Cycle News Staff | October 23, 2023
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong started the year just hoping to get his first win. He ended it by winning his first Pro National title. Coming into the Ironman GNCC, the 12th and final round of the Grand National Cross-Country series, only DeLong and Tely Energy Racing/Rocky Mountain ATV-MC KTM’s Steward Baylor had a mathematical chance to win the XC1 Open Pro GNCC National Championship.
XC1 Podium. Photos: Ken Hill
Heading into the previous round, DeLong and Baylor were tied in points for the overall lead, but an unfortunate mechanical problem for Steward left him with a 20th-place finish, which put him at a 22-point deficit coming into Ironman. The bottom line was if Steward took the win, DeLong only needed to finish 13th.
However, it was 35-year-old Babbitt’s Online Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Strang who became the eighth different winner in the 12-race series.
Josh Strang ended the season with a win.
Despite the large cushion, DeLong grabbed the holeshot to start the race and led the XC-1 class into the woods to start lap one. As usual, Steward and his brother, Grant, were further down the pack, with Steward holding around seventh and Grant outside the top 10—that wouldn’t last.
A few miles into the first lap, defending champ, Magna1 Racing Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn, passed DeLong to take the lead, while Strang, who has been on fire the last few races, held down third.
Delong came out swinging in the XC1 race.
On lap three, it was FMF KTM’s Ben Kelley making an outside pass on Ashburn to take the lead.
At the halfway mark, Ashburn, Strang, Kelley, FMF KTM’s Johnny Girroir and Steward were in a dogfight for the lead, while DeLong dropped back. Strang took over the lead when Ashburn bobbled in the woods. Meanwhile, Steward was close behind Strang with Girroir in third.
Stew Baylor landed on the podium in second.
At the finish, the order was Strang, Steward, Girroir, Grant Baylor and AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell. DeLong finished eighth, which was more than enough to wrap up the title. With the win, Strang tied Fred Andrews on the XC1 career win list.
“Sounds pretty darn good to me,” said DeLong. “In the race, I wanted to come out and win. I got up front there and I just didn’t feel like I really wanted to go that fast, honestly. Those guys were going fast. I kind of just managed it. Man, what a year. Kind of speechless.”
Craig Delong wrapped up the XC1 championship.
DeLong was the only rider to get three wins this season while scoring points at every single round.
“Honestly, at the beginning of the year, I wanted to win the championship,” said DeLong. “But my goal was to win a race. Obviously, the biggest goal was to win a championship, but I never believed that until I got that first win, I was up front, and I had to change my goals. It was just a new maturity that I needed to learn. I’m just so lost for words.”
Strang started putting pressure on Ashburn, finally taking the lead on the final lap.
Strang clinched his first win of the season.
“I haven’t done anything differently,” said Strang. “You put positive people in your group and believe in yourself and work hard, and this is what the result is. It’s unfortunate that it’s taken this long to get back to where I knew I could be, but that’s what it is. It was a good day.”
Steward Baylor came up short in his bid for the title with a second-place finish, but the South Carolina rider vowed to come back even stronger next year.
Johnny Girroir rounded out the podium.
“I said it a couple of weeks ago; all I got to do to leave this season is knowing I did everything I could, and I did that,” said Steward. “I would have loved to get the win, but the old dog has got a few tricks. Everywhere I moved, he [Strang] knew I was coming. It was fun racing. Between him and myself and Johnny, those last couple of laps, the only thing that made the difference was the lappers. All I could do was put my head down and do what I could. I’m starting to run out of ‘maybe next year’s.”
Delong scored points at every round this year.
Girroir rounded out the podium in third. “It was a trail ride, basically,” said Girroir. “There were eight or 10 of us together. I started pushing after the pit stop and found myself in a podium position. Then I followed Strang for a lap, and then Stew got in there. Me and Stew went back and forth a couple of times. It was good, hard racing and a fast track. Just hard to make up ground. Everyone was close. It was a good day of racing and a good way to end the year on the box. I’m already looking forward to next year.”
Babbitt’s Online Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Grant Baylor did as expected and turned it on during the final stages to secure fourth after starting just outside the top 10. Russell ended his day in fifth.
Gus Riordan won the XC2 race.
Ben Kelley followed in sixth for the day. “Today was a big step in the right direction,” said Kelley. “This was the most comfortable I have felt on my bike all season long, and it showed, as I had the speed to make it from the midfield and to the front by the second lap. After the pit stop, I struggled to hold the pace necessary and dropped back over the last couple of laps. I fought until the end, finished with sixth place on the day, and third overall in the standings. The track here was super-fast, with lots of big holes, and the lead pack was in a freight train today! I’m happy to head into the break now and come back stronger next year.”
Liam Draper took the XC2 Pro Championship.
Ashburn finished in seventh after his mishap, with DeLong in eighth.
RPM Racing KTM’s Angus Riordan won the XC2 250 Pro class with ninth place overall. Meanwhile, AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper took the XC2 250 Pro Championship with a 10th-place finish.
Draper celebrates with the Am Pro Yamaha Team.
“It was a stressful day,” said Draper. “I think I overthought it way too much. Didn’t ride that great. Gus rode his heart out. Credit to him. He did what he needed to do. I followed him today and brought this thing home. I’m pretty stoked. I just treated it like another race; just came in thinking it was another day at the office, really. Not think too much about this championship, but you’re always going to think about it when it comes down to it.”
WXC start.
Strang’s win made for eight different winners in this year’s series, while DeLong was the only rider with three wins.
Jhak Walker (Husqvarna) topped Drew Callaway (Yamaha) by eight minutes to win the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class. Mathew Sims was third on a Yamaha.
Archer took another WXC win.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer, who clinched the WXC Pro Women’s title at the previous race, won again ahead of Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Korie Steede and Prestin Raines (GG).
- Josh Strang (Kaw)
- Steward Baylor (KTM)
- Johnny Girroir (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (Kaw)
- Ricky Russell (Yam)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Jordan Ashburn (Hus)
- Craig DeLong (Hus)
- Angus Riordan (KTM) XC2 250
- Liam Draper (Yam) XC2 250
