This week in United States Powersports racing.
FMF KTM FACTORY RACING’S BEN KELLEY CLINCHES 2025 GNCC OVERALL TITLE
KTM Offroad Weekend Update
GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES – ROUND 13
Having earned the XC1 Open Pro Class crown two rounds prior, Kelley would capture more silverware for his 2025 campaign, posting a measured performance at Ironman’s finale to claim his second Overall championship – in addition to his 2021 title – after a season-long battle.
This year featured a fascinating duel between Kelley and FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers’ Grant Davis, with Kelley and his KTM 350 XC-F reigning supreme by just four points once the final checkered flag flew.
The 29-year-old demonstrated both speed and consistency this year, having claimed two Overall wins – which came at the Camp Coker and Old Gray GNCCs – while a further four podium finishes contributed to his second title.
Ben Kelley:“I’m pumped! It’s been a long road with a lot of injuries between now and my first championship, and not many people are able to do it twice. It was an honor to battle with Grant all year – he and I were so close all season and it took me to ride at my absolute best to beat him. We had some inconsistencies, but in the end, I was the most consistent and put myself in a good position today off the start. I wanted the win, but I prioritized bringing it home safely in the end with the big picture in mind. It’s a long season, a lot goes into this, and a big thanks to the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team for all the support!”
Last year’s GNCC Champion Johnny Girroir returned to the XC1 Open Pro Class podium at the final round, putting in a spirited ride that will see him take confidence into the off-season. Following a year impacted by injury and illness, Girroir still managed to claim an Overall victory on board his KTM 350 XC-F in Round 2 at the Wild Boar GNCC.
Johnny Girroir:“It was a brutal round here in Ironman. After the first two laps, I thought I was in for a long day, although from lap three, I flipped the switch and started to get going – felt more like the old Johnny! I haven’t had a lot of bike time this year through injury and it has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me, but overall I am happy. We’ll look to build some solid momentum through the winter and get ready for 2026.”
For the two-time XC2 250 Pro Class Champion Davis, he entered the 13th round – making a one-off appearance in XC1 – with a seven-point margin in the Overall standings, although ended up exiting the race and ultimately claimed P2 for the 2025 season. Davis posted a remarkable season this year, earning four Overall wins and an additional three podium finishes.
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers XC2 teammate Gus Riordan posted a P3 ride at Ironman Raceway to finish the championship third in class, and was fifth in the Overall picture after an impressive year of competition. Riordan and his KTM 250 XC-F claimed the Round 6 victory in the XC2 Class, while adding a further 10 podium finishes to his series tally.
Gus Riordan: “The year started off pretty well for me, but these last four races I have been tough. Today was going well and I was in the battle, which has been the case all year, and I’d like to say congratulations to all the boys for putting in a strong season. We’ll head back to Australia now in December and take some time to regroup before firing up again for next year.”
A sizable injury mid-season sidelined WXC Class contender Brandy Richards for five rounds in 2025, but the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers rider still claimed two wins this year, equipped with her KTM 250 XC-F, and finished a closely-contested second place at Ironman.
Brandy Richards:“Today was good! I didn’t get the greatest start – maybe I was fourth or fifth – and I was just patient from there in getting to the front. I didn’t rush anything while making some passes, and then both Korie [Steede] and I had a huge battle pretty much all race. Congrats to her on the title, she absolutely earned it, and I’m looking forward to having a good off-season and seeing what next year holds.”
XC1 Open Pro Class Results
- Michael Witkowski, Honda
- Liam Draper, Yamaha
- Johnny Girroir, FMF KTM Factory Racing
- Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
XC2 250 Pro Class Results
- Cody Barnes, Honda
- Brody Johnson, Honda
- Angus Riordan, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
WXC Class Results
- Korie Steede, Husqvarna
- Brandy Richards, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers
- Rachael Archer, Kawasaki
NATIONAL GRAND PRIX CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 8
The eighth round of the 2025 AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) saw Dante Oliveira deliver his seventh Pro Class win of the season, adding to what has been a standout year of racing for the now six-time series champion.
Oliveira completed the first lap in third position on board his KTM 450 XC-F, entering the lead on the sixth lap around the high-speed race track, and ultimately powering to the race victory.
Dante Oliveira:”We won the battle here – it has been a wild couple of weeks in trying to win the Hare and Hound Championship, which took a little bit of the focus away from the NGPC Series. The difference between each series is insane – it was super-fast out here and took a lot of heart to go for it, but I put my head down and charged after a difficult start, and managed to get the win, which was awesome.”
Teammate Mateo Oliveira delivered a consistent ride equipped with his KTM 450 XC-F, the FMF KTM Factory Racing rider favoring a consistent approach in Laughlin to finish fifth in the Pro Class, and P4 in the overall championship standings.
