Historic Weekend in Palatka Walker Wins, Barnes Podiums Strang Top 5

Palatka, FL

Round Two

March 1st, 2026

Historic Weekend…Walker Wins, Barnes Podiums, Strang Top 5 overall!

The 2026 Wild Boar GNCC marked a historic milestone for Liqui Moly Beta Racing, as the team had three riders in the top 10 overall, making Beta the only manufacturer to achieve that feat at the round. Cody Barnes led the charge by securing his and the team’s first-ever XC1 Pro podium with a career-best third-place finish in XC1, proving his speed on the new bike. In the XC2 division, Jhak Walker captured his first career win in the class and finished an impressive seventh overall by “floating” through the brutal sandy terrain. Rounding out the team’s dominant performance, veteran Josh Strang fought through the heat to take fifth overall, edging out his competitors by just over a second. This weekend’s result is a testament to the dedication and hard work that the team puts in behind the scenes.

Results:
Jhak Walker » 1st Place » XC2
Cody Barnes » 3rd Place » XC1
Josh Strang » 5th Place » XC1

Factory 250 RR

“This is an incredible feeling, and I’m so glad to see the work I’ve been putting in come together. I raced with a good mindset and kept chugging away, pushing my way to the front to get the win.  Dreams do come true. Let’s keep this going. Huge thank you to everyone who’s been behind me supporting me through it all!”

Factory 480 RR

“Super pumped to put it on the box for the first time this year. I think we showed how good this bike is to those who doubted it. The team killed it this weekend, and Denny built me an absolute weapon for the race. My bike was awesome out there. Now time to keep digging and building from here!”

Factory 480 RR

“The weekend for me went great, almost zero time spent in Florida, so to get a 5th place almost felt like a win for me. I didn’t do anything special, just chugged away all day. I was told at the pit stop that Cody and Jhak were battling for the lead in their classes, which made me push a little harder to make sure I put my best foot forward. As a team manager, the weekend was amazing. With Cody getting his first XC1 podium and Jhak claiming his first XC2 win.”

Photos: Mack Faint

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