“I don’t know, it’s just pure excitement!” he said to Racer TV. “It’s such a good feeling, we put in a lot of work in the off-season with the new team. This is just an awesome feeling. It all comes together when you’re out there riding, I was just out there flowing and the bike just felt great. Once you get into that flow it just comes so natural…I mean, I don’t even know what to say. It feels great! Once these conditions come out, I felt like I was play riding out there. I was doing no-footers for the fans! Yeah, I was just having fun.”

In muddy conditions, DeFeo’s teammate Josh Toth took second overall on his KX250. A year ago Toth became the first racer to ever win a GNCC on a 250 four-stroke, winning from the XC2 class on adjusted time. This time he beat all the bigger bikes to the line, but he couldn’t catch his young teammate.

“I didn’t know where we were at [overall], but I felt good all day,” said Toth. “The conditions are so tough on the bike, you have to be careful with the clutch. Things get hot when it gets muddy and sticky like this. I got a big stick caught in my rear wheel with two laps to go and luckily a couple of guys were able to help get it out of there. I thought my bike was done but it was just a big log in there. I know I can be up there but congrats to Nick, he whipped my butt today. We both grew up in Connecticut and I’ve known him since he was a little kid so that’s awesome to see.”

Toth and DeFeo are part of the Steward Baylor-owned Ryan Sipes-managed Kawasaki squad that picked up factory support in the off-season.

FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Angus Riordan completed the XC2 overall sweep with third. “It was a cool day today, being at the front of the field,” said the Australian. “I was looking at the pit board and I knew that we were in a decent spot because we passed a lot of the XC1 riders, but then to be P3 was awesome. My start wasn’t too bad, but on that opening lap I went down and was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ I charged hard, came through the field and am stoked to start the championship like this.”

The surge of XC2 riders left Ben Kelley fourth overall, but first in the XC1 class. It’s a nice bounce back for Kelley after several years of serious injuries. However, keep in the mind the GNCC National Championship is based on overall finishes, and not per class, so the battle for the 2025 number-one plate might feature a mix of XC1 and XC2 talent.

“The conditions today were super muddy, rutty and slippery,” said Kelley. “You needed to ride measured, not push too hard and get stuck, while not being too careful and getting caught. I was a bit cautious at the beginning and that created a long day battling the XC2 boys, but overall I am content. I had a good off-season, I’m feeling good, so I’m ready for the heat in Florida.”

The return of all-time GNCC wins and titles leader Kailub Russell, who came out of retirement after four seasons and now aboard an Am-Pro Yamaha, resulted in fifth in XC1 and 14^th overall. Also worth noting, in the rugged conditions, was Phoenix Honda’s JoJo Cunningham netting fifth overall, behind Kelley, and winning the 250 A class to snag top amateur honors.

Defending GNCC Overall Champion Jonny Girroir led the race early, but crashes relegated him to seventh in XC1 and 28^th overall.  “I had a good race going when I pulled the holeshot, but then tucked the front and flipped over the bars while leading. Not ideal, then Jordan [Ashburn] got stuck on a hill, I bumped his rear tire, and then it was me that was stuck. Just some bad luck here today, so we’ll get them at the next one.”

The GNCC Series' official press release is below.

VP Racing Big Buck: Motorcycle Race Report

UNION, S.C. – Sunday morning of the VP Racing Big Buck GNCC, round one of the Progressive Insurance Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, was met with a brief thunderstorm and rain. The decision was made to combine the 8 am and 10 am amateur races, to preserve the track as best they could. The sun appeared bright in the sky as the rain headed out of the area, and racing was underway at 10 am on Sunday, February 16.

This season opener in South Carolina was anything by ordinary. As the green flag flew for the front row, XC1 Open Pro, it was the 2024 National Champion, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir grabbing himself the $250 Landers KTM XC1 Holeshot Award. Misfortune would strike Girroir as he found himself stuck on a hill and suffering from some bad luck at the first round.

