Feeling a bit looser, Zeller said
with a chuckle, "I came out [of
my pit] right in front of [Simp-
son] then it was like, 'Now you
get to eat my dust because I ate
yours way too long!' I was able
to pull out a gap from there."
Also coming through after
an even worse start was Slam
Life Racing (SLR) Honda's Sam
Pretscherer, the Pro II points
leader.
Like Dante Oliveira, Pretscher-
er could wrap up his class
championship with a decent fin-
ish, though he naturally wanted
to clinch the crown by winning
on his Monster Energy/Mother F
Bars/Fly Racing CRF250R.
"I was pretty wound up with
nerves and then I got cut off
for nearly 45 minutes.
"I kind of had a feeling this
might happen today," Zeller said.
"With this really choppy style
track, I feel like I hold on way
too tight. I got into second place
within the first lap…and I'm just
eating dust, eating dust and get-
ting more pumped up.
"I'm like, 'Okay, I've got to try
something different because
me trying to push right now isn't
working.' "
Zeller backed off a bit, keep-
ing just out of Simpson's dust.
When the two-stroke rider
pitted, Zeller saw his chance
and sprinted to the pits the next
lap on his Gainslinger Human
Performance/Motorex/Sidi 250
SX-F.
within a few seconds of the
leader, who responded by up-
ping the pace over the final 20
minutes. Dante Oliveira and
his "Banjo"-prepped Red Bull/
Dunlop/Alpinestars 450 XC-F
took the checkered flag with a
20-second cushion.
Hatch Racing/McCarthy
Electric Honda-mounted Colton
Aeck was physically third in
only the second race of his
NGPC career on a 450. However,
Zeller was faster on adjusted
time, with the Pro II row starting
second.
Zeller had to readjust his
approach after a somewhat
troubled first half that saw him
chasing Simi Valley Cycles
YZ250-mounted Cody Simpson
ROUND 9 / OCTOBER 24-25, 2026
HONOLULU HILLS / TAFT, CALIFORNIA
OFF-ROAD I AMA NATIONAL GRAND PRIX CHAMPIONSHIP
P72
Second in class and fourth
overall was sufficient
to wrap up the Pro II
championship for Sam
Pretscherer and the SLR
Honda crew.
