25.10.2020
Rounds 6 & 7 - WORCS - October 25, 2020
BLYTHE, Calif. – FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Taylor Robert extended his points lead in the 2020 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) with a pair of solid 1-2 finishes at this weekend's double-header serving as rounds six and seven of the nine-race series.
With a modified race format of 75 minutes plus one lap, the series hosted another two-day event featuring tough and sandy conditions at Shorty’s Sports Park. On Saturday, Robert powered his KTM 450 XC-F off the line to capture the holeshot and he diced back-and-forth with fellow KTM rider, Dante Oliveira, through the opening turns of the race. The duo continued to battle for the first hour of racing before Robert finally made a pass that stuck on lap nine. From there, Robert was able to break away from Oliveira and ultimately build up his lead to about a minute-and-a-half as he took the checkers for the Round 6 victory.
On Sunday, things didn’t go quite as smoothly for the defending champion as he had an issue firing his bike off the start, placing him in dead last off the line. He worked his way through the pack by the second lap but the front-runners had already established a fast pace and Robert did his best to reduce their gap. By lap four, he was able to get by Oliveira for second and he immediately put on a charge to catch the race leader of Austin Walton and from there, the two riders engaged in a heated battle for the lead position. Walton and Robert simultaneously made a stop in the pits and from there it became an all-out drag race to the next turn as they came together, nudging Robert off the track and onto a haybale. Robert, determined to fight for the win, got himself unstuck and once again charged his way into striking distance of Walton but this time he pushed a little too hard through a dusty section with little visibility and he ended up crashing off the track. With a sizeable gap over Oliveira in third, Robert was able to re-mount and finish out the day with second overall.
Robert: “Saturday was a great day but Sunday was a little rougher. I got on the gas too soon on the start and my bike didn’t fire right away so I was dead last. I caught the guys by the second lap but they were going fast and the track was kind of one-lined so I had to be pretty creative in trying to get around them. The battle with Austin got pretty intense, I kept trying to apply pressure and force him into a mistake but he was riding really well. I put in a good effort to fight for the win today but that crash was pretty big, I was seeing stars, so at that point I just decided to salvage second-place for the championship and gain some points.”
FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis’ Dante Oliveira put forth a consistent performance throughout both days of racing, where he came away with two solid podium finishes on the weekend. With seven rounds in the books, Oliveira sits only 27 points behind Robert for second overall in the Pro Class championship standings.
In the Pro 2 division, FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis rider Mateo Oliveira had his best performance on Saturday to earn his fourth race-win of the season and he continues to lead the way in the championship standings. In Pro 2 Lites, KTM-mounted riders Angus Riordan and Thomas Dunn each enjoyed podium finishes throughout the weekend, while KTM-Supported rider Brandy Richards claimed a notable fourth-place finish in the class on Saturday.
Next Race: (Round 8) Primm, Nevada – November 13-15, 2020
Round 6 Results – Saturday
Pro (MC) Results
1. Taylor Robert, KTM
2. Dante Oliveira, KTM
3. Trevor Stewart, HON
Pro 2 (MC) Results
1. Mateo Oliveira, KTM
2. Tallon Lafountaine, HON
3. Todd Sibell, KAW
Pro 2 Lights (MC) Results
1. Angus Riordan, KTM
2. Tyler Lynn, YAM
3. Thomas Dunn, KTM
4. Brandy Richards, KTM
Round 7 Results – Sunday
Pro (MC) Results
1. Austin Walton, HQV
2. Taylor Robert, KTM
3. Dante Oliveira, KTM
Pro 2 (MC) Results
1. Tallon Lafountaine, HON
2. Todd Sibell, KAW
3. Kai Aiello, HQV
Pro 2 Lights (MC) Results
1. Tyler Lynn, YAM
2. Angus Riordan, KTM
3. Jake Alvarez, KAW
Pro (MC) Championship Standings
1. Taylor Robert, 169 points
2. Dante Oliveira, 142
3. Austin Walton, 131
Pro 2 (MC) Championship Standings
1. Mateo Oliveira, 156 points
2. Tallon Lafountaine, 147
3. Mason Ottersberg, 101
Pro 2 Lights (MC) Championship Standings
1. Tyler Lynn, 147 points
2. Angus Riordan, 147
3. Jake Alvarez, 137