GNCC Victories for Jason Tino and Brandy Richards as Trystan Hart Wins Battle of the GOATS

MURRIETA, CA – May 4, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – FMF KTM Factory Racing teammates Jason Tino and Brandy Richards raced to impressive back-to-back class wins in Round 6 of the 2026 Grand National Cross Country Series at The Old Gray GNCC, as Trystan Hart charged to victory at the fifth round of the U.S. Hard Enduro Championship in Taylorsville, North Carolina.

GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES – ROUND 6

Jason Tino entered Round 6 of GNCC with the momentum of achieving his first XC2 250 Pro Class win last time out at The Dukes, and was targeting another solid score on board his KTM 250 XC-F in Tennessee.

A slow start was followed by a convincing charge through the field, with Tino taking over the lead on the last lap after a spirited climb. He ultimately powered his way to the top step of the podium in a total time of 2:43:55s.

The win marks another milestone in FMF KTM Factory Racing recruit Tino’s career, with his second victory in as many races seeing him close to within six points of the XC2 250 Pro championship lead.

Jason Tino: “Man, I got off to an absolutely last-place start, but I felt really comfortable on my bike today and picked my way up into third there for a while. Then, I made my way into second, and got the pass on Gus [Riordan] on the last lap, and just ran with it from there. We were pushing the limits out there, and overall, really happy with another win – a big thank you to my whole team.”

WXC Class contender Brandy Richards also continued her winning form this weekend, locked in an intense battle aboard her KTM 350 XC-F FACTORY EDITION throughout the two-hour race.

Richards claimed a second victory at the conclusion of the round and now sits 15 points out of the WXC Class series lead entering the seventh round at Powerline Park.

Brandy Richards: “That was a tough race! I was in a battle for the lead the whole time – it was a sprint the entire race. The first lap was a little tricky with how slippery it was, but after that, it was perfect. It’s definitely technical out there, but it was a lot of fun and had some flowy sections too. As I said, I think we sprinted the whole time, so it was a lot of fun, and I’m stoked to pick up the win here.”

Round 6 proved challenging for defending GNCC Champion Ben Kelley, who ran up front during the early stages aboard his KTM 450 XC-F before a late-race collision resulted in a heavy impact.

He was credited with 10th in the XC1 Open Pro Class for the round and now sits third in the standings following The Old Gray GNCC.

Ben Kelley: “I got off to a great start today, was there in the mix, and then stalled my bike in the rock garden. That put me back a bit, which wasn’t ideal. I settled into a pace, and with about a lap left, I clipped a tree, which caused me to have a big crash. I am bruised up pretty badly, but initial check-ups show nothing broken, which is good. I will get checked out later this week and hope to be back for the next one.”

It was also a challenging day in Tennessee for XC1 Open Pro Class newcomer Grant Davis, who rebounded from a slow start to join the lead group by Lap 2 onboard the KTM 450 XC-F. A crash on the following lap, however, brought an early end to his race, with Davis credited 12th in class.

Grant Davis: “A rider crashed in front of me off the start, so I started in the back. I was able to pass a few guys and get into the lead group by the end of Lap 2. The next lap, I hit something that caused me to crash badly. It’s a bummer, because I was feeling great on the bike today and know I could have been up front.”

XC1 Open Pro Class Results

1. Jordan Ashburn, Honda
2. Steward Baylor Jr, Kawasaki
3. Kailub Russell, Yamaha
4. Craig DeLong, Husqvarna
10. Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
12. Grant Davis, FMF KTM Factory Racing

XC2 250 Pro Class Results

1. Jason Tino, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Angus Riordan, Honda
3. Jhak Walker, Beta

WXC Class Results

1. Brandy Richards, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Danielle McDonald, Yamaha
3. Korie Steede, Husqvarna

U.S. HARD ENDURO SERIES – ROUND 5

Five-time U.S. Hard Enduro Champion Trystan Hart posted his fourth round win of the 2026 season on Sunday, leading wire-to-wire across the 15 tests of the Main Race at Battle of the Goats.

Equipped with the KTM 300 XC, Hart topped Saturday’s Prologue, setting the fastest time across both stages to lay the foundation for a successful outing and target a sixth win at the event.

The 29-year-old was in-form from the outset on Sunday, overcoming challenging track conditions throughout the encounter to deliver a winning time of 2:58:24 and earn a fourth win in five starts for the year.

Trystan Hart: “It was challenging out here – more challenging than I thought it was going to be, actually. Once the lines got worked in, it was better, but there was one really tough waterfall on the track – and I knew from the second lap, because it took me three tries to get up it, that was going to be key. Ryder [LeBlond] was close, and it was a long three hours of racing, but I’m stoked to get my sixth win in a row here, it’s a good feeling for sure.”

Pro Class Results

1. Trystan Hart, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Ryder LeBlond, Husqvarna
3. Cody Webb, Yamaha

Source: KTM North America, Inc.

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