This Week in Powersports Racing – The week of February 19, 2023

News and stories about powersports racing this week.

Tomac Wins Oakland Supercross by Less Than One Second

Jett Lawrence Calm, Cool, and Fast for the 250SX Class Victory in Oakland

Tomac’s 48^th 450SX Class win ties him with Ricky Carmichael for third all-time

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac took the checkered flag with a thrilling final lap defense inside RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California for the re-scheduled Round 2 of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.

The Monster Energy AMA Supercross season lit up the Oakland sky for the 15^th year of racing. RingCentral Coliseum delivered incredible action to the Northern California race fans.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

After a last-lap blitz Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb finished less than one second behind Tomac in the event that also pays points toward the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took the final podium spot after leading much of the race as the 17-round season puts six races in the books for 2023. The rescheduled race brought the Western Regional 250SX Class riders back into action and Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence used patience to get the win in a dramatic race.

Tomac wasn’t flawless but he was fast. He took his 48^th career Supercross win and stretched his points lead to seven after six races. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Chase Sexton grabbed the Holeshot in the 450SX Class Main Event with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christian Craig, Tomac, Webb, and Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger following. Webb wasted no time getting into second with Tomac right behind and Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen jumping into fourth. As the top three began to distance themselves from the pack, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson took over fourth place. Five minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Sexton held a 2.2 second lead over Tomac, who’d gapped Webb by four seconds.

The front three ran that formation for several laps. Behind them Plessinger put his KTM into fourth place and Roczen, Anderson, and Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia scrapped for fifth. Up front, Sexton slowly stretched out his lead past five seconds. A near-crash may have gotten into Sexton’s head and led to an actual crash; with just over six and a half minutes left on the race clock he slipped sideways off a small single and crashed into a corner marker. Tomac took over the lead while Sexton remounted in second place.

But Sexton’s troubles weren’t over. Webb was on the move, and with 48 seconds left on the race clock Webb used a unique line down the track’s final rhythm section to get past Sexton. When the riders took the white flag, Webb was 4.3 seconds behind Tomac.

Then it was Tomac’s turn to make an unforced error. On the final lap he landed awkwardly into the face of a small jump, got off-balance, and veered off the track. Tomac recovered but looked off-time for the final lap while Webb laid down a fierce charge. Webb had his fast line in the rhythm section that Tomac wasn’t doing, and as the two riders approached the final turn Webb’s faster line came up just short giving him the pass. Tomac took the win less than a second ahead of Webb. Tomac’s win was his 48^th Supercross victory, putting him into a tie for third-most all-time wins with Ricky Carmichael, who called the race from the announcer’s booth.

Jett Lawrence was smooth, patient, and fast on the challenging Oakland track. His dominant win extended his points lead to 20 just four races into the Western Regional 250SX Class season.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

In the Western Regional 250SX Class Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire grabbed the Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo, Jett Lawrence, BarX Suzuki’s Matt Moss, and Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes. The top three put down fast times and without battling each other pulled a gap on the rest of the field. Two minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap race only two seconds separated the top three. When McAdoo dropped his front end in the whoops Lawrence capitalized on the mistake. The Honda rider took over second place and set his sights on Hampshire 2.6 further up the track.

Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Pierce Brown had pushed forward from a bad start and soon was on McAdoo’s rear wheel. Five minutes into the race Hampshire had extended his lead to 3.2 seconds while Lawrence, McAdoo, and Brown were clumped together in a battle for second. Then Hampshire lost the front end in a tight corner and gave up his advantage. He remounted as the pack of three was on him and pushed into the third place spot immediately.

From there Lawrence gradually pulled clear of the three racers behind him. A battle heated up directly behind that pack for fifth place between Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen, and Lopes. Hampshire reached second as Brown attacked McAdoo for third. Brown took the spot, but a mistake allowed McAdoo to block pass his way back by, taking Brown down in the process. Brown remounted right into a battle with Levi Kitchen for fourth.

Jett Lawrence had pulled more than a 15 second lead at the end of the race. He grabbed his third win in only four rounds of the division’s season. Hampshire landed the second place spot, and McAdoo took third. It’s worth noting both Hampshire and McAdoo are recovering from injuries and look to have more for Lawrence when the Western Regional 250SX Class resumes on March 25th.

The race series moves east next Saturday night, February 25^th, to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the second Triple Crown format race of the year. The event pits the racers against one another in three separate Main Events to determine the night’s overall finishing order. The Texas race reactivates the Eastern Regional 250SX Class racers as well as hosts another SX Futures race of young talents competing to earn their pro racing license.

Like every 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross the event also pays points toward the brand-new SuperMotocross World Championship. The new series encompasses the Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons as well as two Playoff races leading to a Final. The 450 Class champion earns a $1,000,000 payout and the 250 Class champion pockets $500,000.

All 31 rounds of the premier off-road motorcycle series stream live on Peacock with select rounds broadcast domestically on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. Tickets are on sale now for the eleven remaining 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross events, 11 Pro Motocross races, and two SuperMotocross Playoffs and Final. For the full race schedule as well as highlight videos, race results, and more, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

450SX Class podium (riders left to right) Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, and Chase Sexton.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

450SX Class Results

Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., Kawasaki
Colt Nichols, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Justin Cooper, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha

450SX Class Championship Standings

Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (139)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (132)
Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (132)
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (111)
Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (104)
Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (104)
Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (97)
Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., Kawasaki (82)
Colt Nichols, Murrieta, Calif., Honda (75)
Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (75)

250SX Class podium (riders left to right) RJ Hampshire, Jett Lawrence, and Cameron McAdoo.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Western Regional 250SX Class Results

Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda
RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki
Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha
Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS
Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM
Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda
Cole Thompson, Brigden, ON, Yamaha
Mitchell Harrison, Leesburg, Fla., GASGAS

Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (101)
RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (81)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (80)
Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (69)
Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha (63)
Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (63)
Stilez Robertson, Bakersfield, Calif., Yamaha (52)
Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (52)
Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (51)
Dylan Walsh, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki (49)

COOPER WEBB AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING CHARGE TO OAKLAND 450SX PODIUM

OAKLAND, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb has moved into second position in the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship standings after a hard-fought second-place performance in Oakland, as 450SX team-mate Aaron Plessinger was once again strong on his way to P4. In the 250SX West division, Maximus Vohland put in a consistent performance at his home race to claim seventh.

Webb put his fifth-place qualifying time aboard the 2023 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to good use by launching to the front of his Heat race. After absorbing pressure for the first half of the race, a small error in the whoops saw him drop two positions, before he regrouped to finish third.

An equally impressive start to the Main Event saw the two-time 450SX champion jump into P2 through the first turn, before he lost a position soon afterward. Webb turned the heat up on the closing laps to reclaim second, and closed the gap on the leader to within one second as they crossed the finish-line.

