Chris Borich fought off Walker Fowler to win the season-ending AMSOIL Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ind. The win was the 67th of his career, tying him with Bill Ballance for the all-time ATV win record.

Borich kicked off the afternoon by grabbing the $250 DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead Holeshot, but he opted to follow Precision/ITP/Lonestar/Axis/Baldwin Racing’s Adam McGill into the woods on the opening lap. It wasn’t long before AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler joined the front-runners, creating a three-way battle for the lead early on.

In the second-to-last round of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler took home the checkers after a thrilling battle with Precision/ITP/Lonestar/Axis/Baldwin Racing’s Adam McGill.

Thousands of fans were on hand for the 12th running of the ITP Powerline Park GNCC to see Fowler earn his third victory of the season.

McGill carried the early momentum after claiming the $250 DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead XC1 Holeshot, with five-time XC1 Champion Chris Borich and Fowler close in tow. Kevin Yoho put his BNR Motorsports machine into fourth place on the opening lap, while JB Racing/Cheerwine/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure began in the fifth place position.

Though Chris Bithell managed to hold him off and take the overall victory, Chris Borich’s second-place finish at the inaugural Car-Mate Gusher GNCC was enough to secure his fifth straight AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series championship in Foxburg, Pa.

With a steady rain pouring down, the afternoon race kicked off with Borich claiming the $250 DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead Holeshot Award. From there, it was a close-knit battle to the woods on the opening lap between BNR’s Kevin Yoho, Borich and DeRisi Racing’s Eric Hoyland. However, it was the Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis rider Bithell who checked in with the lead on Lap 1, followed by Borich, Hoyland and AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler.

The 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series returned after a two-month summer break at Unadilla Raceway in New Berlin, NY for round 10 of the series. Chris Borich fought off a tough challenge from Walker Fowler to secure the XC1 victory.

It was Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Jeff Pickens (12) who shot out to claim the $250 DeRisi Racing/Team Woodhead Holeshot Award and the early lead but AmPro Yamaha’s Fowler quickly took over out front. Maxxis-backed Borich jumped in right behind Fowler and the duo began their race-long battle for the lead.

Thomas Brown (Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer) won his first ever ATVMX Pro class event as the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, wrapped up this weekend at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

Brown made his pro debut in 2009 and has been working towards his first victory ever since. Brown has been present on the podium at all but two rounds this season and was able to secure second place overall for the 2013 Championship points this weekend.

Chad Wienen left little doubt who the top ATV motocross rider on the planet is this past weekend at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich. Wienen (Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer) swept both motos to secure his seventh straight victory and clinch his second consecutive national championship at Round 9 of the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Series.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet. This season has been so surreal and now that I’ve clinched my second consecutive national championship it’s more than a dream come true,” says Wienen. “I’m still looking forward to one more round of racing but I’ve been working my entire life to win a championship and now that I’ve done it two years in a row I can’t believe it, makes me even hungrier for more.”

Chad Wienen’s dream season continued this past weekend at Unadilla Raceway as he secured his sixth straight overall victory at the eighth round of the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Series, sanctioned by AMA. Wienen was joined on the podium by Josh Creamer and John Natalie.

“I’m so thankful for the season I’ve been having so far it’s been a lot of hard work and dedication. Holding onto the red points lead plate at the end of each race weekend is what keeps me motivated as we wind down on the season,” says Wienen.

Though it was four weeks since the Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship series last held an event, Chad Wienen certainly didn’t look rusty. The defending champion raced to 1-2 moto finishes at Steel City Raceway to earn his fifth straight overall victory.

Pennsylvania native John Natalie grabbed the moto 1 holeshot as the field came roaring into the first turn aboard his MotoSport.com Motoworks DWT machine. Natalie led the tight field until halfway through Moto 1.

“I had a good jump off the gate and was able to run a good moto, leading up until halfway when I made a mistake and fell back into second. I knew I had to ride smart but I was happy to be able to get a good result in front of all my hometown family and friends that came out to support me this weekend,” says Natalie.

Walker Fowler conquered Saturday’s rough and tumble AMSOIL Snowshoe GNCC racecourse at West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain, besting points leader Chris Borich and the rest of the XC1 field by over two minutes.

The Snowshoe GNCC showcased a concrete start, sending waves of five riders per row in increments of 10-15 seconds through the downtown village of Snowshoe Resort. AmPro Yamaha‘s Walker Fowler jumped out to the front on the opening lap and the Ohio native didn’t seem to look back from there. Borich had a small slip-up on the opening lap but the defending champion managed to put his Maxxis-backed Suzuki into the second place position early on where he set his sights on the leader Fowler right away.

Adam McGill got out to a flying start at the Parts Unlimited Mountaineer Run GNCC and kept it up until the checkers, earning his first win of the season. McGill bested current points leader Chris Borich in an exciting battle in Masontown, WV for round 8 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series.

