he General GNCC in Washington, Georgia, hosted the first round (of eight) of the Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship Series on March 16. Here’s what we learned.

1. Crossover Is King
Although riding an eMTB is obviously very different than racing a dirt bike, the crossover aspect is definitely there. Both 2011 XC1 Pro champion Charlie Mullins and multi-time WXC Champion Tayla Jones picked up wins at the inaugural event.

2. Ten Seconds!
Those familiar with the GNCC series will be accustomed to the same starting ritual, which at first seems a little odd because you’re used to the sound of motorcycles firing up and taking off. With eMTBs it’s silent but electrifying!

3. Eligibility
Make sure your bike is eligible! The rules state that you must have a Class 1 Pedal Assist Bicycle with an electric motor of less than 750 watts that provides motor assistance only when the rider is pedaling and only up to a speed of 20 mph with an approved drive unit. The current list of approved drive units include Bosch, Shimano, Panasonic, Yamaha, and Brose.

4. Race Time
It’s not a full GNCC, so don’t worry about things like carb loading or other similar prep for a three-hour event. If you’re familiar with cycling events, prepare like you would for a UCI CycloCross race. They’re exactly the same length—about an hour.

5. Three Discipline Champion?
The legendary Bike and ATV GNCC champion Barry Hawk (and his son Tallon) raced the inaugural event. Could Barry become the first three-discipline GNCC champion? We’ll find out come October.