Cooper Webb: “After last weekend, I just had the belief back and it was important to have that momentum, so tonight’s second-place result was good. At the beginning of the Main Event, I felt like I lacked the pace and couldn’t catch the two guys out front, but I stuck to my laps and began feeling really good at the end when I found some great lines and the track came to me late in the race. A mistake from the leader on the last lap meant we got close to another win, but I pushed hard tonight and I’m proud of that.”

Despite an 11th pick of the starting gate following qualifying, Plessinger and his 2023 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION charged to a fourth-place result in the Heat race, after running as high as second in the opening laps.

Plessinger was fourth off the start of the Main Event, but moved back to sixth at the end of the opening lap. From there, he steadily worked his way forward, moving into fourth position on lap nine and holding that position to the checkered flag. That result sees him ranked fifth in points.

Aaron Plessinger: “The day started a little rough as I wasn’t gelling with the track, but we made some changes for the Heat race and I finished fourth. The team came together and made another adjustment I really wanted to make, and I got a really good start in the Main Event. I kept it steady and made a few passes, but then caught up to a few lapped riders and rode a fairly quiet rest of the race. I’ve been pretty consistent with a fourth, a third and a fourth over the past three weekends, and I’m happy with that, so we look forward to the next one!”

Oakland saw the 250SX Western Regional series resume, with Vohland ending qualifying in 12th position. A near-perfect jump off the gate saw Vohland and his 2023 KTM 250 SX-F lead the opening laps on his way to a solid runner-up result.

After rounding the first turn of the Main Event in sixth, Vohland made a quick pass for fifth on the first lap, but lost a couple of positions midway through the race. As the track became more technical, he opted for a safe approach and was rewarded with a seventh at what was his home round on the schedule. He’s now P8 in the championship standings.

Maximus Vohland: “I started the night with a holeshot in my Heat race, led some laps and had a good battle before finishing a solid second. In the Main Event I got off to a top-five start, but I just struggled in the whoops and I couldn’t get comfortable or settle into a rhythm, so I dropped a couple of positions. I have four weeks to work on some weaknesses and try to improve before Seattle.”

Next Race: February 25 – Arlington, Texas

Results 450SX Class – Oakland
1. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha, 19 laps
2. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM, +0.881
3. Chase Sexton (USA), Honda, +13.251
4. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, +17.136
OTHER KTM
13. Josh Hill (USA), KTM
14. Justin Hill (USA), KTM
20. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM

Standings 450SX Class 2023 after 6 of 17 rounds
1. Eli Tomac, 139 points
2. Cooper Webb, 132
3. Chase Sexton, 132
OTHER KTM
5. Aaron Plessinger, 104
14. Justin Hill, 49
17. Josh Hill, 24
18. Kevin Moranz, 21
26. Marvin Musquin, 11

Results 250SX West Class – Oakland
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 15 laps
2. RJ Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, +16.160
3. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki, +22.128
OTHER KTM
7. Maximus Vohland (USA), KTM
21. Derek Kelley (USA), KTM

Standings 250SX West Class 2023 after 4 of 9 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 101 points
2. RJ Hampshire, 81
3. Cameron McAdoo, 80
OTHER KTM
8. Maximus Vohland, 52
12. Derek Kelley, 45
17. Joshua Varize, 13
26. Hunter Cross, 4
28. Max Miller, 3

ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S RJ HAMPSHIRE TOUGHS OUT RUNNER-UP FINISH IN OAKLAND

This week the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team headed to Oakland, California for a rare make-up date in the AMA Supercross Championship, following the postponement of original date due to extreme flooding in the Bay Area.

250SX

During his most recent event, RJ Hampshire had won a main event at the Anaheim 2 Triple Crown before a hard crash in the second main left him rather battered. With the two rounds prior to Oakland switching to the East Coast SX Series, it provided RJ with time to heal up, though time aboard his FC 250 was extremely limited. But as usual, his toughness was on display as he came back to score a heat race win, followed by a holeshot when the gate dropped for the main event. Unfortunately, a slow-speed crash in Oakland left him in second spot, which is where he finished.

“The day started off decent. I qualified second again, won my heat race, and I executed my start perfectly in the main event,” Hampshire said. “I led a few laps but made a mistake and lost the front wheel in a corner. Then I just battled and did all I could to survive the last few laps because I was hurting pretty bad there at the end. But I’m stoked for the whole team, and glad I could make it happen this weekend and somehow could pull something off by putting my Rockstar Husqvarna back on the box. I’m looking forward to a few weeks off and I’ll be ready in Seattle.”

450SX

Christian Craig turned in his season-best results aboard his FC 450 Rockstar Edition, with a strong seventh-place finish. The finish also moves Christian into the top ten overall in the 450 standings.

“In the heat race, I was a little tight and rode a little tentative, but I fixed those mistakes in the main. I got off to a better start and was in the mix, finally,” Craig said. “I had good battles with some of the guys and was seventh for most of the main. It’s something to build on, and I’ve got some positive to take away and on to Arlington next week.”

Next Event (Round 7): February 25, 2023 – AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

Round 2 (Make-Up Event) Results: Oakland

250SX West – Main Event

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)

2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna

3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki)

450SX – Main Event

1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)

2. Cooper Webb (KTM)

3. Chase Sexton (Honda)

…

7. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250SX West Rider Point Standings

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 101 points

2. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) – 81 points

3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) – 80 points

450SX Rider Point Standings

1. Eli Tomac – 139 points

2. Cooper Webb – 132 points

3. Chase Sexton – 132 points

…

10. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 75 points

23. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 15 points

VP Racing Fuels Big Buck: ATV Race Report

Brycen Neal Earns Season Opener Overall Win

UNION, S.C. (February 19, 2023) – The Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, (GNCC Racing) kicked off the 2023 season with the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina on Saturday, February 18. After earning his first-ever National Championship last season, Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Brycen Neal kicked off round one with an overall win. Neal would lead the way from the opening lap until the checkered flag came out flying. Neal will start the season in the number one position, and he look to continue his winning ways for the season.

Coming through to take the second overall finishing position was Richardson Racing/Action Off-Road/Kenda’s Cole Richardson. Richardson would run at the front of the pack during the opening lap, but he would fall to fifth after the FMF Power Point. Richardson would make his way back up to second, crossing the line almost one minute behind Neal. After finishing second at the opening round, Richardson will be looking to remain at the front in hopes of earning an overall win in 2023. Hunter Hart Racing/Ithaca Recreation Sports/Fly Racing’s Hunter Hart rounded out the top three overall finishers at the opening round of GNCC. Hart would come through seventh on lap one and continue to push for the duration of the race. As the checkered flag came out Hart would cross the line third, with just 1 second separating himself and fourth place.Earning fourth overall on the day was Pierce Performance/Action Off-Road/GBC/Active Waste Solution’s John Glauda Jr. while Action Off-Road/GBC Tires/Rath Racing/SSi Decal’s Joshua Merritt rounded out the top five overall. Glauda would push throughout the race, but he would be passed by Hart on lap three. Glauda would be unable to make the pass stick, holding onto fourth place. Merritt would have an incredible ride as he came tried to make a run for a podium finish.