McGill began his day on the right foot, taking the $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award in front of his hometown crowd of friends and family. Four-time GNCC Champion Borich jumped into the second place position right away, while JB Racing/Can-Am’s Jarrod McClure began the afternoon in third. Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell and AmPro Yamaha’s Walker Fowler also put themselves into the top five battle right way and the lead pack rode wheel-to-wheel on the opening lap.

Mother Nature was less than cooperative as the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, made its way to Danville, Va. for the Birch Creek National. Despite the foul weather, defending champion Chad Wienen found himself on the top step of the podium for the fourth straight time, securing his fifth overall victory of the year.

“I wish the weather was something we could control but I’m just really glad we have our mud set up dialed in and we have our machines working really well,” says Wienen.” You never know what is going to happen in the mud but I’m always thrilled to come out of a weekend that can go any which way on the box and still holding onto the red plate.”

Two weeks ago Chris Borich looked human for the first time all year, finishing third at the Limestone 100 GNCC after winning the first five rounds of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series. Anybody celebrating his demise was reminded this past weekend at the Wiseco John Penton GNCC that the four-time series champion is still at the top of his game. Borich made one of his patented last-lap passes on Adam McGill to secure his sixth win of the season.

Eric Hoyland began his day by grabbing the $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award ahead of a stacked field of riders. It didn’t take long for the veteran front-runners to take the lead, beginning with Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill, who crossed the line in first on the opening lap. Borich put his Maxxis-backed machine right behind McGill, while Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell, BNR’s Kevin Yoho and JB Racing/ Can-Am‘s Jarrod McClure followed close behind.

Half way through the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA, and defending champion Chad Wienen (Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer) looks poised for a repeat. Wienen earned his third straight overall victory and fourth out of a possible five as the series turned to Sunset Ridge MX for round 5.

“I always look forward to the Sunset Ridge MX race, I have a ton of family and friends that come down to support me and it makes the weekend that much better,” says Wienen.

It took six rounds of the 2013 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, but Walker Fowler proved that Chris Borich is human by taking the checkers for the first time this season at the Dunlop Limestone 100.

It was an exciting battle from start to finish in the two-hour Limestone GNCC as AmPro Yamaha’s Fowler, Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis’ Chris Bithell, Maxxis-backed Borich and Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill challenged the race-win all afternoon. But it was Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Jeff Pickens who took the early lead, grabbing his second straight $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. It wasn’t long before Fowler jumped out front, with the trio of front-runners close behind.

Chad Wienen used 3-1 moto finishes at Wildcat Creek MX in Rossville, Ind. to secure his second straight victory at Round 4 of the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship.

Josh Upperman, aboard his Baldwin Motorsports PEP Upperman Racing machine, grabbed his first SSi Decals holeshot award of the 2013 season in moto 1. But it wasn’t long before Joel Hetrick, who came out of the first turn in second place, found his way around Upperman to take over the lead. From there, Hetrick found a comfortable pace in front of the rest of the field and was able to maintain the lead in order to take the moto 1 win.

Even Mother Nature can’t stop Chris Borich this year. The four-time defending Grand National Cross Couuntry Series champion fought off the mud, rain and his competitors at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mammoth GNCC in Park City, Ky. for his fifth straight win to start the season.

Taylor Kiser made a valiant return to GNCC, taking home second overall, while Jeff Pickens secured his first-ever XC1 class podium.

Waynesburg Yamaha/GT Thunder’s Pickens got off to a stellar start, grabbing the $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. However, HMF/GBC/Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher claimed the early lead as the deep field of XC1 riders headed into the muddy woods of Park Mammoth Resort. Maxxis-backed Chris Borich had trouble firing up his machine, taking off dead last from the start, but it didn’t take long for him to catch the leaders on the opening lap.

Defending champion Chad Wienen took home a victory and extended his series points lead as the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, visited Balance Moto X in Kentucky for the Maxxis Bluegrass National.

Wienen (Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer ) earned his first SSi Decals Holeshot Award of the 2013 season in Moto 1. With a clear track out front, he charged ahead and found a pace that created a three-second gap on the number two position by the end of lap one. Wienen never looked back and had a 25-second gap on the rest of the field when he took the checkers and the Moto 1 win.

Four-time defending Grand National Cross Country Series champion Chris Borich picked up his fourth straight win to start the 2013 season at the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC. Borich used his signature last-lap pass on teammate Chris Bithell to secure the victory.

Borich got things started perfectly, claiming the $250 Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing Holeshot Award. However, Borich has made it apparent that he doesn’t like to lead the race early on and that’s when the he went into reserve mode.

AmPro Yamaha‘s Fowler took the reins from there and led the entire opening lap, but it didn’t take long for Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill to try his hand at the lead on Lap 2. McGill led Fowler, Borich and Bithell into the VP Racing Fuels Pro Row where all the top riders received their first fuel stop. Borich interjected himself into the lead several times throughout the first half of the race, but it was Reliable Tool Supply/Maxxis-backed Bithell who maintained the position out front.

We may be just two rounds into the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, but it’s already looking like we’re in store for a memorable season.

As the series headed to Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn. for the AMSOIL Spring National, Joel Hetrick swept both motos, closing the gap to only one point behind series points leader Chad Wienen.

