2024 Camp Coker GNCC results: Dante Oliveira heads KTM podium sweep
KTM USA riders pulled a clean-sweep on the major podiums at 2024 Grand National Cross Country round four, the Camp Coker GNCC – Dante Oliveira claimed a maiden victory ahead of points leader Johnny Girroir, Gus Riordan and Grant Davis took an XC2 top-two and Brandy Richards the WXC victory.
The opening three rounds of the GNCC season have seen FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir in dominant form taking all three the XC1 Open Pro Class victories. But fourth time out in the high-speed sands of Camp Coker, it was the turn of his temporary team-mate in the series, Dante Oliveira to stand on top of the podium.
Filling in for injured team regular Ben Kelley at select rounds of GNCC this year, Oliveira got all the West Coast riders and fans stomping for taking the win in conditions which suited the rider more used to desert and sand racing – Dante’s finish line quote of it being “better than finishing 12th” points to the differences in conditions and terrain in GNCC.
Dante Oliveira: “Everybody had been saying Coker was my round and it was today! I felt great off the start, took over the lead in the second turn and rode smart, charged where I could, managed where I had to, and it ended up working out.
“Johnny got around me at the hour mark and then he ended up tucking it in one of the sand berms, so I snuck back around him and regrouped. He kept me honest the whole race and I did what I could to stay out front, so we're really happy and excited to get this one in GNCC.”
It was this close...
Find RAW video highlights here: 2024 Camp Coker GNCC RAW video highlights – Dante Oliveira delivers
Still standing as the rider in form this season, Johnny Girroir was a narrow second after the pairing stormed the final lap, proved his is the master of all terrain and continues toe lead the series standings on 110 from Steward Baylor on 82.
Third on the day went to Steward after a mid-pack start took him time to get clear and set sights on the leaders. But the Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki rider was later handed a penalty for straying too wide on the track, dropping him to fourth.
That handed third to Grant Baylor, the 2023 Babbitts Online Kawasaki rider heading home his teammate Lyndon Snodgrass on the track but Steward splitting them on results sheets.
Many riders and teams misjudged pitstops at Camp Coker...
XC2 Team Landers ding-dong
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers, the KTM USA supported team, also starred at Camp Coker. Gus Riordan took full advantage of a late mishap from teammate Grant Davis to win his second race of the year and take P6 overall.
The Landers’ pairing delivered a 1-2 result in the XC2 250 Pro Class with Veteran Thad Duvall claiming third spot in class and P10 overall on the Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki.
Angus Riordan: “I got the holeshot and led the first four laps, then Grant got around me, but I put my head down, sort of caught him in the end there and I could see it looked like he started to make a few mistakes... He went down and I got him, so stoked! You don't give up in these races.”
Richards takes AM race outright and WXC win
The dominant results of FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Landers extended to the WXC class, where Brandy Richards took her second GNCC win of the season. Rockstar Husqvarna Racing team will count back on their mistake in the pits as Korie Steede ran out of fuel on the last lap while trying to close down Richards.
The win means Richards becomes the first two-time WXC winner of the year and moves to within a single point of the championship leader Rachel Archer, who finished second and over three-minutes adrift. Rachel Gutish was third after a hard fought battle with Shelby Turner.
Brandy Richards: “It was a good race for me. Started off kind of terrible, but made my way through the pack. I had a little tip-over, but knew that the second half was a little more open and I was able to get through to the front. From there on I just tried to push, get a good gap, and make it to the finish, so I just brought it home.”
Camp Coker GNCC race results overall top 30
Camp Coker GNCC AM race results overall top 30:
Photo Credit: Mack Faint