The XC1 rookies, Action Off-Road/Pro Graphx/Kenda/Pierce Performance’s Jay Shadron and Stewart Boys Racing/GBC/Pierce Performance/Focus X’s Wyatt Wilkin would finish sixth and seventh overall on the day. Shadron would work his way from eighth to maintain a top 10 finish. Wilkin came through second on the opening lap but would soon fall to fifth and eventually come through seventh on the day.After grabbing the XC1 All Balls Racing Holeshot award, JMR/GBC/Elka/Moose Racing’s Jarrod McClure would come through third on the opening lap. Unfortunately, McClure would fall back to eighth on the second lap and remain there for the rest of the two-hour race. OBOR Tires/Moose Racing/Parts Unlimited-backed racer, Adam McGill would come through to earn ninth on the day, while Fly Racing/Maxxis/AMSOIL-backed racer, Chris Borich rounded out the top 10 in the XC1 Pro and overall.

In the XC2 Pro-Am class it was Steven Harrell Racing/BNR Motorsports/Kenda/HMF’s Steve Harrell coming through to take the class win, and 12^th overall at the season opener. Harrell would lead the way on lap one but had Owens Racing/Osburn Off-Road/Moose Racing/OBOR’s Branden Owens battling him back and forth through the entire race. Harrell would make the pass back on Owens to take the win, and Owens would come through 28 seconds behind him to take second in the XC2 class. Rounding out the XC2 podium was Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Grayson Eller after he worked his way up from a seventh place start to the day.Kevin Yoho would come through 19th overall to earn the first Top Amateur honors of the 2023 season as he took the Vet A class win as well. Earning the College A class win and 21st overall finishing position was Alex Thieman, who also came through to earn second on the Top Amateur podium. Then it would be Andre Williams coming through to round out the Top Amateur podium with his 22nd overall finish and second in the College A class.

In the 4×4 Pro class it was Ryco Racing/Kenda Tires/KMK Off-Road/Elite Graphic’s Cody Collier making his way to the front of the pack. Collier would have his work cut out for him as Pro Row 784/GBC/BNR/Victory Golf Cart’s Brandon Frazier and LW Racing/OBOR/Action Off-Road’s Landon Wolfe would swap the lead with him multiple times throughout the race. Collier would make a last lap pass to take over the lead again, earning the first win of 2023. Frazier would cross the line in second followed by Wolfe in third. Coming through to take the WXC class win was Elioff Racing/BNR Motorsports/GBC Tires/Fly Racing’s Jessica Elioff. She would hold the early lead while battling with Hurricane Hannah/Fly Racing/OBOR Tires/HFM’s Hannah Hunter. Hunter would make a pass for the lead, but Elioff would put her head down and make a last lap pass to take over the lead once again. Hunter would hold onto second at the opening round. It was JMR/Action Off-Road/GBC/Moose Racing’s Katelyn Osburn who would come through to take the final podium position in the WXC class after her last lap push from running in fourth for the majority of the race.

Starting off the day in South Carolina was the Youth ATV racers as Andrew Smallwood came through to earn the overall, and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Bryce Pullen and Grant Hunter would round out the top three overall youth finishers and top three in the YXC1 class. Avery Collins came through in fourth overall, and she would take the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class win. Gavin Brand and Stetson Owens would round out the top three YXC2 finishers in South Carolina.In the 250 (13-15) class it was Logan Phillips earning the win, with Ethan Hopkins taking the 250 (13-15) Limited class win. Brayden Cox earned the 125 (8-12) class win, while Maverick Smith earned the 125 Limited (8-12) class win. Landon Glauda would take home the 90cc (8-12) class win. Ryleigh Dearing earned the Schoolgirl Sr. (13-15) class win, with Paisley Stout claiming the Schoolgirl Jr. (12-15) class win. Kaydence Ellis would earn the Girls Sr. class win at round one, while Falyn Holcomb took the Girls Jr. class win. In the 70 CVT (6-11) class it was Stratton Weddle earning the win.

As the Micro ATV racers took to the course it was Torque Tong coming through to earn this Micro ATV overall win. Bryson Dickerson and JP Pickens Jr. would round out the top three in the MXC1 class and Micro ATV overall finishing positions. Chad McCormick earned the MXC2 class win followed by Colt Delabar and Joshua Swantek rounding out the top three in MXC2. Johnny Martin Jr. would earn the 50 Sr. (6-7) class, while Kale Talbert earned the 50 Jr. (4-5) class win. Brantley Slack brought home the 90 Stock (8-9) class win, while Tori Barrett came through to take home the 110 CVT Stock (8-9) class win. Earning the Micro Bike MXC1 and overall win was Gage Lane from Pingree Grove, Illinois. Maverick Boyer and Ledger Adams rounded out the Micro Bike overall top three and MXC1 finishers. Tripp Lewis, Hudson Cohen and Davey Fairfield battled back to earn the top three spots in the MXC2 class on Saturday morning. Justus Pearston would take the 50 Sr. 1 (7) class win, followed by Ryder Baricska earning the 50 Sr. 2 (6) class win. Peyton Austin would earn the Micro-E (4-7) class win, while Ryder Bower came through to take the 50 Jr. 1 (6-7) class win. Coming through to take the 50 Jr. 2 (4-5) class win was Carson Zink, and in the Micro Shaft Drive class it was Hunter Siegel earning the class win. Cash Jones came through from Georgia to earn the Trail Rider (7-9) class win.

Youth Bike Racing took place on Saturday evening as the round one racing schedule was modified to accommodate the large amount of amateur bike racers on Sunday. It would be Ryan Amancio coming through to earn the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. and youth overall class win. Earning second overall was Mason Raynor, who would come through to also win the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class. Austin Tsakanikas rounded out the top three youth overall finishers, while also earning second place in the YXC1 class. James Jenkins rounded out the top three finishers in the YXC1 class, while Caleb Wood and Doc Smith finished second and third in the YXC2 class. Jayden Riley would earn the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) class win, Travis Lentz earned the 85cc (12-13) class win, Hayden Dupuis earned the 85cc (7-11) class win, Beau Garetson won the 65cc (10-11) class, Jace Mitchell won the 65cc (9) class and Tripp Lewis won the 65cc (7-8) class. Then in the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class it was Addison Harris earning the class win, Sahara Robinson earned the Girls 85 (7-13) class win, Baylee Arsenault earned the Girls 65 (7-11) class win. Rounding out the youth race it was Peyton Robinson earning the Trail Rider class win.

