Byrd Nets Win No. 3 in Michigan

TimeSunday, July 27, 2008 | 12:00 AM

 

Byrd Nets Win No. 3 in Michigan

Wimmer clinches 2008 Championship

 

BUCHANAN, Mich. (July 27, 2008) -- With the championship decided and the pressure off, Joe Byrd put on a riding clinic Sunday, winning the RedBud National at RedBud MX. The event was Round 10 of the 2008 Moose Racing/ITP Tires AMA/ATVA National Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited.

 

With his fourth-place finish in the first moto, Dustin Wimmer (No. 191 Team MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki), clinched the Riders' Championship, taking home the AMA No. 1 Plate.

 

"I'm still speechless," said Wimmer. "This makes all of the hard work really meaningful. What a great season."

 

Byrd (No. 7 American Honda/Joe Byrd Quad School Honda) finished second in the first moto behind Chad Wienen (No. 44 Team Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki), and he dominated the second moto, winning the ATVRiders.com Holeshot Award and running away from the pack. Wienen was second overall, ahead of teammate Doug Gust. (No. 55 Team Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper Suzuki).

 

"Dunlop gave me some new tires this weekend and they really hooked up," said Byrd of his third victory of the season. "The bike was just fast all weekend. We took the holeshot and then we just cruised.

 

"It's my job to win races," said Byrd, who remains second in the points chase. "It's what I get paid to do."

 

Byrd was congratulatory of Wimmer winning his first ever AMA title.

 

"Lady luck really didn’t smile on us early in the season," said Byrd, "but Dustin and his team really worked hard all season. My hat is off to them. He deserved the championship."

 

Byrd also won the Third Base of the ITP Grand Slam presented by QUAD Magazine, earning a $1,000 bonus. Byrd retains his lead in the Grand Slam points. The $5,000 program is a championship within a championship that concludes in two weeks at the season finale. In addition to cash prizes for the Pros, Amateur riders will earn special Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.

 

Special award winners were:

Ti Lube Fast Qualifier Award: Chad Wienen

Suspension Systems Holeshot Award--Moto 1: Josh Creamer

ATVRiders.com Holeshot Award--Moto 2: Joe Byrd

DASA Mechanic of the Race: Glen Schulde (Wimmer)

 

The next race for the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA National Motocross Championship is the 2008 regular season finale, scheduled for Aug. 8-9 at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

 

BUCHANAN, Mich. (July 27, 2008) -- Results of Sunday’s ITP/ Tires Moose Racing AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship at RedBud MX (Showing finishing position, rider, bike number, bike brand, hometown, and moto finishes):

 

  1. Joe Byrd, 7, Honda, Union City, Tenn., 2-1.
  2. Chad Wienen, 44, Suzuki, Galena, Ill., 1-2.
  3. Doug Gust, 55, Suzuki, Salem, Wis., 3-5.
  4. John Natalie, Jr., 13, Can-Am, Houtzdale, Pa., 7-3.
  5. Dustin Wimmer, 191, Suzuki, Center Valley, Pa., 4-6.
  6. Harold Goodman, 708, Honda, Romulus, Mich., 8-7.
  7. Josh Upperman, 20, Honda, Louisville, Ohio, 6-9.
  8. Jeremy Lawson, 16, Can-Am, Battletown, Ky., 9-8.
  9. Jason Dunkelberger, 19, Honda, Trevorton, Pa., 11-11.
  10. Josh Creamer, 9, Kawasaki, North Stonington, Conn., 20-4.
  11. Pat Brown, 199, Yamaha, Pittstown, N.J., 5-20.
  12. Greg Gee, 10, Can-Am, Simcoe, Ontario, 16-12.
  13. Keith Little, 12, Kawasaki, Spruce Pine, Ala., 15-13.
  14. Rocco Arno, Jr., 101, Honda, Bridgetown, N.J., 14-14.
  15. Russell Shumaker, 68, Kawasaki, Bristol, Wis, 10-18.
  16. Jeremi Warnia, 62, Suzuki, Paris, France, 19-10.
  17. Cale Downen, 727, Honda, Junction, Ill., 12-17.
  18. Jasmin Plante, 91, Yamaha, Notre Dame, Quebec, 13-19.
  19. Cody Miller, 22, Can-Am, Greenville, Texas, 18-15.
  20. Sage Baker, 49, Can-Am, Shasta Lake, Calif., 17-16.

 

ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship points leaders: Wimmer 400, Byrd 355, Gust 316, Creamer 261, Lawson 258, Natalie 248, Goodman 236, Wienen 221, Upperman 209, Arno 178.

 

Notebook:

 

INTERNATIONAL ORANGE...KTM unveiled its new race-ready SXATVs this weekend at RedBud and factory-supported KTM quads were serviced at KTM's race transporter here. The 450 and 505SX the sport ATVs feature the race-spec engines and suspension elements. The engines are modified of the Austrian company's proven dirt bike powerplants, and feature enlarged engine sumps and revised engine ventilation systems. The suspension includes an industry-exclusive fully adjustable WP piggyback shocks with hi/lo speed compression, preload, rebound and crossover height adjustments on both front and rear shocks. Tuned for motocross, the wider, adjustable chromolysteel dual A-arms produce superior motocross handling by achieving 50-inch width. A-arm shock mounting location is identical to XC models. The lightweight chromoly steel swingarm has a new shock mounting point designed specifically for motocross.

 

The new KTM quads will be available for customer purchase at the end of August. According to team officials, KTM is currently "exploring" bringing a factory team to ATV Motocross competition, beginning next season.

 

POLARIS STARS...Polaris recently unveiled its redesigned Outlaw 450 MXR. This out-of-the-box-race-ready quad comes from the factory with many motocross racing features, include remote-reservoir FOX Podium X Racing Shox, a KTM 450cc engine, upgraded brakes, aluminum bumper and heel pockets and center-mounted exhaust. The Outlaw 450 MXR is powered by a KTM engine.

 

Polaris' Rath Racing factory team will debut the new ride in ATV Motocross competition, beginning next season.

 

WORKAHOLIC...According to Team Suzuki Manager Pat Alexander newly crowned AMA Pro ATV Champion Dustin Wimmer came into the season well ahead of the curve: "Dustin came into testing prior to the season and he was already two seconds ahead of the rest of the team. I think it really shows how much of a work ethic he has. He definitely did his homework in the off season, and it paid off in a big way. The entire team is so excited."

 

FAN FAVORITES...Team Suzuki teammates Doug Gust and Chad Wienen were definitely the crowd's favorites this weekend. Both are relatively local, with Wienen from nearby Galena, Ill. and Gust from Salem, Wis., and the duo certainly did their homework prior to the event. Both appeared at the AMA Toyota Motorcycle National Championship presented by FMF held here two weeks ago, signing autographs and meeting the fans. Many fans returned to see them shine in the ATV race.

 

SHOWCASE SUCCESS...Many fans chose to take a break from the racing action and visit this weekend's Outdoor Showcase. Included as part of the event were demo rides by both Can-Am and Yamaha, as well as several other displays, including a large AMSOIL booth that included all of its popular synthetic lubricants and other products.

 

WONDERFUL WEATHER...Warm, sunny and thankfully dry weather was the forecast all weekend at RedBud.