Round 11 - GNCC Mason Dixon Race Report

Another race in our backyard and another weekend of great results for Tely Energy Racing. The dust was unbearable but the majority of the Tely Energy Race team battled through it and came out winners on the other side. Tely Energy Race team fielded 13 riders for the weekend and ended up with 5 podium finishers and 6 racers in the top 5. Some big wins and some big issues but all in all good results.

Steward Baylor, Jr. and Grant Baylor were two of 12 XC1 and XC2 pro riders that had major engine issues due to the dust in the air filters. The dust was so thick at times that you were unable to even see what was in front of you in the woods and it caused lots of breakdowns and issues. Both riders are looking forward to the next race to make some noise in Beckley, WV at a new venue.

A shining star at GNCC Mason Dixon was Liam Draper who came home with his first win of the season in XC2. He battled between first and second the whole race and came away with the top hardware by a 2 minute margin when it was all said and done. Great riding by Liam. We are soo proud of him and knew he had the potential to be a top contender in the class.

Another Tely Energy Racing proud moment came after JoJo Cunningham finished his national championship bid with another win in YXC1 to win the class championship with 2 races to go! He came out flying once again and led the entire race from start to finish holding off second place by 3 seconds in the final lap. Then he earned ironman status when he took a breather after winning the 8am race and wrapping up his national championship and jumped on his KTM 250 to race in 250B in the 1pm race. We were hoping for him to run 250A but he had to settle for starting at the back of the pack in 250B. Just like the youth ranks, JoJo dominated the class and won by 6 1/2 minutes in 250B. What a showing by this kid! Ironman status was earned and he put an explanation point on it! Great job JoJo!

Another winner on the day was Andrew Segars who continues to battle for the 85 (7-11) class championship. This one may come down to the final race of the season the way it is shaping up. Andrew battled the whole race between first and second and ended up holding off second place by 18 seconds at the checkered flag. He did an amazing job and this is one class that you don’t want to miss as the series winds down in the coming weeks.

In the 10am race, Ty Ely made a switch to a bigger bike and longer race with ease as he earned a podium spot with a 3rd place finish out of 20 racers in 125 B/C and 49th out of 420 overall. He battled from 8th place and continued to gain ground all the way up to 3rd place on the day. It was a great effort and definitely something to build on for the rest of the year.

Chase Rutan came back to race for this local race in 125 B/C and battled through the dust to earn an 8th place finish in the class.

Bill Gold, a support member of Tely Energy Racing, battled the tough track and had to settle for 8th place in Masters A (50+).

Dylan Ely is another race that took some time off and came back to race the local track in Sportsman A. He battled to a 22nd place.

​​Other riders in the 8 am class were just as successful as the rest of the team. Garyson Smith earned another podium spot with a 3rd place finish in YXC2.

Garyson Smith had one of his best finishes and ended his day in 2nd place in YXC2. He competed for a top spot all race long but still earned a podium spot. He is still competing for a top three spot in the class championship for the year. We look forward to great finishes from him in the last two races.

Paul Best had a good race in the dusty conditions and finished in 7th place in 85 (12-13). He continues to work back from his injury and gets better every race.

Ronnie Rusch started his day in a great spot in 3rd place but had mechanical issues that ended his day early and settled for 10th place in XC2.

​Thank you Moose Racing for the amazing gear, Morgantown Powersports for the great equipment, Kenda Tires for tires that gave us an advantage in the muddy conditions, Tely Energy Services for allowing us to keep doing what we love, FMF Racing for the best exhaust system in the trade, Forma Boots, Spectro Performance Oils for the best chemicals to put in our bikes, Motion Pro for the top of the line tools we need for repairs, DP Brakes for the best brakes in the business, Seat Concepts for great looking and durable seats, ODI Grips and handlebars to limit blisters and make the bike look good, Twin Air for keeping our bikes running clean and great, Cometic Gaskets for the best gaskets on the planet, KTM for taking care of the parts we need, G2 Ergonomics for protecting our riders hands, IMS Products to limit pit stops, and Senge Graphics for making our bikes and pro pit looking good.