Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542014
VOLUME 62 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 16, 2025 P99 a banner year as he moved up to the Pro class and owned the 250cc Pro division in the AMA WHS series. That attracted the attention of RPM Racing KTM—one of KTM's satellite off-road teams—who rewarded him with a contract for 2017. Moving up to the Open Pros on 350 and 450 XC-Fs in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) proved to be a learning experience with success not immediately forthcoming, but he and RPM kept grinding. RPM Racing Team Owner Mike Hurlbert remembers the journey to sign Dante—and even - tually Mateo—very clearly. "Tra- vis Coy won the 2014 WORCS Pro 2 Championship and asked the Oliveira brothers to join us in the championship photo. Travis later told me, 'You should get both these kids on our team!'" Over the next couple of years, Coy and fiancé-now-wife Kacy Martinez continued to extol the speed the Oliveiras demonstrat - ed. So, when KTM and Hurlbert decided to focus more on West Coast-centric series, KTM asked which riders he'd pick. Hurlbert recalls, "I said, 'The Oliveira brothers are looking very prom - ising, and I'm fairly confident we could find a way to win races and championships with them.' I signed Dante in 2017. "Dante won the first Open Pro WORCS event for our team. We had tried for over 15 years with - out the premier-class WORCS win. I will never forget that great feeling! "I will always cherish how special Dante was to work with. He never, ever blamed the team some cash was good." After some success in D-36, Dante branched out and began traveling to more races. In 2016, he, Mateo and Sophia chased the AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) Regional Championship Series, where he won the 250cc Pro title, now with help from RPM Racing KTM. Sophia topped Women A; this was before the advent of the Pro Women class, and Mateo finished second in Big Wheel at the end of the year. Dante, Mateo, Sophia and Bianca got bikes and support as members of Brian Garrahan's Garrahan Off-Road Training (GOT) team for a few years, riding smaller bikes, with Dante also pointing out local shop Faultline Powers - ports as an early backer. Family and friends provided funding for bikes. After several years on 150s, he added a 250 SX to the stable in 2016. It was man. I did that for about four months, delivering tortillas for Mission Tortillas all over. I would stock the shelves from 2 a.m. to 9 o'clock, sleep till 1 o'clock, then go ride till dark." Though the hours were tough, he admits, "It was cash, though, so I loved it! I didn't love doing it, honestly—it was rough—but just out of high school and getting "Then I got a job being tortilla man. I did that for about four months, delivering tortillas for Mission Tortillas all over. I would stock the shelves from 2 a.m. to 9 o'clock, sleep till 1 o'clock, then go ride till dark."