Slaw
Six-time National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) title-holder Dante Oliveira opened his 2026 defense in impressive form at Delano’s season-opening round, overcoming a mid-field start to claim victory in the Pro Class on Sunday.
In his first professional outing of the new year, the FMF KTM Factory Racing rider picked up where he left off last year, taking to the Californian terrain in convincing fashion after he began the 10-lap race positioned in fifth on Lap 1.
A steady, patient climb up the order onboard his KTM 450 XC-F followed, as Oliveira made a sequence of important passes on his main competitors to arrive in the lead with just a single lap remaining.
From there, the 25-year-old delivered a well-earned victory to commence the NGPC season, recording a total time of 1:36:08. Round 2 of the series will take place in Blythe, California, in two weeks time – an event Oliveira also claimed victory at on his way to the title last year.
Dante Oliveira:“I got off to a rough start – I was just a little too excited – which meant I had my work cut out for me! I ate roost for almost the entirety of the race, so it was a long one. I was in a battle pretty much the whole time, and the roost is brutal out here. It was a good time though, the bike worked awesome, and I just kept charging – I found some good lines and really just put the hammer down. I had a lot of trust in my setup, we had a lot of traction even though the track was pretty loose, which was nice. The field is stacked this season and I’m stoked to come away with a really rewarding win to start the year – I couldn’t have done it without my whole FMF KTM Factory Racing team.”
Pro Class Results:
1. Dante Oliveira, FMF KTM Factory Racing
2. Dare DeMartile, Beta
3. Mateo Oliveira, Husqvarna
KTM press release
