No XC2 racer had ever been able to hold on until the end to take an overall win until earlier this season when Josh Toth was able to claim the XC2 and overall race win at The General GNCC back in March. This was a pretty huge moment, but with an overly saturated and slick race that was shortened to two hours due to track conditions, versus the typical three-hour pro bike race, many wondered if a racer would be able accomplish this again.

Well, Grant Davis accepted the challenge, and the Buckwheat event was just hardpacked slick enough to favor the smaller 250cc machine. Davis would hold on to earn not only the XC2 class win but the overall win as well thus becoming just the second racer in the 17-year history of the XC2 class to earn the overall win from the second row.

Johnny Girroir would take the XC1 class win, and second place overall with Draper a career-best second place in the XC1 class and third place overall in his first race in the XC1 row. Jordan Ashburn would round out the XC1 podium in third, and fourth place overall while 2021 GNCC Champ Ben Kelley would return to the series for the first time in 2024 after a preseason injury and take fifth place overall. In the XC2 class, Angus Riordan would end the day with a solid second place finish with Cody Barnes rounding out the XC2 podium in third.

The Mountaineer GNCC

The series would then transition a little further south in West Virginia to the Summit Bechtel Reserve for The Mountaineer GNCC. This venue was added to the series back in 2019 and has gained a reputation as one of the rockiest and toughest events of the season. This year saw overly dry conditions, so couple some talcum powder-style silt in between those rocks, and you’ve got a pretty unique and brutal race.

This one was just a pretty odd race from the get-go as Craig Delong, Lyndon Snodgrass, and Ricky Russell would all find themselves out of the race on the first lap for various reasons, and Johnny Girroir would suffer a freak mechanical issue on the first lap that left him buried deep in the pack. Leading the way on lap one would actually be Mike Witkowski with Jordan Ashburn, who excels in rocky conditions, on his rear wheel in second and Draper holding down the third-place spot early.

Steward Baylor Jr. has been notoriously good at The Mountaineer in the past, but he would also fall victim to The Mountaineer’s 2024 gremlins as he would end up out of the race on lap three with a mechanical issue of his own. Ashburn would eventually find his way into the lead, with Witkowski hanging tough in the second-place position while Draper continued to run in podium contention in third. These guys would pretty much ride this way for the majority of the event, but Trevor Bollinger was able to put on a charge to close in on Draper for the third-place spot.

By the end of the race, Ashburn was able to build up a 42 second lead but it would actually be Witkowski who would fall out of podium position on the last lap. Draper was able to hold off Bollinger for second while Bollinger would earn his first podium finish of 2024 with a third place. Fourth place overall would actually go to XC2 class winner, Davis, while Witkowski ended up fourth in the XC1 class and fifth place overall and Evan Smith would ride to a solid fifth place finish in the XC1 class.

Girroir would finish 12th overall in the race, which would allow him to clinch the 2024 Overall GNCC National Championship two rounds early.

One of the most impressive rides of The Mountaineer event would come from 250 A class racer, Nick DeFeo who would end the day with a solid seventh place overall which is undoubtedly one of the highest amateur finishes since the addition of the XC2 and XC3 classes. This would also be good enough for DeFeo to wrap up the overall amateur honors for the year, sitting an impressive 13th place in the overall point standings after The Mountaineer. DeFeo would then make his XC2 debut at The John Penton, riding to a solid fifth place finish and improving him to 12th overall in the point standings. Sitting at 12th, DeFeo currently sits tied as the highest amateur racer since the XC2 class was added. He ties that 12th place position with Cory Buttrick, who took a similar route back in 2008 wrapping up the 4-Stroke A Lites class before summer break, and moving into the XC2 ranks for the final four rounds and ending the season 12th place overall.

The John Penton GNCC

The southern Ohio clay that The John Penton GNCC is famous for is arguably the slickest substance on the face of the earth. If you’ve never experienced a Southern Ohio mud race, picture this; try riding a dirt bike on an iced-over sheet of glass that is covered with Vaseline. And then, if it’s not still raining on top of it, try riding through a giant field of peanut butter. That’s pretty much what it’s like. I grew up in North Carolina and I thought red clay was pretty slick, but I’m here to tell my fellow southeastern red clay riders, we’ve got nothing on those Ohio folks.

Rain fell throughout the Friday leading into the race weekend, but it was never a heavy amount and while Saturday’s ATV races started out a bit on the muddy side, by the end of the day the dirt was actually in really good shape minus some of the hardpacked slick spots. However, another rain shower would roll through Saturday night and put conditions basically right back where they were at when the race weekend began. This made for some slick conditions early, but by the time the PM bike Pro race took to the track, things had really come around and the overwhelming majority of the racecourse was actually in really good shape.

However, even with some primo dirt conditions, The John Penton GNCC racecourse always has a bit of a ringer thrown in the mix for the Pro bike race and that is none other than the infamous John Penton Section. This is a special area of about 165 acres that is always reserved specially for the afternoon bike racers. Its full of tight, twisty, and technical single track and most of the time is laid out by Jeff Hupp, a friend of the GNCC track crew who is a former local A-level enduro racer who begins his prep for the next John Penton Section when the current one ends. Rumor has it Hupp is already out in the woods working on trails for next year’s John Penton Section!

Anyway, this section coupled with some other slick areas would once again lend its hand to the smaller 250cc machine and Davis would once again be prepared to step up to the challenge. However, this time taking the time adjusted overall win wouldn’t be quite enough, Davis wanted to physically claim the overall win. In the XC1 class, Russell would take the early lead before Draper would take over the lead on lap two with Ashburn close behind.

It would once again by Davis leading the XC2 class and holding down the overall lead on adjusted time throughout the entire race. Ashburn was able to make his way into the XC1 lead on the final lap, but Davis was on a charge, he wanted that physical overall win and would close up on Ashburn’s rear wheel by the final portions of the race. When the checkered flag flew Ashburn was still able to physically cross the finish line in first, but Davis would cross just seconds behind him to once again take the overall win on adjusted time.

In doing so, Davis becomes the only rider to hold down TWO overall wins from the XC2 class. Not bad considering this young man just claimed his first ever XC2 class podium at the end of 2023, and his first win at round two this season! Davis has become the next big name in the GNCC world. Ashburn would take the XC1 class win and second place overall with Draper taking second place in XC2 and third overall and Kelley rounding out the XC1 class podium and fourth place overall. Meanwhile, in the XC2 class, Riordan would take second place with Cody Barnes rounding out the XC2 podium in third.

With these three rounds in the books, only one remains and it’s the biggest of them all: the season-finale Ironman GNCC. This event frequently sees upwards of 2,500 racers and over 10,000 spectators on site throughout the weekend. This is a favorite among fans and racers alike, and for good reason. The course is always a fun one and this year is shaping up to be no different. While championships are already decided, everyone still aims to end the season on a high note and there’s no doubt that this year’s edition of the Ironman could be one for the ages.