West coast champs seldom make their mark in GNCC racing, however in just this 3rd shot, Red Bull KTM’s Dante Oliveira has actually done simply that. He took the general win at the FMF Camp Coker Bullet, in Society Hill, South Carolina after a race-long fight with points leader Johnny Girroir.
As the crowd listened to the 10 seconds call, all eyes were on the XC1 Open class and when the green flag flew it was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Mike Witkowski getting the gas and making himself the $250 Steel City Medical Center holeshot award. It would not take long for FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliveira, who is filling in for a hurt Ben Kelley, to take over the lead in the sandy conditions. Oliveira rapidly made his method to the front of the pack. Oliveira’s colleague, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir would fight wheel-to-wheel with him the whole race, crossing the line 1.2 seconds behind him to make 2nd total on the day.
“I felt terrific off the start, took control of the lead in the 2nd turn and rode wise, charged where I could, handled where I needed to, and it wound up exercising,” stated Dante Oliveira. “He [Johnny Girroir] kept me sincere the entire race and I did what I might to avoid front, so we’re actually pleased and ecstatic to get this one in GNCC.”
Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor would put in a great trip after coming through 14th on the opening lap of the race. G. Baylor would continue to press and make it all the method as much as 4th general as the checkered flag flew. At the conclusion of the race, G. Baylor was credited with 3rd total on the day. This was because of a one position charge that was evaluated to Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor for being more than 25 feet off the significant course. S. Baylor would come back from a ninth location start to the day as he pressed for the period of the race to make it up towards the front of the pack.
Johnny Girroir (FMF KTM Factory Racing) was wheel-to-wheel with Oliveira, coming through to make 2nd general on the day. Image: Ken Hill
Another rider who continued to press was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass as he would fight around the front of the pack for bulk of the race. Snodgrass would come through to make 5th general on the day. Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ryder Lafferty had his finest surface of the season at the FMF Camp Coker Bullet as he came through to end up 6th in XC1, and 8th general on the day.
Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn continued to fight back-and-forth and would encounter the goal seventh in XC1 and ninth total on the day. AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would begin his day running 4th and 3rd at one point however would have an accident while out on lap 4 as he would come through 6th and eventually fall back to 8th in the XC1 class and 11th general.
