by: Brandon Short
Thursday, May 28, 2015 | 4:20 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Brandon Short
(949) 365-5750
[email protected]
Media Contact: Scott Roegner
(949) 365-5750
[email protected]
Media Contact: Ken Hill
[email protected]
Surging Hetrick Leads Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship into Inaugural Round from Ironman Raceway
ATVMX Invades Motorsports-Crazed Region of Indianapolis
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 28, 2015) – The last two stops of the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing (ATVMX), have been a showcase for Joel Hetrick’s ascension to the top of the AMA Pro ATV ranks. The Hetrick Racing/Corrosion Specialties Honda rider has won four straight motos to earn back-to-back overall wins and take over the championship standings as the season nears its halfway point. This weekend, the ATVMX field will head to a new venue at Ironman Raceway, in Crawfordsville, Indiana, for the Ironman ATV National on Saturday, May 30, the fifth round of the 2015 championship.
While Ironman Raceway may be the newest track on the American motocross scene, it has a long and illustrious history of hosting world-class off-road motorcycle races. The Ironman GNCC is one of the most legendary events in the AMSOIL Grand National Cross-Country Series (GNCC) – the country’s largest off-road racing series – and has been a part of that championship for more than two decades, making it the largest and most celebrated stop on the GNCC schedule. Just last year, Ironman Raceway made its debut in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and despite heavy rainfall, it instantly became a hit with both fans and riders.
The greater Indianapolis area is one of the largest motorsports-driven regions in the country and one week removed from the iconic Indy 500, fans throughout the state of Indiana are still craving wheel-to-wheel competition. With three different winners thus far in 2015, ATVMX has enjoyed incredible on-track action and parity thus far. Motosport.com/Maxxis/FLY Racing Honda’s John Natalie made the first statement of the season at the inaugural ATVSX at Daytona International Speedway and once the ATVMX season got underway, it was none other than reigning three-time AMA Pro ATV Champion Wienen who assumed control aboard his Wienen Motorsports/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft Yamaha. It looked like Wienen might be building another path to a fourth straight title, but Hetrick has stepped up his game and has arguably been the most dominant rider this season en route to his pair of wins.
Hetrick’s speed has been present all season, as evidenced by his three ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Awards, but he’s made life easy on himself by also getting improved starts. Putting his Honda at the front of the field has given him the chance to take advantage of that speed and while both Wienen and Maxxis Yamaha, powered by Moto-Xperts, rider Thomas Brown have followed him onto the podium each of the last two rounds, Hetrick’s momentum has not only given him the red number plate as the championship leader, but has also made him the rider to beat coming into Ironman Raceway.
Wienen’s extensive championship experience means he’s a rider that can never be counted out, especially considering only two points separate he and Hetrick. With his pair of consecutive podium finishes, Brown is also starting to come into his own and will likely be in the mix for victory this weekend and the remainder of 2015. Even though he hasn’t necessarily had the results he’d hoped for coming out of his historic ATVSX win, Natalie isn’t someone to count out either. He remains one of the best starters in the sport, which makes him a threat for victory on any given weekend.
The dramatic elevation changes and jumps of Ironman Raceway will present a great track for the stars of ATVMX to let it all hang out. Since no one has ever raced on the track before it establishes a rare even playing field for the AMA Pro ATV Class, setting the stage for what should be a memorable afternoon of racing on Saturday.
Previous Round Results
Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship
ATV Stampede
High Point Raceway – Mt. Morris, Pa.
May 16, 2015
Round 4 of 10
AMA Pro ATV Overall Results (Moto Results)
- Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda (1-1)
- Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha (2-2)
- Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha (3-3)
- Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda, (4-6)
- Nicholas Gennusa, Wall Township, N.J., Yamaha (7-4)
- Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am (6-5)
- Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn., Honda (9-7)
- Casey Martin, Frenchburg, Ky., Honda (10-8)
- Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am (5-14)
- Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda (8-12)
AMA Pro ATV Championship Standings
- Joel Hetrick, Seneca, Pa., Honda – 202
- Chad Wienen, Galena, Ill., Yamaha – 200
- Thomas Brown, Sanger, Texas, Yamaha – 175
- Jeffrey Rastrelli, Palm City, Fla., Can-Am – 138
- Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio, Honda – 130
- Ronnie Higgerson, Cutler, Ill., Can-Am – 128
- Nick Gennusa, Wall, N.J., Yamaha – 127
- John Natalie, Houtzdale, Pa., Honda – 103
- Vital Cazenave, Union City, Tenn., Honda – 94
- Tyler Hamrick, Cortland, Ohio, Honda – 93
Specialty Awards
ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Award
- Joel Hetrick – 4 point
- John Natalie – 1 point
SSi Decals Holeshot Championship
- Joel Hetrick – 8 points
- John Natalie – 6 point
- Chad Wienen – 1 point
For more information on the 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, visit www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter @ATVMXdotcom and Instagram @ATVMotocross, and be sure to always hashtag #ATVMX.
About the AMA ATV Motocross Championship
The AMA ATV Motocross Championship is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 10-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's largest and longest-running ATV national motocross program. Since 1985, the series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while premiering the professional class. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
About Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on twitter @mtn_dew.