Racing News

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green™ Battled Hard at Buckwheat 100

DeFeo at Buckwheat

Archer at Buckwheat

Grant Baylor at Buckwheat

Stew Baylor at Buckwheat

Wood at Buckwheat

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green™ tackled Round 10 of the 2025 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, the Dunlop Buckwheat 100, at CJ Raceway in Newburg, West Virginia. Coming off the summer break, the team faced slick and challenging track conditions due to Saturday’s rain and overcast skies on race day. Despite the demanding terrain, the team showcased resilience and skill across multiple classes, with solid performances from their riders.

Steward Baylor, aboard his Kawasaki KX™450X, started the XC1 Open Pro race in the middle of the pack on the opening lap. Undeterred by the slick conditions, Steward methodically worked his way through the field and ultimately into first place entering the final lap. During the final lap, a mechanical issue required assistance from the team and relegated Steward back to eighth place in XC1 and 11th overall. Grant Baylor continued to build momentum in his comeback season. Starting mid-pack, he pushed hard through the muddy terrain, running as high as third, but a late race crash put him just behind his brother in ninth place and 13th overall. Grant’s consistent progress in 2025 highlights his determination to reclaim a top spot in the XC1 class.

Nick DeFeo continued the battle in his first year in the XC2 class. DeFeo fought through the muddy track, finishing 16th overall and sixth in the XC2 250 Pro class. Josh Toth sat out this event due to an injury sustained at the International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) in Italy. He will return to racing next weekend.

In the WXC class, Rachael Archer, the reigning GNCC WXC Champion, went back and forth with the leaders all day. She had a crash nearing the end that relegated her to fourth on the day. Archer’s performance kept her firmly in contention for the WXC National Championship points lead.

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green™ continues their season next weekend at the Lead Belt National Enduro in Park Hills, Missouri.