Pirelli-Supported Teams Deliver Major Off-Road Wins

Hero Racing Ducati Claims Historic Mint 400 Victory as Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Opens GNCC Season with Multiple Podiums

ATLANTA, GA – March 12, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Pirelli-supported teams kicked off the 2026 off-road racing season with standout performances across two of the sport’s most demanding disciplines, claiming major victories in both desert racing and cross-country competition.

Historic Win at The Mint 400 for Hero Racing Ducati

At the legendary Mint 400 in Nevada, the Hero Racing Ducati team delivered a milestone result, placing the Ducati Desmo 450 on the top step of the podium for the first time in a major U.S. race.

Riders Ciaran Naran and Lyndon Snodgrass battled through brutal desert conditions, including heavy dust and strong winds, to claim the overall victory. Naran launched the bike off the line in fourth position before quickly working through the field, handing the Ducati over to Snodgrass in second place by the third lap. The team maintained a relentless pace throughout the grueling event and ultimately crossed the finish line first with a winning time of 7:44:26.

The victory marks a major milestone for the Ducati Desmo 450 program and demonstrates the strength of the team’s preparation and race execution in one of the toughest off-road events in North America.

The winning machine was equipped with Pirelli SCORPION™ MX32 Mid Soft tires in a 90/100-21 front paired with a SCORPION™ XC Mid Hard 120/100-18 rear, delivering the traction, durability, and stability required to handle the punishing desert terrain.

Pirelli performance was further proven at the event as JCR Honda riders Nolan Cate and Preston Campbell powered their Honda CRF450X to a second-place finish, battling through the same demanding desert conditions at the Mint 400.

“This result was a huge effort from everyone involved,” said Giovanni Spinali, Team Manager of Ducati Hero Racing. “Desert racing demands an incredible amount of preparation, teamwork, and trust between riders and crew. To see the Ducati Desmo 450 cross the line first at the Mint 400 is a special moment for the whole program and a great reward for the work that goes in behind the scenes.”

Following the historic win, the team is already preparing for the upcoming San Felipe 250, another iconic endurance test on the international desert racing calendar.

Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Opens GNCC Season Strong

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Racing Teamhas launched its GNCC Racing campaign with a series of strong performances through the opening rounds of the championship.

The season opener brought challenging conditions, with riders facing deep mud and demanding terrain throughout the course. Rising star Nick DeFeo powered through the chaos to capture the XC2 class victory, while three-time GNCC champion Steward Baylor secured a third-place finish in the premier XC1 class, putting the team on the podium early in the season.

The team continued its momentum in Round 3 at the Talladega GNCC, where both riders climbed to the top step of the podium. Baylor delivered a commanding ride to secure the XC1 overall win, while DeFeo followed with another XC2 class victory, reinforcing the team’s strong start to the championship.

“The team has come out of the gate strong this season, and it’s great to see the work everyone put in during the off-season paying off,” said Steward Baylor, Owner of the Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Racing Team. “GNCC races are always tough, especially when conditions get as demanding as they were at the opening rounds. The riders stayed consistent, the bikes performed, and it’s exciting to see the team stacking podiums early in the championship.”

Baylor ran the SCORPION™ XC Mid Soft 120/100-18 rear tire, while DeFeo relied on the SCORPION™ MX Soft, both delivering the grip and durability needed to navigate the deep ruts, mud, and technical terrain typical of GNCC racing.

Pirelli Performance in Off-Road Racing

“It’s great to see the strong results from the Hero Racing Ducati and Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki teams early in the season,” said Josh Whitmire, Director of Sales for Pirelli Tires. “We’re proud to support programs like these and it’s exciting to see more top off-road riders and teams choosing Pirelli for the performance and durability needed to compete at the highest level.”

From the high-speed desert of Nevada to the technical woods of GNCC competition, Pirelli’s off-road tire lineup continues to deliver race-proven performance across a wide range of terrain and racing disciplines. With victories already stacking up early in the season, Pirelli-supported teams are building momentum as the off-road calendar continues with major events across North America.

ABOUT PIRELLI

Pirelli was founded in Milan in 1872 and today stands as a global brand known for its cutting edge technology, high-end production excellence and passion for innovation that draws heavily on its Italian roots. With around 30,000 employees, Pirelli is a major player in the tire industry and the only global player focused solely on the consumer tire market, which includes tires for cars, motorcycles and bicycles. In particular, Pirelli is a global leader in the production of racing and high performance motorcycle tires both for on and off road applications. Pirelli has a long link with motorsport and the multitude of successes include a record of seventy-two world titles gained in the FIM Motocross World Championship thanks to the performance of its mx product range. In road-racing, since 2004 Pirelli has made the FIM Superbike World Championship for production-based motorcycles the ideal proving ground to develop not only the products used in competition, but also tires used daily by motorcyclists all over the world. Inspired by the philosophy now become a motto “We sell what we race, we race what we sell”, Pirelli has managed to bring to fruition all the experience acquired in this championship, applying some of the patents and materials developed for racing activity to the product portfolio dedicated to road use.

Source: Pirelli

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