09.10.2023

FMF KTM FACTORY RACING'S BEN KELLEY SALVAGES NINTH-PLACE FINISH AT THE BUCKWHEAT 100 GNCC ROUND

Round 11 - Grand National Cross Country Series
This press release has: 6 Images
NEWBURG, W. Va. – FMF KTM Factory Racing's Ben Kelley raced to a challenging ninth-place finish in the XC1 Pro Class at The Buckwheat 100 on Sunday, maintaining third position in the 2023 Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) standings with a single round remaining in the season.
The 2021 XC1 Pro Class Champion, Kelley would power his KTM 350 XC-F to a top three start, only to experience a major fall during the opening stages of the race. Sending him to the rear of the field, Kelley charged his way back toward the front, managing to salvage ninth position by race's end.

After what has been a hotly-contested 2023 XC1 Pro Class Championship, Kelley now sits third place in the overall standings, 33 points from the lead as the series reaches the final round at Ironman Raceway, Indiana, from October 19-22.

Ben Kelley: "Rough day for me here at the Buckwheat 100. I got off to a good start, although had a big crash just a few miles into the race, which dropped me right down to the rear of the field. I tried to charge, although was a bit shaken up by the fall and struggled for comfort, which marked a very frustrating day for me and a big letdown to the entire team. After getting kicked around and having another couple of crashes, I decided to settle and bring it home in one piece in ninth place. We’ll regroup and come back swinging for the final round!”

FMF KTM Factory Racing teammate Johnny Girroir, together with the team, made the difficult decision to sit out The Buckwheat 100 round, experiencing an untimely illness which unfortunately kept him out of action and on the sidelines.

The Buckwheat 100 weekend proved successful for KTM-mounted riders Angus Riordan and Mason Semmens, who experienced a strong day in West Virginia by finishing with P2 and P3 results in the XC2 Pro Class, respectivley. Meanwhile, Korie Steede earned a second-place finish in the WXC Class, which sees her maintain P2 in the series standings.

Next Race: Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, IN – October 19-22, 2023

XC1 Open Pro Results – The Buckwheat 100 GNCC
1. Craig DeLong, HQV, 2:54:26.932
2. Ricky Russell, YAM, +00.06.364
3. Josh Strang, KAW, +00.08.126
OTHER KTM
9. Ben Kelley, KTM
10. Steward Baylor Jr, KTM
11. Phillipe Chaine, KTM

Overall Championship Standings
1. Craig DeLong, 233
2. Steward Baylor Jr, 210
3. Ben Kelley, 200
OTHER KTM
8. Johnny Girroir, 124
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Images (6)

BEN KELLEY - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint
BEN KELLEY 02 - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint
BEN KELLEY 03 - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint
BEN KELLEY 04 - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint
BEN KELLEY 05 - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint
BEN KELLEY 06 - FMF KTM FACTORY RACING
5 568 x 3 712 © Mack Faint

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