Martinez Stops Oliveira's Streak
A
fter watching his daughter
race her electric mini for
the second time this season, it
was hard to tell if Cole Martinez
was more excited about that
or about getting his first win of
the season over the April 27-
28 weekend at the Shamrocks
Motorcycle Club's inaugural
Fox Raceway Grand Prix, round
five of the Parts Unlimited AMA
National Grand Prix Champion
-
ship (NGPC) Series, presented
by FMF.
In doing so, he also stopped the
win streak that four-time series
champ and current points leader
Dante Oliveira had amassed:
seven in a row if you go back to
round seven in May 2023.
But with the FMF KTM Factory
Off-Road Racing Team star finish
-
ing second after chasing Martinez
in a barn-burner of a final few laps,
he still maintains a healthy points
lead over the Slam Life Racing
(SLR) Honda rider, 145-110. Liqui
Moly Beta's Dare DeMartile round-
ed out the podium and holds third
in points at 102.
After yielding two rounds to
Hatch Racing Kawasaki's Colton
Aeck, FMF RPM Racing KTM
rider Mason Semmens returned
to the top of the box in Pro II.
Aeck held on for the runner-
up spot and trails the Aussie
in class points, 140-122. SLR
Honda's Collier Martinez—Cole's
brother—rounded out the po
-
dium for his first time in Pro II.
And in Pro Women, Mikayla
Nielsen claimed her fourth
win of the season, giving SLR
Honda three Pro podiums for
the weekend. GasGas-mounted
Ava Silvestri—the round-three
winner—finished second for the
fourth time this season, with
FMF RPM Racing KTM's Kaitlyn
Jacobs third.
The $8000, 90-minute feature
race kicked off with Martinez
swooping into the first corner
WIND
IN THE
P32
Though challenged by
points leader Dante
Oliveira in a nail-biting
final lap, Cole Martinez
(pictured) prevailed for
his first NGPC win
of the season.
PHOTOS: MARK KARIYA
