by: Kayla Bolton
TimeTuesday, July 17, 2018 | 11:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(304) 284-0101
[email protected]
Joel Hetrick Looks to Extend Points Lead Before ATVMX Finale
Wienen Aims to Stop Hetrick’s Win Streak
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 17, 2018) – The 33rd Annual ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, heads to Buchanan, Michigan for the penultimate round of the 2018 season. With only two rounds remaining this year, Rockford Fosgate/Ti-Lube/Honda’s Joel Hetrick currently has a nine-point lead over the rest of the field. This Saturday, July 21 at the iconic RedBud MX, Hetrick will look to extend his lead before the finale in Tennessee.
After taking the overall win at the past four races, Hetrick has his eye on the prize of earning his second consecutive National Championship. However, Wienen Motorsports/Yamaha/Maxxis’ Chad Wienen is not ready to settle for second place once again and will be looking to land on the center of the podium this weekend, ultimately earning valuable championship points. Wienen remains Hetrick’s biggest competition in the series as they head into the remaining two rounds as the only pair to earn overall wins this season.
Throughout the 2018 season, Hetrick has shown maturity and gained patience when it came to battling at the front of the pack. Through 14 motos this season, both Hetrick and Wienen have not finished outside the top two and the fans have witnessed some of the greatest battles to date in this series. With the championship on the line, this could bring a heightened level of competition to the final rounds and a RedBud MX win by Wienen would result in an all-out battle for the National Championship.
While Hetrick and Wienen have been the only riders to earn overall wins this year, TBrown84 Training/CST Tires’ Thomas Brown and Baldwin/Jeff Rastrelli Land Grading/Ford Brothers Racing Honda’s Jeffrey Rastrelli have both been trying to change that statistic. Brown has finished inside the top five at every round with the exception of Underground where he finished sixth overall. Rastrelli was off to a great start of the season finishing third at the first three rounds, and then battling at the front with Wienen at round five in Pennsylvania. Rastrelli had a setback before the Sunset Ridge ATVMX National, suffering from an injury sustained in a practice crash but was able to rebound with a top five finish at Unadilla. Brown and Rastrelli are both hoping to end the 2018 season on a high note and battle for that center spot on the podium.
GennUSA Racing/CST Tires/Corrosion Specialties’ Nick Gennusa has shown great promise in making a podium appearance this season. Gennusa has finished in the fourth overall position at the past two events, with a third place finish in moto two at Unadilla just two weeks ago. If Gennusa can put together two great moto performances he will be looking at an overall spot on the podium in no time.
JH Racing/Walsh Race Craft/SSi Decals Zachary Kaczmarzyk and GBC Motorsports/Hetrick Racing/Walsh Race Craft/Solo Pilot’s Westley Wolfe currently sit sixth and seventh in the points standings. As the series winds down, both are looking for their breakthrough race. Wolfe has finished inside the top five once this season and is looking to add another one to his resume, while Kaczmarzyk has finished consistently in the top 10 at every round this season.
Also hoping to have a breakthrough race are Koster Racing’s Wes Lewis, Rockford Fosgate/Ti-Lube/Honda’s Haedyn Mickelson and Root River Racing’s Dylan Tremellen. All three riders are in a heated battle to round out the top 10 this season as Lewis sits two-points ahead of Mickelson and Tremellen, who are tied in the points standings in ninth.
Saturday’s race schedule is as follows: practice at 10 a.m. followed by a timed qualifying session at 11:30 a.m. Pro motos are at 2 and 4 p.m. with an autograph session taking place at 4:30 p.m. For a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit the RedBud ATV National event page on the series website by clicking HERE.
Saturday spectator passes run $20 for adults and $10 for children (6-11), with kids five and under getting in for free. Each pass includes pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge. A highlight show featuring the event will air on MAVTV Saturday, September 15 at 9:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Amateur racing will take place throughout the weekend alongside the AMA Pro class, and local riders are invited and encouraged to compete in the event, as ATVMX offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur race entry fee is only $50 and riders can sign up at the event. To learn more about ATVMX racing, please refer to the ATVMX101 webpage.
Local racers expected to compete this weekend will be: Micah Fouts (50 CVT/50 Auto), Autumn Biland (WMX), Michael Biland Sr (Senior 40+ B), Jamie Greenman (Senior 40+ C), Andrew Hartwell (450 A/Production A/College), Matt Greenwald (Super Mini/90 Shifter), Jacob Hill (Junior 25+/Vet 30+), Blair Miller (250 Mod/Schoolboy Sr), Mason Jackson (Super Mini/90 Open Sr/90 Shifter), Natalie Jackson (Girls), Bryce Miller (125/90 Automatic), Chase Seeley (450 A/Production A/College), Terry Pelham (Masters 50+), Tanner Reynolds (50 CVT/50 Auto), Levi Simpkins (250 Mod/Super Mini) and Jayden Weage (90 Auto).
To get to the track from Chicago follow I-94 East through Indiana and take exit 4A to US-12 East. Follow the route for 18 miles until arriving at a stoplight. Turn left on Red Bud Trail and the track entrance will be five miles down the road on the left.
From Ohio follow Toll Road (80) to exit 72 in Indiana. Then go North on US-3 to exit 3. Turn left and go approximately two miles until reaching the first stoplight. Turn right on Red Bud Trail and look for the track entrance on the left.
Previous Round Results and Points Standings
Unadilla ATVMX National
New Berlin, New York
Round 8 of 10
Saturday, July 7
2018 AMA Pro Class Event Results:
- Joel Hetrick (1-1)
- Chad Wienen (2-2)
- Thomas Brown (3-4)
- Nick Gennusa (5-3)
- Jeffrey Rastrelli (4-5)
- Zachary Kaczmarzyk (6-7)
- Sam Rowe (7-8)
- Haedyn Mickelson (8-9)
- Westley Wolfe (13-6)
- Drake Koelling (9-10)
Overall National Championship Standings:
- Joel Hetrick (307)
- Chad Wienen (298)
- Thomas Brown (237)
- Jeffrey Rastrelli (233)
- Nick Gennusa (207)
- Zachary Kaczmarzyk (170)
- Westley Wolfe (160)
- Wes Lewis (141)
- Haedyn Mickelson (139)
- Dylan Tremellen (139)
SSi Decals Holeshot Award Standings:
- Joel Hetrick (12)
- Chad Wienen (4)
- Jeffrey Rastrelli (3)
- Sam Rowe (1)
ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award Standings:
- Joel Hetrick (5)
- Chad Wienen (2)
For more information on the 2018 ATV Motocross National Championship, visit the series official website at www.atvmotocross.com or call (304) 284-0101. Join the conversation on the series social media channels, along with receiving the most up-to-date news and exclusive content.
- Facebook: @atvmotocross
- Instagram: @atvmotocross
- Twitter: @atvmxdotcom
- YouTube: @atvmotocross
About the ATV Motocross National Championship:
The ATV Motocross National Championship presented by CST Tires, an AMA National 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.
How to Watch:
Racer TV and MAVTV are the official homes for coverage of the ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) events. All 10 rounds, from the season opening ATVSX inside the hallowed grounds of Daytona International Speedway, to the ATV Dirt Days finale at the historic Loretta Lynn Ranch in Tennessee, will air in 30-minue; taped-delayed telecasts on MAVTV, while Racer TV provides live streaming coverage of differing events. Catch all the action at www.mavtv.com and www.racertv.com.
About the American Motorcyclist Association:
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.