course remained treacherous in
spots.
After a somewhat slow start
(though it was an improvement
over his slip-and-slide in Satur-
day's AA race), Walton and his
Motorex/Dunlop/Fly Racing-
backed FX 450 picked his way
past the others less than an hour
in and even snuck past Oliveira
at one point, though his lead was
short-lived. However, Walton
sprinted the final lap to end up
one second shy of Oliveira at the
checkers and he reported, "We
didn't the greatest start, but from
there we just charged and were
smart. The track was just brutal.
We got into a groove and just
kept getting faster and faster."
Monster Energy/Skechers/
Fly Racing CRF450RX-mounted
Martinez loved the brutal course,
insisting, "Honestly, I thrive in
these conditions! I feel like I
was on [track] to get to Dante—I
got pretty close and I think after
[pitting], the lines changed and
the lines I was running the whole
first half, I think their lines broke
in a lot more.
"I think the wins are coming,
so I'm extremely stoked for that
and we've got some great tracks
on the horizon, and I've got to
give it up to the good Lord for
everything."
His third place also moves
him into third in points with 55.
Dante Oliveira's brother and
teammate Mateo enjoyed a
good start and ran just a few
seconds behind him in the
early going, eventually finishing
fourth—his best result of the
season to date.
Another rider who claimed a
season best was 3Bros./Hatch
Racing GasGas star Giacomo
Redondi, the undefeated 30+
Open AA champ reveling in the
conditions en route to fifth.
After two straight runner-up
finishes, Liqui Moly Beta's Dare
DeMartile saw that streak end as
he had some setbacks relegate
him to sixth, though he remains
second in points to Oliveira, 90-65.
Purvines Racing/Simi Valley
Cycles Yamaha's Jack Simpson
claimed a best-to-date seventh
after revising his sag, followed
by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's
Dalton Shirey, Purvines rider Jus
-
tin Hoeft and SLR Honda pilot
Tyler Lynn.
VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P39
Despite the conditions, Colton
Aeck enjoyed a flawless race,
leading from start to finish for
his first Pro II victory since
round six last year.