“I rode really smooth and was able to put a good distance between myself and the rest of the field early on,” says Hetrick. “It took a lot of dedication to keep pushing each moto without pressure right behind me but I’m pumped for my first overall this season.”

Four-time Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) champion Chris Borich is looking awfully tough to beat this year. Borich picked up his third straight win to start the season at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC, besting teammate Chris Bithell in the final moments of the two-hour race.

Thousands of spectators were in attendance for Round 3 of the 13-race series and there wasn’t a shortage of racing action at the picturesque Steele Creek Campground in Morganton, NC.

Borich came out swinging as the green flag dropped, grabbing his first Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing Holeshot Award of 2013. However, it was Borich’s Maxxis-backed teammate Chris Bithell who took over the lead on the opening lap. Borich stayed close in tow, while BNR Motorsports rider Kevin Yoho latched onto the leaders to run in the third place position early on.

Riders hoping to start off the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA, with perfect conditions may have been a little disappointed this weekend as the Aonia Pass MX track in Washington, Ga. was wet and muddy.

Defending champion Chad Wienen scored a 3-2 finish to secure the overall win aboard his Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires & Team Vollmer machine. Wienen was able to secure top five starts, allowing him to move into a favorable position to take the overall win.

“I’m happy with the outcome. Anything is possible with a mud race but I’m really excited to be leaving still carrying the red number plate,” says Wienen.

Chris Borich doesn’t just win with great regularity in the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series – he seems to do it with a very distinct style. The four-time GNCC champion picked up his second straight win to start the 2013 season this past weekend at the Maxxis General GNCC the same way he usually does – by making a last lap pass for the lead and never looking back. Perhaps we should just call the move “The Borich.”

AmPro Yamaha‘s Walker Fowler and Borich were comfortably in front of the pack on the last lap when Borich made his move. By the time Borich took the checkers with Fowler in tow, the pair had built a five-minute lead o the rest of the field. Johnny Gallagher, who hadn’t made a podium appearance in a decade, finished third.

Brand new season, same old results for Chris Borich. The four-time GNCC champion opened the 2013 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series with a victory at the Moose Racing Westgate River Ranch GNCC in River Ranch, Fla. In a hard fought two-hour battle to the finish, Adam McGill and Walker Fowler rounded out Sunday’s podium behind Borich.

XC1 Pro class rookie Braden Henthorn grabbed the first holeshot of the 2013 season aboard his Team Woodhead/DeRisi Racing Honda machine, battling with teammate Eric Hoyland early on. However, it wasn’t long before the GNCC veterans of Lonestar Racing/Precision/ITP’s Adam McGill and reigning champion Chris Borich took over the lead battle, followed closely by fellow Maxxis-backed rider Chris Bithell. The trio flip-flopped for the lead throughout a majority of the two-hour race before Borich eventually set a pace that was hard to match up front.

Mitch Guthrie earned his fourth win at the 2013 HCR King of the Hammers UTV race in Johnson Valley, California, but it was by the slimmest of margins. He earned the win over Jon Crowley by a mere 16 seconds – impressively close considering the racers were on the course nearly eight hours.

“It feel great,” Guthrie said at the finish line. I definitely couldn’t have done it without my son. He worked his butt off. We had to winch a lot. It was tough.”

Like most teams, they weren’t without trouble during the race.

I don’t know about you but where I grew up, ATVs were used for work and recreation. While I had read about all the big racing series and was familiar with all the big names in the sport, racing, and the whole ATV racing environment, was pretty foreign to me. Yeah it looked cool, but all those guys had fancy (and expensive) ATVs and they all raced in far off places like Tennessee and Alabama. How was a kid from a tiny town in Oregon supposed to find a way to get involved in ATV racing?

Well it took me a few years, but by my sophomore year of college, at the urging of my dad, I started digging for a local ATV motocross series so I could give this racing thing a try. At that point I had ridden a couple of small practice tracks so I felt comfortable on table tops and small doubles, but the notion of lining up and doing battle with other racers was very intimidating.

Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich used one of his patented last-lap passes to secure the victory at Sunday’s Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn’s GNCC finale. Borich fought his way by Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Taylor Kiser to take over the lead and lock in his tenth win of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country season in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

It was Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure who secured the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and jumped out to the early lead on the historic Loretta Lynn’s motocross track. McClure was followed by a whole slew of top runners, including JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda‘s Brian Wolf who led the pack on Lap 1. However, it didn’t take for the lead position to change once again as Walker Fowler put his Ballance Racing Yamaha machine out front next.

As racing season draws to a close, racers and team managers are beginning to make plans for 2013. Whether you’re a first time racer or a seasoned veteran, having the right team of sponsors and supporters in your corner is essential to putting together a winning program. In a difficult economy, it’s all the more important to make yourself stand out from the crowd and show a company why you’re a worthwhile investment.

I worked for a season as the sponsorship program director for a reputable tire and wheel manufacturer. In one season I reviewed over 400 sponsorship applications ranging from first timers to multi-time national champions. I’ve seen just about every format of resume imaginable and even debated with racers as to how much they believed they were entitled to.

