes Zack Hayes Sumter, SC United States 346
2Jason Raines Jason Raines Travelers Rest, SC United States 280
3Michael Delosa Michael Delosa Gillett, PA United States 226
4Jason Lipscomb Jason Lipscomb Parkersburg, WV United States 220
5Jake Froman Jake Froman Lynnville, IN United States 184
Full Standings
GNCC

WXC Standings - 2020

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Becca N Sheets Becca N Sheets Circleville, OH United States 280
2Rachael Archer Rachael Archer New Zealand New Zealand 260
3Rachel Gutish Rachel Gutish Terre Haute, IN United States 219
5Tayla Jones Tayla Jones Yass, Australia Australia 186
4Brooke Cosner Brooke Cosner Mchenry, MD United States 160
Full Standings

Don’t Miss a Moto!

 

Sign up for our newsletter to get headlines, info, and scoops as soon as they break. As a bonus, you’ll be entered into our weekly giveaways too!

TGI Freeday - Newsletter Giveaway
By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy. Must be 18 years of age or older to win.
Forms on this page are protected by reCAPTCHA, its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Previous Next
Watch: MXGP of Emilia Romagna Highlights Mon Sep 14 Watch: MXGP of Emilia Romagna Highlights Darian Sanayei to Undergo Shoulder Surgery, Out for Rest of 2020 Tue Sep 15 Darian Sanayei to Undergo Shoulder Surgery, Out for Rest of 2020
Read Now
January 2026 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The January 2026 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2025 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Preferences | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
designed at: Website Design at Impulse Studios
New stories have been posted