ATV Motocross National Championship Results: Round 9, Unadilla
Hetrick Intensifies Title Fight with Perfect Outing at
Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship from Unadilla
Wienen Minimizes Damage in Second Overall, Brown Third
New Berlin, N.Y. (July 12, 2015) – After soldiering through the previous round, which was marred by a practice crash, Hetrick Racing/Corrosion Specialties Honda’s Joel Hetrick made a huge push on Saturday at Unadilla MX to tighten up the title fight for the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing (ATVMX). Hetrick posted a dominant 1-1 moto sweep at the eighth round of the season to earn his third AMA Pro ATV victory and gain valuable ground in the battle for the championship with just two rounds remaining.
Legendary Unadilla provided a showcase of the AMA Pro ATV Class.
The iconic Unadilla circuit in Central New York was graced with picture-perfect weather, and for the seventh time in eight races Hetrick kicked off the afternoon by earning the ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award. The speed Hetrick showed early easily carried into the motos, where he was able to take advantage of having the first gate pick.
When Moto 1 got underway, Root River Racing’s Josh Upperman edged out Hetrick to score the SSI Decal’s Holeshot Award. However, it didn’t take long for a determined Hetrick to get around, leading the field as it crossed the line to complete the first lap. Once in the lead, Hetrick quickly gapped the rest of the field. He was never pressured throughout the moto and went on to take the win by 13.5 seconds.
Behind Hetrick, Wienen Motorsports/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft Yamaha rider Chad Wienen, the championship leader, had his work cut out for him on the opening laps following a mid-pack start. He moved into fourth by the end of the first lap and was able to get by both Upperman and Maxxis Yamaha, powered by Moto-Xperts, rider Thomas Brown to vault into second by the second lap. By that time Hetrick had already pulled a gap of nearly seven seconds, all but forcing Wienen to settle for second. Brown carried on to finish third, while holeshot winner Upperman was fourth.
Hetrick was in a class of his own and took a much-needed win.
Moto 2 resulted in a considerably better start for Wienen, but it was his rival Hetrick who collected the SSI Decal’s Holeshot Award and assumed the early lead. The start up front afforded Wienen the chance to put pressure on Hetrick the entire moto, something he didn’t have the opportunity to do in Moto 1. Wienen even laid down the fastest lap of the race over halfway through the moto, but in the end it wasn’t enough as Hetrick clinched the moto sweep by 2.3 seconds.
The battle for the final spot on the moto podium came down to Brown and JB Racing/Can-Am/Liquid Wrench’s Jeffrey Rastrelli. The pair battled back and forth for third during the opening laps of the moto, but once Brown asserted himself into third on the third lap he stretched his lead out and came across the line comfortably ahead of Rastrelli.
While he missed out on the win, Wienen did damage control to remain in control of the championship.
Hetrick collected a class-leading eighth and ninth moto win of the season en route to the 1-1 sweep. Wienen’s virtually unbeatable consistency in the late stages of the season continued with a runner-up finish on the heels of 2-2 moto results, while Brown bounced back from missing the overall podium at the previous round to finish the day third overall (3-3).
Hetrick’s dominant outing allowed him to pick up six valuable points as the chase winds down for the 2015 championship, but Wienen was able to minimize the damage with his runner-up effort. Now 15 points separate the lead duo atop the AMA Pro ATV standings with two rounds remaining. Brown sits in third (-44), with Upperman fourth (-133) and Rastrelli fifth (-143).
Brown rounded out the overall podium in third.
AMA Pro ATV Overall Results (Moto Results)
- Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda (1-1)
- Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha (2-2)
- Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha (3-3)
- Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am (5-4)
- Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda, (4-8)
- Ronnie Higgerson, Cuter, Ill., Honda (7-5)
- Nicholas Gennusa, Wall Township, N.J., Yamaha (6-6)
- Vital Cazenave, Union City, Tenn., Honda (8-7)
- Brett Musick, Verdunville, W.Va., Yamaha (10-9)
- Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda (9-11)
AMA Pro ATV Championship Standings
- Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha – 385
- Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda – 370
- Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha – 341
- Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda – 252
- Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am – 242
- Nick Gennusa, Wall, N.J., Yamaha – 239
- Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am – 213
- Vital Cazenave, Union City, Tenn., Honda – 182
- Brett Musick, Verdunville, W.Va., Yamaha – 168
- Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda – 165
Specialty Awards
ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Award
- Joel Hetrick – 7 points
- Jeffrey Rastrelli – 1 point
- Chad Wienen – 1 point
SSi Decals Holeshot Championship
- Joel Hetrick – 16 points
- John Natalie – 6 points
- Josh Upperman – 3 points
- Thomas Brown – 2 points
- Chad Wienen – 1 point
The 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship will host its penultimate round from RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, on July 25.
For more information on the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, visit www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter @ATVMXdotcom and Instagram @ATVMotocross, and be sure to always hashtag #ATVMX.
About the AMA ATV Motocross Championship
The AMA ATV Motocross Championship is the nation’s premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 10-round series features the Nation’s best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America’s largest and longest-running ATV national motocross program. Since 1985, the series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while premiering the professional class. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
About Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on twitter @mtn_dew.
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