The next round of GNCC Racing will take place March 4-5 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar in Palatka, Florida. For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.Facebook: @gnccracingInstagram: @gncc_racingTwitter: @gnccracingYouTube: @racertvVP

Racing Fuels Big Buck Results and Points Standings
Union, South Carolina
Round 1 of 12
Saturday, February 18, 2023XC1 Pro Event Results:Brycen Neal (YAM)Cole Richardson (YAM)Hunter Hart (YAM)John Glauda Jr. (YAM)Joshua Merritt (YAM)Jay Shadron (YAM)Wyatt Wilkin (YAM)Jarrod McClure (HON)Adam McGill (HON)Chris Borich (YAM)

*Overall National Championship Standings:Brycen Neal (30)Cole Richardson (25)Hunter Hart (21)John Glauda Jr. (18)Joshua Merritt (16)Jay Shadron (15)Wyatt Wilkin (14)Jarrod McClure (13)Adam McGill (12)Chris Borich (11)*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2022 National Champion.

XC2 Pro-Am Event Results:Steve Harrell (YAM)Branden Owens (YAM)Grayson Eller (YAM)Tanner Walker (YAM)Dylan Walraven (YAM)Layne McCormick (YAM)Kenny Shick (YAM)James Glauda (YAM)Gabriel Naud (YAM)Daniel Peters (YAM)XC2 Pro-Am Series Standings:Steve Harrell (30)Branden Owens (25)Grayson Eller (21)Tanner Walker (18)Dylan Walraven (16)Layne McCormick (15)Kenny Shick (14)James Glauda (13)Gabriel Naud (12)Daniel Peters (11)

To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com.

JUSTIN BARCIA BLITZES TO SIXTH-PLACE 450 FINISH IN OAKLAND

The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team is on the gas and seeking those final few details to push them closer to the top of the charts.

This week featured a coast-to-coast haul for the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team to make up for the previously postponed round two in Oakland
Justin Barcia adds another sixth-place finish to his season tally
Pierce Brown showed off podium-caliber speed in his heat and main event.

450SX

Justin Barcia continues to impress aboard his MC 450F Factory Edition this season, running third in his heat race among some very fast company. Though he didn’t get the start he was hoping for at the drop of the gate for the main event and was 13^th early on, he went on a charge that jumped him up to sixth at the finish.

Justin Barcia: “I had a pretty good qualifying race, and it was a good battle for the top three. Unfortunately, in the main event, I didn’t get off to the best start but had some really good battles and only got up to sixth. So, it’s back to work on riding, working on getting up front fast, and I’m looking forward to Texas. I like it there and we’ve had good luck there. It’s usually a good track, good dirt, and the fans are always exciting, so I’m looking forward to getting it on the box.”

250SX West
Pierce Brown has shown plenty of speed on his MC 250F Factory Edition during the 250 West portion of the 2023 AMA Supercross series, and he matched his season-best result with a fifth in the 250 main event. But a podium was tantalizingly close, as he chased down the leaders, and climbed his way to third at the midway point. While a pair of late-race crashes left him in fifth, he knows the potential is there for more.

Pierce Brown: “Oakland was another tough night. I feel like the riding was there, I just didn’t put it all together. I had a decent start in the main and was waiting for a spot to make a pass. I made a pass for third, and then Mcadoo got me back and put me on the ground. I got back up in fifth, passed back into fourth, and on the last lap fell again and ended up in fifth. It’s not the night we needed and I’m pretty upset about it. But on to Seattle. We have a long break before that, so we’re just going to reset and get back to work.”

Next Event (Round 7): February 25, 2023 – AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

Results – 2023 AMA Supercross Championship, Round 2 (Make-Up Event)

250SX West – Main Event Results

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 15 laps; 2. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) +16.160; 3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawawaki) +22.128 … 5. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) +30.314; 8. Mitchell Harrison (GASGAS); 17. Austin Politelli (GASGAS)

450SX – Main Event Results

1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 19 laps; 2. Cooper Webb (KTM) +00.881; 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) +13.251 … 6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) +23.205

Championship Standings – After Six Rounds

250SX West

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 101 points; 2. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 81; 3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) 80 … 9. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) 51; 18. Mitchell Harrison (GASGAS) 20; 21. Jerry Robin (GASGAS) 12; 24. Austin Politelli (GASGAS) 6; 31. Dylan Woodcock (GASGAS) 3

450SX

1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 139 points; 2. Cooper Webb 132; 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) 132; 3. Cooper Webb (KTM) 83 … 7. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 97; 21. Justin Starling (GASGAS) 18

Jett Lawrence Wins 250SX West at Oakland Supercross

Following a rare second-place overall finish at Anaheim 2 and a two-week break in the 250SX West series, Jett Lawrence returned to his winning ways at the Oakland Supercross, which had been postponed five weeks due to rain. The young Australian took his third victory of the season and extended his title-chase advantage to 20 points. In the premier division, Chase Sexton kept his podium streak alive, taking third place.

Lawrence got a great jump out of the gate to start the 250SX West main event, but exited turn 1 in third. He put his CRF250R by Cameron McAdoo in the whoops on lap 3, then took over the lead on lap 5 when RJ Hampshire went down in a corner. Once in front, Lawrence began pulling away, ultimately winning by over 16 seconds.

Sexton took the 450SX main-event holeshot and slowly but steadily grew an advantage to over 7 seconds aboard his CRF450RWE, only to go down with seven laps remaining. The Illinois native remounted in time to retain second, but Cooper Webb made a pass three laps from the end. Colt Nichols was knocked off the track by another rider early on, but recovered to finish ninth.