The important thing to keep in mind when approaching potential sponsors is that sponsorship is a business arrangement. A company that offers you any level of support by way of free product or even a discount believes that you will promote its brand and ultimately help it sell product. Yes, most companies believe in supporting the sport and for that reason will sometimes offer discounts to racers knowing full well that they aren’t getting a great deal of exposure. That is their way of promoting the growth of the sport and helping young up and comers get a jump on their racing career.

With nearly 10,000 spectators cheering on the four-wheeled racers at the Amsoil Ironman GNCC (Round 12 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Championship Series), it was Ballance Racing Yamaha’s Walker Fowler who took home his first XC1 Pro class win in Crawfordsville, Iind. Heavy rains leading up to the event made for an unpredictable 11-mile course, filled with plenty of deep mud pits and rocky hill climbs, ultimately leading up to a five-way battle for the lead in the final moments of the intense two-hour race.

Indiana’s very own Craig Bowman grabbed his first $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award of the season, leading a stacked field of competitors on the opening lap. Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure was the first to take over the lead on Lap 1, beginning a constant trade-off that would highlight at least four different leaders throughout the afternoon.

It probably took a little longer than he expected, but Adam McGill finally earned his first victory of the season at the ITP Powerline Park GNCC in eastern Ohio, Round 11 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Walker Fowler was nipping at McGill’s heels and fighting until the end, finishing just one second behind at the checkers.

Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Fowler kicked off Saturday’s afternoon race with high intensity, battling Waynesburg Yamaha’s Jeff Pickens for the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award but it was Pickens who came out on top with his first holeshot of the season. However, Fowler was able to put himself out front on the opening lap and JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda‘s Brian Wolf tucked in behind as the two began to gap the field early on. Wolf slowly faded back as riders like four-time GNCC champ Chris Borich continued to move towards the front.

Despite the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series’ two-month summer break, Chris Borich didn’t show many signs of rust at the Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY. The Suzuki pilot earned his ninth win of the season in 10 races and clinched his fourth consecutive XC1 Pro Class championship. Tireballs-backed rider Pat McGuire extended his points lead in the XC2 division after taking a big win over DeRisi Racing’s Braden Henthorn.

The Can-Am Unadilla GNCC is one of the most noted stops on the GNCC tour as it incorporates the historic “U1” and “U2” motocross tracks into the loamy dark soils of the New York woods. The race action lived up to the hype as the top XC1 contenders went neck-and-neck for one of the most pivotal races of the year. JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda‘s Brian Wolf kicked off the afternoon by taking the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and led the pack in the early stages. Right behind Wolf was Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam McGill and soon Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure set in behind the leaders. The trio pushed their way out front on the opening lap, where McGill eventually got around Wolf for the lead. However, it didn’t take long for Borich to catch up and begin applying pressure for the lead position.

The season finale of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. is one Chad Wienen won’t soon forget. A year ago he was recovering from a broken back, but now he’s capped off an amazing recovery and comeback with his first ever national championship. If there’s been a better ATV story in recent years, we sure haven’t heard it.

Wienen opened the 2012 season with a big win for his all-new Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha team, ultimately winning six of ten rounds in the series. He also gave Factory Yamaha its first ever AMA ATV Pro Motocross national championship.

Chad Wienen and John Natalie have been battling hard all year for the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Series championship. The pair continued that trend this past weekend at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich., where they split moto wins. Wienen, however, did enough to secure the overall victory and take a commanding lead heading into the series’ final round.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was Motoworks/ Can-Am‘s Natalie who took the SSiDecals Holeshot Award, with TBROWN Yamaha/Moto-X-Perts’ Thomas Brown close in tow. Brown made the move past Natalie to take over the early lead, but Natalie quickly stole it back for what turned into a dominant Moto 1 for the defending champ.

Chad Wienen earned his fifth win this season as the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series visited Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, NY for Round 8 of the 10-race series. However, Wienen was pushed to the edge by Josh Creamer, the 2010 champion who made his return to the series.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was creamer on his BCS Performance/ Can-Am who took the SSiDecals Holeshot Award as he put himself into the front of the pack right away. Wienen put his Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha right behind Creamer and the duo put on an exciting race for the lead.

Not even the weather can stop Chris Borich. The three-time defending Grand National Cross Country Series champion picked up his sixth straight XC1 Pro ATV win in the sweltering heat of the Wieseco John Penton GNCC at Sunday Creek Raceway. Adam McGill and Walker Fowler battled to the final moments in order to secure podium finishes.

The John Penton historically serves as the final stop before the series takes a break over the summer months, and for good reason as the blistering heat of early July intensified the already grueling two-hour competition. Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam McGill was rearing to go in his first full race back from injury, taking the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and putting himself into the lead-pack right away. Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Taylor Kiser took control of the opening lap as he led McGill and Borich through Lap 1-where Kiser and Borich set in for their first pit-while McGill chose to keep his momentum rolling into the second place position.

