ITP Racer Josh Creamer Earns Second at 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV MX National Championship Opener

SxS Racers Earn WORCS, BITD Podiums

Ontario, California, April 5, 2013 -ƒ‚ Team ITP pro ATV racer Josh Creamer earned second overall in the ATV Pro class at the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship held March 23 in Washington, Ga. Team ITP side-by-side racers earned podiums the same weekend in both the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) in Arizona, and the Best In The Desert (BITD) series in Las Vegas.

"Josh Creamer put in a great ride on his ITP tires in the highly competitive ATV Pro class that featured a full gate and very muddy conditions. To have him win a moto and take second overall was a wonderful start to the 2013 season. And to do so with the new ITP Quadcross MX2 front tires speaks volumes for its overall design and performance levels," said Pat McGuire, Public Relations / Race Support. "Team ITP had a successful weekend in three different racing series, all of which featured very rugged racing conditions. We faced mud at the ATV race in Georgia, a grueling WORCS course in Arizona, and the always challenging Nevada desert in the Mint 400, but our tires withstood the conditions and we were pleased with the overall results."ƒ‚ 

ATV Motocross

Team ITPƒ‚ notched a total of 11 class podiums and five class overall victories at the opening round of the AMA ATV MX series the weekend of March 22-24, at a rain-soaked Aonia Pass MX track in Georgia. Despite the poor weather, which actually forced the cancellation of Sunday's amateur schedule, the ATV Pro class had one of its largest number of entries in recent years as 23 riders attempted to qualify for the top 20 spots.

In the ATV MX series most prestigious event, the ATV Pro class, Josh Creamer was the top finishing ITP pro racer, taking second overall. Creamer and fellow ITP-backed pro Jeffrey Rastrelli were part of a first turn pileup in moto one, but both riders remounted their quads and charged from the back of the pack. Rastrelli actually carved his way through the pack to earn a career-best fifth overall in the first moto on his ITP tires. Creamer crossed the finish line in sixth.

Moto two of the Pro class was much different for both riders, as Creamer pulled the holeshot and raced away to his first moto victory of the season and Rastrelli finished 16th. Creamer's 6-1 moto finishes were good for second overall and a good start to the 2013 season. Rastrelli, who got a mid-pack start and was sitting comfortably in seventh with two laps remaining, overshot a muddy berm and got stuck. The young pro had to settle for 11th overall.ƒ‚ 

"I knew I had to get a better start than moto one," said Creamer. "I was able to get great traction with my ITP tires, we have done a lot of tire testing in the off season and really have this machine hooked up really well."ƒ‚ 

ITP had five amateur class racers win their class overall in Georgia. Overall wins went to William "Duck" Lloyd (Junior 25 Plus), Sam Rowe (College 16-24), Alex Gillette (Production C), Haedyn Mickelson (Schoolboy Sr. 14-15; Schoolboy Jr. 13-15 Open). ITP riders Jordan Digby, Dalton Hicks (Production A and 450A), Mike Barnhardt and Gillete earned second-place finishes, while Noah Mickelson was third in the 90 Open (12-15).ƒ‚ 

Round two of the ATV MX series is scheduled for April 13-14 at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn.ƒ‚ ƒ‚ ƒ‚ 

WORCSƒ‚ 

Round three of Rocky Mountain ATV MC WORCS SxS Series was held at Crazy Horse Campground in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The track was very rough and featured sand, gravel, dust and even a challenging lagoon jump that the vast majority of racers bypassed.ƒ‚ 

Team ITP racer Cody Rahders was the top finishing ITP pilot in the SxS Pro Production class, earning sixth overall out of 25 total drivers entered. In the Production 850 class, ITP-backed Sara Price earned a hard-fought second place. Her finish put her in a tie for fourth place in class points with fellow ITP racer Justin Lambert, who did not compete at round three.ƒ‚ 

"It was a great race, considering I'm new to the driving scene from crossing over from motocross. The ITP Blackwater tires were a big advantage in giving me the extra pull and traction in the sand corners," said Price.ƒ‚ ƒ‚ ƒ‚ 

Round four of WORCS will take place April 19, at Sand Hollow in Hurricane, Utah.ƒ‚ ƒ‚ 

BITD

ITP-supported Murray Motorsports finished third in the SxS Pro class (1900 P) in the 2013 Best In The Desert Mint 400 race held outside of Las Vegas. Pilots and brothers Derek and Jason Murray and alternate William Kugel tallied 97 points and actually finished 11th overall in their combined category, which featured a total of five different classes. The team raced for just under five hours to complete the two grueling laps on their ITP tires, finishing just two seconds behind second place after adjusted time.

"The Mint 400 was our first Best In The Desert race with the new 30-inch ITP Ultra Cross tires. The tires handled high-speed sections, silt beds, cornering and nasty rock beds with ease," said Derek Murray.ƒ‚ ƒ‚ 

The next BITD event, the Silver State 300, is slated for May 3-5, in Nevada.

About ITP

In business for more than 30 years, ITP has become the world's #1 ATV/UTV aftermarket tire and wheel source. ITP utilizes its experienced staff of engineers, designers and technicians at its two American tire facilities in Clinton, Tenn., and Jackson, Tenn., to develop award-winning tire-and-wheel designs for virtually all ATVs and side-by-side vehicles. Numerous outlets distribute ITP tires across the United States and in more than 25 countries worldwide. For aƒ‚ full-color ITP catalog, call toll-free: 1-800-859-4740.ƒ‚ ƒ‚ www.itptires.com

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