NOTES

On Friday, Chase Sexton and Colt Nichols had an opportunity to check out the Oakland track when they took part in media-day activities.
The temperature was 58º Fahrenheit for the 250SX West main, and dropped to 54º for the 450SX main.
For the fourth time in a row and the fifth time in six rounds, Sexton was the fastest qualifier in the 450SX class. He was the only rider to dip into the 1’05” range, with a best time that was nearly half a second faster than the next-best rider. Colt Nichols was seventh-fastest.
Jett Lawrence was the top-qualifying 250SX West rider, the only rider in that class to post a time in the 1’06” range—nearly three-quarters of a second better than the next-best rider. Also respectable was SmarTop/MotoConcepts Racing’s Mitchell Oldenburg, who rode his CRF250R to the ninth-best time.
Despite a relatively poor start, Lawrence handily won the second 250SX West heat race. He quickly moved up to fourth and took one more position on the first lap, then grabbed second on lap 2. After dogging Cameron McAdoo for several laps, he took the lead in the whoops on lap 5 and pulled away to win by 2.5 seconds. Also advancing through the heat were Oldenburg and SmarTop/MotoConcepts’ Anthony Rodriguez. Concrete Plants-sponsored Red Rider Maxwell Sanford made it in through the last-chance qualifier.
Sexton started third in the second 450SX heat and took over second at the end of lap 1. He grabbed the lead from Cooper Webb on lap 4, only to immediately lose it to Eli Tomac and finish second. Nichols notched a sixth-place result, whereas Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson advanced through the first heat.
Moments after winning the 250SX West main event, Lawrence gave his mechanic Christien Ducharme a celebratory high five. Unfortunately, the duo were a bit overly enthusiastic, to the point that Ducharme’s shoulder was dislocated. The Alpinestars Medical crew quickly popped it back in for him, and he rejoined the podium celebration.
Continuing a trend this season, the best laps in both main events were tallied by Team Honda HRC riders, with Sexton and Lawrence fastest in 450SX and 250SX West, respectively.
Lawrence’s 250SX win was the 10th of his career, and it put him on the list with Eli Tomac and Malcolm Stewart as Honda riders to win the Oakland 250SX West race. Sexton’s 450SX podium was the 16th of his career.
Sexton and Lawrence both took part in the post-race press conference at Oakland.
Lawrence’s 250SX West title-chase lead is now 20 points, while Sexton is tied for second with Cooper Webb in 450SX, seven behind Tomac. Nichols moved up a position in 450SX, to a three-way tie for ninth.
Lawrence’s win also extended Honda’s streak as the only manufacturer to win one of the two classes at every round this season.
The next AMA Supercross round is in Arlington, Texas, on February 25. It marks a return to the 250SX East Region, which means Hunter Lawrence will return to action in an effort to extend his undefeated streak to three.
With the next 250SX West round over a month away, Jett Lawrence will begin supercross testing on the CRF450RWE, but not with an eye toward racing the premier class at AMA Supercross East Region events. Instead, this will be prep work for the three SuperMotocross rounds, scheduled to take place in September.

Chase Sexton 23
“My riding and everything has been really good. The first 10 minutes of the main event, I was in my comfort zone; I wasn’t overriding, I was hitting my marks. After I went down, I got a little more timid and was basically in survival mode—got out of my flow, and it was tough trying to get back into it. I still have an opportunity next week to come out and fix the mistakes that I made.”

Colt Nichols 45
“Tonight was a little bit better for me than I’ve had the past few weekends; I felt like I was actually in the race and battling some good guys. I needed to give myself a chance and get some better track position early on. Overall, a lot of steps in the right direction all day. We get to try again next weekend.”

Jett Lawrence 18
“It was nice to have this race to break up the flow of having almost a second off-season. The first few laps I spent seeing where the lines were at, feeling the other guys out. Once I got into the lead, I just tried to keep my lap times consistent and limit mistakes. I got into my rhythm, where I could just keep clicking off laps and keep the same flow.”

Lars Lindstrom
Team Manager
“Overall, it was a good day—the whole team made some improvements. Jett was in control all day; he rode consistently and was able to bring it home. I was happy to see Colt keep making progress, with a much better qualifying and working his way up to ninth in the main event. Chase rode incredible all day, and in the main was riding super patient and smooth while pulling away. Unfortunately, when he fell, it stalled his momentum, but it was still a good night, landing on the podium. We’ll keep improving, and I feel like we’re close to consistently winning races.”

MONSTER ENERGY®/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI’S CAMERON MCADOO RETURNS TO THE PODIUM

After severe storms plagued the San Francisco Bay Area throughout January, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship returned to RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California on Saturday for the rescheduled Oakland SX. Accordingly, the elite class of supercross teams traversed the country from Tampa, Florida to the West Coast where Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Cameron McAdoo returned to the 250SX podium with a third-place finish. In the 450SX Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson secured a hard-fought fifth-place result while teammate Adam Cianciarulo faced adversity on his way to finishing in 15th position.

While the dirt in Oakland had thoroughly dried since the recent flooding, its notoriously soft composition promised to provide rapidly deteriorating race conditions. When riders took to the course for the opening practice sessions, they were met with a challenging track design that many heralded as the most technical thus far in the season. Never one to shy from a challenge, McAdoo was up to pace navigating the extended rhythm lanes and blasting through the two long whoop sections. McAdoo showed no signs of his crash at Anaheim 2 as the No.48 KX™250 rider ran near the top of the leaderboard. When 250SX qualification concluded, McAdoo’s pace was quick enough to secure the third fastest lap time (1:07.372).

McAdoo rocketed his KX™250 out of the gate to start 250SX Heat 2 in second position. With impressive speed through the whoops, McAdoo took command on the lead on the opening lap. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider went on to thrill the fans as he and the current 250SX Class championship points leader locked into a two-rider battle for the win. On Lap 4, McAdoo was overtaken through the same whoop section where he had previously gained the lead and settled into second place for the remainder of the race.

At the start of the 250SX Main Event, McAdoo repeated his strong start from the heat race as he snuck around the inside of Turn 1 to emerge in the top three. While the lead was hotly contested for the opening laps, McAdoo applied pressure to the rider ahead while searching for the optimal lines around the quickly changing track. On Lap 3, McAdoo settled into third position and began to find a steady rhythm to his race. As one of the only riders in the field to continue blitzing across both whoop sections, McAdoo displayed his fortitude against the demanding conditions. McAdoo closed the distance to the rider in second until a brief exchange over third position caused him to lose touch with the rider ahead. Through the final stages of the race, the front three remained in lock step and McAdoo finished out his race with an impressive third place result.

“To come away from this weekend with a podium finish is definitely a big turnaround from the injuries I sustained at Anaheim 2 and I’m proud of the whole support team I have that helped make that possible. That said, I still want to fight for this championship and that means I need to start finishing on the top step. There are a few weeks now for me to get back to 100 percent and I’ll be ready to challenge for the win in Seattle.”

– Cameron McAdoo

By the time the 450SX Class took to the track, the ruts and edges already began shaping up through the sharp rhythm lane transitions. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Anderson and Cianciarulo seized their chance to capitalize on the demanding situation by mastering the track and rivaling at the top of the qualification leaderboard. When timed qualifying concluded, Anderson logged the second fastest lap (1:06.210) while Cianciarulo had the fourth fastest lap (1:07.284).

When the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo rounded the first turn in 450SX Heat 2, Anderson was narrowly edged out for the holeshot by Ken Roczen before the No.21 KX450SR rider began his pursuit of the lead. Outpacing Roczen in the early laps, Anderson looked for a way into the lead while his teammate Cianciarulo found his rhythm in fourth place. Both Monster Energy Kawasaki riders maintained their positions while initiating several crowd-jeering attempts to overtake the competition. When the checkered flag flew, Anderson finished in second place and Cianciarulo finished fourth.