Chad Wienen beat the heat and outdueled Joel Hetrick in the most recent round of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at Sunday Creek Raceway in southern Ohio. Wienen and Hetrick split moto wins, but Wienen did just enough to earn the overall victory.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha’s Chad Wienen who grabbed his first SSi Decals Holeshot Award of 2012, with Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Hetrick, Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman and John Natalie in tow. Hetrick began applying pressure to Wienen early, before finally securing the pass for the lead on lap three. Wienen began closing the gap on Hetrick by mid-race, but the young gun put in several quick and consistent laps, building a comfortable cushion all the way to the checkers.

Brian Wolf looked like the man to beat at the 2012 Motosport.com Snowshoe GNCC in West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain, but a mechanical issue on the final lap allowed Chris Borich to secure the victory – his fifth in a row and seven in eight races this season in the XC1 Pro ATV class.

Wolf (JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s) put himself into the lead at the beginning of the two-hour race and by the end of Lap 1 had stretched the lead to nearly one-minute over Ballance Racing Yamaha’s Walker Fowler and Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich. Fowler ran into some issues midway through the race, pushing the young gun outside the top five for quite some time.

“At one point I think I was all the way back to sixth and I guess I figured that was as good as I could do today, but before I knew it I had caught up with [Chris] Bithell and Borich,” says Fowler. “The mud holes were getting wider and deeper so it was getting a little more difficult to maneuver around, but the fans were awesome today in helping all of us get through!”

As Fowler dropped back, his Ballance Racing Yamaha teammate Taylor Kiser pushed his way into the lead-battle with Borich and Wolf. But it didn’t take long for Bithell (Motoworks/ Can-Am) to make his way around Kiser for the third spot, despite some mechanical issues he was experiencing along the way.

Riding in his home state, John Natalie picked up his second straight win in Round 6 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pa. Points leader Chad Wienen split moto wins with Natalie, while Thomas Brown secured his first podium finish of 2012.

Natalie (Motoworks/ Can-Am) kicked off Moto 1 with the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and held the early lead over teammate Joel Hetrick, Brown and Nick DeNoble. Wienen (Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha) got into a collision with Josh Upperman off the start, causing both riders to fall behind the pack. It wasn’t long before Hetrick put the moves on Natalie, taking control of the Moto 1 lead; but only for a couple laps as he experienced mechanical issues that forced him to pull into the mechanic’s area to readjust.

Round 5 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series made its way to Oakland, Ky., where defending champion John Natalie made history by sweeping the first-ever ATVMX night race at Ballance Moto X. The specially-designed night track was made up of technical whoop-sections and quick lap times, and the unique atmosphere made for a spectator-friendly weekend of racing.

Central Kentucky hosted a regular day of amateur racing at the home track of nine-time GNCC ATV champion Bill Ballance, but the evening show brought an all-new element to the race program. The AMA Pro ATV class featured two motos under the lights, while the Pro-Am Production class highlighted the amateur portion of night racing, and the Women and 50cc Sr. (6-8) classes wrapped up their second motos under the lights.

Anticipation was high coming into this weekend’s Inaugural running of the Can-Am Mountaineer Run GNCC in West Virginia, Round 7 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Racing action was intense as six men battled to the finish for the XC1 class win, but once again Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich bested the field and picked up his sixth win in seven races this season. The Ballance Racing Yamaha duo of Taylor Kiser and Walker Fowler joined Borich on the podium.

Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam Mcgill grabbed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and set sail with the early lead. The first lap was a virtual free-for-all with the top ten riders swapping spots every few corners on the rocky, technical circuit. McGill experienced mechanical issues early in lap two, which would ultimately end his day and leave six riders to fight to get to the front.

Chad Wienen came into round four of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship with heavy momentum as the series returned to his hometown track at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Ill. Wienen once again swept both motos of the day, marking seven of the eight moto wins this season and further extended his lead in the championship point standings.

Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Joel Hetrick proved that he could lay down the fastest lap time as was the top qualifier. However, it was Lonestar/SSi Decals/Get Dirty MX’s Nick DeNoble who captured both SSi Decals Holeshot Awards but the Wisconsin native ran into issues all day, keeping him from finishing both motos.

Defending champion Chris Borich has looked all but unbeatable so far in the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. His success continued this past weekend as he used another late pass to win the Limestone 100, securing his fifth win in six races to take a commanding lead in the race for the XC1 championship.

Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure grabbed his second $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award of the season through the windy turns of the Lawrence County Recreational Park, but some early carnage with AMA ATV Motocross Pro Derek Swartfager caused McClure to drop back a few positions. Swartfager got sideways heading into the woods and tagged a tree, stopping up a majority of the XC1 field behind. That’s when GBC/Cernics/HMF/ Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher, JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s Brian Wolf and BNR’s Kevin Yoho made their escape from the pack and began pulling a gap early on.

Mark Holz pushed the Coastal/HRP Polaris RZR XP 900 to the Class 1900 win in the Best In The Desert Silver State 300. The competition was tight all day, but when the dust settled, Holz had made time on the leader – the Jagged X RZR – and took the win. After 300 miles and six and half-hours of racing the margin of victory was less than one minute.

