West Beats the East at Camp Coker GNCC
N
GPC and former WORCS
Champion Dante Oliveira
became the third different win-
ner in four rounds at this year's
very competitive Grand National
Cross Country Series, holding off
a race-long challenge by FMF/
KTM Factory rider Johnny Girroir
to win the Camp Coker Bullet
GNCC held at Moree's Sports
-
man's Preserve in Society Hill,
South Carolina, on March 24.
Babbitt's Online Monster Energy
Kawasaki's Grant Baylor was
third, while his brother, Red Bear
Rocky Mountain Kawasaki's
Steward Baylor, was a close
fourth.
After battling with Girroir dur
-
ing the first few turns, Oliveira
led the remainder of the three-
hour event to take home his first-
ever GNCC win. Girroir pushed
Oliveira hard during the entire
race and pulled to just under two
seconds at the finish, making for
an exciting finish.
The fast and "less-than-techni-
cal" course suited Oliveira's West
Coast riding style perfectly.
"Man, I heard from everybody,
Coker is your round, Coker is
your round," said Oliveira. "So,
I got out there and got a great
start and put the hammer down.
I charged where I could and just
managed where I could. There
were some sections where John-
ny was definitely a lot quicker
in the tighter stuff, but it was so
hard to pass. There weren't as
many options as there usually
are out here. So, I was able just
to keep control in the tight stuff,
and then every time it opened
up, I'd just give it the beans and
held on.
"It definitely feels good, but
this style was kind of my style. It
was just choppy, nasty, whoops.
It feels great to come out here
and get a win after being 12th
place the last couple of rounds.
I'm stoked with it. If I could go
WIND
IN THE
P36
The West Coast's Dante Oliveira
(KTM) was the surprise winner at
the Camp Coker GNCC in South
Carolina.
PHOTOS: KEN HILL
