ATV NATIONAL MOTOCROSS RACING CHARGES INTO THE KEYSTONE STATE,

HIGH POINT RACEWAY TO HOST SHOWCASE EVENT AND GRAND SLAM

 

MOUNT MORRIS, Pa. (May 20, 2008) -- The ITP/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited heads to Mount Morris, Pa. This weekend for an epic Memorial Day race. The event, Round 6 of the National Pro Racing tour and Round 5 of the Amateur series, is being held at historic High Point Raceway. The Nation's premier national ATV racing series features America's best pro riders, as well as Amateur, Pro-Am and Junior racers.

 

The ATV Motocross Series features the top professional and amateur ATV riders in the country, competing at preeminent motocross facilities across the nation. ATV motocross racing is run on a closed course, which comprises technical "whoops" sections, as well as big-air jumps, tight turns and all-out straightaways. The machines are race-bred 450cc machines from top manufacturers such as Can-Am, Suzuki, Yamaha, Polaris, Honda, KTM, and Kawasaki. Riders easily make six-figure incomes from the large purses, and contingency bonuses posted by manufacturers, as well as other Series sponsors and suppliers.

 

The riders will be vying for the most coveted honor in ATV racing: The AMA National Championship and the AMA No. 1 Number Plate.

 

The race will be telecast on Versus Network on Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m. LIVE Timing and Scoring will be run all weekend on the tour's web site: www.atvmotocross.com.

 

This weekend will be one of the tour's premier events and marks the opening race of the four-round, $5,000 ITP Grand Slam Series presented by QUAD Magazine. The weekend is also the second Showcase Event of the season. Showcase events feature outdoor expo exhibits and displays from community dealers and vendors, and other entertainment and activities above and beyond the action-packed ATV racing. Part of the Showcase program is ATV RiderCourse, the Nation's premier hands-on ATV riding school.  

 

In addition, Morgantown (W. Va.) Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki will host a special autograph session and meet and greet event this Friday with Pro riders Joe Byrd, Pat Brown, Doug Gust, Chad Wienen and Dustin Wimmer.

 

To honor men and women serving in our military, all military members will receive $5 off regular ticket prices with valid military ID.

 

The weekend will be full of off the track activities, with a softball game taking place as well as a Guitar Hero contest being held Saturday night.  

The big story in the pro class has been MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper’s Dustin Wimmer. The Center Valley, Pa. rider has won three of the first five rounds and holds a commanding 40-point lead over teammate Doug Gust. With the series reaching the halfway point, the competition has to stop Wimmer soon, or the AMA #No.1 plate may get out of reach.

 

One of the riders who has a chance to do just that is Doug Gust. The veteran has been strong and consistent all year. ““Digger” has already earned a win at Ballance MX, and has posted a top-five at every round to this point. It isn’t too late for Gust to mount a charge toward the title.

 

Behind the Suzuki duo sits Houtzdale, Pa.’s John Natalie. The hard-nosed Cam-Am rider is fresh off an impressive second place finish and lists High Point Raceway as his favorite stop on the tour. Natalie has been fighting a serious eye infection, which was caught just in time before major surgery was to take place. The eye should be close to 100% for the ATV Stampede. Natalie is joined on the Can-Am squad by Jeremy Lawson. Cody Miller, Greg Gee, Sage Baker, and Richard Pelchat.

 

And don’t forget about two-time defending AMA title holder, Joe Byrd. Byrd got off to a slow start, but has gained momentum as the series has progressed. Said momentum is anchored by a hard-earned victory at Birch Creek that catapulted Byrd back into title contention.

 

Behind the top three in points, sits a long list of podium finishers that are all candidates for their first win. 2007 ATV Invitational winner, Pat Brown has yet to win in 2008, but is fresh off his first  podium finish of the season and will be looking to keep his Golden West/Team Yamaha #No. 199 ride at the front of the pack. Another racer looking to expand his podium appearances is East Coast ATV’s Jason Dunkleberger. ““Dunk” needs to work on his consistency, but has been progressing with each round.

 

Meanwhile it’s crunch time for team Monster Energy Kawasaki. The three-man team of Josh Creamer, Russell Shumacher, and Keith Little has shown flashes of brilliance through the first five rounds, but have suffered from poor racing luck. Look for the Team Manager Jimmy White led team to turn their fortune around in the second half of the series, become podium regulars, and content for victories.

 

There has also been some international flavor with French Canadian rider Jasmin Plante placed second in Kentucky earlier this season, handing Team Yamaha its best finish in 2008.

 

Other pros expected to compete this weekend include: Rocco Arno, Jr., John Ragon, Thomas Hager, Nate Morello, Hunter Miller and Michael James Brown.

 

All of the racers will be in for a special treat, as they will be the first competitors to ride on the freshly re-designed High Point circuit. The course has seen a major facelift during the Spring with new sections and several new jumps added to the legendary track.

 

Fast Facts:

Fast Facts ”“ ATV Stampede ”“ May 24-25, 2008

 

What: ITP/Moose Racing ATV National Motocross Championship Series, America's premier ATV racing series. ATV motocross racing is run on a closed course, which comprises technical "whoops" sections, as well as big-air jumps, tight turns and all-out straightaways. The machines are race-bred 450cc machines from top manufacturers such as Can-Am, Suzuki, Yamaha, Polaris, Honda, KTM, and Kawasaki. Riders easily make six-figure incomes from the large purses, and contingency bonuses posted by manufacturers, as well as other Series sponsors and suppliers.

 

When: May 24-25, 2008

 

Where: High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, PA - From Pittsburgh, PA and points north:
* Take I-79 south to Exit 1 (Mount Morris)
* Turn right into Mt. Morris and turn left onto US 19 south
* Follow US 19 south to Rt. 100 south
* Turn left on Rt. 100 for 3.1 mi
* Turn left at Taylortown Rd
* Track is 2 miles on the left

 

Who: Top Pro racers, including Pennsylvanians John Natalie and Dustin Wimmer, as well as Joe Byrd, Doug Gust, Chad Wienen, Josh Creamer, Keith Little, Jeremy Lawson, Pat Brown, Harold Goodman and many others. The Series also features the top Pro Am, Amateur, Women, and Youth riders in the country.

Current Pro Points
Pos	Name	#	Brand	Hometown	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	Pts
1	Dustin Wimmer	191	Suzuki	Center Valley, Pa.	1	1	3	2	1	203
2	Doug Gust	55	Suzuki	Salem, Wis.	5	3	1	4	4	163
3	John Natalie	13	Can-Am	Houtzdale, Pa.	4	10	6	8	2	135
4	Joe Byrd	7	Honda	Union City, Tenn.	8	2	18	1	7	133
5	Harold Goodman	708	Honda	Brownstown, Mich.	6	6	13	7	9	115
6	Josh Creamer	9	Kawasaki	North Stonington, Conn.	3	20	4	10	17	108
7	Chad Wienen	44	Suzuki	Galena, Ill.	2	9	11	7	13	100
8	Rocco Arno, Jr.	101	Honda	Bridgeton, N.J.	17	15	5	11	6	95
9	Jason Dunkelberger	19	Honda	Trevorton, Pa.	11	5	20	3	10	90
10	Jeremy Lawson	16	Can-Am	Battletown, Ky	15	7	19	5	11	90

 

About the ITP/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Motocross Championship Series

Presented by Parts Unlimited

The AMA ITP/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited is the nation’s premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, and competes at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 11-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America’s largest and longest-running ATV National Motocross series with more than 20 years of competition. The series continu