Stu Takes Two at Powerline Park GNCC
S
teward Baylor Jr blasted into
elite territory at Powerline
Park, turning round seven into
his personal showcase and
becoming the second rider,
alongside Phoenix Honda Rac-
ing's Jordan Ashburn, to claim
two wins in the wildly unpredict-
able 2026 Grand National Cross
Country Series. The Red Bear
Rocky Mountain Kawasaki rider
didn't just win; he owned the
race, tightening the champion-
ship chase in the process.
Ashburn rolled into Ohio with
serious momentum, fresh off
back-to-back wins in a season
that's been anything but predict
-
able, with five different winners in
the first five rounds. But Power-
line 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 Ash
-
burn 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, Ash
-
burn's struggles persisted, while
Draper moved into second and
Kelley held on in third. Russell
WIND
IN THE
P38
Steward Baylor
Jr became just
the second repeat
winner of the GNCC
Championship when
he took the victory
at the Powerline
GNCC in Ohio.
PHOTOS: MACK FAINT
