Steward Baylor Jr Tops Talladega GNCC
K
nown worldwide as a high-
speed, high-banked NASCAR
icon, Talladega Speedway is
synonymous with excitement
and chaos, and when the Grand
National Cross Country Series
came knocking, the second an-
nual Talladega GNCC, held in the
nearby woods, lived up to that
reputation in spectacular fash-
ion on March 8.
The event featured an excit-
ing, mud-drenched showdown in
which Red Bear Rocky Mountain
Kawasaki's Steward Baylor Jr.
took his second straight overall
win at the famed venue in just
its second year on the schedule.
Baylor navigated tough condi-
tions and late-race tension to
come out on top after a fierce
final lap battle with FMF KTM
Factory Racing's Grant Davis.
Heavy overnight rain set the
stage for the morning races, and
deepening ruts forced race offi-
cials to adjust the course before
the afternoon session. Making
the situation worse, the skies
opened once again just as the
XC1 Pro class launched off the
start line. Phoenix Honda Rac-
ing's Jordan Ashburn grabbed
the holeshot.
Deteriorating track conditions
quickly became the defining
challenge of the day, and Bay-
lor wasted little time moving to
the front, passing Ashburn just
a few miles into lap one. Davis
followed closely behind with
Ashburn and Phoenix Honda
Racing teammates Cody Barnes
and Mike Witkowski.
By lap two, ruts had reached
skid-plate depth, prompting race
control to shorten the event
from six laps to five. As the race
unfolded, AmPro Yamaha's Liam
Draper charged into third by the
end of lap three when Ashburn
lost valuable time in the pits
replacing a front-brake assem
-
bly. FMF KTM Factory Racing's
WIND
IN THE
P30
Steward Baylor Jr
repeated victory at
the Talladega GNCC.
PHOTOS: MACK FAINT
