Main image by Mack Faint
The 2023 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series had quite a wild, fun year of racing. Kicking off the season in South Carolina in mid-February, the 12-round series saw nine rounds completed before the traditional summer break from July to mid-September. The long season (nine months total) is a marathon not a sprint, just as the races themselves are at three hours long. But the gaps at the finish line are typically closer than you would expect after three grueling hours. Strategies come into play when it comes to race pace and when to push vs when to settle into a pace, what lines to take, and even when to take a pitstop. And through the first seven rounds, there were several different overall winners! Entering the year, the most different winners to start off a season was five different winners in the first five rounds and the most total different winners in one season was also five. But by the time Ricky Towery waved the checkered flag on the season finale, we saw our eighth and final different overall winner claim a checkered flag first this year. Aboard his Kawasaki KX450, Josh Strang claimed the overall win at Ironman Raceway, a historic win for the long-time veteran.
Digging into the all-time overall wins list, Kailub Russell’s record of 67 overall wins seems to be untouchable, similar to Jeremy McGrath’s 72 all-time AMA Supercross premier class wins. At the end of the 2019 season we ran a list of KR557’s overall wins (60 at the time), but he did claim seven more wins in his final season in 2020—as well as his eighth and final Grand National title. Scott Summers finished his career with 46 overall wins (currently second all-time), followed by Rodney Smith’s 33 and Ed Lojak’s 26. Next up is a tied between Fred Andrews and Strang at 25 apiece following Strang’s win at the Ironman GNCC finale, while actually racing under Andrews’ direction. The Australian native became only the sixth different ride to eclipse the 25-win mark, as Charlie Mullins sits one spot back on the all-time wins list with 22, ahead of Scott Plessinger (21), and Barry Hawk Jr. and Paul Whibley (19 each).
1981 Blackwater 100 - Ed Lojak GNCC Archives Charlie Mullins in 2011 GNCC Archives Josh Strang years ago. GNCC Archives Josh Strang racing the 2011 Unadilla National! Andrew Fredrickson Rodney Smith Jason Weigandt David Knight in New York. Jason Weigandt Shane Watts Jason Weigandt Young Buck The Weege GNCC Archives Scott Plessinger GNCC Archives Scott Summers GNCC Archives Kailub Russell at the 2020 Wild Boar GNCC in Florida. Mitch Kendra
There are eight currently nine riders with at least one overall win to their name: Strang, Steward Baylor Jr. (18), Thad Duvall (14), Ben Kelley (13), Ricky Russell (4), Craig Delong (3), Jordan Ashburn (3), Grant Baylor (3), and Johnny Girroir (1). These active riders are noted with a * below.
Note: Stats as of November 9, 2023
* = Active Rider
All-Time GNCC Bike Overall Wins List
Pos. | Name | No. of Overalls |
1 | Kailub Russell | 67 |
2 | Scott Summers | 46 |
3 | Rodney Smith | 33 |
4 | Ed Lojak | 26 |
5 | Fred Andrews | 25 |
6 | Joshua Strang* | 25 |
7 | Charles Mullins | 22 |
8 | Scott Plessinger | 21 |
9 | Barry Hawk, Jr | 19 |
10 | Paul Whibley | 19 |
11 | Steward Baylor* | 18 |
12 | Shane Watts | 17 |
13 | Juha Salminen | 17 |
14 | David Knight | 15 |
15 | Thaddeus Duvall* | 14 |
16 | Benjamin Kelley* | 13 |
17 | Mark Hyde | 9 |
18 | Steve Hatch | 8 |
19 | Jason Raines | 8 |
20 | Kevin LaVoie | 5 |
21 | Nathan Kanney | 5 |
22 | Sammy Bosnic | 5 |
23 | Chuck Woodford | 4 |
24 | Duane Conner | 4 |
25 | Jan Hrehor | 4 |
26 | Paul Edmondson | 4 |
27 | Ricky Russell* | 4 |
28 | Kevin Hines | 3 |
29 | Stanley Lojak | 3 |
30 | Terry Cunningham | 3 |
31 | Grant Baylor* | 3 |
32 | Jordan Ashburn* | 3 |
33 | Craig Delong* | 3 |
34 | Aaron Hough | 2 |
35 | Doug Blackwell | 2 |
36 | Jeff Russell | 2 |
37 | Jimmy Jarrett | 2 |
38 | Kevin Brown | 2 |
39 | Michael Lafferty | 2 |
40 | Rory Mead | 2 |
41 | Steve Martin | 1 |
42 | Brian Keegan | 1 |
43 | Denny Swartz | 1 |
44 | Doug Henry | 1 |
45 | Frank Gallo | 1 |
46 | Gary Roach | 1 |
47 | Guy Cooper | 1 |
48 | Jack Penton | 1 |
49 | Jeff Fredette | 1 |
50 | John Ayers | 1 |
51 | Mike Melton | 1 |
52 | Paul Lemon | 1 |
53 | Tim Coombs | 1 |
54 | Tim Shephard | 1 |
55 | Tommy Norton | 1 |
56 | Tony Hendon | 1 |
57 | Ty Davis | 1 |
58 | Cory Buttrick | 1 |
59 | Christopher Bach | 1 |
60 | Ryan Sipes | 1 |
61 | Jonathan Girroir* | 1 |
Current Rider Photos from 2023
And speaking of untouchable records, Lojaks’ all-time record of nine total titles might not get topped. Kailub Russell tapped out with an incredible eight titles, but Summers and Smith are the only other riders to earn over three titles, with five apiece. Delong joins Strang, Kelley, and Ashburn as the only active riders with a title (all one each). Check out the full all-time list below.
All-Time GNCC Bike Championship List
Pos. | Name | Titles | State |
1 | Ed Lojak | 9 | PA |
2 | Kailub Russell | 8 | OH |
3 | Scott Summers | 5 | KY |
4 | Rodney Smith | 5 | CA |
5 | Scott Plessinger | 2 | OH |
6 | Juha Salminen | 2 | FIN |
7 | David Knight | 2 | GB |
8 | Paul Whibley | 2 | NZ |
9 | Jim Maltba | 1 | WV |
10 | Fred Andrews | 1 | OH |
11 | Shane Watts | 1 | AUS |
12 | Barry Hawk, Jr. | 1 | PA |
13 | Josh Strang* | 1 | AUS |
14 | Charlie Mullins | 1 | OH |
15 | Ben Kelley* | 1 | CT |
16 | Jordan Ashburn* | 1 | TN |
17 | Craig Delong* | 1 | PA |