Tennessee’s Jordan Ashburn thrilled the home crowd by becoming the first repeat winner in the 2026 Grand National Cross Country Series, edging Rocky Mountain Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor Jr by a razor-thin six-tenths of a second at Sunday’s Old Gray GNCC in Monterey, Tennessee. The Phoenix Honda rider secured his second straight victory in a heart-pounding round-six showdown, which ended with him being thrilled to take the win, while Baylor was left steaming mad.
By Shan Moore | Photography by Mack Faint
AmPro Yamaha legend Kailub Russell, the eight-time GNCC Champion, claimed third, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong was fourth, just two bikelengths back.
Coupled with a DNF from former points leader Ben Kelley (the FMF KTM Factory rider hit a tree on lap six but made it back to the pits under his own power), Ashburn’s win vaulted him into the series point lead by 16 points over AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper, who was seventh on the day.
It all started with Craig DeLong exploding off the line at the green flag, muscling his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna into the lead and dragging Kelley and Ashburn into a brutal, rock-choked opening lap. Baylor slotted in next, shadowed closely by Draper, while early chaos struck as Russell and FMF/KTM Factory rider Grant Davis went down in the first turn as a spattering of rain overnight made for a slick first lap.
By the five-mile mark, Baylor carved his way to the front, demoting DeLong to second as Ashburn and Phoenix Honda’s Mike Witkowski stayed in pursuit, with the front four crossing lap one nose to tail ahead of Kelley and Russell.
Trouble struck again early on lap two when Davis crashed and was shaken up, ending his day. Up front, Ashburn began reeling in Baylor, while Russell charged toward DeLong, setting up a battle for third. Russell made the pass on lap four, and moments later, after sustained pressure, Ashburn slipped past Baylor to take the lead.
Kelley suffered his incident during the sixth of seven laps while holding down sixth, several seconds ahead of Draper.
Six seconds separated the top four riders on the final lap of the race as Baylor picked up the pace, retaking the lead ahead of Ashburn, only to have Ashburn retaliate later in the lap, passing Baylor for the lead and ultimately edging the South Carolina rider for the win by the smallest of margins.
Ashburn was delighted to get the win in front of a partisan crowd.
“Having the home crowd pushing me made it even sweeter, but it was an all-day fight,” Ashburn said. “Stew and I were wheel-to-wheel the whole time; it was intense. The track was brutal and fast. I thought it was going to be a little slower, but the pace was fast, and you had to hit your marks, but I’m happy to get a win at home.”
Baylor, meanwhile, was noticeably upset after the race, alleging that Ashburn had taken advantage of a broken course ribbon on a degrading section of the course, where Ashburn made the winning pass on Baylor. Officials decided to take no action, saying the course had evolved, that the section in question, which involved a couple of trees, had become a safety issue, and that the difference was only a matter of a few feet and well within the 25-foot track boundary.
“I guess they’re not going to give me this one,” said Baylor. “What the hell does the string and ribbon mean? I stayed on the track, and I knew where the line was. I saw it. He passed me there twice. And yeah, I get racing incidents. And maybe he didn’t see that was string and ribbon, but it was marked like that with ribbon there before the race.
“[Overall], I rode a good race,” said Baylor. “The only reason I didn’t pull that one off is because of a bad line. But it was a good, positive day compared to some of the others. It was sketchy out there, and we were pushing the limits. I’m not pleased with the second, but it is what it is.”
To express his disappointment, Baylor did not join the podium celebration after the race.
At 36, Russell showed that age is just a number and that hard work often evens the playing field. He finished 11 seconds behind the two riders ahead of him.
“It’s nice to finally get up there this year,” said Russell. “It’s been a struggle. I felt like I should have been right here in this spot, battling for wins the whole time. I banged myself up in Florida, and it was a bummer because I was in great shape, riding well, and having a lot of fun. But this is a good start to the road back.”
Fresh off a podium finish at the Dukes GNCC two weeks earlier, Craig DeLong backed it up with another gritty performance in Tennessee, fighting his way to a hard-earned fourth by making the most of a strong start and a good battle with Russell that ended with a fall for DeLong.
“Russell kind of got away from me a little bit midway into the race, and I had to work to reel him back in,” said DeLong. “You couldn’t really get alongside and make a pass in the fields, so I tried to run it in on him with three turns to go. We were side by side, and we kind of came together, and I went down. But it was a good battle. The last two races are a step in the right direction and are much needed.”
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Mike Witkowski slotted into fifth, marking his third time finishing there this season—a picture of consistency that further cements his hold on fifth in the championship standings.
Sixth overall went to FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Tino, who delivered one of the race’s most thrilling moments with a decisive last-lap pass on Phoenix Honda Racing’s Gus Riordan. The move secured sixth overall and the top spot in the XC2 division, pushing Liam Draper to seventh. Riordan still salvaged a strong day, holding on to second in the class and eighth overall, while Liqui Moly Beta’s Jhak Walker—who early on shockingly led both the XC2 class and the overall field—slid back to ninth overall and third in class as the race wore on.
“At one point, Gus and I were about 30 seconds down on Walker, and I thought it was gone,” said Tino. “But we put the hammer down in the second half, and I was able to fight back and get the lead.”
Liqui Moly Beta’s Josh Strang continued his season-long streak of solid rides, rounding out the overall top 10.
The WXC Pro Women’s class delivered its share of edge-of-your-seat action as FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards clinched the victory with a dramatic last-lap pass on AmPro Yamaha’s Danielle McDonald. The two traded positions repeatedly in a slick, lapper-filled battle, making every decision critical.
“We struggled with the lappers,” Richards said. “We were passing each other back and forth, and the lappers just made it chaotic. Sometimes they’d move for the first rider and jump right in front of the second. It was definitely challenging, so I’m happy to come out on top.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing’s Korie Steede completed the podium, while Lilley Sheets (Yamaha) and Carly Lee (KTM) charged their way to fourth and fifth, respectively. CN
2026 GNCC Round 6 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Jordan Ashburn (Hon) 2:42:29.299
- Steward Baylor Jr (Kaw) 2:42:29.979
- Kailub Russell (Yam) 2:42:41.896
- Craig DeLong (Hus) 2:42:48.090
- Mike Witkowski (Hon) 2:43:43.331
- Josh Tino (KTM) 2:43:55.963
- Liam Draper (Yam) 2:44:04.059
- Angus Riordan (Hon) 2:44:27.952
- Jhak Walker (Bet) 2:44:54.496
- Josh Strang (Bet) 2:45:33.339
