Main image: Ricky Russell, Liam Draper, and Rachael Archer, photo by Ken Hill.

While a lot of eyes will be on the Oakland Supercross round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing will also be in action as the 2023 season kicks off this weekend. A 12-round schedule (11 micro races and 9 eMTB races) for the 2023 season will start this weekend and again have a planned break after the Snowshoe GNCC June 22 and 23. “Summer break” will give the riders a few months off before the return of racing at The Mountaineer GNCC September 14 and 15, and the Ironman GNCC finale will be the final event of the season October 21 and 22.

The GNCC Racing season opener Big Buck GNCC takes place in Union, South Carolina, February 18 and 19. The Big Buck GNCC will have both Saturday’s pro ATVs (1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST) and Sunday’s pro bikes (1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST) broadcasted live by the RacerTV crew.

Check out the 2023 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing souvenir program below.

2022 Standings

2023 Season Preview

There were a lot of moving parts this off-season so we will provide a refresher on everything so you are up to date ahead of the opening round.

The Defending Champs

XC1

Jordan Ashburn (Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna) picked up his maiden overall win en route to clinching the 2023 GNCC National Championship. Ashburn clinched the title early, and then missed the Ironman GNCC last fall due to a hand injury. He will return to the Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna for a third consecutive season in 2023 and he will have a big #1 on his Husqvarna starting this weekend. The Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna team will compete aboard the old school “Heritage” modeled bikes (all-white plastics with gold rims) in 2023.

XC2

Lyndon Snodgrass (Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green) will return to the green squad for another year after the Austrailian claimed the 2022 XC2 title after picking up four XC2 (250cc) wins throughout the year. Snodgrass with be at the opener with a green #1 on his Kawasaki.

XC3

Brody Johnson, the 2022 XC3 Champion, is returning to the Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna team in 2023, although he will make the jump to the 250cc machine and XC2 Class. Johnson will be #235 again this season.

WXC

New Zealand's Rachael Archer joined the AmPro Racing Yamaha team prior to the 2019 season and has become a race winner and championship contender in the recent few years. The #650 became a #1 in 2022 as Archer earned her maiden XWC GNCC title. Archer is back with the factory Yamaha squad for 2023, where she will run a big blue #1 in the first row.

BK is Back

Ben Kelley (FMF KTM Factory Racing) had quite the impressive start to the 2022 season, starting six-for-six on overall wins at the opening six GNCC events of the year. However, things took a turn for the worse at the Lead Belt National Enduro in Missouri when BK530 suffered a big crash and he suffered a compound fracture to tibia/fibula to his leg as it got crushed against a tree. He underwent surgery on his leg after the crash but was hoping to return to racing before the season ended, but in September, posted he would not be able to race any more events in 2022 as he continued to recover. He underwent surgery to get his dislocated shoulder fixed with hopes of coming out swinging fully healthy in 2023.

While sidelined in July, Kelley also re-signed with FMF KTM Factory Racing. The new deal will keep him with the squad through the 2025 season.

Zacho is Down

In December, the off-road racing scene got shocking news as AmPro Racing Yamaha announced Zach Osborne would be competing in the XC2 class in 2023. The 2020 450 Class AMA Pro Motocross Champion was set to race his #116 YZ250FX until a crash earlier this month resulted in a broken elbow. Bummer for Osborne and the AmPro squad as we know both sides were really excited to have Zacho on the team and back on the GNCC/off-road scene. While he will be sidelined indefinitely, his deal is a two-year contract.

Other Team and Rider News/Switches

• Ricky Russell (XC1) returned to the AmPro Racing Yamaha team he raced for a few years ago.
• Steward Baylor Jr. (XC1) moved from AmPro Racing Yamaha to the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC/Tely Energy KTM squad. Stu raced for Tely Energy KTM for years and is returning to familiar equipment and relationships.
• Thad Duvall (XC1) moved from Husqvarna to Coastal GasGas Factory Racing.
• Johnny Girroir (XC1) moved from Coastal GasGas Factory Racing to FMF KTM Factory Racing and moves full-time to the premier class.
• Craig Delong (XC1) and Trevor Bollinger (XC1) are both returning to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna.
• Josh Strang (XC1) is returning to the Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green team but will be #17 in 2023, as opposed to his #114 he was the last few years.
• Grant Baylor (XC1) moved from GasGas to Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green.

• Layne Michael (XC1) moved from AmPro Racing Yamaha to GasGas.
• Josh Toth (XC1) and Mackenzie Tricker (WXC) will be competing for the Enduro Engineering/GasGas team.
• Liam Draper (XC2) went from Tely Energy KTM to the AmPro Racing Yamaha team.
• Mike Witkowski (XC2) went from Yamaha to the Phoenix Racing Honda team.
• Cody Barnes (XC2) and Ruy Barbosa (XC2) are both returning to Phoenix Racing Honda.
• Ryder Lafferty (XC2) is returning to Coastal GasGas Factory Racing for a second consecutive year.
• Jonathan Johnson (XC2) is returning to the Liqui Moly Beta Racing GasGas team and will be joined by Evan Smith and Jason Lipscomb both on 250cc bikes.
• 2022 GNCC 250A National Champion Grant Davis moved from Team Green Kawasaki to Trail Jesters KTM Racing and will compete in XC2 in 2023.
• Tayla Jones (WXC) had a huge crash in early January that will keep her sidelined for the immediate future.
• Korie Steede (WXC) is returning to Trail Jesters KTM Racing.
• Prestin Raines (WXC) is returning to the Raines Riding University Team.
• Joseph Cunningham (250 A race winner) is sidelined for the time being with a knee/lower leg injury.

General GNCC Racing information:

GNCC Live Timing 

2023 GNCC Numbers

Get tickets to a GNCC event

Follow on Social Media:

Grand National Cross Country Series

Twitter—@gnccracing
Instagram—@gncc_racing
Facebook—@gnccracing
YouTube—RacerTV

Racer X

Twitter — @racerxonline
Instagram — @racerxonline
Facebook — @racerxonline
YouTube — Racer X Motocross & Supercross News