Words by : Steph Vetterly Photos by : Shan Moore
Coming into Round 6 of the Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized , an AMA National Championship , fan-favorite AmPro Yamaha ’ s Steward Baylor Jr was sitting just 10 points back behind the series leader of FMF / KTM ’ s Ben Kelley . But not for long . With a serious charge through the pack , and maintaining the front position alongside teammate Layne Michael , the Hoosier GNCC would see Baylor take his fourthconsecutive overall win .
Hosted at the iconic Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville , IN , one of the premiere motocross racing facilities in the country and home of the annual Ironman GNCC each fall , Round 6 marked the inaugural round of the Hoosier GNCC . The track saw changes from the usual Ironman GNCC track ; Ironman Hill was not part of the event , and due to the time of year , many of the fields were already seeded , so racing on them was not an option . The crew brought together some of the standard Ironman trails , as well as some property that hadn ’ t been used in several years , and connected parts of the track in ways that were completely unique and offered fantastic vantage points for spectators . Because parts of the track doubled back on themselves , almost forming clover-leaf patterns , spectators could stay in one location and have the opportunity to see riders multiple times each lap .
Off the start line , the XC1 Open Pro class saw the # 3 machine of Magna1 Motorsports Husqvarna ’ s Jordan Ashburn take the $ 250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award , with the # 989 of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna ’ s Thad Duvall and # 523 of AmPro Yamaha ’ s Layne Michael in hot pursuit . The first “ lap ” of the day started at mile eight , the “ Monster Mile .” Not even a mile in , Steward Baylor had already moved to the lead position from a fourth-place position off the line . Teammate Layne Michael played follow-the-leader and fell into second place behind Baylor . Finishing the last few miles of the almost 12-mile course , the first full lap saw another lead change when Michael saw an opening and was able to pass Baylor . Since the property is mostly flat , the track design favored strong sprint riders , which Baylor and Michael both excel at . Kelley had a decent start off the line , but was quickly shuffled back to a sixth-place position heading into the woods .
In the XC2 250 Pro class , 760Motosports Husqvarna ’ s Ben Nelko grabbed the $ 100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award , working his way up to a ninth-place overall position going in the first full lap , just behind AmPro Yamaha ’ s Mike
VOL . 6 ISSUE 6 - JUNE 2021 // PAGE 73