Mark Kariya | January 18, 2022
If round one is any indication, the FMF AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) Series is going to be a dogfight all year.
Less than two months after the 2021 series finale, the So Cal Motorcycle Club was right back at it with cooler, damper conditions on a scenic yet challenging course at American MX for the NGPC opener.
Obviously not satisfied finishing last season as runner-up, Slam Life Racing (SLR) Honda’s Cole Martinez made a statement by fending off Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Austin Walton (third in 2021 points) for practically the entirety of the 90-minute $8000 feature race. Two-time and defending series champ Dante Oliveira of the FMF KTM Factory Racing Off-road Team settled for third, some 35 seconds back.
SLR Honda’s Cole Martinez took the win at the NGPC season opener. Photos: Mark Kariya
Walton actually got the best start and led early aboard his FMF/Motorex/Fly Racing-sponsored FX 450, but it didn’t take long before Martinez recovered from an average start and moved into second on his Monster Energy/Lava Propane/Skechers CRF450RX. “I was so mad [botching my start like that]; I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ mainly because the roost hurts so bad here,” Martinez said. “I followed Walton a little bit just to see how things were going for him then I made a move and got in the lead.”
However, Walton wasn’t about to give up easily and re-passed Martinez the next time around. “The fast lines left the door open,” Walton explained. “I was able to find some better lines, smoother stuff and picked that pace up and get him back. We were still battling hard, and just kept going faster and faster.”
The racing was this close for the 90-minute pro race but Austin Walton (#50) came home second.
“It was good racing; it was clean racing today,” Martinez admitted. “We were actually side by side in some turns—it was pretty sick!” Martinez managed to make a pass stick soon after and sprinted for a couple laps to build a slight gap, keeping it to the checkers to start the season on the right foot.
“When he passed me that last time, it was really hard to get back in the groove because I was riding different lines when he got close,” Walton said. Though unable to pass for the lead again, he pronounced himself satisfied with his effort and speed.
Martinez was likewise happy with how much better things are at this stage compared to a year ago, declaring, “I think we’re definitely in a better place than we were at the start of last year.” After getting into second behind Walton early on, Oliveira uncharacteristically had a slight tip-over on his Red Bull/Dunlop/THOR-backed 450 XC-F and lost a few spots but just as quickly recovered to third.
However, he found himself unable to advance any further and confided, “I struggled a little bit, just with flowing—just trying to be too precise, I’m guessing—not flowing like I know how to ride. I’ll learn from this and push the rest of the year.”
RPM KTM’s Mateo Oliveira claimed the Pro 2 victory.
3 Bros./Hatch Racing Husqvarna’s Dalton Shirey had a start similar to Martinez and made it to fourth by the halfway point, finishing there a minute and 45 seconds behind Oliveira.
Trevor Stewart made his Purvines Racing Yamaha debut good for fifth followed by Beta’s Dare Demartile, Jet World Husqvarna’s Justin Hoeft, SLR Honda’s Tallon LaFountaine, 3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing GasGas-mounted Giacomo Redondi and Precision Concepts/Chaparral Motorsports Kawasaki’s Tyler Lynn.
Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda’s Preston Campbell was two seconds shy of a top 10 overall and just ahead of a half-dozen Pro II riders led by FMF/RPM Racing KTM’s Mateo Oliveira.
“I trailed [SLR Honda’s] Jack [Simpson who holeshot our line] for the first two laps and kind of figured out what he was doing. He was charging pretty hard those first two laps so I kind of trailed him, and let the race and the track come to me,” Oliveira shared.
Brandy Richards kicked off 2022 with a win in the Women’s Pro division.
Having been unable to race for the better part of two years back in locked-down Australia, Simpson landed a spot on the SLR Honda squad that needed a Pro II rider after LaFountaine moved to the Open Pros, having won the last two Pro II championships. Primarily a motocrosser in Australia, Simpson’s first-ever GP-style race reminded him of the old Thumper Nats in the late ‘90s. “I liked it—it was good!” he declared. “I got off to a good start—I think I led a lap or something like that. Some of my lines weren’t as good as the guy behind me (Oliveira). Once he passed, I followed his lines and sort of eased it up a little bit—I wasn’t getting beaten up as much and I haven’t done any testing. It’s stock with an exhaust on it! We’ve got a lot of improvement [possible], but it’s just good to have a really good shakedown.”
3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing Husqvarna’s Kai Aiello got on the Pro II box with his 14th overall.
Another great turn out for the NGPC season opener.
Pro Women saw Elite Off-road KTM’s Brandy Richards romp to another runaway with 25th overall. Ava Silvestri made her 3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing GasGas debut good for second in class while JCR Honda’s Tarah Gieger claimed third. In addition to the day’s payout and hardware at the post-race awards, Richards was also feted for being the 2021 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year. CN
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