Check Point | March 17 2020

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Welcome to Check Point, a new weekly feature that will cover the ongoings in the off-road motorcycle racing world, presented by Moose Racing. Although motocross and Supercross is the center of the SML universe, our staff has massive respect for the varied disciplines of off-road, from SuperEnduro to Rally to GNCC to Big Six, and we always have an eye on what’s happening in the professional racing series. Every week we will bring updates from around the world, including race results, photos, video highlights, and new bike or product debuts.

Since this is an early installment of the feature, we want to hear your feedback. Drop a comment below and let us know what you think or what you want to see. 

2020 THE GENERAL GNCC

The wide-open woods of Georgia seemed to be the only place in the world that wasn’t yet impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the 2020 Grand National Cross Country Championship continued on with round three of the series, the 2020 The General GNCC. With the high probability that this would be the last race for a little while, there was added importance on getting to the front of the field in the three-hour race and it all came down to the closing corners.

Stewart Baylor, backed by the newly-formed FactoryONE Sherco effort, worked his way into the lead during the early stretch of the race while FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell struggled after mistakes made in the opening laps. Time in the pits, deep mud crossings and a diverse course brought the two riders together in the final lap until an error by Baylor a few turns from the finish allowed Russell to rail the inside line and run off to the checkered flag for his third consecutive win in his farewell season.

Craig DeLong, a recent addition to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew, claimed his first win in the XC2 Class, an impressive feat on its own, but one that was made even more so by a fourth-place overall rank in the overall times against the XC1 class. Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir battled with DeLong for the top spot in the class but lap last problems would cause him to finish in second place, a result that will allow him to hold onto the class points lead. AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski continued his presence on the podium with a third-place finish and trails Girroir by four points in the standings. 

2020 THE GENERAL GNCC | COMPLETE RESULTS

BILLY BOLT WINS 2020 FIM SUPER ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP, TONI BOU 2020 X-TRAIL TITLE

European racing has felt the impact of the COVID-19 issue for the last few weeks and it has forced numerous events in the region to be postponed or canceled completely, including off-road.

After the premature end of the 2020 FIM Super Enduro Championship was announced last weekend in Poland, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt was awarded the title for his consistent riding, wins, and a large number of points scored through the four-races that were run over off-road legend Taddy Blazusiak. This is the first time that Bolt has won the title and he will run the number one plate when the 2021 championship season starts in December.

Toni Bou was the dominant rider of the X-Trial tour, as he came out ahead in many head-to-head battles against rival Adam Raga, including their last duel in Bilboa, Spain. There was to be a month-long break between the Bilboa round and the finale in Austria, but the hardest hit of the crisis occurred in Europe at the same time and forced event promoters to scrap it totally. With the cancellation, Bou was confirmed as the champion for the 14th time in an indoor series and the 27th time in his professional career.

2020 STEELE CREEK GNCC CANCELLED

Although the GNCC series was able to run in Georgia, Racer Productions has been forced to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Steele Creek GNCC due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The weekend-long event was set to take place April 4-5 in Morgantown, West Virginia, but the recent development and guidance by government and health officials have forced them to cancel the intended event. Pre-entered riders will have their entries refunded.

Rescheduling details will be announced in the near future. Most likely the previously reserved July 11-12 “Rain Date” will be utilized for this purpose.

The series aims to resume on April 18-19 at the 2020 Camp Coker Bullet GNCC in Society Hill, South Carolina. Check back for more information.