WORLD TROPHY TEAM (WT)
With only 26 seconds separating the top four countries, the U.S. World Trophy Team has positioned themselves right in the mix after day one. As the only foursome to all finish within the 33-minute mark, the Americans delivered a consistent performance to finish a fighting fourth on the opening day. It was FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliveira who highlighted the team’s efforts in his World Trophy debut, finishing a slight .15 seconds ahead of veteran teammate, Kailub Russell, after the first five tests. Oliveira slated three top-10 test finishes to position himself ninth overall after day one, with Russell finishing close in tow for 10th. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth had a slow start to the day but he finished strong with a pair of eighths in the last two tests. Toth sits 19th overall after day one, just a few spots behind American teammate Layne Michael (Yamaha), in 13th.

Dante Oliveira:“It was a solid first day. I finished inside the top-10, which is not as far up as I would like to be but it’s better than year’s past, so improvement is always good. The tests were fun! I didn’t really have any major mistakes and I kept it on two wheels, so just looking forward to improving.”

Kailub Russell: “I had a solid start to the week. It was nothing spectacular, but very consistent and smooth. We’re hoping to pick up the pace tomorrow as a team and bridge this gap to the leading teams!”

Josh Toth: “Day one went okay for me. I was pretty uncomfortable early in the day but I stayed off the ground. I made some small adjustments to the bike to make it squat and turn better for the last two tests and that made a huge improvement. I’m feeling fresh and excited to keep improving tomorrow.”

JUNIOR WORLD TROPHY TEAM (JWT)
It wasn’t an ideal start to the week for the U.S. Junior World Trophy Team as a whole but KTM-supported rider Mateo Oliveira forged on to finish sixth-best in the JWT category with a strong performance in his ISDE debut. His American teammate, Austin Walton (Husqvarna Motorcycles), had a stand-out ride in the opening test for seventh overall, and he remained steady to finish just behind Oliveira in eighth for the day. Unfortunately, Junior teammate Cody Barnes (Honda) suffered a mechanical issue early on that has resulted in the U.S. squad no longer in the running for a Junior team result. 

Mateo Oliveira:“It was a little bit of a slow start for me and definitely not where I want to be all week, but it’s my first time here at Six Days and I’m learning as I go. I’m just looking forward to the coming days to improve.”