Creamer Fights to Win Steel City ATV MX
For the second year in a row Josh Creamer dominated the ATV Stampede at Steel City, earning a 1-1 moto sweep during round five of the AMA Pro ATV MX Championship in Delmont, Pa.
Creamer had his work cut out for him throughout the weekend, battling to the front in both motos to take the win aboard his Rockstar Makita Suzuki. Creamer’s success moves him back into the points lead ahead of teammate Dustin Wimmer in the chase for the 2010 ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.
“This was a hard fought weekend,” says Creamer. “I didn’t get the starts, but we pulled through and got the win.”
At the start of moto one, Josh Upperman grabbed yet another holeshot aboard his Baldwin Motorsports PEP Honda. Upperman, Yamaha/Mushin/Golden West’s Thomas Brown and Can Am/Motorworks John Natalie immediately hooked up in a three-way battle for the lead. In heartbreaking style, Upperman suffered engine problems and was towed off the track on Lap 3. Natalie now held the lead, but the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki teammates of Creamer and Wimmer began to battle through the pack.
“In moto one, I started in 13th, and Dustin was not too far ahead of me,” says Creamer. “We had our work cut out for us.”
Creamer made the pass on Wimmer and then both riders began to pass toward the front. Shortly after halfway, Creamer had taken the lead, followed by Brown, Natalie, and Wimmer. It was not until the last lap, in the last straight before the finish line, where Wimmer was able to steal the third spot from Natalie.
In the second moto it was rookie Cody Gibson who took the holeshot aboard his Mushin Racing/JB/FMF Suzuki. Not quite as lucky, Dustin Wimmer’s right gate did not drop and left him last out off the start. In just a few laps, Creamer had taken over the lead while his teammate continued to battle towards the front. Pass after pass, Wimmer made his way to second behind teammate Creamer.
“We are definitely keeping it exciting between me and my teammate Josh Creamer,” says Wimmer. “I’m going to fight to be sure he doesn’t get too many points ahead of me. That makes for exciting racing.”
After two hard fought battles, Wimmer finished second overall, and Thomas Brown took home the third spot.
“Everything went really smoothly this weekend,” says Brown. “It was a good weekend, and I couldn’t be happier to be on the podium.”
In the Pro-Am Production class, Chase Snapp took a 1-2 for the overall win over points leader Joel Hetrick. During the holeshot, Hetrick was struck in the lens of his googles with a rock and had to pull off to get a new pair before he could begin the race. He was able to battle back to fourth. In the second moto, Hetrick earned the start to finish win. Snapp finished in second followed by Jeffrey Rastrelli in third.
The series travels next to Spring Creek Raceway in Millville, Wis. on June 12-13.
| Steel City MX Results | ATV Motocross Pro Class Standings | ||||||
| Pos. | Rider | ATV | Motos | Pos. | Rider | ATV | Points |
| 1. | Josh Creamer | Suzuki | 1 – 1 | 1. | Josh Creamer | Suzuki | 219 (3 wins) |
| 2. | Dustin Wimmer | Suzuki | 3 – 2 | 2. | Dustin Wimmer | Suzuki | 216 (1 win) |
| 3. | Thomas Brown | Yamaha | 2 – 3 | 3. | John Natalie Jr. | Can-Am | 171 |
| 4. | John Natalie Jr. | Can-Am | 4 – 5 | 4. | Josh Upperman | Honda | 161 (1 win) |
| 5. | Nick DeNoble | Honda | 5 – 7 | 5. | Thomas Brown | Yamaha | 156 |
| 6. | Dustin Nelson | Yamaha | 6 – 11 | 6. | Chad Wienen | Can-Am | 148 |
| 7. | Chad Wienen | Can-Am | 17 – 4 | 7. | Jeremy Lawson | Walsh | 112 |
| 8. | Cody Miller | Can-Am | 11 – 10 | 8. | Patrick Brown | Honda | 108 |
| 9. | Josh Upperman | Honda | 16 – 6 | 9. | Nick DeNoble | Honda | 107 |
| 10. | Greg Gee | Honda | 15 – 8 | 10. | Greg Gee | Honda | 98 |