Mateo Oliveira:”From the first lap of the practice, I wasn’t vibing with the track on the weekend and psyched myself out a little bit. It’s a disappointing way to end the year after having such a breakout season, although we’ll put it in the rear-view and come back strong for next year.”
Pro Class Results
- Dante Oliveira, FMF KTM Factory Racing
- Tyler Lynn, Honda
- Dare Demartile, Beta
- Mateo Oliveira, FMF KTM Factory Racing
UPCOMING OFFROAD RACES – NOVEMBER 2025
11/02: National Enduro Series – Round 9
11/08: EnduroCross Series – Round 4
11/15: EnduroCross Series – Round 5
11/22: EnduroCross Series – Round 6
BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES FOR TRYSTAN HART IN IDAHO FALLS ENDUROCROSS DOUBLE-HEADER
Capturing back-to-back wins in Idaho Falls saw FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart take control of the 2025 AMA EnduroCross Series, after the Canadian claimed a pair of overall victories across Rounds 2 and 3 to emerge as the new EX Pro Class points-leader following the double-header weekend.
Friday night inside Mountain America Center saw the defending two-time champion build upon the form that earned him P2 at the season-opener in Prescott Valley, guiding his KTM 350 XC-F to the second-fastest qualifying time in the Hot Lap session with a 35.374s around the ultra-demanding, indoor course.
Hart was at his best throughout the remainder of the evening in Round 2, navigating the circuit with precision to pick up his first overall victory of the new season thanks to a convincing 2-1-1 scorecard.
Night two saw the 28-year-old again claim P2 on the qualifying timesheets, before recording 2-2-1 race results, which was enough to seal him the win again on Saturday, and take over the EnduroCross lead in these early stages.
Trystan Hart: “The nerves – no matter how much I said they didn’t get to me – they obviously got to me last week. I still got second last weekend, which I’m super-proud of, and then on night one here, Jonny [Walker] was really fast. It’s going to be a tough series, you can see that nothing’s going to be easy about this one, but what I want to be able to do this year is not back down under pressure. I was tied going into the last one tonight after a slow start, but I pulled the holeshot and never looked back! It feels great to double up on the wins here in Idaho, and we’re ready to continue at the next one.”
EX Pro Class Results – Round 2
1. Trystan Hart, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Jonny Walker, Triumph
3. Cooper Abbott, Kawasaki
EX Pro Class Results – Round 3
1. Trystan Hart, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Jonny Walker, Triumph
3. Colton Haaker, Kawasaki
UPCOMING OFFROAD RACES – OCTOBER 2025
10/26: Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 12
10/26: National Grand Prix Championship – Round 8
Ryder LeBlond races to 4-4 finishes at AMA EnduroCross double-header in Idaho Falls
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder LeBlond raced to a pair of consistent performances at Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2025 AMA EnduroCross Series in Idaho Falls, finishing fourth overall across each night after managing to win a race on Saturday evening inside the Mountain America Center.
Equipped with his Husqvarna FX 350, LeBlond qualified fifth for Friday night of the double-header during the Hot Lap session, carrying strong momentum into the racing as he looked to build on the previous round’s podium finish.
Posting 5-7 results over the first two Motos, he would then complete the night with a third-place result in the final encounter to secure fourth overall, just outside of the podium overall.
Night two saw LeBlond qualify seventh, before charging to fourth in Moto 1. Moto 2 saw the Pennsylvanian capture what was a spirited race win, clearing second place by almost three seconds as the checkered flag flew, and showing that race-winning pace is there for the 2025 season.
A P4 result in the final Moto was enough for him to again take home fourth overall on the night, and LeBlond maintains third position in the EX Pro Class series standings with 56 points as the championship heads to Redmond, Oregon, on November 8.
“It was a consistent weekend, but a challenging one,” LeBlond said. “We were right there in the majority of races and managed to win one when we got some clean air, so that was a positive – always a good feeling! We’ll keep pushing and try to keep improving again at the next one.”
EX Pro Class Results – Round 2
1. Trystan Hart, KTM
2. Jonny Walker, Triumph
3. Cooper Abbott, Kawasaki
4. Ryder LeBlond, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
EX Pro Class Results – Round 3
1. Trystan Hart, KTM
2. Jonny Walker, Triumph
3. Colton Haaker, Kawasaki
4. Ryder LeBlond, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
UPCOMING OFFROAD RACES – OCTOBER 2025
10/26: Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 12
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Korie Steede crowned GNCC WXC Champion
An instrumental victory at the 13th and final round of the 2025 Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede crowned WXC Class Champion in Ironman, Indiana, this past weekend.
Steede delivered on her promise in the WXC title chase, claiming six wins and an additional four podium finishes, capping off a convincing season for the 24-year-old from Ohio.
With the championship on the line at Ironman, Steede rose to the occasion on Sunday aboard her Husqvarna FC 250, winning the finale and securing the title by just two points.
