Cycle News Staff | March 14, 2022
Round 3 of the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC WORCS series headed to Lake Havasu and the Oliveira brothers continued their dominance in the series, winning both of their classes to continue their perfect seasons.
Pro-Am rider Collier Martinez capped off his birthday weekend with a win at one of the most challenging tracks in the circuit.
This year’s course was brutal to say the least. Dane Perry and the track crew made a few big changes from previous courses. First, the iconic Lagoon Jump ran in the opposite direction than usual and this small change was the cause of quite a few crashes over the weekend.
The premier-class riders battled it out for two hours under the hot Havasu sun. FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliviera charged ahead of SLR Honda’s Cole Martinez and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Austin Walton and held the lead at the end of the first lap. With a shorter lap time that was right around the four-minute mark, the track got hammered.
Martinez kept Oliveira honest throughout the race, never allowing him to check out. Towards the end of the race, Oliviera had quite the scare when he missed a gear as he came up to the Lagoon Jump and smashed the lip of the landing, resulting in a hard touch-down. The run-up to the Lagoon Jump became quite challenging as the ruts grew deeper and deeper. Most of the riders agreed it was the most complex part on course. “This is one of the slower courses, but it is grueling with big braking holes, and it’s really a battle of fitness,” said Walton.
Mateo Oliviera, on his RPM FMF Factory KTM, took the Pro 250 race, making it three wins out of three races. Oliviera ran away from the Pro 250 class and passed most of the 450 Pro class, finishing fifth overall.
Kai Aiello, aboard his 3Bros Kilmartin Husqvarna machine, took second.
Jack Simpson, aboard his SLR Honda, was running in second place but had a mechanical issue and had to come into the pits, allowing Aiello into his spot.
“We had a small issue with our kill switch, and my bike cut out as I rolled into the pits,” Simpson said. “The team did a great job identifying the issue and getting me back out there.”
SLR Honda’s Collier Martinez celebrated his 18th birthday by winning the Pro-Am race, leading from start to finish. He lapped the entire field, with Brandy Richards taking second and Canada’s Joe Nikick third.
Richards, however, won the Women’s Pro class on here Elite Racing KTM despite having a few get-offs. “This has to be the worst I’ve seen this track in probably 10 years; it’s just that rough,” Richards said from the podium.
RESULTS
PRO 450
1. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
2. Cole Martinez (Hon)
3. Austin Walton (Hus)
4. Tyler Lynn (Kaw)
5. Trevor Stewart (Yam)
PRO 250
1. Mateo Oliveira (KTM)
2. Kai Aiello (Hus)
3. Jack Simpson (Hon)
4. Thomas Dunn (Yam)
5. Levi Newby (Hus)
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