"I’m not too happy about that late race fall, but I’m still proud of how my day went overall and to wind up on the podium again,” said Davis. “We’ve got a few things to work on, but to be on the podium with these XC1 riders is amazing – I’ve been looking up to them since I was a kid.”

“I made a wrong call on my bike choice,” said Davis. “I have to get better in the rocks. Ben gave it to me today, he killed it but I’m glad for second overall and still staying there in points. I know I’m good in the rocks but I need to get my suspension better in the rocks, struggling with my front end a little bit. But I know where I get that I’ll be up there.”

Kelley and Davis are also 1-2 in the overall GNCC standings. Davis is bidding to become the first rider to ever win the GNCC Overall National Championship while racing in the XC2 class. Veterans of the XC1 class like Kailub Russell and Ricky Russell have noticed. For both Russells, who are not related, their battle for third and fourth overall was key because it represented a big improvement from previous races. Kailub Russell, the eight-time GNCC Champion who is returning to action after retiring in 2020, won that battle to take third overall.

“It was kind of chaotic there for a little bit,” said Kailub Russell, of Am-Pro Yamaha. “I got kind of gobbled up there on the start, it was super slick and I was sliding around there in the field. It was honestly kind of a blur. I know Ben was right next to me, I knew he started his bike early and I knew that was going to cost him [a penalty]. I just got super tight again. The first two laps, I couldn’t really… Grant Baylor kind of got us separated from the top three or four. Once I got him,  then Ricky Russell got around me and we kind of yo-yoed there a little bit. It was just an average day for me. I feel like I wasn’t really that great I wasn’t really that bad, I was just kind of in it. The team has been working really hard. It was a complete 360 from Camp Coker. I was much more comfortable. Man I had a real hard time putting the whole track together. I was good in parts and not so good in other parts. You’ve got to be good everywhere. Freaking Grant [Davis] just gobbles us up and gets right to us early. It’s pretty impressive! Hats off to him. He’s going fast.”

Ricky Russell recently switched to an Enduro Engineering Triumph 450, and he’s adjusting quickly to the new bike.

“I hate hearing that, just off the overall podium, because I had it with just a few miles to go, but a lapper screwed me and Kailub snuck by me for third overall,” said Ricky Russell. “Bummed on that but it was a huge improvement from where I’ve been, so I’ve got to take the positives. I haven’t been that close to the podium for awhile. This track was epic conditions, little bit of dust, little bit of mud, little bit of everything, and this thing was just a tractor. Just gripping it and ripping it. Kind of like BK [Ben Kelley] I had a bad start and we just kept moving forward, moving forward. I battled for the podium so I’ve very happy with how it’s working. We gotta keep that dang Grant Davis behind us! He’s been killing it in XC2, he catches us so quick, so then he gets us on adjusted time. So I need to be faster earlier and get better starts.”

The full GNCC press release is below.

The Specialized Old Gray: Motorcycle Race Report
Ben Kelley Takes the Tennessee Overall Win 

The second day of racing at The Specialized Old Gray, round five of the 2025 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, saw exceptional weather as sunshine filled the sky and temperatures were perfect for a day of racing. 

As the afternoon race got underway and the XC1 Open Pro class took off it would be Flatrock Motorclub GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn earning the $250 Landers KTM XC1 Holeshot Award. As the pack of riders headed into the woods, the next three hours would be full of intense battles and great racing.

After a 15 second penalty FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would put together a strong performance as he fought his way to the front of the pack. Kelley steadily moved his way up, making the necessary passes to take over the lead on lap four, and hold that position until the checkered flag flew. Kelley would capture his third XC1 win of the season, and second-straight overall win in Tennessee. 

FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ defending XC2 250 Pro Champion Grant Davis continued to battle at the front once again as he held the lead on adjusted time for the majority of the race. However, after a crash later in the race Davis would cross the finish line to take second overall on the day, and the XC2 class win.

After starting inside the top five, AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell would continue to push forward throughout the race. Russell would find himself running second at the halfway point, but he would ultimately be unable to run down Kelley to battle for the overall win. Russell would come through to finish second in XC1 and third overall on the day.

Enduro Engineering Triumph Racing’s Ricky Russell would put his Triumph motorcycle on the podium for this first time at round five in Tennessee. Russell made a statement as he battled back from an eighth place start to finish third in XC1 and fourth overall on the day.

Rounding out the top five overall finishers was XC2 250 Pro competitor, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes. Barnes would face a battle back-and-forth for the majority of the race, but he would prevail on the last lap earning fifth overall and second in XC2. 

Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig Delong put in a solid ride at round five as he finished fourth in XC1 and sixth overall on the day. Delong would start inside the top 10 and gradually make his way closer towards the front of the group. Rounding out the top five XC1 Open Pro finishers was AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper. As Draper got his momentum rolling in Tennessee, the New Zealander would cross the finish line fifth in his class and seventh overall on the day. 

Holding onto the sixth place position in the XC1 Open Pro class was Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang. At one point Strang would find himself battling back from tenth place in the class, but as he found his flow through the technical course, he would regain the positions he once lost, earning him eighth overall on the day. 

Coming through to take third in the XC2 250 Pro class was FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Angus Riordan. After feeling a bit under the weather earlier in the week, Riordan went out and gave it everything he had at round five. Riordan would push himself all the way to the end of the race where he salvaged a third in class and ninth overall on the day. Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Nicholas Defeo would come through to round out the top 10 overall finishers and fourth in the XC2 class after battling inside the top five XC2 competitors for the greater part of the race.

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor returned to racing after a pre-season injury left him sidelined for the first part of the season. G. Baylor would finish seventh in XC1, while brother and teammate, Steward Baylor would have a good start and lead the first couple laps of the race until a radiator issue came into play, and he had to make an unexpected longer pit stop. S. Baylor would finish eighth in XC1 and 12th overall on the day. Defending Champion FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir would be sidelined after his fall at the previous round.

As the XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off it was Marionville Powersports/Hinson/Fly Racing’s James Jenkins earning the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales XC3 Holeshot Award to start out the day and taking the early lead in the race. Jenkins would hold the lead for the first two laps of the race, but Bonecutter Off-Road/GASGAS-backed racer, Jonathan Johnson was ready to strike and did so on lap three of the race.

Johnson would hold the lead for the rest of the race, crossing the line to take the class win, followed by James Jenkins taking second. Marionville Powersports/XC Gear/Moose Racing’s Huck Jenkins would battle back-and-forth to maintain the last podium spot, which he did as he crossed the line third in XC3.

The Top Amateur podium would be a 250 A class sweep at The Specialized Old Gray GNCC as Joseph Cunningham took the class win and finished 14th overall on the day, while Gavin Simon came through second in class and earned 16th overall. Chase Landers would round out the class podium with a third in 250 A and a 17th overall finishing position.

As the morning race took off, the WXC class would rocket to the first turn with Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Korie Steede grabbing herself the $100 Landers KTM WXC Holeshot Award. Steede would lead the women into the woods and throughout the duration of the race. However, Steede would not have an easy race as both Phoenix Honda Racing’s Tayla Jones and Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer would apply the pressure throughout the race.