While Wienen ultimately went unchallenged en route to a 1-1 outing at the previous stop of the championship from Minnesota’s Spring Creek MX Park, it wasn’t an easy path to victory. As has been the case throughout the 2015 season, Hetrick Racing/Corrosion Specialties Honda’s Joel Hetrick was a thorn in Wienen’s side throughout the afternoon. Despite a crash in practice that put him on the mend heading into the motos, Hetrick stepped up to the plate and put his Honda in front out of the gate in each moto. True to form, Wienen was right there with Hetrick each time and forced the issue in both motos to take early leads and check out.

It was the first time in 2015 that Wienen posted a sweep of the motos despite having four wins to his credit. That distinction is a direct result of the heightened competition he’s faced this season, notably from Hetrick as well as his former teammate and protégé Thomas Brown, who rides for his own Maxxis Yamaha, powered by Moto-Xperts, effort. Hetrick has a pair of wins to his credit this season and even sat atop the AMA Pro ATV standings for one round, while Brown broke through for his first win as a team owner just a few races ago. At Spring Creek, Hetrick did all he could to minimize the damage done to him in the championship, following Wienen to 2-2 finishes and a runner-up effort. Unfortunately for Brown, it wasn’t the afternoon he was hoping for as 4-4 results not only left him off the podium, but also caused him to lose ground in the championship battle. Entering Unadilla, Wienen’s advantage in the standings sits at 21 points over Hetrick in second, and 40 points over Brown in third. 

JB Racing/Can-Am/Liquid Wrench's Jeffrey Rastrelli filled Brown’s absence from the AMA Pro ATV podium at Spring Creek after enjoying one his most consistent outings of the season. It was at Unadilla a year ago that Rastrelli had the breakout ride of his young career, with a third-place finish that established him as a rising star. With another podium to his credit heading into Saturday’s race, the timing couldn’t be better for another impressive performance at Unadilla. 

A year ago at the legendary facility, Wienen had one of his most dominant rides of the season. The reigning three-time series champion went virtually untouched en route to a 1-1 performance and left the battle for the remaining spots on the podium between a slew of riders, who put forth a memorable fight behind him.

With its sprawling layout, Unadilla is as close to a dream track as an ATVMX rider could ask for, allowing them to get the most out of their machines. With its undulating hills and rich countryside soil, Unadilla caters to high speeds and thrilling competition. That means fans in attendance this weekend will be in for a show as the AMA Pro ATV field pushes their bikes to the limit on the hallowed grounds. While starts will surely be key, consistency and line selection will be paramount, as Unadilla still demands the most of a rider thanks to notorious obstacles like Gravity Cavity, Sky Shot and The Wall.