Morgantown, W. Va. (August 9, 2011) - Only ten points separate current leader John Natalie and the second place of Josh Upperman as the 2011 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series presented by DWT wraps up this weekend, August 13 and 14, at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.
Motoworks Can-Am's John Natalie, coming off a midseason injury, has experienced a bumpy path along the way, but the Pennsylvania native sits just where he wants to be, headed into the last round of the 2011 season. Ohio's Josh Upperman has been one of the most consistent riders this year, even chalking a win at Round 8 on his Baldwin Motorsports PEP Racing Honda. The tough Loretta Lynn's course will be the deciding factor in this yearlong battle for the championship between Natalie and Upperman.
Walsh Race Craft Suzuki's Jeremy Lawson has also been consistent this season, holding the third place position in points. Lawson had a couple off-weekends, though, pitting him 53 points back from the leaders of Natalie and Upperman.
Another rider that pushed his way inside the top five is the Ballance Racing Yamaha of Thomas Brown. Brown experienced bad luck with mechanical issues early in the season, but the Texas boy has put his head down the second half of the season and after his first moto-win last round, may be in contention for an overall win this weekend.
This year's Rookie racers have put in a memorable season in the pro class, each taking moto wins, overall podiums and even an overall win from Hetrick Racing's Joel Hetrick, who sits one behind Chase Snapp for seventh place in the championship standings. Can-Am's Snapp has two overall podiums this year and has come very close to taking an overall win in his first year in the pro class. These two young racers have almost a full season under their belts and have proved to be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Loretta Lynn's is a prestigious stop on the 11-race tour, as the motocross track is untouched for all but two weeks out of the year. ATV Motocross participants get an exclusive chance to race a track built for the most elite racers in the country on both motorcycles and ATVs.
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.
Tickets on Saturday are $20 for spectators ($10 for ages 6-11), and admission includes full pro-pit access and an autograph session. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com
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.