Morgantown, W. Va. (July 27, 2011) - The 2011 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series presented by DWT has been filled with excitement and drama all season long, leading to a renewed fight for the AMA Pro class title. Dominant points leader Chad Wienen suffered a season ending crash last month, knocking him out of the running for a title this year. Meanwhile, Motoworks Can-Am teammate John Natalie concurrently underwent a surgery to repair a broken arm; however, Natalie has managed to attend every round of racing, staying ahead of Baldwin Motorsports Honda's Josh Upperman, who sits only three points behind the leader heading to RedBud MX this weekend.
Last round at Unadilla, it was rookie sensation Joel Hetrick who captured his first-ever AMA Pro class win, sweeping both motos of the day. Hetrick has been showing bursts of speed throughout the season, also grabbing a second overall at Sunset Ridge MX earlier in the year. Hetrick has struggled with consistency from week-to-week, though, which keeps the first year rider in the seventh place points position behind fellow rookie, Can-Am's Chase Snapp. Like Hetrick, Snapp has put in a handful of stellar finishes, but consistency has not settled in for the first-year Pros just yet.
Walsh Race Craft Suzuki's Jeremy Lawson has consistently finished inside the top five in every race except for one, giving him a comfortable lead for third in the championship standings. Lawson is still looking for his first overall this season, something that has come within reaching distance several times. Only twenty-eight points down, there is still a possibility Lawson can put himself in a position to contest the title amongst Natalie and Upperman.
Photo By: Mike Roth - Event...
Photo By: Mike Roth - Event Pix
The title is up for grabs
Amateur classes will practice on Friday and race on both Saturday and Sunday. Pros will run two timed practice sessions on Saturday morning and race in the afternoon as part of a full schedule of amateur racing, including classes for Youth, Women and Veteran riders. Local riders are encouraged to take part in the amateur racing schedule and may sign up at the event.
Tickets on Saturday are $20 for spectators ($10 for ages 6-11), and admission includes full pro-pit access and an autograph session.
To get to the track from Buchanan, go about 5 miles north of US 12 on Redbud Trail and the track will be on the left.
About the AMA ATV Motocross Championship
The AMA ATV Motocross Championship is the nation's premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted 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 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