A pivotal penultimate round victory was delivered by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Craig DeLong in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series at The Buckwheat 100, placing him at the top of the championship standings with just one race remaining in season 2023.
DeLong entered round 11 facing a deficit of five points in the XC1 Pro Class points, with a winner-takes-all scenario appearing as the only way to take this year’s title. Arriving in West Virginia with a champion mindset, DeLong pieced together a flawless day, which saw him lead for the entirety of the seven-lap duration and capture his third GNCC win of the year.
Crucially, DeLong now sits 23 points clear atop the XC1 Pro Class standings heading into the final round in Crawfordsville, Indiana, adding to the incredibly competitive story that has been this year’s Grand National Cross Country Series season.
“It goes without saying, today was a huge result,” commented DeLong. “This year has been a massive battle and to grab the win here was just what we needed for our championship. I came into today with the mindset to win, I knew that we needed it, and I just put my head down and made it happen. The team and I worked great together today and now we’ve got one round left to seal this championship. We’ll be ready for Ironman.”
Teammate Trevor Bollinger continues his return to competitive GNCC form, powering his FX 350 up through the field following an 11th-place start. An impressive charge resulted in him equalling his season-best result of sixth position on Sunday.
“I had another solid day today, finishing with a P6 result,” recalled Bollinger. “My health is continuing to come back to me and so are the comfort levels, so as we keep locking in as a team and get race laps under our belts, we will only get stronger. One round to go in this year’s GNCC championship, so we’re looking to finish the series off with a good result in Indiana.”
The 12th and final round of the 2023 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series takes place at the Ironman Raceway in Indiana between October 19-22.
Next Round (12): Ironman Raceway, IN – October 19-22, 2023
The Buckwheat 100 GNCC Results
XC1 Open Pro Class
1. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Ricky Russell, (YAM)
3. Josh Strang, (KAW)
4. Jordan Ashburn, (HQV)
…
6. Trevor Bollinger – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Overall Championship Standings
1. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 233 points
2. Steward Baylor Jr, 210
3. Ben Kelley, 200
…
17. Trevor Bollinger – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 50
