The 2025 Snowshoe GNCC, round nine of the Grand National Cross Country Series, was nothing short of electrifying! Held at the picturesque Snowshoe Ski Resort in West Virginia, this year’s event was a nail-biter, featuring three lead changes on the final lap alone. Fans witnessed one of the most thrilling GNCC finishes ever, which winner Josh Toth will never forget.
Photography by Mack Faint
Toth and his Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki teammate, Steward Baylor Jr (XC1 Open Pro class), were the stars of the show, each battling through their own set of challenges. Baylor rode with a torn ligament in his ankle, while Toth navigated the treacherous terrain on a badly deteriorating rear tire along the 12-mile rocky and slick course.
Snowshoe is unlike any other race. The unique start has riders lined up in rows in groups of five on the resort’s concrete streets, with a live-engine start.
FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Grant Davis (XC2 class) and KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley (XC1 Open Pro class) were first and second, respectively, in the overall points standings leading up to the event, starting on the first row with just a four-point difference between them, 177 to 173. The other three front-row starters were Baylor, Davis’ teammate Angus Riordan and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes.
Baylor, who has yet to win the Snowshoe race, positioned himself well off the start from the front row. However, Toth’s Connecticut rock and mud riding experience paid off, as he effortlessly surged from the second-row start to the front, while Kelley encountered a significant setback following an early fall.
The race featured intense battles, with Enduro Engineering Triumph’s Rick Russell and Davis swapping the lead. By the second lap, Davis claimed the front position, followed by Baylor and Russell, while Kelley and others contested for fourth place.
On lap four, Davis encountered a broken shift lever, which dropped him out of the top 10, leaving Toth, whose rear tire was in bad shape, and Baylor to battle for the lead. Davis ultimately finished the race in 11th overall and fifth in XC2.
As the final lap approached, Toth’s pit crew readied to change tires, but Toth opted to push through on his worn tire.
Baylor, sensing an opportunity, made a daring pass at the 10-mile mark.
The lead changed hands twice before the finish, with Baylor crossing the line first. However, Toth’s starting position in the second row gave him the advantage at the finish on adjusted time, securing the XC2 250 Pro win and overall win by just three seconds. Baylor was awarded second place overall and the XC1-class win.
Toth, exhausted, headed straight to the medic’s tent to recover, while Baylor shared his thoughts on the race. “That was crazy,” Baylor said. “The X2 kids were wild from the start. I blew the quick connect off my drink system… I had no water all day and was cramping up. I finally caught Josh but made a mistake and lost time. I managed to pass him again but went down just before the finish. It was brutal.”
Kelley, who finished third overall and second in XC1, now leads the championship standings by seven points over Davis, 194 to 187. “That was the hardest Snowshoe I’ve ever done,” Kelley said. “I was cramping up so bad, but I’m pumped to finish on the podium.”
Flatrock Motorclub GasGas’ Jordan Ashburn, known for his hard enduro skills, thrived in the challenging terrain, finishing fourth overall and third in XC1. “I had a lot of ground to make up, but I charged all day,” Ashburn said. “The other side of the track was brutal, and the speeds were intense.”
Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki’s Grant Baylor rounded out the top five overall and fourth in XC1, with Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes (XC2) and Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang (XC1) completing the top seven. Brody Johnson (XC2), Nick DeFeo (XC2) and Craig DeLong (XC1) completed the overall top 10.
In the XC3 class, Bonecutter Off-Road/GasGas-backed racer Jonathan Johnson completed six laps to secure the class win, marking his fourth of the season. Finishing second was Marionville Powersports/Hinson/Fly Racing’s James Jenkins, who had a steady day in the number-two position. Rounding out the top three was Beta Off-Road/Estes Motorsports/Wossner Piston’s Riley Messer, who battled back from a fifth-place start to finish third.
Lane Whitmer earned the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC top Amateur honors by battling through to finish 15th overall and secure the 250 A class win. His brother, Cole, claimed second Amateur, finishing 17th overall while winning the Open A class. Joseph Cunningham completed the top Amateur podium after finishing 19th overall and taking home second place in 250 A.
In the morning race, it was the WXC class heading into the woods first as Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer grabbed the early lead. Archer continued to push through and controlled the number-one position till the finish. Archer continues to hold the WXC points lead as the series heads into its summer break.
Enduro Engineering-backed Shelby Turner battled her way up to the front of the pack after running as far back as fifth. Turner put her head down and went on to finish second for her third podium of the season. AmPro Yamaha’s Danielle McDonald took third. CN
2025 GNCC Round 9 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Josh Toth (Kaw) 03:10:04.971
- Steward Baylor (Kaw) 03:10:07.454
- Benjamin Kelley (KTM) 03:12:04.773
- Jordan Ashburn (GG) 03:13:16.459
- Grant Baylor (Kaw) 03:17:16.056
- Cody Barnes (Hon) 03:17:44.890
- Josh Strang (Bet) 03:18:22.879
- Brody Johnson (Hon) 03:18:49.997
- Nick DeFeo (Kaw) 03:19:39.370
- Craig DeLong (Hus) 03:19:56.170
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