“We started in the back and knew the Jagged guys were going fast. All we could do was put our heads down and get to work,” says Holz, who drove the entire race.

Joel Hetrick may not have taken the checkers in a moto during the third round of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series, but the Motoworks/ Can-Am rider’s two second-place finished were enough to secure the overall victory at Budds Creek MX.

Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha’s Chad Wienen continued his five-race win streak in Moto 1 as he made his way out front immediately and went on to lead all twelve laps of the race. But it was Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman ( Honda) who grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and led for a brief moment before Wienen put himself into the lead. Hetrick put in a solid second place finish, coming in less than three seconds behind Wienen. Upperman worked hard to fend off TBROWN Yamaha Racing/Moto-X-Perts rider Thomas Brown to maintain third place in Moto 1, while Brown finished a close fourth after getting off to a rough start.

Defending Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series champion Chris Borich and Balance Racing Yamaha rookie Walker Fowler went head to head at the inaugural Can-Am Mammoth GNCC in Park City, Ky. In the end, Borich used one of his patented late-race passes to secure his fourth win of the season.

Walker Fowler managed to seal the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award amongst a pretty chaotic Pro class start, and he and Ballance Racing teammate Taylor Kiser jumped out front early on, writing the beginning to a perfect story for the weekend. Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure put himself up front right away and contested the lead pack, along with Borich, who casually tucked into the top five right away. It’s always a tossup on who’s going to lead the race early on, because in GNCC Racing the strategy is all about picking it up at the end of the race, which seems to be a signature move of Borich this season, but there were several instances where he wanted to pass Fowler throughout the race, but couldn’t stick the move.



After opening the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series with a win four weeks ago, Chad Wienen (Wienen Motorsports/SSi/Walsh/ Yamaha) controlled things again in Round 2 of the Series at Muddy Creek Raceway by sweeping both motos and extending his points lead over defending champion John Natalie in the overall standings.

While Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Joel Hetrick was once again the fastest qualifier, it was ATVMX veteran Harold Goodman who shot out to the Moto 1 SSi Decals holeshot. Goodman, however, was quickly passed by Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman who managed to lead the pack of pro racers before Natalie moved into the lead by lap three on his Motoworks/Can-Am. Wienen had a mid-pack holeshot but quickly put himself within striking distance of Natalie’s lead and the duo picked up the intense battle right where they left off at round one. Wienen stalked Natalie until the final lap and once again cut underneath the Ironman to steal the last minute lead and Moto 1 victory as the rain started to fall on the Muddy Creek Raceway.

Defending champion Chris Borich bounced back from his fist loss of the season to win the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC this weekend in Union, SC. Borich edged out 2011 runner-up Adam McGill by only two seconds.

Taylor Kiser, who fought off Borich in a thrilling race two weeks earlier, looked to be on form early on as he quickly grabbed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award, gapping Ballance Racing Yamaha teammate Walker Fowler and JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s Brian Wolf from the get-go. Wolf and Fowler are no strangers in battle as the two former XC2 champions went head-to-head for years in the Pro Am division, but this time the intensity took over and the two riders came together just after the finish area. Wolf took the short end at first when he went sailing to the ground, but it was Fowler who ultimately suffered when his ATV quit working shortly after he passed Wolf for second. It didn’t take long for Fowler to figure out the mechanical issue wasn’t fixable and the track crew towed him into the pits.

Taylor Kiser went toe-to-toe with defending champion Chris Borich in the final stages of the FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, NC and secured his first win of 2012.

The Ballance Racing Yamaha team dominated almost every aspect of the two-hour race, beginning with Walker Fowler’s $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award. Kiser joined Baldwin Motorsports/FRE/JG Offroad Honda‘s Brian Wolf and Motoworks/ Can-Am‘s Chris Bithell in following his teammate during the early stages of the race, as the foursome switched off the lead during the first lap.

It’s been an awfully long nine months for Chad Wienen. He broke his back in a training accident last June and after months of rehab and training he was ready to race again in the season-opener of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series on Sat, Mar. 26. It was a day he won’t soon forget, as he and his new team (Wienen Motorsports/SSi/Walsh/ Yamaha) earned a 1-1 moto sweep and the overall victory at Aonia Pass MX Park in Washington, Ga.

In the opening moto of the Pro ATVMX class, it was Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman who grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and led the early part of the race. It wasn’t long before Wienen powered his new Yamaha ride into the lead, though, passing Upperman through the fan-filled finish line section.

With only five days to regroup after the opening round of racing, the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series returned to action for round two at The Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Ga. It was an all-out battle for the podium positions, as the top seven ATV racers ran nose-to-tail for six laps of the grueling two-hour race.

Three time and defending ATV champion, Chris Borich, used his veteran knowledge to once again outmatch his opponents and secure the win at Aonia Pass MX Park. It wasn’t until XC1 rookie Walker Fowler ran into late-race mechanical issues that Borich was able to breathe easily, though.

