Joel Hetrick Takes Second Straight Win at High Point MX

Salisbury, NC (5/22/2018) – Rockford Fosgate/TiLube/Honda Pro racer Joel Hetrick won the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Pro ATV race at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris PA. His second consecutive victory puts Hetrick in prime position to take the points lead. Teammate Haedyn Mickelson finished ninth in Pro and sixth in Pro-Am where he leads the title chase by six points.

Hetrick was nearly perfect on his Honda during the weekend. After winning the ATVRiders.com Top Qualifier Award, he went on to score the Holeshot Award. After taking the holeshot in the first moto, Hetrick cased a step-up on the first lap. He rebounded quickly and drove from last in the field to finish second. He started second in the second moto, fell to fourth, and went on to score the overall victory, his third of the season in five races. 

“We made a little mistake in the first moto and I had to come back through the pack to finish second,” said Hetrick. “To finish second in that moto was like a win. In the second moto, I was second at the start, but got hit from behind and went to fourth. From there, I just clicked past people and followed Chad around until he made the same mistake I made in the first moto. I passed him and led the last two laps for the win.” 

Hetrick, from Seneca, PA, enjoyed having friends and family at what has become his home track. Speaking of the track, it was changed this year and despite dry conditions, was liked by nearly all the competitors. It also made for one of the most competitive racing weekends this season. 

“It was great racing all day,” said Hetrick. “I had family and friends out there that really enjoyed the race. I heard from some people that it was the best race they watched all year. I liked the new layout. It made for some more passing opportunities. It was a little hard packed and dry, but they did the best they could with what they had to work with.” 

One thing that remained steadfast was Hetrick’s Rockford Fosgate/TiLube/Honda. The Maxxis Tires again provided superior grip. The Elka shocks were tuned to perfection and the DASA engine provided excellent acceleration. 

“The Honda was awesome,” said Hetrick. “That DASA motor just pulled me at the starts. The Maxxis Tires were perfect for the hard-packed track. I had a lot of traction and that made a huge difference. Jay Gobel helped me with the Elka Suspension and it was spot-on. Everything just worked.” 

Mickelson went 10-8 in the Pro motos. He was especially happy with the way moto two went. In Pro Am he turned in a 5-6 effort and held onto the points lead.

“I just have a little bit of an off-weekend,” said Mickelson. “Everything was working really well. The track was really smooth and blue grooved and the Maxxis tires hooked up great. The Elka Suspension was top notch in the jumps. The whole machine worked great all weekend. We’ll turn it around at Muddy Creek.”