In the 450SX Main Event, Anderson and Cianciarulo charged through the opening rhythm lanes inside of the top-10. Anderson passed into fourth position on the opening lap and homed in on his pursuit of the podium. Anderson’s exceptional whoop speed and aptitude for flowing through the harsh conditions postured him as a favorite to rival for the top spots. Meanwhile, Cianciarulo proved his pace by working his way forward from ninth to seventh in the opening laps. On Lap 4, contact with another rider resulted in a crash for Cianciarulo and he was shuffled back to 14th position. Anderson’s chase after the podium persisted until he fell in tight left-hand corner on Lap 9. Anderson was able to find his pace again as he maneuvered his way forward from seventh position. When the final checkered flag flew, Anderson finished in fifth place and Cianciarulo followed in 15th position.

“We were in the battle for the podium again tonight, but a small tip-over forced me back a few positions. I think we were in a good place to have a strong result, but I’m happy with the recovery after the mistake. I need to clean up those little errors if I’m going to fight with the guys at the front end of the pack. Overall, we are definitely close and just need to link it all together here soon.”

– Jason Anderson

“The track was technical and demanding so it was great to have my best qualifying pace thus far in the season with the fourth fastest lap. I feel I carried that pace into the heat race and even into the early stages of the main. While the track was tough for everyone, my KX™450SR was working well and we were in a good spot until that crash set me back in the pack. We’ll focus on the lessons to be learned and move forward to next weekend.”

– Adam Cianciarulo

Tomac Scores Fourth Win to Expand Points Lead in Oakland

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac returned to the top last night in an exciting 450SX Main Event at the RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California. In addition to strengthening his points lead with his fourth victory of the season, the reigning Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Champion tied Ricky Carmichael for the third-winningest rider in the premier class with 48 career wins. Rookie Justin Cooper had a solid effort in the challenging conditions and fought his way back to a top-10 finish.

Tomac started the day with another solid qualifying result in third. He didn’t get the start he was looking for in his heat race but quickly made his way to third. The Coloradan then waited patiently before passing both championship rivals in succession and then built a gap up front to score his third heat race win this year. In the main event, he got a much better start and was battling up front in third and quickly made his way to the runner-up spot. On Lap 13, Tomac was able to capitalize on the frontrunner’s error and moved into the lead. He continued to ride his own race and had a comfortable lead up front. On the final lap, Tomac went off track but kept his cool and held onto the win to advance his lead in the championship to seven points.

It was a tough start to the day for Cooper who ended up qualifying outside of the top 10 in 14th. Undeterred, the New Yorker and the team kept working, and he earned his best heat race result so far on the 450, coming back from eighth to sixth. It was then a challenging start to the main event, as he was pushed off track and was back in 15th. Cooper put his head down and fought his way back to 10th to finish inside of the top 10 in all three races so far during his 450 debut.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads back east to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the second Triple Crown of the season and Round 7 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SuperMotocross World Championship Series on February 25.

Eli Tomac
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a great rebound for us from last weekend in Tampa. This track was very technical in general. The dirt gets really soft, and the ruts get really tough. We basically had that challenge the whole day, but overall I felt really good on the motorcycle. I felt like we made some improvements basically everywhere compared to the weekend before. This was important for us to keep the red plate. We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”

Justin Cooper
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a rough day for me. It started off on the wrong foot, but we continued to push on throughout the day. The track was one of the toughest I’ve ever seen, but it was good experience and another top-10 finish.”

Jeremy Coker
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“Overall, it was a really good race day. Eli rode phenomenally from start to finish. He didn’t have such a great start in the heat race, but he came through and rode an awesome race to win. In the main event, we had a plan and we stuck to our plan and ended up winning. So, all in all, it was a really good night.”

Jensen Hendler
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“It was a tough day for Justin. He was really struggling with the track today. We chased some setup stuff during the day and got him as happy as possible. He qualified 14th and then went to his heat and ended up sixth, which was his best heat race finish so far, so that’s good. Then in the main, he didn’t get the best of starts. He got pushed off the track by another rider right before the whoops and lost a lot of positions there, but he put his head down and fought hard and worked his way up to 10th. That’s his worst result so far, but we keep learning every week, and really that’s the goal for him. We’ve got a few more races with Justin before he starts outdoor testing on the 250, so we’ll keep fighting and hopefully be in the top five with him.”

Kitchen Charges Back to Fourth in Oakland

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen came back from a difficult start to climb his way back to a fourth-place finish last night at the RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Washington State rider made championship gains, breaking into the top five in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West points standings before they head into the break. Unfortunately, his teammate Stilez Robertson had a big crash in qualifying and did not line up for the race.

Kitchen qualified fourth, giving him a good gate pick for his heat race, but he got caught up in a first-turn incident. Way back in 16th, he put his head down and executed an impressive charge through the pack to finish fourth. In the main event, he didn’t get off the gate as he had hoped but quickly made his way to the top 10. Kitchen threw down some fast times early and made his way to sixth by the third lap, closing the gap to fifth and breaking the top five right before the finish line a few laps later. As the battle intensified towards the end of the race, Kitchen was able to advance to fourth as a rider ahead went down. He continued to fight to the end and rode a smart race to cross the line fourth on a demanding track, advancing a couple of spots in the point standings to fifth.

Robertson had a solid start to the day inside of the top 10 in the first qualifying session, but unfortunately, his day would end early with a big crash in the whoops when a rider went down in front of him. The Californian sat out of the night show, shifting his focus to the next 250SX West round in Seattle, Washington, on March 25.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250SX East team returns to action next weekend at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on February 25, for Round 3 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship.

Levi Kitchen
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a decent day for me. My starts were poor, but we managed to leave here healthy and with a fourth-place finish. We’ll keep working and come back stronger for my home race in Washington.”

Jensen Hendler
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“The day started out well here in Oakland. Levi was obviously pretty good in the whoops, and the track was extremely difficult tonight, but he learned the track pretty well and qualified fourth, which was solid. Stilez was also looking really good but had a rider go down in front of him in the whoops. He was feeling pretty banged up after the crash, and we decided to sit the night out with Stilez.

“Levi was in the first heat race and ended up with a terrible start and had to work his way from way back. He fought hard and ended up fourth, which is fantastic. In the main event, he found himself way back again but was able to fight his way back and had some really good whoops speed and some good lines. The track was so difficult, and he ended up fourth, so it was a solid night for Levi.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our West Coast guys get back to racing in Seattle. I think with Levi’s hometown advantage, we will see him fight for that top step of the podium. We know it’s in there, so we’ll keep working for that.”

VP Racing Fuels Big Buck: Motorcycle Race Report

Steward Baylor Earns Round One Win in South Carolina

UNION, S.C. (February 20, 2023) – The Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, (GNCC Racing) concluded its season opener on Sunday, February 19, 2023. The VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC saw 2,029 riders throughout the weekend. As the green flag waved for the XC1 Open Pro riders, it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir getting the jump off the line and across the holeshot line for to earn himself the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. However, it wouldn’t take long for Rocky Mountain/Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Steward Baylor to make his way into the number one spot.

