Johnny Girroir claims a maiden Grand National Cross Country title at the 2024 Mountaineer GNCC, the FMF KTM rider takes the crown three rounds early after Steward Baylor goes out.

Consistency is key in racing and Johnny Girroir has surely proved that in 2024 finishing on the podium through the opening 10 rounds, including four victories along the way, the FMF KTM rider is the new GNCC champion.

After taking XC2 250 Pro Class title in 2021, then moving up to the big bikes in XC1 a year later, Girroir has had more than his share of injuries along the way. But this year has been a model of how to win in GNCC with all the podiums and the kind of form displayed by so many before him including Kailub Russell.

Johnny Girroir: “This is my childhood dream and I took every path on the way to being here, took the hardest roads, and none of this has come easy. Anyone out there chasing their dreams, you can do it, keep on pushing and put your head down – keep fighting!

Thank you to FMF KTM Factory Racing, the entire crew, my family, and everybody behind us for being part of this championship.”

In truth, a “calculated” 12th-place finish – eighth position in the XC1 Open Pro Class – at Round 11 wasn’t the most exciting way to seal a championship for Girroir (see Josep Garcia’s day one win for the EnduroGP crown this weekend). His cause to take the title after an impressive season was helped massively by nearest points challenger Steward Baylor going out of the race.

There must be something about the Kawasaki’s in GNCC when the conditions are tough, Baylor was just one of the victims of the dust having ridden in the thick of it.

’22 champ Ashburn takes first win of the season

The Mountaineer GNCC was won by Jordan Ashburn, the former champ getting away fast and staying ahead of the field on a super-dusty day in West Virginia.

After recent GNCC races have seen the XC2 250 Pro riders battling for the overall, round 11 saw the big bikes back on top with Kiwi Liam Draper hounding Ashburn home for second, just 30 seconds adrift on the AM Pro Yamaha.

Third and recording his bets results in a couple of years was Trevor Bollinger on the Rockstar Husqvarna who clocked in just a couple of seconds ahead of the XC2 winner, Grant Davis.

The FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers rider made it five-straight XC2 250 Pro Class wins to extend his points lead to 54 ahead of teammate Gus Riordan, fourth today, and stand on the brink of the ’24 title.

Grant Davis: “I got the holeshot and was pumped going into the woods, because I knew that would be key today. We were rolling pretty fast today, aside from a pretty hard crash there in the late stages, but other than that it was a good day!”

Mountaineer GNCC 2024 PM race results:

WXC fight continues

The 2024 WXC keeps on keeping on with points leader Rachel Archer having a fight on her hands this year with Brandy Richards arriving from the West Coast. Round 11 sees Richards earn back-to-back WXC race victories after a race-long battle with Archer who crashed on the last lap.

Archer still has the points lead in hand with 275 to Richards’ 257 but with two rounds remaining, it’s close.

Brandy Richards: “It was a great race today. I was second off the start, made a few mistakes, but I was able to sprint to the end and brought it home on the last lap.”

Mountaineer GNCC 2024 PM race results:

Photo Credit: Mack Faint