GNCC Round 9 Coverage: Snowshoe

America’s toughest race sees heat and mud. Oh, and a bit of pavement.

The 2025 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued with the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC held at the popular Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, West Virginia. “America’s Toughest Race” lived up to its nickname after rain fell in the day prior to the race and then the sunshine and temperatures rising on Saturday, creating spots of dry and dusty terrain but also some slick and muddy parts of the track.

With the unique live engine start modeled after the famed Blackwater 100 race, WFR/Kenda/Fly Racing/BNR’s Walker Fowler would find himself in a favorable position and would lead the way into the woods. As Fowler grabbed the early lead, he would have a clear view in front of him for the first lap. Fowler continued to push himself out front and would come through to claim his sixth Snowshoe GNCC win, second overall win of the season.

Stewart Boys Racing/Kenda/Pierce Performance’s Wyatt Wilkin would get off to a good start too as he battled throughout the day in second place. Wilkin was eager to battle for a win before the summer break, but would be unable to make a pass stick on Fowler throughout the day. Wilkin would come through to earn second overall and in the XC1 Pro class.

Coming off his first podium finish of the season just last race, Action Off-Road/Kenda/Custom Axis’ Jay Shadron was ready to battle at the front of the pack once again in West Virginia. Shadron would start his day back in fourth but would soon make the push and pass for third on the second lap of the race. Shadron would continue to hold that position for the remainder of the race, crossing the line to round out the top three overall finishers of the day and in the XC1 class.

Merritt Racing/BNR Motorsports/GBC Tire’s Josh Merritt had his work cut out for him as he started the day out back in the eighth place position. Merritt would put his head down and go to work making the necessary passes to move towards the front of the pack. As he continued on throughout the race, Merritt would make his way into fourth, and ultimately earning that overall position on the day.

Going back-and-forth throughout the day was BNR Motorsports/Fearless/Kenda Tire’s Steven Harrell. After starting up in third, Harrell would fall back as far as sixth before making his way up to round out the top five overall finishers of the day.

OBOR/Moose Racing/Parts Unlimited/Lonestar’s Adam McGill, and a Snowshoe GNCC favorite, would have a rough start to his day as he checked in 10th on the opening lap of the race. However, McGill would continue to charge for the next couple of lap making his way up to sixth overall as the checkered flag flew on top of the mountain.

Coming through to finish seventh overall and in the XC1 Pro class was JMR/GBC/Elka/Moose Racing’s Jarrod McClure. As the green flag flew at the start of the race, McClure would have a pretty consistent race working his way up from ninth place on the second lap.

Finishing eighth overall was CST Tires/LMR Motors/Elka/Fly Racing’s Braxton Grosse as he came through to take the XC2 Pro-Am class win inside the top 10 overall finishers of the day. BNR Motorsports/Pierce Performance/GBC Tire’s Alex Thieman came through to finish ninth overall on the day, while also earning second in the XC2 class and helping to maintain his points lead in the class as the series heads into its summer break.

It seemed to be an unfortunate day for the points leader as Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Brycen Neal would come through 10th overall, and eighth in class.

BNR Motorsports/Maxxis/PowerMadd’s Jeremiah Wolf would come through to round out the top three finishers in the XC2 class. CB Racing/AMSOIL/Action Off-Road’s Chris Borich and HHR/Fly Racing/QuadTech’s Hunter Hart would finish ninth and tenth in the XC1 Pro class at Snowshoe.

In the morning ATV race, the 4×4 Pro class saw some heated battles throughout the first couple of laps. However, with two laps to go Kenda/KMK Off-Road/Ryco Electric’s Cody Collier would make his way in to the lead position. Collier would continue to push himself forward, creating over a two-minute gap between himself and second. Collier would cross the line first atop Snowshoe Mountain.

After running inside the top three for the duration of the race, KMK Off-Road/OBOR/FXR’s Kaden Wharff would make a couple of passes on the last two laps to secure second place on the day. Wharff found himself off to a good start, even leading the way on lap two, and would finish out the day earning his fifth podium finish of the season. Pro Row 784/TMS/Edgewood/DeRisi’s Brandon Frazier swapped for the lead position multiple times throughout the morning race, but would find himself rounding out the top three overall and 4×4 Pro class finishers on the day.

It was another close battle in the WXC class as Osburn Off-Road/Pierce Performance/Moose Racing’s Chloe Harper and BNR/Kenda/Lonestar’s Avery Collins would battle at the front of their class for the majority of the race. Harper would hold the early lead, but would soon have Collins making the pass around her for the lead.

Collins would hold that number one spot for the next three laps, and as the white flag flew would continue to try and push herself out front. However, Harper would apply the pressure on the last lap as she would make the pass back for the lead, securing her fifth WXC class win of the season. Osburn Off-Road/Fearless/Kenda Tire’s Hannah Hunter would have a consistent day in West Virginia as she held onto the third place position in the WXC class for the duration of the race.

The Progressive GNCC Racing Series now heads into its summer break, and will host the tenth round of racing on September 5-7, 2025 in Newburg, West Virginia with the Dunlop Tires Buckwheat 100 GNCC.

For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com

Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC Results and Points Standings
Snowshoe, West Virginia
Round 9 of 13
Sunday, June 21, 2025

XC1 Pro Event Results:

Walker Fowler (YAM)
Wyatt Wilkin (YAM)
Jay Shadron (YAM)
Josh Merritt (YAM)
Steven Harrell (YAM)
Adam McGill (HON)
Jarrod McClure (HON)
Brycen Neal (YAM)
Chris Borich (YAM)
Hunter Hart (YAM)

Overall National Championship Standings:

Brycen Neal (232)
Walker Fowler (190)
Hunter Hart (165)
Joshua Merritt (142)
Wyatt Wilkin (132)
Steven Harrell (131)
Jay Shadron (127)
John Glauda Jr. (117)
Adam McGill (106)
Chris Borich (104)

XC2 Pro-Am Event Results:

Braxton Grosse (HON)
Alex Thieman (YAM)
Jeremiah Wolf (YAM)
Andre Williams (YAM)
Keaton Henderson (YAM)
Alex Elioff (YAM)
Kenny Shick (YAM)
James Glauda (YAM)
Chase Allison (YAM)
Daulton Keyes (YAM)

XC2 Pro-Am Series Standings:

Alex Thieman (230)
Braxton Grosse (215)
Andre Williams (139)
Jeremiah Wolf (137)
Keaton Henderson (133)
Daulton Keyes (130)
Kenny Shick (115)
Elijah Edmondson (107)
Alex Elioff (92)
Andrew Banovsky (87)