Steward Baylor Earns First-Ever Talladega GNCC Overall Win in Challenging Conditions

The third round of the Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series unfolded at Talladega under drastically different weather conditions than the previous day.

Heavy rain and storms in the morning created a slick, muddy course, adding another layer of difficulty for the riders.

Australians Angus Riordan and Tayla Jones delivered strong performances, with Riordan securing a podium finish in the XC2 250 Pro class and Jones claiming third in the WXC race.

As the XC1 Open Pro class launched off the line, Liam Draper secured the Holeshot Award, but Steward Baylor took control early. Despite the treacherous conditions, Baylor pushed hard to stay ahead, especially as the XC2 250 Pro riders were setting the fastest times on adjusted scoring.

By the final lap, Baylor had built a two-minute gap, crossing the line to claim his first-ever overall victory at Talladega. Grant Davis led for much of the race on adjusted time but encountered trouble late, ultimately securing second overall while earning his second consecutive XC2 250 Pro class victory.

“That was a tough but fun race,” Baylor said. “I knew I had to play the long game out there. On the last lap, I really tried to just ride smooth and stay in my own race. I went back to hitting the main lines, and that worked out for me. I’m happy to get a win after a few tough races.”

Craig Delong put in a solid ride, maintaining a steady pace to finish third overall and second in the XC1 Open Pro class.

Another standout performance came from Michael Witkowski, who overcame a tenth-place start to charge through the pack, finishing third in XC1 and fourth overall.

Rounding out the top six were XC2 250 Pro contenders Cody Barnes and Australian Angus Riordan, who finished fifth and sixth overall, respectively, while also securing podium spots in the XC2 class.

Benjamin Kelley battled his way from mid-pack to finish fourth in XC1 and seventh overall, while Chase Landers claimed eighth overall and the Top Amateur honor as the 250 A class winner.

Liam Draper and Kailub Russell rounded out the top ten, while defending National Champion and previous round winner Jonathan Girroir had a rough race, finishing 11th overall and seventh in XC1 after issues on the final lap.

In the XC2 class, Nick DeFeo took home the Holeshot Award.

Archer Claims WXC Victory in Shortened Morning Race

Rain continued into the morning race, but once conditions were deemed safe, the WXC class took off, with Korie Steede earning the Holeshot Award. However, Rachael Archer quickly took control of the lead.

Due to deteriorating track conditions, the race was shortened to two laps, and Archer claimed the overall victory, marking her second WXC win of the season. Steede held onto second while Australian Tayla Jones rounded out the podium in third.

“The first lap was actually fun, the second was out of control out there! Happy to bring the Phoenix Racing Honda 250 to the finish and on the box for P3—onto the next,” Jones said.

Another Australian, Danielle McDonald, made her highly anticipated GNCC debut at Talladega, where she battled tough conditions after a long recovery from injury. Reflecting on her return, she said:

“We are finally back racing!! And what a race to come back to. The track was looking unreal until the heavens opened up Saturday night. Super tough conditions for Round 3 of the GNCC at Talladega. After nearly five months off the bike and very little bike time before the race, I definitely didn’t get the result I was wanting. Back to work for Round 4 in a few weeks—we’ll be back stronger!”

After a two-week break, the GNCC Racing Series returns for the FMF Camp Coker Bullet at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve in Society Hill, South Carolina, on March 29-30.