This year’s Big Buck Grand National Cross-Country Series marked the start of the 50th anniversary of the series. And it’s only fitting that the season opener had a historic finish. For the first time ever, all three overall podium finishers were from the XC2 class.
Photos by Mack Faint
VIDEO | 2025 Big Buck GNCC Rnd 1 Highlights
This year’s Big Buck was one of the most difficult in recent memory. A hard rain the morning of the race made sure of that, leaving the South Carolina red clay prime for bike-swallowing ruts, almost unclimbable hills, deceptively deep waterholes, and a generally choppy and chewed-up course. This, of course, benefitted the XC2 riders, who start each race one minute behind the XC1 class, giving the XC2 riders the benefit of letting the bigger bikes break trail and establish which ruts are deep and which lines are fastest.
“When we start from behind, because the XC1 class is laying all the lines, it’s like when you’re cycling, you’re hopping behind someone and you get pulled along,” said XC2 rider FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers’ Angus Riordan, who was third overall. “Those boys are doing the hard yards, and we’re just learning from watching. It’s a lot less work.”
Surprisingly, in his first race in the XC2 class, Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Nick DeFeo, who grabbed the XC2 holeshot, took a massive win, topping his teammate, former XC1 rider Josh Toth, by over three minutes for the win. DeFeo started the second lap with the overall lead on adjusted time but eventually worked his way past all the XC1 riders and into the physical lead by the halfway mark, leading Toth and Riordan to the finish.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said DeFeo. “It’s just such a good feeling to stand on the top step. I put all the hard work into this offseason with the new team, and everything’s just flowing right now; it’s so amazing. It all came together out there. The bike just felt great. When you get into that flow, it just comes so naturally. I don’t even know what to say. I stayed calm and I wasn’t too worried. I kept my heart rate down, so I’m just out there on cruise. In these conditions, it just feels like I’m play-riding. I was having fun and going fast.”
Toth didn’t get off to as good of a start as DeFeo, but was up to second quickly, pushing his teammate all the while. Toth had to overcome a few mishaps, but his experience pulled him through, and he easily finished second overall and second XC2 rider.
“I didn’t know where we were at all,” said Toth. “I felt good all day, but this track was so tough on bikes; the clutch, just how hot it got with the mud and how sticky it was. But I was trying to manage it, and then I had a couple things go wrong. I ran over a fan on one of the hillclimbs and had to go back down, and then I got a big stick in my rear wheel with two laps to go, but luckily, a couple of guys were able to help me yank it out. I thought my bike was done, but I’m stoked on the ride. I had some good back-and-forth battles with Grant Davis, but congrats to Nick. He worked hard for it today.”
Riordan was unaware of his position as well and got stuck in deep ruts too many times to count. However, the Aussie never gave up, finishing 28 seconds ahead of FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley, still not knowing his position until he was told after the race.
“It was a bit of a tough one,” said Riordan. “I got stuck too many times. Even some of the local boys from where I’m from pulled me out of some ruts. I was really stuck, but that was aside from the back and forth of my way forward.”
Kelley was the winner of the XC1 class in fourth overall, even though Flatrock Motorclub GasGas Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir, and Husqvarna’s Lyndon Snodgrass each took turns leading the race during the first three laps.
Girroir failed to make a hill and flooded his bike when it landed upside down. He lost several minutes trying to get it to start and eventually had to bump-start it to return to the race.
Lap four was a tough one on the pre-race favorites and former champions, with Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor Jr. frying a clutch, AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper having to push his bike back to the pits for unknown reasons, and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong calling it quits for mechanical reasons.
Kelley, who says he’s nearly one hundred percent after several major injuries, was the first of the XC1 riders, finishing fourth overall. Kelley had problems keeping up with his position in the race, as well.
“Honestly, it’s hard to understand the pit boards out there saying that I was P1 XC1 but sixth overall,” said Kelley. “It was confusing. It was tough out there that first lap. All the water and trying to break that trail, it was just a little sketchy, and it was just crazy for the guys in front, but about two miles in, I just took a bad line to try to make a pass and just buried the bike.
“I had to get off and lift it out of there, so by that time I was already behind. I just kept plugging along all day. It was a tough track. It was really tricky and slick, and it was hard to figure out the lines. I was making a few mistakes and just riding a little tight and just awkward; just not like committing to stuff. I figured it out that last two laps, and I just never gave up, just kept plugging away. I’m obviously not happy with the result. I wanted to win; I wanted to be on the podium, but with the mistakes I made that first lap with how bad it was looking, I’m content with fourth and ready to move on to the next round.”
Phoenix Racing Honda’s JoJo Cunningham was another surprise, finishing fifth overall on adjusted time from the 250 A class. Cunningham had a good battle with Precision Off-Road/Viral Optics/Husqvarna’s Gavin Simon, but Cunningham came out on top to finish out the top five.
Simon finished sixth and second in the 250 A division, while Snodgrass Husqvarna’s Lyndon Snodgrass, who won the holeshot at the start of the race, was seventh overall and second in the XC1 class.
Last year’s wonder boy, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers’ Grant Davis, was fast but spent too much time in the deepest of ruts and finished eighth overall and fourth in the XC2 class. Meanwhile, Phoenix Honda Racing teammates Cody Barnes and Mike Witkowski rounded out the top 10.
Missouri’s James Jenkens (Yamaha) topped the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, finishing 17 minutes ahead of Luke Brown (Yamaha) of New Zealand. Isaiah Brown was third on a Yamaha.
Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Rachael Archer took the win in the Women’s WXC class, beating Canada’s Shelby Turner by nearly 19 minutes. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede was third, another 44 seconds back. CN
2025 Big Buck GNCC Round 1 Results
- Nick DeFeo (Kaw)
- Josh Toth (Kaw)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- JoJo Cunningham (Hon)
- Gavin Simon (Hus)
- Lyndon Snodgrass (Hus)
- Grant Davis (KTM)
- Cody Barnes (Hon)
- Mike Witkowski (Hon)
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