#AMAATVMotocrossChampionship

Former AMA ATV Motocross National Champion Josh Creamer has announced that he will be returning to the AMA ATV MX Series for 2013 racing for Team BCS/ Can-Am. Creamer will be using ITP tires throughout the 2013 race season.

Creamer dominated the 2010 ATV MX Nationals for his first major title, and then competed on the West Coast in 2011. He moved closer to his native New England for the 2012 season and won both the Pro and Pro-Am championships in the highly competitive NEATV MX Series.

“Team BCS/Can-Am and I are really excited for the 2013 AMA season,” says Creamer. “With ITP and their great new product on board, this is going to be a great year!”

BRP has stepped up its off-road racing efforts for 2013 with a massive team racers set to pilot Can-Am ATVs and UTVs this year. BRP has added more racing circuits and expanded its UTV racing support to include the new Can-Am Maverick 1000R.

“We have a dedicated and talented group of racers and teams competing under the Can-Am banner for the 2013 racing season. I’m thrilled to have the all-new Can-Am Maverick 1000R in the mix and to have some of our experienced racers pilot the industry’s most invigorating side-by-side vehicle,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “We will compete on Can-Am ATV and side-by-side vehicles across the U.S. and Canada and we’re fully determined to compete for championships in every racing series we enter.”

Making his return to the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series, 2010 champion Josh Creamer raced his Can-Am DS 450 to a second-place finish at Unadilla, NY.

Creamer was joined on the Pro class podium by defending AMA ATV MX champion John Natalie, who finished third overall. Natalie’s Motoworks / Can-Am teammate Joel Hetrick finished fourth while Canadian Can-Am X-Team racer Richard Pelchat took seventh on his DS 450.

“It was another great weekend of racing, as our Can-Am riders battled hard to earn two spots on the Pro podium in Unadilla, N.Y. Josh Creamer had a memorable return to the AMA ATV MX National series convincingly winning the first moto and ending up second overall. Motoworks / Can-Am pilot John Natalie earned a hard-fought third-place finish and kept himself in the championship points race with only two rounds remaining,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Joel Hetrick just missed the podium, finishing fourth, but gained some valuable points in his pursuit to remain in the top three in the Pro class points race.”

Holeshots were critical in New York as the famed Unadilla Valley Sports Center played hard and fast with limited lines to pass. Creamer, BCS Performance / Can-Am racer and current New England ATV Motocross series Pro class points leader, proved he could still run with the top ATV pros as he grabbed the holeshot and immediately pulled to a three-second lead. Creamer held the lead the entire moto on his way to earning his first moto victory in almost two years. Creamer was fourth at the start of moto two, but moved up to second — passing Natalie — at one point before settling for third. His 1-3 finishes were good for second overall and his first AMA series Pro class podium since 2010.

Team ITP made its mark at the eighth round of the 2012 ATV MX National Championship Series with Holeshot, QuadCross MX and Turf Tamer.

Samuel Rowe was impressive at Unadilla, winning 1-1 moto scores and the overall victory in the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) class. This Janssen Motorsports-powered Root River Racing rider was also second in the Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) division. With these performances he comfortably holds the championship points lead in both classes with two events to go in the season.

A nod goes to Maci Devenport too, as this young charger captured the Girls (12-15) class with a 2-1 day to close to within just three points of the leader in this field. She also looked to have another winning ride in the works in 90 Production (8-15), but second moto issues dropped her from another podium here. She still leads handily in the standings, however.

Root River Racing’s Haedyn Mickelson hiked up the podium three times at Unadilla. He nailed third-place finishes in Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) and Super-Mini (13-15), and went one better with second overall in Schoolboy Jr. (13-15). This Minnesota native ranks top-three in all three title fights.

Racing for Janssen Motorsports/Roberts Racing Outlaws, Cody Janssen chalked up a 4-3 moto count for fourth overall in the volatile Pro Am Unlimited class. He maintains that same position in the point standings.

Can-Am DS 450 racers found plenty of success this past weekend at the AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series and the New England ATV Motocross Series (NEATV-MX).

Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racer Joel Hetrick finished second at round seven of the AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series, while teammate and defending champion John Natalie finished fourth. Meanwhile, BCS Performance / Can-Am racer Josh Creamer won both the Pro and Pro-Am classes at round six on the NEATV-MX series.

“Our Can-Am racers battled the heat and elements to bring home some impressive top finishes at the AMA ATV MX Nationals and at the NEATV MX regional series,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Joel Hetrick was clearly a top performer all weekend in Ohio, as he was the fastest qualifier, won moto one, earned second in moto two and took second overall in the Pro class. I was proud of the way he battled back from a poor start in the second moto to finish second overall. Defending Pro class champion John Natalie had a difficult time adapting to the track at round seven, but still sits in second in the points race with three rounds remaining. Josh Creamer continued his dominance in the NEATV series, convincingly winning all four motos he entered. We’re excited to have him join John and Joel in Unadilla for round eight of the AMA ATV MX series.”

A heatwave plagued much of the country this past weekend, and the Sunday Creek National in southern Ohio, round seven of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series, was certainly no exception. Following a severe thunderstorm on Friday, the race day’s high temperature and humidity – combined with a rough track surface – put big demands on man, machine and support crews.

Team ITP racers, however, were able to put a number of quads equipped with a variety of Holeshot, QuadCross and Turf Tamer tires into winner’s circle.

Among the winners was Samuel Rowe, who continues to be the teen to beat in Schoolboy class competition. This Janssen Motorsports-powered Root River Racing rider was again on top of the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) division with a clean 1-1 moto sweep, and also placed second overall in the Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) class. He leads the championship point standings in both classes.

