Practice was nearly perfect as the well-groomed track allowed for fast lap times and big air over the incredible jumps that kept the fans watching. Phoenix Racing/CST Tires/Elka/Moose Racing’s Joel Hetrick would secure the fastest qualifier as his season of dominance seemed to be unstoppable after four rounds of racing. Wienen Motorsports/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Chad Wienen came through second in the qualifying sessions as Ford Brothers Racing/Fly Racing/SSi Decals/Maxxis/DWT/Maxima/Fourwerx/Walsh’s Bryce Ford rounded out the top three fastest qualifiers in the morning sessions.

Moto one was being gated as the nearly full gate of the world’s best were mere minutes away from striking the Indiana soil. Hetrick wasted zero time as the gate dropped and his retro themed Yamaha YFZ streaked to the front taking the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and the lead. With clear track in front of him, this moto was over as he hit all his marks and cruised to another victory. For Hetrick’s toughest competitor, Wienen was playing catch up right off the gate as he did not get the start he was after forcing him to battle his way through the fierce competitors. The multi-time and current defending Champion came close and would take second after a brutally fast moto that showed his efforts on the track and proved he had his set up dialed. Wienen was now looking forward to the second moto and another chance to unleash things on Hetrick. Third place would fall to Musick Racing/Déjà vu/Kenda Tires’ Brandon Hoag who appeared to be riding well as he continues to put himself on the podium with a third. Bryce Ford would take fourth in the first moto and Rastrelli Racing/FXR Moto/Rocket Machine Design’s Jeffrey Rastrelli would round out the top five moto one finishing order.

As moto two neared, unpromising clouds started to overtake the sunny skies that had blessed the track all day. By the time the racers were heading to the gate, it was clear that the rain clouds in the region were not going to give the race a pass. As rain started to fall the gate was already full and riders were just about a minute away from the gate drop. As the 30-second board went sideways, the rain began to fall harder, and the riders were off.

Wienen got the start he was after as he took control of things, earning the SSi Decals Holeshot Award in moto two. Behind him a wall of brown roost filled the first turn as tear offs were pulled, and goggles thrown as the mud moto began. The running order quickly changed and would continue to change as the moto wore on and machines began showing signs from the amount of rain that was received at the start of the race. After just a few laps, four racers were still moving as the rest of the class were either stuck or unable to move their machine, including Hetrick and Wienen. The finish line saw racers pulling together to push and pull machines across the line. At one point, Hetrick was helping others as Wienen cautiously rode by after being able to re-fire his Yamaha.

JH Racing/FTR Graphics/Fly Racing/Walsh Race Craft’s Westley Wolfe, who raced in the Grand National Cross Country Series for years, held the lead on the second lap and continued to hold that lead until the white flag flew. Hetrick would be able to get his machine fired up after pushing it over the finish line with help from his fellow competitors. However, when the checkered flag flew it was Lonestar/SSi Decals/Déjà Vu Racing’s Nick Denoble claiming the moto two win after deciding to race this event mainly for the fun of it.

Second in the moto would go to Wolfe as he now looks to decide on the rest of the year due to his lingering injury from last season. Taking third was Wienen who had managed to do what he needed to do. Third may not be a cause for celebration when you are talking about the top handful of racers in the world but on this day, it moved him into the overall win which he needed badly.

The final fallout was a good day in the worst possible conditions leaving so many struck by the madness they had just endured. Taking the overall was an overjoyed Wienen who still has quite a hole to dig himself out of if he wants to keep that number one plate in 2023. Hetrick may have not had the best second moto taking fifth, however it was enough to give him second on the day. Hoag would claim the final overall podium spot here at Ironman after a very trying second moto that saw him with a few busted teeth after his ball joint failed on his machine. Hoag has been on the move this season and could easily be a player well into the future.

The finishing order at Ironman does not give the scope of the weekend only sheer bewilderment as the day went from a normal moto one to moto two where survival was the name of the game. The racers and teams get to regroup before heading to Sunset Ridge in two weeks. This is Chad Wienen country, and this round historically has been dominated by the local hero. Hetrick would love nothing more than to shut things down with another 1-1 perfect weekend and has all the tools to do just that! Behind the top two, it can be a real gamble as so much talent is sitting just outside the top three waiting for things to click and allow them to shine.

For more information on the 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