The Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series will wrap up its 13-round season this weekend at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. This race usually draws racers from different series and backgrounds to try racing in the woods, from motocross racers to random industry personal racing to members of the media. Well, this weekend’s Ironman GNCC is no different. Here are a few notes ahead of this weekend’s race:
Ryan Villopoto is racing an ATV in Saturday Morning's 10 AM Race. No, not a typo!
The four-time 450SX Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion is racing a YFZ450R ATV in the Saturday’s 10 AM ATV race alongside with fellow Yamaha Ambassadors Johnny Gallagher (former GNCC ATV pro), Ryan Villopoto, and Damon Bradshaw. Here is what Yamaha said in a pre-race press release:
"The Ironman GNCC promises an action-packed weekend with a range of exciting activities and giveaways hosted by Yamaha, where they will also be showcasing the all-new YZ250FX. In addition to media guests, who will be participating in both days of racing, Yamaha Ambassadors Johnny Gallagher, Ryan Villopoto, and Damon Bradshaw will be attending the season finale. The trio will be throwing their legs over the industry-leading YFZ450R and will be part of a team race with media and Yamaha Staff during Saturday’s ATV 10 am race start. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the GNCC season finale is the Race for the Cure, with YMUS donating $50 for each Yamaha win and $50 for each Yamaha championship."
This is the ATV Villopoto and Bradshaw will be racing:
Villopoto Racing a YZ250FX Sunday Morning
RV better not get too blistered or tired on that ATV, because he's supposed to turn around and race a motorcycle on Sunday morning, as well. But he will have some competition....
Marvin Musquin Racing a KTM 350 on Sunday Morning
Marvin Musquin is set to race the 2025 KTM 350 XC-F Factory Edition in Sunday's 10 AM morning race.
Phil Nicoletti is Racing a Husqvarna in Sunday Morning's 10 AM Race
Despite being retired, “Filthy” Phil Nicoletti will race (and let’s be honest, probably ride) a dirt bike for the first time since the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, in late September.
Nicoletti said the following in an UnPhiltered column answering fan questions last week:
“The ambition to ride right now is low. Really low. But that’s everyone that went through the meat grinder since basically November 1 of last year. But like anything, over time that feeling will come back. Coors Lights and Dirt bikes soon enough. Until then, it’s just Coors.”
It appears we are back on the Coors Light AND dirt bikes program! (Just not together, of course). Phil is racing a Husqvarna in the AM industry morning race on Sunday and will surely make it interesting in his return to racing! I hope someone gets a clip of him struggling somewhere and we hear him yell, “It’s mental!”
(On that note, we're planning to get you guys a video vlog of Phil's weekend, so be ready for that.)
Oh, and on Monday night’s PulpMX Show, Nicoletti was trying to get Jeremy Martin to show up for GNCC on his brother Alex Martin’s GasGas MC 350! Sounds like J-Mart politely declined the offer. We are sure Phil talked some smack about J-Mart in a group chat somewhere. Could it work to get J-Mart off the couch and into the races?
To anyone that sees Nicoletti out on the course, give him a big ol' middle finger for us!
![Phil probably pre-race.]()
Phil probably pre-race. Nick Powers ![Phil probably after clipping approximately 75 trees.]()
Phil probably after clipping approximately 75 trees. Nick Powers
Justin Starling is Racer X’s Yamaha Test Rider
Justin Starling is set to race with the Kevin Moranz Racing program in 2025 but this weekend we've convince the supercross privateer to be our Racer X test rider. Starling will race the new 2025 Yamaha YZ250FX (basically the woods version of the updated ’24 YZ250F). Stay tuned for photos, videos, and a review of the BluCru machine from Starling, who has raced the Ironman GNCC before.
And our guy Cameron Cotter will also be racing his Kawasaki KX250F as well. Good luck to our Racer X Factory Racing crew!
To tune into the pro ATV and pro bike races, head to RacerTV.com. As for the industry classes, well, stay tuned right here and we'll have plenty of coverage.
- GNCC
- Pro ATVsLiveOctober 26 - 6:00 PM UTC
- Pro BikesLiveOctober 27 - 5:00 PM UTC
Main image courtesy of Monster Energy
