History Made as XC2 250 Pros Sweep Big Buck Podium as the 2025 GNCC Season Kicks Off
Story: GNCC Press Release
February 17, 2025
VP Racing Big Buck Top Three Overall Finishers: Nick DeFeo (center), Josh Toth (left) and Angus Riordan (right).
Image: Mack Faint courtesy GNCC
Sunday morning of the VP Racing Big Buck GNCC, round one of the Progressive Insurance Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, was met with a brief thunderstorm and rain. The decision was made to combine the 8 am and 10 am amateur races, to preserve the track as best they could. The sun appeared bright in the sky as the rain headed out of the area, and racing was underway at 10 am on Sunday, February 16.
This season opener in South Carolina was anything by ordinary. As the green flag flew for the front row, XC1 Open Pro, it was the 2024 National Champion, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir grabbing himself the $250 Landers KTM XC1 Holeshot Award. Misfortune would strike Girroir as he found himself stuck on a hill and suffering from some bad luck at the first round.
XC2 250 Pro competitor, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green's Nick DeFeo earned the overall win in South Carolina.
Image: Mack Faint courtesy GNCC
Some riders who would have luck on their side at round one was the trio of XC2 250 Pro racers, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Nick DeFeo, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Toth and FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Angus Riordan. DeFeo would start his day by claiming the $150 Landers KTM XC2 Holeshot Award, and battle at the front of his class throughout lap one before moving into the lead position. With adjusted time, DeFeo would lead the overall before physically gaining the lead position.
DeFeo would continue to push himself through the slick, muddy conditions to come away with his first career Overall and XC2 250 Pro class win at the 2025 season opener in South Carolina. His teammate, Toth, would follow and earn second overall and in the XC2 class while Riordan held onto third overall on the day and third in the XC2 class, making it the first-ever XC2 250 Pro class sweep for the top three overall positions.
After steadily making his way towards the front of the pack, FMF KTM Factory Racing Ben Kelley would carefully make his way into the XC1 Open Pro class lead with two laps remaining. Kelley would ultimately cross the line fourth overall on the day, but he would earn the XC1 Open Pro class win to start the year.
FMF KTM Factory Racing's Ben Kelley would take home the XC1 Open Pro class win.
Image: Mack Faint courtesy GNCC
Coming through fifth and sixth overall were two, 250 A competitors, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Joseph Cunningham and Precision Off-Road/Viral Optics/Husqvarna’s Gavin Simon. Both Cunningham and Simon would push themselves through the conditions to score a top 10 overall finish position on the day.
Lyndon Snodgrass would be the second XC1 Open Pro racer to take the checkered flag, while finishing seventh overall on the day. Snodgrass had a good start to the day and would even hold the lead on the opening lap, but he would find himself in fourth for the next two laps. Snodgrass pushed his way back up and would finish second in XC1.
The defending XC2 250 Pro Class Champion, FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis would run at the front for the first part of the race before encountering some problems later in the day. Davis would finish the day fourth in class and eighth overall.
Phoenix Racing Honda teammates Cody Barnes and Michael Witkowski would round out the top 10 overall finishers on the day at Big Buck, while Barnes finished fifth in the XC2 class and Witkowski earned the last spot on the XC1 Open Pro podium in third.
Finishing just outside of the top 10 overall finishers in 11th was Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang. AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell made his return to GNCC Racing and would finish 14th overall and fifth in XC1 on the day. Bi-Con Services/Ryder Lafferty and Girroir would finish sixth and seventh in XC1. After a good start to the day, Flatrock Motorclub GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn would complete four of the five laps at round one.
VP Racing Big Buck GNCC Top Three XC1 Open Pro finishers: Ben Kelley (center), Lyndon Snodgrass (left) and Michael Witkowski (right).
Image: Mack Faint courtesy GNCC
Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Steward Baylor would be seen pushing his bike through the facility back to his pits after completing three laps, while other top competitors like Enduro Engineering Triumph Racing’s Ricky Russell, AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper and Racecraft Racing Team’s Thad Duvall would also only be able to complete three laps at round one. Unfortunately, Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig Delong was only able to complete two laps before having mechanical issues that forced him to retire from the race early.
In the XC3 125 Pro-Am class it was James Jenkins getting the early lead after Luke Brown earned the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales Holeshot Award. Jenkins would hold the lead as they came through on the opening lap, with Brown working his way back up to second. Jenkins continued to place a gap over the rest of the XC3 class and would earn the round one win. Brown crossed the line second, while Isaiah Brown battled back to finish third in the class.
As the morning bike race took off it was Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer getting through the first turn to earn the $100 Landers KTM WXC Holeshot Award. Archer would continue to lead the way for the duration of the race, continuing her winning ways and taking the early points lead in defending her National Championship. Second overall in the morning race went to Colton McQuarrie in the 150 B Schoolboy (12-17) class, while third overall would go to Gary Fridley in the Super Senior A (45+) class.
With Archer taking the WXC class win, Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner would battle her way her way back up towards the front of the class and make the pass for second in the WXC class. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede would have a good start to the day, and battle at the front of the class for the majority of the race. Steede would continue to hold a podium position until the checkered flag came out and she crossed the line third in the class. FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers Brandy Richards and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Tayla Jones would round out the top five WXC class finishers at the season opener in South Carolina.
