Buoyed by only his second Pro 450cc-class win the week before, FMF RPM Racing KTM rider Mason Semmens led most of the way at the Sunland Shamrocks Motorcycle Club’s Fox Raceway Grand Prix, while FMF KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team’s Dante Oliveira tried to recover from a relatively slow start that forced him to fight his way through the pack.
Photos by Mark Kariya
Ultimately, a minor spill with 20-plus minutes to go cost Semmens enough time to let Oliveira make the critical pass, beat the Australian by two seconds, and keep his perfect win streak intact. The race served as round five of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) Series, presented by FMF. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Mateo Oliveira managed to hold off a surging Tyler Lynn of the Slam Life Racing (SLR) Honda squad for third overall.
“Yeah, I had to work for that one,” Dante said. “It took me a while to get my flow—that first lap was crazy! I was using a lot of energy and getting squirrelly, missing lines, blowing it with feet off the pegs those first couple laps, smashing it into corners, standing the bike up—just all over the place!”
But after seeing some of the lines Mateo was using to good effect, he got Semmens in his sights, and with a lap and a half to go, he executed the decisive move aboard his Red Bull/Motorex/Alpinestars 450 XC-F.
“I had this one section I was very good in, and I ended up getting around him; just held it on wide and blew deep into that turn, kind of got my handlebars in front of his front wheel. Once I got around him, I was all smiles!”
But Semmens wasn’t too disappointed at his first NGPC Open Pro podium in his first full year in the class after two dominant Pro II Championship seasons, as it demonstrated he not only has the pace but now has the setup on his Dunlop/Motorex/Moose Racing-backed 450 XC-F much closer.
“I was in front of Dante for over an hour [of the 90-minute feature race],” Semmens said. “He came from a fair way back; I knew he was going to be there at the end—he always is, right?
“[After my little crash] I knew he was going to be on me and that he was! Unfortunately, I had that little crash, but I’m stoked with how I rode. I’ve wanted this [sort of ride] for a while, obviously. We’ve been close, and this one feels good.”
Mateo was glad to finish on the podium once again aboard his Acerbis/FMF/Fly Racing FE 450 yet was frustrated not to break out of his streak of third-place finishes, which was his fifth of the season.
“I had a good little battle with my brother for two laps, then after he got me, I just wasn’t able to latch on and kind of rode by myself,” Mateo said. “A third when you’re a minute-plus back is frustrating. I don’t feel like, at this stage, with how fit and strong I am, nobody should be riding away from me, so I’m a little confused. Still, a lot of positives. I don’t think I’ve ever ripped through the pack like that, so that was good.”
Lynn finished strong for fourth, just clear of a trio of Pro II riders who’d battled from the start. Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna’s Dustyn Davis led the first half, intent on making it two in a row after his breakthrough triumph at round four.
However, he couldn’t shake Simi Valley Cycles YZ250-mounted Cody Simpson and class points leader Sam Pretscherer, the three seemingly within five seconds of each other the entire 90 minutes.
But SLR Honda’s Pretscherer would not be denied, and he eventually worked his way past Simpson, then leader Davis, though they stuck stubbornly to the Australian and his Monster Energy/Mother F Bars/Fly Racing CRF250RX.
“I’ve had a rough few weeks,” Pretscherer said. “I’ve not been riding like I wanted to. I’ve been trying to push too hard, then start pushing and make dumb mistakes, crashes, you name it. Dustyn was ripping on the first part of the course. He’s good on the moto track, and I was making up a lot of my time in the rocks and in the technical stuff of the off-road section, and I was kind of managing on the moto track. I wasn’t quite sure of the lines, and he was ripping! Honestly, he was taking some ballsy lines, and I was impressed!”
At the checkers, they were fifth, sixth and seventh overall, with eight seconds from Pretscherer to Simpson, the largest margin of the afternoon.
Liqui Moly Beta’s Dare DeMartile had an off day. FMF RPM Racing KTM teammates Cole Zeller and Noah Gordon took fourth and fifth in Pro II to round out the top 10 overall.
After her disappointing loss at round four, SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen rebounded strongly to record her fourth Pro Women victory of the season and finish an impressive 19th overall aboard her Progressive/Southern Powersports/Lava Propane CRF250RX.
“I’ve really been homing in on WMX right now. I know it’s bad to say, but I’m looking forward to that championship, and I’m really putting a lot of energy into that,” she said. “During the week, I’m training on a CRF250R with a hydraulic clutch and whole moto setup, then I just show up to these race weekends with a cable clutch and a big tank, right? But honestly, I tried not to let that get in my head, then I knew at this track I could probably ride it even with my eyes closed. I knew I could hit this track and hit my marks a lot better, especially when it got rough. I just wanted to be patient in the rocks, then kill it everywhere else, and I feel like I executed that.”
Round-four winner Ava Silvestri tried gamely, the Norman Racing Husqvarna rider having to settle for second in class and 22nd overall, while IWC Motorsports/Knuckles Up Racing Husqvarna’s Dana Raynor claimed third.CN
2026 NGPC Round 5 Results
PRO OVERALL (Top 10)
- Dante Oliveira (KTM) 1:36:45
- Mason Semmens (KTM) 1:36:47
- Mateo Oliveira (Hus) 1:38:41
- Tyler Lynn (Hon) 1:38:41
- Sam Pretscherer (Hon) 1:39:28
- Dustyn Davis (Hus) 1:39:33
- Cody Simpson (Yam) 1:39:36
- Dare Demartile (Bet) 1:40:04
- Cole Zeller (KTM) 1:40:31
- Noah Gordon (KTM) 1:40:40
