The team competed at the Hilltoppers GP for round four of the NGPC Series in 29 Palms, CA. Known for being the most “offroad” Grand Prix race of the series, the course was high speed with natural terrain, keeping the competition high. Cole Martinez finished 1st in the Pro Class along with team rider Tallon Lafountaine finishing 1st in the Pro II class. In the Pro AM class, Allen Mendelsshon returned after suffering an injury and finished in 2nd while Evan Stice experienced a mechanical issue mid-race resulting in a DNF.
Race Action
Cole Martinez got off to a great start which placed him in 3rd at the first corner. He quickly made a pass into 2nd, pacing the leader and gaining speed. After bringing him in early for a pit, he dropped back to 3rd, but this move gave him some open air where he was able to make a push to make up the lost ground. Martinez made a pass into the lead with Dante right behind resulting in an exciting battle for 1st. Dante hit a rock in the pro section and suffered a crash while Martinez took a strong lead and brought home his first career win in the open Pro class.
Pro 2 rider Tallon Lafountaine started his race in 2nd but experienced a crash early on while trying to make a pass for the lead position. This placed him back to 12th and into a very dusty position. Lafountaine put his head down and got back through the pack to salvage as many points as he could for the weekend. By the 45-minute mark, he had made his way into 2nd while the lead rider ran into a mechanical issue, forfeiting the lead to Lafountaine. Tallon Lafoutnaine was able to take home another 1st place win in the Pro II class.
In the open expert class, both Allen Mendelssohn and Evan Stice started in the top six positions. By the 30-minute mark, Stice was able to lock himself into the lead position while Mendelssohn got into 4th. Unfortunately, Stice experienced a mechanical issue at the 1-hour mark which took him out of the race. Mendelsson was able to make up time and jumped into 2nd place before crossing the finish line, landing himself on the podium for his first race back after suffering an elbow injury earlier in the year.
