I'm excited. One last show. This
is my home track."
Ashburn wasted little time
establishing himself at the front,
grabbing the holeshot ahead of
Russell, Phoenix Racing Honda's
Michael Witkowski and Draper.
The Honda rider continued to lead
through the opening nine miles,
but Russell was applying pressure,
with Draper lurking close behind.
Russell eventually found his
way past Ashburn, bringing
Draper along with him. Draper
primary title challenger.
The New Zealander, Draper,
meanwhile, had plenty of incen-
tive to finish the season on a high
note. He was chasing his first
GNCC Championship and his
first career overall victory, and the
Buckwheat 100 was practically a
home race for the Yamaha rider.
"I've spent a lot of time on
this property," said Draper, who
lives approximately 45 minutes
from the venue. "I like this area.
It's a lot of the terrain I race, and
Ashburn entered the 13th
and final round holding a nine-
point advantage over Steward
Baylor Jr, with Draper another
two points back. However, the
championship picture changed
dramatically before the green
flag even dropped when Baylor
announced he would sit out the
finale due to an injury suffered
the previous week.
The announcement removed
one of Ashburn's biggest
threats, leaving Draper as his
ROUND 13 / NOVEMBER 8, 2026
NEWBURG, WEST VIRGINIA
OFF-ROAD I PROGRESSIVE GRAND NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY SERIES
P90