Maxxis/Yoshimura-backed Chris Borich ( Suzuki) put together one of his patented last-lap charges to win the Moose Racing Westgate River Ranch GNCC, the season-opener of the Can-Am Grand National Cross-Country Series.

The defending GNCC champion powered past Adam McGill ( Honda) and Chris Bithell ( Can-Am) in the rough, whooped-out Florida sand. Borich settled into the third position immediately into the two-hour battle, but after tagging a tree with his front bumper, Borich was forced to pull into the pits for some additional tweaking.

The action intensified at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., as Rockstar Makita Suzuki‘s Chris Borich claimed an exciting come-from-behind victory to put a wrap on a thrilling season of ATV racing in the Can-Am GNCC Series.

Foremost Insurance/Warnert Racing Can-Am‘s Chris Bithell and Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Taylor Kiser got out front right away as the two racers battled it out for the right to wear the number three plate and their first race-win this season. Kiser led a majority of the race until Bithell wrestled the lead away, only to have Kiser retaliate and take the lead back once again.

It’s been a long and dirty year for mud racers, and that’s not a reference to the tracks or the competition. The Championship Mud Racing Series, or CMR as most know it, wrapped up its season on Oct. 29, 2011 at Frederick’s Equipment & Marine (otherwise known as the Farm) near Decatur, Ala. and we were on hand to watch some of the best ATV and UTV mud racers compete for cash and bragging rights.

This is the only points and cash payout racing series in this demographic and it attracted the core racers of the mud world to rough it through eight events to claim a fistful of money and a wall full of trophies.

The Ironman GNCC is historically known for its spectator-friendly obstacles and festive aura, usually serving as the final round of racing; but due to a previous rainout, the Ironman provided a penultimate round of exciting racing action in all classes, the finale taking place at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch November 4-6. Aside from racing action, there were a variety of special events taking place at the festive Ironman event and there’s no doubt the Crawfordsville, Ind. locals witnessed a day of ATV racing they will never forget.

Chris Borich wrapped up the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series championship with one round remaining on the schedule after taking an exciting and hard-fought victory at the prestigious Amsoil Ironman GNCC – marking his third consecutive title.

Chris Borich made a thrilling, last-lap pass on Brian Wolf to take an exciting, come-from-behind victory at the ITP Powerline Park GNCC, round 12 of the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series in St. Clairsville, Ohio.

The win marked the seventh time this year the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider has graced the top step of the podium and it increased his already hefty lead in the series standings to a massive 36 points over Adam McGill with two rounds remaining on the schedule.

Dustin Canipe got the ball rolling by grabbing the holeshot at the start of the two-hour race, and by doing so, the Honda rider claimed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award. It wasn’t long, however, before Wolf put his GT Thunder-backed Honda into the lead, eventually stretching his advantage to 40 seconds by the end of the opening lap.

Brian Wolf took advantage of a late race mistake by Adam McGill to take a thrilling win at the VP Racing Fuels Mountain Ridge GNCC in Somerset, Pennsylvania – round 11 of the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series.

For most of the two-hour race, no less than five riders were in contention for the overall victory. However, it was McGill who led the most laps, taking the early lead after making first-lap passes on Wolf and $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award winner Taylor Kiser. McGill’s Foremost Insurance/Warnert Racing Can-Am teammate Chris Bithell was among the front-runners, along with Kiser on the Ballance Racing Yamaha, Wolf on a GT Thunder-backed Honda and series points leader Chris Borich on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki, as McGill led the pack through one of the toughest courses of the year.

Chris Borich came out on top of a hard-fought battle with Chris Bithell and Adam McGill to top the XC1 division at this year’s Can-Am Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, New York. However, it was XC2 rider Walker Fowler who claimed the overall victory, edging Borich on adjusted time by just over six seconds at the end of the two-hour race.

After getting off to a mid-pack start Borich moved into the lead midway into the race, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider hooking up with GT Thunder-backed Brian Wolf at the front as the two riders pulled away from the rest of the pack. However, due to the relatively short length of the course, it wasn’t long before the two front-runners ran into lappers, allowing Foremost Insurance/Warnert Racing Can-Am teammates Bithell and McGill to catch up. For the next few laps, the four front-runners took turns leading the race.

This year’s AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series presented by DWT has been an array of ups, downs, career-firsts and even season enders; it’s been chalked full of excitement as well as disappointment as the fastest ATV racers in the nation have put everything on the line to compete for the coveted AMA Pro Racing ATV Motocross Championship title. However, amidst all the hard work and emotion, only two riders were actually in contention this weekend to take home the championship title, and those riders were Motoworks Can-Am‘s John Natalie and Baldwin Motorsports PEP Racing’s Josh Upperman – who came into the final round of racing at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch only ten points apart.

Rewinding back to June, Motoworks Can-Am’s Chad Wienen had swept four of the first seven rounds of racing – giving himself a padded points lead heading into the second half of the schedule until a season-ending practice crash put a halt to his championship sights in 2011. Like the true champion that he is though, Wienen attended this weekend’s season-finale race to support his Can-Am teammate as well as his friends and fellow racers. To keep his mind in the game, Chad even co-announced both pro motos alongside ATVMX announcer Rodney Tomblin, adding his on-track experience and expertise for the fans at Loretta Lynn’s.

