Steward Baylor Jr blasted into elite territory at Powerline Park, turning round seven into his personal showcase and becoming the second rider, alongside Phoenix Honda Racing’s Jordan Ashburn, to claim two wins in the wildly unpredictable 2026 Grand National Cross Country Series. The Red Bear Rocky Mountain Kawasaki rider didn’t just win; he owned the race, tightening the championship chase in the process.
Photos by Mack Faint
Ashburn rolled into Ohio with serious momentum, fresh off back-to-back wins in a season that’s been anything but predictable, with five different winners in the first five rounds. But Powerline Park had a different script. A gritty 10th-place finish was enough to keep Ashburn in the points lead, though his once-commanding 16-point advantage over AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper has been cut nearly in half to nine. Meanwhile, several early-season winners are fading from contention, adding another twist to an already chaotic title fight.
When the green flag dropped, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley launched to the holeshot, leading the charge into the woods ahead of Ashburn, Baylor and Draper. At the other end of the spectrum, AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell was last off the line after being caught sleeping at the drop of the flag.
Baylor wasted little time getting to work. By the 11-mile mark, he powered past Ashburn for second, then, just a mile later, dispatched Kelley to seize the lead, moving from third to first in a stunning burst. Behind him, the order shuffled quickly, with Ashburn slipping to fifth by the end of the opening lap as Draper and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong surged forward.
As the race unfolded, Ashburn’s struggles persisted, while Draper moved into second and Kelley held on in third. Russell clawed his way forward, slipping past Ashburn into fifth.
In the XC2 division, Liqui Moly Beta’s Jhak Walker controlled the class early, ahead of FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Jason Tino and Phoenix Honda Racing’s Gus Riordan. A slip by Walker opened the door for Tino and a charging Brody Johnson (Husqvarna).
Lap two saw DeLong step up the pace, moving into second behind Baylor, with Draper settling into third. Kelley and Russell followed, while Ashburn slipped just inside the top 10. Then came a pivotal moment on lap three. DeLong caught Baylor and made the move for the lead, with Baylor waving him on so he could study DeLong’s lines. Draper capitalized as well, dropping Baylor to third.
Baylor was playing the long game, and after a lap of observation, he struck back with precision, carving his way from third to first in a mile on the next lap, reclaiming control and leaving his rivals scrambling.
By lap five, Baylor was untouchable, extending his lead as the heat and technical terrain drained the field. While DeLong and Draper battled behind him, Baylor checked out, turning pressure into dominance. At the finish, the South Carolina native crossed the line a commanding 58 seconds ahead of DeLong, with Russell making an impressive charge to third.
“I just tried to find my flow,” Baylor explained. “I followed those guys for a bit, learned their lines, and once I got comfortable again, I picked them off fairly quickly. After that, it was smooth sailing.”
DeLong’s ride to second marked another step forward after finishing third in Tennessee, while Russell’s recovery from last to third showcased his trademark grit in what he called a “war of attrition.”
“I made a big push to the front halfway through, and it just felt nice to be up front leading laps,” said DeLong. “Once I got to the lead, I had to take a breather. It got hot there at the end. The track wasn’t rough, but it was technical, and it just took a lot out of me. I was struggling there at the end, but I gritted out that last lap to take second.”
Russell’s bike misfired at the start, forcing him to come from last to round out the podium in third.
“I knew after lap two that it was going to be a long race,” said Russell. “I got such a bad start again. My bike didn’t fire, and I had to fight my way through. Having to expend all that extra energy to bridge that gap was taxing. It was deceivingly rough and just beat the piss out of your body, your arms. My wrists and fingers are pretty shot right now, but I’m happy to land back on the podium.”
Draper, winless on the year, finished fourth, continuing the steady consistency that keeps him firmly in the title hunt, nine points behind Ashburn.
Riordan delivered a dominant performance in the XC2 class, securing his second win of the season and cracking the top five overall, finishing more than a minute clear of second-in-class Brody Johnson, with Tino third.
Earlier, Josh Strang finished sixth, ahead of Grant Baylor and Kelley, who continues to slide in the standings after another tough outing. Kelly’s FMF KTM Factory Racing teammate Grant Davis ended the day after just one lap, still feeling the effects of a crash from the previous round.
Ashburn, despite his struggles, managed to salvage a top-10 finish and retain the points lead. “Just one of those days,” he admitted. “I couldn’t stay on the ground, but we’ll bounce back.”
In the WXC division, Brandy Richards kept her hot streak alive, capturing her third straight victory in a thrilling late-race duel with Korie Steede. The win wasn’t decided until the final mile, when Steede pushed too hard in a final attempt to pass, ran wide into the bushes, and handed Richards the opening she needed to seal the deal.
“It came down to the very end,” Richards said. “We battled the whole race. That last mistake made the difference.”
Korie Steede ran wide in a final attempt to pass for the win and finished in second.Danielle McDonald rounded out the WXC podium, with Jocelyn Barnes and Lilley Sheets finishing in the top five.CN
2026 GNCC Round 7 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Steward Baylor Jr (Kaw) 03:11:12.414
- Craig DeLong (Hus) 03:12:11.039
- Kailub Russell (Yam) 03:12:35.539
- Liam Draper (Yam) 03:12:36.933
- Angus Riordan (Hon) 03:14:03.993
- Josh Strang (Bet) 03:14:29.370
- Grant Baylor (Kaw) 03:15:14.299
- Ben Kelley (KTM) 03:15:22.139
- Brody Johnson (Hus) 03:16:00.268
- Jordan Ashburn (Hon) 03:17:01.720