Aboard his new team and KTM machine, Baylor would continue to hold the lead for the duration of the three hour race. FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley would push his way into second, at one point catching Baylor and creating a 4 second gap between themselves. Unfortunately, Kelley would have a small tip over in the woods and the gap would increase once again. Baylor would cruise to earn the season opener win and put himself in a good position to battle for the National Championship. Kelley would cross the line in second to start the season after a leg injury sidelined him in 2022. Kelley’s second place would not come easy though as AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would put up a fight. Russell would hold the second place position for the first couple of laps, but he would continue battling Kelley for the remaining laps of the race. Russell would close the gap to just five seconds but would be unable to make a pass for second. Russell would round out the podium at the Big Buck GNCC. Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn, the defending GNCC National Champion, would battle his way up to fourth after starting back in the sixth place position. Ashburn would steadily work his way through the pack, crossing the line just seven seconds off of Russell.

Coming through to take fifth overall at the opening round was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong. As the race got underway DeLong would find himself running mid-pack in seventh on the opening couple of laps. As the race continued on DeLong would make the necessary passes to move into a top five spot as the checkered flag flew. Aboard a new team for the 2023 season, Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor came through to earn sixth overall on the day. Baylor, who missed the final two rounds of 2022 due to injury, came back on a new machine ready to battle.Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall would come through seventh on the day after starting at the back of the pack in 10th place. Duvall would work his way up to eighth and then make a pass for seventh as the two-lap card came out. Duvall remained seventh until the checkered flag flew.

Fighting his way back to eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang. After starting out eighth in the class, Strang would fall back to 10th before making a push back to eighth by the end of the race. GASGAS/FXR’s Layne Michael would come through to earn ninth in the class aboard his new GASGAS machine. After earning the holeshot Girroir would run fourth for the first couple of laps before having to make an extended pit stop and falling back to 10th in the XC1 Open Pro class. Our friends from the Japan National Cross Country (JNCC) Series came to race the Big Buck GNCC. Daiki Baba and Ryota Suzuki made their way to the United States to take part in round of the 2023 GNCC season, where they finished 11th and 12th in the XC1 class. Unfortunately for Rocky Mountain/Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Ben Nelko, he would only complete one lap of the race before his race day ended. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Trevor Bollinger was also unable to finish the race after completing one lap, Bollinger would suffer what looked to be a wrist injury.

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass jumping off the line first to earn the $250 Steel City Men’s Clinic Holeshot Award. The XC2 class have some great racing battles throughout the day with lead changes happening throughout the duration of the race. Snodgrass would hold the lead for the majority of the race, but Coastal/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ryder Lafferty was lurking and would make a last lap pass to take over the lead.Lafferty would hold onto the lead to take the season opener win. Snodgrass would come through five seconds behind Lafferty. FMF/RPM KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan made his way onto the XC2 class podium after battling back from a fourth place start to take over third as the checkered flag flew.

As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off it was Bells Electric/FXR/FC Suspension’s Toby Cleveland grabbing the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales Holeshot Award. Cleveland would hold onto the lead for the remaining six laps of the race. FXR/X Brand Goggles/6D Helmet’s Dakoda Devore would maintain his second place position for the duration of the race, crossing the line minutes after Cleveland. Carolina XC/Moose Racing/KTM’s Zack Hayes would work his way into the last podium spot in the XC3 class after running in fourth for the firsts couple of laps.Earning Top Amateur honors in South Carolina was Tyler Palmer of the 250 A class who earned 24th overall and his class win. Trevor Maley came through second in 250 A and 26th overall, putting him second on the Top Amateur podium. Nicholas DeFeo would round out the top three Top Amateur finishers as he came through 27th overall and first in the 4-Stroke A Lites class.

In the WXC class it was Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Korie Steede pushing through to earn the 10 am overall and WXC class win. Steede would start out the day by earning the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award but would soon find herself in second as AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer made her way to the front of the pack. Steede and Archer would battle throughout the race with Steede making a pass for the lead as the white flag flew. Steede was able to hold onto the lead and earn the WXC win by 0.76 seconds. GASGAS/Over and Out/RG Factory Racing’s Rachel Gutish would have a good race as she remained in the third place position for the duration.Youth Bike Racing took place on Saturday evening as the round one racing schedule was modified to accommodate the large amount of amateur bike racers on Sunday. It would be Ryan Amancio coming through to earn the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. and youth overall class win. Earning second overall was Mason Raynor, who would come through to also win the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class. Austin Tsakanikas rounded out the top three youth overall finishers, while also earning second place in the YXC1 class. James Jenkins rounded out the top three finishers in the YXC1 class, while Caleb Wood and Doc Smith finished second and third in the YXC2 class. Jayden Riley would earn the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) class win, Travis Lentz earned the 85cc (12-13) class win, Hayden Dupuis earned the 85cc (7-11) class win, Beau Garetson won the 65cc (10-11) class, Jace Mitchell won the 65cc (9) class and Tripp Lewis won the 65cc (7-8) class. Then in the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class it was Addison Harris earning the class win, Sahara Robinson earned the Girls 85 (7-13) class win, Baylee Arsenault earned the Girls 65 (7-11) class win. Rounding out the youth race it was Peyton Robinson earning the Trail Rider class win.

The Big Buck AMSOIL Moto Hero was awarded to Kyle Napier of Hyden, Kentucky. Napier served in the Army. He served twice in Afghanistan in the Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a purple heart recipient and has one arcom with valor, along with two presidential citations. Kyle and his friend have also walked over 22 miles between counties to honor fallen veterans who have died by suicide. Kyle was awarded an American flag courtesy of Columbia Flag and Sign Co., plus a gift certificate to their online store. He also received an AMSOIL Shopping spree certificate, 100% Goggles, and will receive a set of Kanati GBC truck tires. GNCC racing would like to thank Kyle and everyone for their service. The next round of GNCC Racing will take place March 4-5 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar in Palatka, Florida. For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.Facebook: @gnccracingInstagram: @gncc_racingTwitter: @gnccracingYouTube: @racertv

VP Racing Fuels Big Buck Results and Points Standings
Union, South Carolina
Round 1 of 12
Sunday, February 19, 2023
XC1 Pro Event Results:Steward Baylor (KTM)Benjamin Kelley (KTM)Ricky Russell (YAM)Jordan Ashburn (HQV)Craig DeLong (HQV)Grant Baylor (KAW)Thad Duvall (GAS)Josh Strang (KAW)Layne Michael (GAS)Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings:Steward Baylor (30)Benjamin Kelley (25)Ricky Russell (21)Jordan Ashburn (18)Craig DeLong (16)Grant Baylor (15)Thad Duvall (14)Ryder Lafferty (13)Lyndon Snodgrass (12)Angus Riordan (11)*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2023 National Champion.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results:Ryder Lafferty (GAS)Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)Angus Riordan (KTM)Ruy Barbosa (HON)Mason Semmens (KTM)Liam Draper (YAM)Cody Barnes (HON)Michael Witkowski (HON)Evan Smith (BET)Jonathan Johnson (BET)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:Ryder Lafferty (30)Lyndon Snodgrass (25)Angus Riordan (21)Ruy Barbosa (18)Mason Semmens (16)Liam Draper (15)Cody Barnes (14)Michael Witkowski (13)Evan Smith (12)Jonathan Johnson (11)To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com.

MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield Announces Two-Rider Team for 2023 Progressive American Flat Track Season

Johnny Lewis and the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team are prepared to take on the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track championship. For Lewis, this marks his fourth year of competition with Royal Enfield, and the 2023 season marks another step forward as the MotoAnatomy team will now field a full-time two-man team in the premiere class, adding Ryan Wells to the roster.

Johnny Lewis and the MotoAnatomy team have made great strides in Progressive American Flat Track, introducing the Royal Enfield INT650 motorcycle into the world of competition. After spending several seasons in the Mission Production Twins class developing the Royal Enfield Twins FT motorcycle, Lewis carded multiple podium finishes in the last two seasons, including a historic win at the Lima Half-Mile in 2021—a first-ever feat for Royal Enfield. Lewis is now confident that the Twins FT has the potential to be a serious contender in all formats of Progressive AFT racing: Short Track, Half-Mile, TT, and even the formidable Mile. Lewis and crew are ready to jump into the busy 18-round Progressive AFT Championship.

“This is going to be another historic season for Royal Enfield in American Flat Track,” said Johnny Lewis. “The Twins FT motorcycle is something we’ve spent a long time developing, and we’re now at a point where we have the confidence to go all in. We’re thrilled to bring on a second rider, as well. Ryan Wells is already a great addition to the MotoAnatomy team. We’re looking forward to kicking off the season at the Daytona Short Track.”

Ryan Wells is a force in Progressive AFT competition, and the 2016 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion ranks among the Singles’ class all-time winningest riders. The 2007 AMA Youth Dirt Tracker of the Year has been winning pro-level races for over a decade, and now brings his flat track expertise to Royal Enfield.

“Words can’t express my excitement to join the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team for 2023,” said Ryan Wells. “Finally rejoining the Mission SuperTwins class full time is long overdue for my personal goals and I’m glad it’s finally coming to fruition. Being able to work alongside Johnny Lewis, someone I’ve looked up to for so long, is really the icing on the cake. I thrive off of positivity and people chasing the same goals and Johnny and I really click in those ways. I’m very excited to get the ball rolling.”

The expanded Royal Enfield racing team will make its 2023 racing debut at the Progressive AFT season opener at Daytona Bike Week in Florida. Look for Johnny Lewis (#10) and Ryan Wells (#94) at the Daytona Short Track Doubleheader on Thursday, March 9, and Friday, March 10.

Lewis, Wells and the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team will be joined at select rounds by the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. (BTR) program. The women of BTR will be contesting a schedule of four rounds within the Progressive American Flat Track schedule, starting with the Mission Dallas Half-Mile on April 22. For more info visit BuildTrainRace.com.

51 Riders, 16 Countries And Six Manufacturers Set To Square Off In Daytona 200

Fifty-one riders representing 16 countries and riding six different brands of motorcycles will attempt to qualify for the 81^st running of the Daytona 200 on March 11 as MotoAmerica kicks off its 2023 season at Daytona International Speedway, the World Center of Racing.

Led by two-time defending Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch and his TOBC Racing Triumph Street Triple RS, the entry list for the 81^st running of the 200 is impressive and includes three former Daytona 200 race winners: Paasch (2021, 2022), Danny Eslick (2014, 2017, 2018) and Josh Herrin (2010).

The 2023 Daytona 200 will truly be an international affair as 16 countries will be represented: United States (32 from 18 states), Canada (2), Portugal (2), Great Britain (2), Cuba (2), Czech Republic (1), Spain (1), Brazil (1), Australia (1), Guyana (1), South Africa (1), Ireland (1), Argentina (1), France (1), Italy (1) and Peru (1).

As for the motorcycles being raced, six different manufacturers will have motorcycles attempting to qualify for the 81^st running of the 200.

Yamaha, the winningest brand in Daytona 200 history with 27 victories, will have the most representation in the race as 24 riders have opted to compete on YZF-R6s. Suzuki and Kawasaki both have nine of their GSX-Rs and ZX-6Rs entered, respectively, then comes Ducati with six entries followed by Triumph’s two Street Triples and the lone MV Agusta F3RR entry.

“We’re thrilled with our entries for the 81^st running of the Daytona 200,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “This will mark MotoAmerica’s second year of running the race and interest in the event continues to rise at a rapid rate. To have riders from 16 different countries heading to Daytona Beach is huge as one of our goals was to work toward building the race into a truly international event as it once was. I think 16 countries being represented shows that our goals are being realized. It’s also impressive to have six different manufacturers with an opportunity to win the Daytona 200. We’re really looking forward to getting to Florida and getting the 2023 season started. It’s going to be a good one.”

For the complete entry list for the 81st running of the Daytona 200, click here.

Triumph Apppoints Zach Lurie As North American Off-Road Product & Race Support Manager

Triumph Motorcycles has welcomed former racer and riding coach Zach Lurie to manage future off-road models as well as support Triumph Racing activity in North America.

Lurie brings combined 25 years racing experience as an athlete, riding coach, and industry expert. As a child, Zach competed in BMX in the Grand National and World BMX events. He transitioned into Motocross racing at the age of 12 where he competed in Local and National Amateur Events before graduating to racing Professional Motocross, Arenacross, and Supercross.

After his time on the track, Lurie used his experience to prepare the next generation of riders. Zach became the owner operator of a performance oriented off-road training facility, offering athlete management and rider coaching.

Lurie’s appointment to this newly created role reflects Triumph’s commitment and growing investment in the Off-Road and Dual Sport segments as well as motorcycle racing. He will support the recently announced Triumph Factory Supercross and Motocross team in the US. He will additionally focus on building Triumph off road and race support programs for the future.

Rod Lopusnak – General Manager, Triumph North America: “We have an incredible focus on continuing our drive to build a team of Industry Leading professionals committed to the Triumph Brand, our Dealers and Customers. Zach brings a competitive and winning attitude to the organization, along with the experience to back it up. With his knowledge of racing, and his passion for the off-road industry as whole, I look forward to the growth that Zach will bring to Triumph North America.”

Zach Lurie – Triumph Racing Manager, Triumph North America: “Whether it was chasing my personal dreams as a racing athlete, coaching new talent to new heights, or building a training facility from the ground up, I’ve dedicated my life to the racing industry. I see true passion in every employee I’ve met at Triumph motorcycles. Mixing that passion with the iconic team we are putting together is a recipe for greatness when we go racing. Triumph is known globally as a premium motorcycle company, and I feel incredibly blessed to join the team on a journey to build the next generation of racing.”

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