Wienen Returns to Winning Ways at Spring Creek ATVMX National

Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota hosted the eighth round of the 2016 ProX ATV Motocross National Championship (ATVMX) presented by CST Tires, an AMA National Championship, yesterday, July 2. Faced with some of the most challenging track conditions of the season, reigning four-time AMA Pro ATV Champion Chad Wienen rose to the occasion with a dominant 2-1 performance that gave the Wienen Motorsports/Yamaha/Maxxis/SSi Decals/Walsh Racecraft/FLY Racing rider his third overall victory of the season.

Maxxis/Elka Suspension/Liquid Wrench’s Joel Hetrick made the first statement of the day earning the ATVriders.com Top Qualifier Award where he turned the fastest lap time during both the timed qualifying sessions. As the ATVMX pros lined up on the gate for the first moto Hetrick looked to continue his speed and take home a win.

When the gate dropped on Moto 1 Hetrick picked up right where he left off and found himself in a favorable position to earn the SSi Decals Holeshot Award. With a clear track in front of him Hetrick slowly started pulling away from the rest of the field.

Joel Hetrick used his top qualifying position to his advantage to take the Moto 1 victory. (Photo by Ken Hill)

Meanwhile, his biggest competition, Wienen, found himself stuck in the middle of the pack and had to make quick work to be a front-runner. Even though he made quickly passed majority of the field, Hetrick capitalized on the situation and had a large gap.

JB Racing/Root River Racing/Gold Speed Tires-backed Jeffrey Rastrelli attempted to take control of the lead from Hetrick where he ran in a podium position until a mechanical issue ultimately took him out of the race.

Rastrelli’s misfortune allowed Wienen to slide into second, but Hetrick would remain cool and confident to take the win. Wienen and Maxxis/Liquid Wrench/Elka Suspension/Honda’s David Haagsma followed in second and third.

Wienen showcased his toughness and resiliency in Moto 2 when he came out of the first turn with the lead and the SSi Decals Holeshot Award. Wienen’s veteran experience came into play when he immediately felt pressure from Hetrick. Wienen continued to push, but Hetrick would start to fade back around the halfway point of the race. A 2-1 moto score earned Wienen the overall win with Hetrick finishing in the runner-up spot (1-2).

Chad Wienen and Joel Hetrick put on a show for theMinnesota fans at Spring Creek MX Park. (Photo by Ken Hill)

“I had a solid day today,” said Wienen. “I had a not so good start in moto one and had to battle through the pack from an eighth place start. Overall everything felt good but I knew I needed to get a better start in the second moto. I was able to pull the holeshot and I had pressure from Hetrick for a few laps, but then started to click off some good laps and pull a nice gap until the finish. I have to thank my Wienen Motorsports Yamaha team backed by Maxxis, SSi Decals, Walsh Racecraft, 7240 Team and the rest of my support group for their efforts.”

Haagsma maintained the third place position throughout the entire second moto with a comfortable lead over Rastrelli in fourth. With two respectable motos Haagsma earned his second overall podium of the season with third. Root River Racing/Hoosier Tires/Rage ATV’s Josh Upperman (5-5) and Maxxis/Root River Racing/JB Racing’s Thomas Brown (4-7) round out the top five finishers at the Spring Creek ATVMX National.

With two overall podium finishes behind him, Haagsma is quickly becoming a top contender. (Photo by Ken Hill)

The ProX ATVMX series moves to the Empire State in two weeks, July 16, for the Unadilla ATMX National in New Berlin, New York.

For more information on the 2016 ProX ATV Motocross National Championship, visit the official series website at www.atvmotocross.com. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag

1. Chad Wienen (352)
2. Joel Hetrick (330)
3. Josh Upperman (231)
4. Jeffrey Rastrelli (223)
5. Nick Gennusa (216)
6. Thomas Brown (215)
7. David Haagsma (214)
8. John Natalie (210)
9. Ronnie Higgerson (168)
10. Brett Musick (165)