GNCC: Youngest ever winner Grant Davis puts XC2 on top at Buckwheat 100
XC2 Pro 250 rider grant Davis on top of the box, Ben Kelley returns to racing, top seven riders inside one minute…GNCC Racing came out kicking after the summer break at the Buckwheat 100.
Never before in history and then twice in one season? What is going on in GNCC when the XC2 250 boys are beating the XC1 450s? After Josh Toth claimed a bit of history at the General GNCC by becoming the first rider ever to claim the overall from the second row, Grant Davis has followed suit at the 2024 Buckwheat 100 by fending off the current points leader Johnny Girroir by just two seconds. In his favour, Davis can claim to be the youngest OA winner.
In fact, it was a dogfight with the six lap race in Newburg for round 10 of the season coming right to the wire. Holeshot winner and early leader Liam Draper was under 10 seconds further back for third overall but the top seven, including Jordan Ashburn, Ben Kelley, Steward Baylor and Angus Riordan.
For Davis it was historic moment on his route towards the XC2 title: “Today was a good one! I got a good start and just kept picking my way through the pack from there. I got behind Gus and he made a mistake, but honestly, I was having trouble staying off the ground out there as well!
“I kept getting pit boards telling me about the overall, that I was beating Johnny – I can’t believe this happened and we got an overall. I was just sending it that last lap and we were able to get it done.”
Davis now sits 42 points clear of teammate Riordan in the XC2 Pro 250 title chase.
Girroir edging towards the title
Girroir made the pass for the lead on lap two, and continued to hold that spot for the duration of the race to come through the finish line physically first. But Davis came through the eventual winner on adjusted time to clinch the overall win by two seconds.
“I guess I just had to go two seconds faster today!” Said Girroir at the finish. “It was a good race, really slick out there and hard to push, but I knew that we had to go for the overall. I pushed the last lap, but Grant just pushed a little harder and I’m happy for him.
“I’m stoked to win the class, although not to miss out on the overall – I won’t let that happen again! The XC2 guys were ripping today. I feel awesome going into the rest of the season, so we'll keep pushing and putting our best foot forward each weekend.”
Notable absentee during 2024, Ben Kelley returned to GNCC action after the summer break and showed few signs of his long injury lay-off affecting his fitness with P4 and almost taking an XC1 Pro podium.
“It’s a good feeling to be back out here racing again.” Says Kelley. “The result was positive today. I haven’t lined up in a long time, so to come out with a top-five was solid and we will keep building into the final few rounds.”
2024 Buckwheat GNCC results:
Slower off the line and down in P10, Steward Baylor will look at the early laps as being his downfall in challenging for a better final position than fifth overall. The championship is not dead and buried but with Girroir on 262 points now and Stew on 209, it looks like being yet another year where an FMF KTM rider takes the crown ahead of the big man.
In all fairness that is has been largely down to Girroir’s form and fitness across the season. Four wins, never off the podium, Johnny G is looking odds on for the title with three rounds remaining.
Overall 2024 GNCC championship points with 3 rounds remaining:
Third WXC win of 2024 for Richards
Brandy Richards took another race victory in the morning, clocking in just 10 seconds ahead of Women’s XC leader Rachel Archer.
The FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers’ rider picked up her third WXC victory of the season and sits third in the standings, a point outside of Korie Steeded in P2 (P3 in WXC at Buckwheat).
“I led the first lap and then I went down pretty hard on Lap 2,” says Richards. “But I tried to stay smooth after I got back up, and it was a battle the whole race! It was slick out there and it was a great race, so I'm stoked to be up here, and to get another win.”
AM race results:
Photo Credit: Mack Faint + Ken Hill
