by: Kate Stiller
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | 2:30 PM
GNCC Racing caught up with XC2 points leader, FMF KTM Factory Racing Landers’ Grant Davis, for this week's edition of the Wiseco Tuesday Toolbox.
GNCC Racing: To start things off, tell us about how you got into racing. What was your first bike/ATV? When was your first GNCC?
Grant Davis: I got into racing from my dad and my older brother. I got my first bike when I was 2, and did my first race at 3, and never came to really do any GNCCs until I was about 7 or 8.
You’ve had a lot of success with racing over the last couple of years, with your XC2 championship last year and winning two race overalls from the XC2 line. What do you think has contributed to your success, and how do you plan to keep that success going?
Well, first of all, it is the people you surround yourself with. My trainer is amazing, and so is my whole team. I can’t thank them enough for everything, and I’m ready to fight for this overall championship.
Currently, you are sitting second in the overall points. Does being in that position add extra pressure? Is it one of your goals to win the Overall Championship from the XC2 line?
I wouldn’t say it makes any more pressure; if anything it just makes me more confident in myself that I know I can battle with the guys up front.
You are the youngest GNCC overall winner, with you being only 18 when you won at the Buckwheat 100 last year. In our Tuesday Toolbox with Nick DeFeo, we discussed how it’s starting to feel like a 'changing of the guard' in the sport, with younger riders like yourself grabbing these wins. What’s your opinion on this shift, and how does it feel to be a part of this transition, especially with it being the 50th year of GNCC racing?
It’s amazing, I think, and the XC2 riders have always been up there in the overall, but were never able to hold it together, and now we are all figuring out how to do that, and it’s making the level of racing even harder.
What’s been the most memorable race of your career so far, and why does it stand out to you?
I would say John Penton last year, when I won my championship and won the overall in the same day. That really is the highlight of my career so far.
What’s the most challenging part of a GNCC race for you? Is it the long hours on the bike, the terrain, or something else?
I’d say it’s the 3-hour race. It’s mentally draining on you, and it’s so hard on your body, especially if it is a really hot and hard race.
What race do you look forward to most every season and why?
I look forward to the first round of the year with everyone being there and seeing people on new teams and everything like that.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for the rest of this season and beyond?
For the rest of this season, I wanna consistently keep landing on this overall podium and from there on out go up to XC1 and hopefully keep winning.
What do you like to do for fun outside of racing?
I like to mountain bike and, honestly, just hang out with my family.
Lastly, are there any sponsors or people you want to thank for their support?
Can’t thank the whole KTM team enough. My trainer, Cole Martinez, and my mechanic, Andy Gray, he is absolutely amazing, and obviously, my whole entire family.