As 2012 winds down and the excitement of 2013 builds it may be hard for some to slow down long enough to enjoy Christmas and all it brings. Amazingly though it seems most of do slow down for that one special day for a few hours before looking forward to what's to come and rolling south to begin their training for the winter.

There is one more order of 2012 business though and that is the finale AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship on NBC Sports. This Sunday December 16 will feature Loretta Lynn's Pro ATVMX beginning at 5:00pm Eastern. Relive the excitement of the final two motos that separated Chad Wienen apart from the rest of the field to secure the 2012 AMA Pro ATV Motocross Championship.

Speaking of Chad WIenen, it appears the champ has been busy expanding his team. Another amazing undertaking for Chad considering he only put together the program for himself last year. Now he takes on more riders and responsibility as well helping out one that could be a big threat for his title in 2013.

Fellow Yamaha rider #84 Thomas Brown has been brought in under the Wienen Motorsports tent along with Pro Am rider Brian Vollmer and Pro Am/A Class rider Jordan Dummett. ‚ 

Vollmer is a past B class champion from 2011 and struggled with injuries in 2012. Dummett actually will bring a little international flare to the team and series as he is coming to the AMA ATV Motocross Nationals from Australia. Dummett is ranked 3rd in the Western Australia ATV Pro Championships and is said to be quick on the bike and quick to learn.

I had the opportunity to talk to AMA Pro ATV Motocrosser #123 Nick Denoble this week and he told me he is ready to get back on the bike after nearly 6 months off. Denoble was injured in June at the High Point AMA ATV Motocross national where he basically shattered his ankle and foot when he came up short on the infield uphill triple.‚ 

Denoble stated that things seem to be back on track and that he had a lot of time to think and put things into perspective. He said that he planned to return to racing at a local indoor arena this weekend near his home in Wisconsin which could determine a lot of what his plans may be for 2013.

As of right now, Nick says that he plans on being at Aonia Pass in Georgia for the season opener and he isn't real sure where things will go from there. It appears there have been a number of changes as he will be riding Can Am in 2013 and he has opened his own shop called 123 Customs where he is building ATV and motorcycles, selling parts and accessories and sponsoring local riders as well. To get the full scoop, check out this past weeks Quad Radio Live for the full interview.

Last week we learned about the plans of Brandon Laabs. It is always nice to get to know fellow enthusiasts and to catch up what is going on in their world. This week I got a message from another Brandon. This week meet #725 Brandon Robinson Vet A 30+:

Mr. Rodney

‚  How ya doing buddy. Hope this email finds you well and fully recovered from the feast of Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to bring you up to speed for my plans on next season. I am truly excited to get this year rolling.

I got some new equipment, backed by Extreme Tec Atv, ATV 4 Play, Motowoz, Quinn Motorsports, Houser racing, and The OHIO Crew!

Last year was rough, we had a lot of suspension and equipment issues, but since switching to ATV 4 Play/Motowoz suspension, I am back to my confident self of 2010-and 2011 when I was winning overall’s in the B class. Last year, going to A class, and the 30+ A vet class I struggled with setup, and confidence. I am ready to put that all behind me, and move forward this year. Things really came around the last 2 rounds of last season and we got the new setup dialed in and started running up front again.

Being a part of the Ohio Crew has had a positive impact on my program. It’s a strong group of talented riders, and we are determined to make our mark on the national circuit.

I honestly couldn’t do any of it without Jeff Barker, and Extreme Tec ATV. As a small business, the level of support is unbelievable. I couldn’t put his horsepower to use last year with the poor suspension setup we had, but you look for my #725 to be pulling quite a few holeshots this year in the Open A and 30+ A classes. The man builds a rockin motor for me.

Nothing too exciting I guess from the stand point of the big picture at the nationals, however, if it turns out I dominate this year, you can say you knew it was coming! LOL. Sure wish I woulda came down to the Columbus Arenacross, had that told me Big Bad Rodney was announcing, I would of came down and showed ya why I streaming with confidence ;-)

Hope things are well my friend, look forward to seeing you up on the box, and in the pits this year.

‚  ‚ #725 Brandon Robinson

It looks like things are going well on that front and I am looking forward to see how things go and also looking forward to hearing from more of you. So send me your notes. Brag about last year and what is coming up in 2013, it will be nice to see what's on tap. Send your emails to [email protected].‚ 

News from the AMA as they announce award nominees for the 2012 AMA Championship Banquet to be held Saturday January 19, 2013 in Columbus Ohio. All the disciplines of AMA sanctioned racing are included along with several ATV Motocross racers. The following is an excerpt of the press release from the AMA concerning the ATV MX sector:

ATV Athlete of the Year

* Cody Gibson, Englewood, Tenn.: Pro-Am Production, Pro-Am Unlimited Champion, AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series‚ 

* Nicholas Gennusa, Wall Township, N.J.: 450 A, 4-Stroke A, Production A Champion, AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series‚ 

* Harold Goodman, Brownstown, Mich.: Pro, Pro-Am Champion, AMA ATV Extreme Dirt Track National Championship Series‚ 

* Scott Samuel, Westborough, Mass., Champion, AMA ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Series

‚ 

ATV Organizer of the Year

* Mid-America XC‚ 

* Extreme DT Michael Coburn Racing‚ 

* Racer Productions

Also from the release: All award winners will be announced and recognized alongside hundreds of their fellow competitors from numerous disciplines at the 2012 banquet. The banquet will honor riders who finished in the top three in AMA National Championship Series and AMA Grand Championship events. All honored riders will be invited to the stage, with class champions receiving their personalized AMA national No. 1 plates.‚ 

The AMA Championship Banquet will include a reception, bike show, dinner, an awards banquet and a full slate of activities for riders and fans of all ages. In addition to awards and No. 1 plates, attendees will have a chance to win a number of door prizes, including a Kawasaki KLX110 minibike. On Friday evening, Jan. 18, all riders are invited to an open house at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in nearby Pickerington, Ohio.‚ 

Tickets to the AMA Championship Banquet and event details are available here: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Racing/RacingBanquet.aspx.‚ 

I deem it necessary to publicize this for a couple of different reasons. The first being that it is a really distinguished honor to be nominated for these awards and to see the AMA ATV riders recognized in this manner amongst their peers from other motorcycle and ATV racing disciplines. The second reason being that if you have any opportunities to attend and support our genre you should. The little things will help strengthen the foundation of our sport.

That's about it for now. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs.