Walker Survives Gnarly Conditions for Top Five Finish in Union

Feb 19, 2026 Michael Le Pard News

Published Feb 19, 2026 by Michael Le Pard

Competing in the brutal conditions of the 2026 Big Buck GNCC season opener, the Liqui Moly Factory Beta Race Team faced a true test of survival as South Carolina’s clay turned into a slick, rutted battlefield. However, the high-attrition race proved unforgiving, including multi-time champions—whose days were cut short by mechanical issues or the treacherous terrain. Both Beta Riders in the XC1 class, unfortunately, fell victim to the course and conditions. In the XC2 250 Pro division, Jhak Walker delivered an extremely solid performance, navigating the technical woods and standing water to secure a top-five finish with a hard-fought 5th place.
Results:
Josh Strang » 15th place » XC1
Cody Barnes » 13th place » XC1

Jhak Walker » 5th place » XC2

Factory 480 RR

“Not the way we want to wanted to start the season. We’ll learn from this and continue to push the rest of the season.”

Factory 480 RR
“Round one was not ideal. But we’ll be back stronger at round two. Thanks to my mechanic for all the hard work and the team for the support.”

Factory 250 RR

“Glad to make it through that; it was survival to make it to the finish. I did my best to make it through, staying out of the deep water. Thanks to the team for keeping me going and making sure I made it to the finish.”

Photos: Mack Faint

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