Some riders who would have luck on their side at round one was the trio of XC2 250 Pro racers, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Nick DeFeo, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Toth and FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Angus Riordan. DeFeo would start his day by claiming the $150 Landers KTM XC2 Holeshot Award, and battle at the front of his class throughout lap one before moving into the lead position. With adjusted time, DeFeo would lead the overall before physically gaining the lead position.

DeFeo would continue to push himself through the slick, muddy conditions to come away with his first career Overall and XC2 250 Pro class win at the 2025 season opener in South Carolina. His teammate, Toth, would follow and earn second overall and in the XC2 class while Riordan held onto third overall on the day and third in the XC2 class, making it the first-ever XC2 250 Pro class sweep for the top three overall positions.

After steadily making his way towards the front of the pack, FMF KTM Factory Racing Ben Kelley would carefully make his way into the XC1 Open Pro class lead with two laps remaining. Kelley would ultimately cross the line fourth overall on the day, but he would earn the XC1 Open Pro class win to start the year.

Coming through fifth and sixth overall were two, 250 A competitors, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Joseph Cunningham and Precision Off-Road/Viral Optics/Husqvarna’s Gavin Simon. Both Cunningham and Simon would push themselves through the conditions to score a top 10 overall finish position on the day.

Lyndon Snodgrass would be the second XC1 Open Pro racer to take the checkered flag, while finishing seventh overall on the day. Snodgrass had a good start to the day and would even hold the lead on the opening lap, but he would find himself in fourth for the next two laps. Snodgrass pushed his way back up and would finish second in XC1.

The defending XC2 250 Pro Class Champion, FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis would run at the front for the first part of the race before encountering some problems later in the day. Davis would finish the day fourth in class and eighth overall.

Phoenix Racing Honda teammates Cody Barnes and Michael Witkowski would round out the top 10 overall finishers on the day at Big Buck, while Barnes finished fifth in the XC2 class and Witkowski earned the last spot on the XC1 Open Pro podium in third.

Finishing just outside of the top 10 overall finishers in 11th was Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang. AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell made his return to GNCC Racing and would finish 14th overall and fifth in XC1 on the day. Bi-Con Services/Ryder Lafferty and Girroir would finish sixth and seventh in XC1. After a good start to the day, Flatrock Motorclub GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn would complete four of the five laps at round one.

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Steward Baylor would be seen pushing his bike through the facility back to his pits after completing three laps, while other top competitors like Enduro Engineering Triumph Racing’s Ricky Russell, AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper and Racecraft Racing Team’s Thad Duvall would also only be able to complete three laps at round one. Unfortunately, Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig Delong was only able to complete two laps before having mechanical issues that forced him to retire from the race early.

In the XC3 125 Pro-Am class it was James Jenkins getting the early lead after Luke Brown earned the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales Holeshot Award. Jenkins would hold the lead as they came through on the opening lap, with Brown working his way back up to second. Jenkins continued to place a gap over the rest of the XC3 class and would earn the round one win. Brown crossed the line second, while Isaiah Brown battled back to finish third in the class.

Phoenix Racing Honda’s Joseph Cunningham took home the VP Racing Big Buck GNCC Top Amateur honors on Sunday afternoon as he finished fifth overall on the day and first in the 250 A class. Gavin Simon finished sixth overall on the day, and second in the 250 A class, earning himself the second place on the Top Amateur podium. Lane Whitmer would come through 15th overall on the day and third in 250 A to take the last spot atop the Top Amateur podium.

 As the morning bike race took off it was Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer getting through the first turn to earn the $100 Landers KTM WXC Holeshot Award. Archer would continue to lead the way for the duration of the race, continuing her winning ways and taking the early points lead in defending her National Championship. Second overall in the morning race went to Colton McQuarrie in the 150 B Schoolboy (12-17) class, while third overall would go to Gary Fridley in the Super Senior A (45+) class.