Blountville, TN (June 23, 2009) - Monster Energy Kawasaki's Chad Wienen not only took the win at Unadilla, but also the points lead of the 2009 AMA Pro ATV Motocross Series. Wienen, new to the Kawasaki squad this year, suffered through mechanical troubles in three of the first four motos of the season, and found himself over 50 points behind the series leader after round two. But he's been on the podium ever since, logging three seconds and two victories while early-season leaders Joe Byrd and Dustin Wimmer have struggled. Now in the lead, Wienen travels to Blountville, TN, to take on the pack at round eight of the the ITP/AMA ATV Motocross Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the Muddy Creek National on June 27-28th. The race also marks ATVA Amateur Racing Round seven.
Byrd and Wimmer's troubles continued at Unadilla. Honda veteran Byrd made a mistake in moto one and dropped from fourth to eventually finish 11th, and he was credited with 17th in moto two after mechanical troubles set in. Amazingly, Wimmer, the defending AMA Pro ATV MX Champion, made up points on Byrd despite riding with a lingering shoulder injury suffered before round four of the tour. Wimmer soldiered on with 10-4 scores for sixth overall at Unadilla. Wienen now leads both, with a nine point lead on Byrd and 19 points on Wimmer.
The event takes place at the Muddy Creek Raceway. Established in the late '70s by the Paul Baskett family, Muddy Creek has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Racer X Illustrated, Motocross Action, Dirt Bike, ATV Sport and Dirt Wheels magazines. The venue is home of the Thor United States Mega Series and the AMA ATV Motocross Championship.
Muddy Creek Raceway features a technically challenging track that takes advantage of the natural terrain. The rolling hills form massive jumps and high-speed corners, and also provide a great view for spectators.
The weekend will feature the 3rd Annual 88 Live to Ride Benefit Dinner Saturday night hosted by ITP, Big Daddy Motorsports and the Media All-stars crew. The event is a fund raiser for the 88 Live to Ride Fund benefiting the ATV Mobile Medical Unit.
To get to the track, take Exit #63 off I-81 and follow signs to the racetrack.
About the ITP Tires/Moose Racing ATV National Motocross Championship Series
Presented by Parts Unlimited
The AMA ITP/Moose Racing ATV National Motocross Championship Series Presented by Parts Unlimited is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, and competes at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 11-round series features the Nation's best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America's largest and longest-running ATV National Motocross series with more than 20 years of competition. The series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while keeping close to the grassroots fun that makes people love to go to the races. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
About the ATV Promoters Group (ATVPG)
The ATVPG is composed of the individual promoters that host the AMA ITP/Moose Racing ATV National Motocross Championships, presented by Parts Unlimited. The goal of the ATVPG is to raise awareness of ATV motocross through the production of professional and amateur championship racing events. For more information on the ATVPG and the ATV National events they produce, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.