18.04.2021
Round 4 - WORCS - April 18, 2021
TAFT, Calif. – FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Taylor Robert took over the Pro 450 Championship lead on Sunday following a race-winning performance at Round 4 of the 2021 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) in Taft, California. Teammate Dante Oliveira rounded out the podium in third, where he now sits two points back for second overall in the early standings.
Robert had a great jump off the line aboard his KTM 450 XC-F and he quickly established himself out front by turn two. With honest pressure from the second-place rider of Austin Walton throughout most of the race, Robert held strong to maintain his lead for all 12 laps. He pulled a gap late in the race to ultimately secure the Round 4 victory by 16 seconds, earning his second race-win of the season.
Robert: “It was a great day, I ended up getting into the lead right away and led every lap, so I can’t ask for much more than that. I had Austin Walton all over me for the first half of the race and Dante was close behind him so we were just all three pushing super hard trying to make moves and get away. Austin showed his wheel a couple times but I maintained the lead the whole time and was able to put a little bit of a gap at the end to get the win.”
Oliveira powered his KTM 450 XC-F into third on the opening lap and he engaged in the lead battle throughout the first half of the race. He was able to make his way up to second when Walton pitted on lap five but he dropped back to third when he came in for his pit stop on the next lap. Despite a hard charge in the last half of the race, Oliveira wasn’t able to put himself in a position to pass for second and he brought it in for third on the day.
Oliveira: “I got off to a solid third-place start behind Taylor and Austin and the three of us instantly dropped the hammer from the pack. I was able to put in charges where the track was well-watered but I wasn’t able to get close enough to their back tires before falling back in the dust, and then would charge again when I got clean air but I just could not put the last half of the race together, finishing third.”
FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis rider Mateo Oliveira put himself back into the center of the Pro 250 podium with a flag-to-flag victory on Sunday. KTM-mounted rider Colton Aeck rounded out the podium with third in the class.
KTM-Supported rider Brandy Richards extended her perfect season in the Women’s Pro class with a fourth-consecutive victory at Round 4. She also raced her way to an impressive second-place finish in the ultra-competitive Pro Am division on Sunday.
Round 5: Cache Valley, Idaho – June 11-13, 2021
Results – Round 4
Pro 450 (MC) Results
1. Taylor Robert, KTM, 12 laps
2. Austin Walton, HQV, +16.297
3. Dante Oliveira, KTM, +01:12.897
Pro 250 (MC) Results
1. Mateo Oliveira, KTM, 12 laps
2. Tallon Lafountaine, HON, +09.027
3. Colton Aeck, KTM, +05.807
Pro Am (MC) Results
1. Ryder Difrancesco, KAW, 11 laps
2. Brandy Richards, KTM, +43.724
3. Matt Canepa, KTM, +58.525
Championship Standings – After Round 4
Pro 450 (MC) Standings
1. Taylor Robert, 94 points
2. Dante Oliveira, 92
3. Austin Walton, 75