The absence of Wienen Motorsports/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Chad Wienen did not go unnoticed as the event absorbed the reality that the infamous #44 machine was not on the gate. The vacancy opened up the conversation about who could step up to offer a challenge to the seemingly unstoppable Phoenix Racing Yamaha’s Joel Hetrick, who now seems to have a wide open season to continue his dominance.

When your fellow competitors make the claim that you are unstoppable, and your record reflects that, 2024 is looking to be a season where the action up front becomes what some might say is stagnant, however this is indeed motocross, and anything can happen. No rider wants to win over mechanical issues or an injury, especially at the pro level as it can tarnish the victory so expect some of the best racing as the fight for the podium gets heated and wild.

Without his nemesis, Hetrick now seems to have a blank canvas to write his own story. The talent that he has is unparalleled and here at Underground he wasn’t going to offer salvation to those on the gate with him. Hetrick was quick on taking the lead in both motos, and after building a sizable cushion Hetrick would seem to set things on cruise control as he rolled to the overall win and admittedly said he was having fun doing it.

Joining in on the battle and climbing aboard the podium was none other than WestLand Motorsports/JH Racing/PEP/GoldSpeed’s Brandon Hoag. You cannot talk about ATVMX and its rising stars without Hoag being up front in the conversation. Here in Texas, Hoag put the only kink into Hetrick’s perfect weekend by securing one of the SSi Decals holeshot and rode strong all the way to 2-2 finishes, earning his place the box in second overall. Hoag continues to put pieces together and when he figures it all out, he is going to be a very big threat.

Ford Brothers Racing/FXR/SSi Decals/CST’s Bryce Ford hails from the state of Texas and has been closely watched every season as if some magical force helps those who reside in the Lonestar state. Maybe it does because Ford seems to do very well on his home state soil and this round was just another where the young Texan landed on the podium after going 3-3 for third overall. This gives Ford his second podium finish on the season as his momentum starts to build and remains a favorite to run upfront and work for podium finishes.

JH Racing/PEP Performance/Shiffer Powersports’ Westley Wolfe has set his sights high as another season begins to unfold. Wolfe wants and expects results and is not shy about it. A battle hardened veteran of GNCC racing who has dedicated himself to making his mark on the ATVMX world, Wolfe charged to 4-6 finishes giving him a solid and well-earned fourth overall. 

For GennUSA Racing/SSi Decals/Kenda/Action Off-Road’s Nick Gennusa, things seem to work out in the end. A very positive mental attitude and solid program under him, Gennusa fights back when things don’t seem to be going his way. Here at round two, he put together a set of motos that allowed him to round out the top five going 7-4 for fifth overall. That may not be where he wanted to close out the weekend, but he leaves with a full head of steam as the series heads into round three. 

After coming through with a pair of fifth place finishes in Texas, ML2 Motorsports/Walsh Race Craft/Maxxis/Yamaha’s Max Lindquist would finish the day sixth overall. While Rastrelli Racing/FXR Moto/Rocket Machine Design’s Jeffrey Rastrelli would come through to finish seventh overall at round two after going 6-7 on the weekend. TDR Motorsports/Walsh Race Craft/CST/Rocket Machine Design’s Mason Jackson would finish eighth overall after earning a pair of eighth place finishes. Musick Racing/Media All-Stars/Nonsenss Design’s Kevin Saar went 10-9 on the day to earn ninth overall at round two, while Ford Brothers Racing/FXR/SSi Decals/CST’s Cody Ford rounded out the top 10 overall finishers with a 9th and 10th place finish in the motos.

In the Pro-Am division it would be Mason Jackson going 1-1 on the day to earn the overall win for their first race of the season while Kevin Saar came through to finish second overall with a pair of second place finishes on the day. Jayden Londerville rounded out the top three in the Pro-Am class as he battled back to go 3-3 on the day. 

As the Pro Sport class got underway for their second round of the season, Joey Norris would once again claim the win by going 1-1 on the day in Texas. Norris continues to lead the way in the points standings for the Pro Sport class. Jayden Londerville would go 2-2 on the day to finish second overall in the class, while Brett Musick went 3-3 for third overall in the class. 

The WMX class got their season started as Kinsey Osborn would come through to claim the first win of the season as she went 1-1 on the day. Natalie Jackson would battle through to go 2-2 on the day and earn herself second overall at round one in Texas. Olivia Joiner came through third overall after finishing third in both of the WMX motos.

The next round is expected to be just as impressive as the series heads to Echeconnee in Lizella, Georgia for the first time since 2015. The chatter in the pits is already buzzing as the excitement started building before the gates were even closed at the Underground ATVMX National event. Check out the Echeconnee ATVMX ational on April 20-21, 2024, and for more information click HERE.