Many have looked to Hetrick to potentially emerge as Wienen’s biggest rival as the rising star is simply willing to lay it all on the line at any moment. While he finished second to Wienen in the opening moto of the season, he’s more than ready to do battle. Natalie, who also grabbed both of the SSi Decals Holeshot Awards at Aonia Pass, is a crafty veteran who simply knows how to get the job done and did so by holding off Wienen to take the Moto 2 win.

While Wienen was able to emerge with the overall win, he was flanked by a pair of riders who have answered the call in the early stages of the season to try and prevent the back-to-back champ from claiming a third straight title. In addition to the impressive runs by both Hetrick and Natalie, BCS Performance Can-Am’s Josh Creamer was also in the thick of the hunt. The former series champion was part of the podium battle in each moto and ultimately just missed out on the box by finishing fourth overall. Wienen’s teammate Thomas Brown was consistent as well, finishing fifth overall following a pair of fifth-place finishes to round out the top five.

All the action in Aonia Pass has set the stage for an even better day of action on Saturday at Muddy Creek. One of the most storied tracks on the ATVMX schedule, Muddy Creek provides an ideal combination of high speed, technicality, and fan-favorite airtime. Last year in Blountville, Hetrick put on a show for the fans with one of the most impressive outings of his young career. The Pennsylvania native relied on strong starts, speed, and consistency to simply dominate each moto with a wire-to-wire sweep to the overall victory. Wienen followed in second, with Brown rounding out the podium in third. Creamer was fourth with Natalie in fifth.

Thanks to his breakout ride one year ago, Hetrick eagerly awaits the opportunity to chase a second straight victory at Muddy Creek. Thanks to his strong performance in the opening round, a win by Hetrick would make the early title fight exceptionally tight. On the other hand, Wienen knows a convincing performance in Blountville could provide some early separation in the point standings, which could give him a surge of early season momentum to capitalize on.

From top to bottom, this is the closest the field of AMA Pro ATV Class riders will be in the championship which means Muddy Creek serves as an opportunity for everyone to shake up the standings with a strong performance. Every rider will look to make his presence felt on Saturday afternoon, which means the racing will be something no fan will want to miss.