BY SHAN MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MACK FAINT
F
ilmmaker and martial artist Jackie Chan
once said, "He who strikes the first blow
sets the tone for the remainder of the ef
-
fort." On the other hand, Forrest Gump remind-
ed us that "life is like a box of chocolates—
you never know what you're going to get."
That blend of preparation and unpredictability
is exactly why we line up to race. Interestingly,
seven former GNCC Champions graced the
starting grid for this year's Big Buck GNCC,
making for some very compelling racing.
FMF KTM Factory Racing rider Johnny Gir
-
roir set the tone for the 2026 season by draw-
ing first blood at the Big Buck, coming from
behind to take a solid win.
Girroir spent most of last year watching
from the sidelines due to an injury, so many
wagerers put their money on Girroir's young
teammate, Grant Davis. And Davis was
impressive in his first race on a 350, trading
the lead during the first half of the race with
Phoenix Honda Racing's Jordan Ashburn.
In difficult
conditions,
Johnny
Girroir rises to
the top at the
GNCC opener
in South
Carolina.
Johnny Girroir
made the best of
a bad situation to
win the opening
round of the GNCC
Championship in
South Carolina.
GRITTY
ROUND 1 / FEBRUARY 15, 2026
BIG BUCK FARM / UNION, SOUTH CAROLINA
OFF-R0AD I PROGRESSIVE GRAND NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY SERIES
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