As the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series presented by DWT winds down, the action only seems to heighten. Ballance Racing’s Thomas Brown captured his first moto win of the season Saturday at Red Bud MX in Buchanan, Mich., becoming the seventh unique rider to win a moto in this year’s Pro ATV class. Motoworks Can-Am‘s John Natalie answered back with a moto two win, claiming the overall and extending his lead in the championship point standings.

As the gate dropped for moto one, it was the Honda of Josh Upperman that grabbed the SSiDecals.com Holeshot Award. “A huge thanks to Mark [Baldwin] for giving me such a good motor to pull holeshots out there,” says Upperman. Walsh Race Craft Suzuki‘s Jeremy Lawson and Hetrick Motorsports Honda rider Joel Hetrick got tangled up early in the moto, causing both riders to go down pretty hard. Tough luck for Lawson, who posted the fastest lap times in the qualifying sessions and for Hetrick who swept both motos at Unadilla just two weeks ago.

Motoworks Can-Am’s John Natalie put in the fastest lap of the race on the second lap, making his way past Baldwin Motorsports PEP Honda’s Upperman for second place and quickly finding his way around the leader Brown soon after.

“Natalie ran me down – he had a few better lines than me and passed me, but I found his lines and tracked him for a few laps and I was able to make the pass,” says Brown. Brown got back around Natalie through the whoops and laid down a smooth race to the checkers.

Upperman settled into a comfortable pace behind Natalie, keeping an almost thirty-second distance over Can-Am’s Chase Snapp by the end of the moto. “I definitely want to be on the podium every week, but I know staying consistent will keep me in the championship contention,” says Upperman. “The track was pretty brutal and with the big amount of sand, it got really whooped out. I got pretty beat up through the whoops, but I think everyone else did too.”

Mushin Racing/KG Clutch Factory/GBC Bomb Squad’s Travis Moore battled with Snapp at the beginning of the race, eventually settling into the fifth spot behind the rookie. “I’ve been working really hard this year and I think it’s finally starting to pay off,” says Moore. “I’m finally starting to feel comfortable out there and I’m excited for an even better year next year.”

Upperman grabbed the SSiDecals.com Holeshot Award in the second moto, leading the race for the first few laps until Natalie made his move to the lead. Brown got a top five start and diced with Upperman and Hetrick before finally passing Upperman to take over the second place spot. As soon as Brown got around Upperman, he set his sights on the leader Natalie, who was doing everything in his power to hold Brown off for the lead.

“I tried to cruise and save my energy for the end of the race but I think I slowed down a little too much and let Thomas catch up,” says Natalie. “He kind of got beside me going through the whoops a little bit and I held him off and then I pulled a little bit of a gap the last lap.”

Natalie took the overall win with a (2-1) finish, while Brown went (1-2) for the second overall. Upperman cruised on to take the third overall with a consistent (3-3) on the day.

“I want to go to Loretta’s, do well in both motos and get the overall. I wish John and Jeremy the best of luck, there’s still a lot a that could happen in two motos,” says Upperman.

After qualifying first in practice, only to go down hard in moto one, Jeremy Lawson now sits a whopping fifty-three points back from the leader. Brown and Chad Wienen wrap up the top five in points, while Chase Snapp is looking to break into the top five after Loretta’s. Can-Am now leads the Manufacturer’s Cup by forty-nine points over Honda and Suzuki.

The AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series heads to Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., August 13 and 14.

It was only a matter of time before this year’s determined rookies topped the podium amongst a deep field of veterans in the 2011 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series presented by DWT. Pro class rookie Chase Snapp took his first-ever moto win two weeks ago in Ohio, while Makson Construction JB Racing’s Joel Hetrick swept Saturday’s Unadilla event, giving the rookie a career-best overall win.

Sunny skies and warm temperatures graced the Unadilla Valley Sports Center for round nine of the eleven-stop circuit. The habitually rough Unadilla racetrack was sleek and fast, an additional variable to the already exciting championship points battle. The points margin is closer than it’s ever been this season and with only two rounds remaining on the 2011 schedule, every moto counts.

After suffering a disappointing mechanical failure at the previous round in West Virginia, Chris Borich got back on top of the podium with a spectacular win at the Wiseco John Penton GNCC, round nine of the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series in Millfield, Ohio.

Borich battled race-long with Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Taylor Kiser, Foremost Insurance/Warnert Racing Can-Am’s Chris Bithell and GT Thunder-backed Brian Wolf before putting his Rockstar Makita Suzuki into the lead on the final lap to claim his fifth victory of the season and extend his lead in the series standings to an impressive 27 points heading into the summer break.

“That race at Snowshoe was kind of a bummer, it was just a freak deal and I thought we had at least a top two,” says Borich. “You just can’t control things like that sometimes, but it’s good to come back strong here and get the win.”