“I have been dreaming about this!” Steede commented. “We’ve been grinding – eating, breathing, and sleeping this championship – and to come away with the win is honestly unreal. We’ve faced a lot of hardships on and off the track throughout the last 15 years of my career, and to enter next season with the number one plate feels amazing. I’ve been chasing this one for a while, so I am stoked to earn it and am looking forward to more battles in 2026.”
Former GNCC Champion Craig DeLong sat out the final round in Indiana. The Husqvarna FX 350 pilot completed this year’s XC1 Open Pro Class campaign in P8, after earning a podium earlier in the season at the Mountaineer GNCC.
WXC Class Results
1. Korie Steede, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Brandy Richards, KTM
3. Rachael Archer, Kawasaki
UPCOMING OFFROAD RACES – OCTOBER 2025
11/08: EnduroCross Series – Round 4
11/15: EnduroCross Series – Round 5
11/22: EnduroCross Series – Round 6
Third Consecutive AMA NGPC Crown for Mikayla Nielsen
This weekend during the final round of the AMA NGPC series in Laughlin, Nevada, SLR Honda rider Mikayla Nielsen wrapped up her third consecutive Pro Women National Championship with a solid second-place finish at Desert Empire Fairgrounds. The 20-year-old Riverside, California, resident dominated the popular closed-course off-road series, piloting her CRF250RX to class victories at the first six rounds before a water-polo injury forced her to race with a broken hand, resulting in second-place finishes at rounds 7 and 8.
It has been a busy year for Nielsen, who augmented her off-road racing with a steady diet of motocross, making her debut in that specialty’s top American series for females—the Women’s Motocross Championship—during the summer. Over the course of the WMX series’ six rounds, Nielsen tallied four overall-podium finishes (including an overall win at the opener), ultimately finishing a respectable third in the points battle.
“It was definitely an eventful year,” said Nielsen, who goes by the nickname Kay Kay. “Most of the season went pretty well for me. I was trying to get the perfect NGPC season, clicking off wins with the team, and it was fun getting to do WMX and race those tracks that I had seen on TV. Then I broke my hand and had to go into ‘limp mode’ to the finish. That was unfortunate and frustrating, but I have nothing to complain about; I’m glad I did the work early in the season so that I was able to salvage the championship after things went wrong. I’m looking forward to next year!”
“Congratulations to Mikayla and the entire SLR Honda team,” said Brandon Wilson, American Honda Manager of Racing and Advertising. “Together, they’ve dominated NGPC’s Pro Women class for the past two seasons, demonstrating the competitiveness of the CRF250RX in closed-course off-road racing. Nielsen is an inspiration and an example to not only women, but all aspiring racers, and we’re very pleased to have her associated with our brand, our racing program, and our products.”
Dunlop Dominates GNCC in 2025
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires once again proved its unmatched performance and durability in off-road racing, sweeping all three premier pro classes and claiming the overall championship in the 2025 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series.
From the demanding terrain of The Mountaineer to the legendary John Penton GNCC, Dunlop riders showcased the superior versatility and traction of Dunlop’s Geomax line, including the
AT82, MX34, MX53, MX14, and EN91. These championship-proven tires provided the grip, control, and confidence needed to conquer the world’s most challenging off-road courses.
XC1 Pro Champion – Ben Kelley (#530), FMF KTM Factory Racing:
Ben Kelley’s dominance was on full display throughout the 2025 GNCC season. Securing the XC1 Pro title at Round 11 of The Mountaineer GNCC, Kelley capped off an incredible year by also claiming the Overall GNCC Championship. His combination of precision, endurance, and consistency across some of the toughest terrain in off-road racing showcased both his skill and the confidence that Dunlop tires provide in every condition.
XC2 Pro Champion – Grant Davis (#922), FMF KTM Factory Racing:
Rising talent Grant Davis proved once again that he’s a force in off-road racing, earning his second consecutive XC2 Pro Championship. Davis clinched the title at Round 12 during the iconic John Penton GNCC, demonstrating unwavering speed and composure under pressure. His back-to-back titles further highlight the next generation of champions who trust Dunlop’s Geomax tires to deliver the traction and durability required to win at the highest level.
WXC Champion – Korie Steede (#444), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing:
Korie Steede’s determination defined the 2025 WXC Championship battle. Entering the final round with the title on the line, Steede delivered a commanding performance to secure the championship. Her season-long consistency and clutch final victory underscored the proven performance of Dunlop tires, which deliver confidence and control across every mile of GNCC’s rugged terrain.
“Winning every GNCC pro class and the overall championship is a testament to the riders’ talent and the tires beneath them,” said Chad Geer, Director of Motorcycle Product, Marketing, and Motorsports at Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. “The GNCC series pushes both rider and equipment to the limit, and Dunlop’s Geomax line continues to set the benchmark for performance in every condition.”