Maci Devenport was a winner in Ohio, claiming both motos of the Girls (12-15) class; that moved her up one position in the standings, to second. This performance was combined with second overall in the 90 Production (8-15) division, in which she sits atop the points.

The ATV MX National Championship Series returned to historic High Point Raceway after a three-year absence to enjoy hard-fought battles under nearly ideal conditions here in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania. This was the sixth of ten rounds on the 2012 schedule. With only four to go following this event, championship pressure was clearly on the rise.

No one is taking on more weight than Merrill Crose, who’s been running ITP tires all season and, after High Point, holds second place in the point standings of an astounding four classes! This weekend he once again won the Veteran 30+ class and was runner-up in Open A and Junior 25+. Issues in the first moto of the 450 A class pushed him back to 11th place, but he came back with a second place in the second moto to finish sixth for the day.

Haedyn Mickelson is another of ITP’s ironmen. This Root River Racing team member scored three podium finishes in three classes: second overall in Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) and third overall in both Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) and Super-Mini (13-15). This tough teen is top-five in all three classes for the season.

John Natalie notched his first overall win of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series under the lights at Ballance Moto X in Oakland, Ky. Natalie, the defending AMA ATV MX Champion, won Pro both motos on his factory Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 and climbed to within 15 points of first place in series points. DS 450 pro Joel Hetrick recorded a solid third-place finish to join his teammate on the Pro class podium.

“The Motoworks / Can-Am team had a great weekend at round five of the AMA ATV MX National Series in Kentucky. Our Can-Am pro racers had a tremendous Saturday night, dominating the second moto and earning first and third overall. John Natalie rode brilliantly on his Can-Am DS 450 and truly earned the top spot on the podium with a history-making win at the first-ever night race for AMA series. He was in true championship form,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Fellow Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racer Joel Hetrick earned third overall to maintain his third-place position in the standings. Can-Am amateur class racers also won a total of six classes aboard the DS 450 in Kentucky.”

The Kentucky race marked the first time in the history of the AMA ATV MX series that the races would be held at night under the lights. Past Grand National Championship TT races have been held under the lights, but never a motocross event. Motoworks / Can-Am pilot John Natalie excelled aboard his DS 450 during the evening racing at Ballance Moto X. After posting the fastest qualifying time, he came out of the first-moto gate in second place. He quickly passed for the lead and then fought off one challenger before notching his first moto victory of 2012. He followed up that win by earning the moto two holeshot and, after being pressured by his teammate Hetrick, leading the entire race for a 1-1 moto sweep.

Round 5 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series heads to Oakland, Ky. this weekend for the first-ever race under the lights at the Ballance Moto X facility. This year’s championship battle in the ATV Pro class has been one of the ages, literally. The top five contenders in this year’s title run range from ages 19 all the way to 36.

Defending champ and ATVMX veteran John Natalie holds the coveted number one plate this season after proving to be the most dominant racer of 2011. The elder statesman of the group, Natalie is quickly realizing that the ever-evolving sport of ATV racing is now piloted by a youthful generation. Especially Natalie’s newest Motoworks/Can-Am teammate Joel Hetrick, who has shown bursts of speed with two overall wins in his 2011 rookie season, in addition to his overall victory in Round 3 this year. Nineteen-year-old Hetrick is the only rider – besides points leader Chad Wienen – to take home an overall win this season.

ITP has made available $128,750 in contingency for the 2012 AMA ATV MX National Championship Series and a good chunk of that had to be paid out after ITP racers found success in the third round at Budds Creek MX in Mechanicsville, Md. Dipping deeply into the ITP “MX Bucks” pool Team ITP riders Chloe Buerster, Mike Barnhart, Maci Devenport, Haedyn Mickelson, Sean Taylor and Samuel Rowe.

Rowe collected three moto wins on his way to overall victory in both the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) and Schoolboy Sr. (14-17) classes. This put the Janssen Motorsports-powered Root River Racing rider in the points lead for the latter, and into third for the season in the former.

Root River Racing’s Sean Taylor made a consistent day pay off as 3-2 moto finishes got him the overall win in the highly competitive Pro Am Unlimited class.

Haedyn Mickelson of Root River Racing continued his season’s hot streak with fourth overall in the Schoolboy Jr. (13-15) and Super-Mini (13-15) classes, as well as a runner-up finish in Schoolboy Sr. (14-17). He currently leads the point standings in that last class, and is top-five for the season so far in the other two.

Motoworks/ Can-Am DS 450 racers picked up a pair of big wins this weekend as Joel Hetrick won round three of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series (teammate John Natalie finished third), while Josh Frederick and Collins Webster teamed up to win the ATV Pro Class at the Best in the Desert Silver State 300. Also at the Silver State 300, Team Desert Toyz/Can-Am raced its Can-Am Commander 1000 X to a third –place finish in the UTV Pro class.

“We are thrilled to have both our Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racers Joel Hetrick and John Natalie reach the AMA Pro class podium. While Joel didn’t win either moto, he was the most consistent pro racer with two second-place rides, and earned the overall in only his third race aboard the Can-Am DS 450. Natalie’s moto-two victory was also another bright spot for our team and helped him secure third overall,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “I’m also pleased with our Best in the Desert series success. Having our Motoworks / Can-Am team of Josh Frederick and Collins Webster win the ATV Pro class and Cory Sappington’s Desert Toyz / Can-Am X-Team Commander 1000 X finish on the UTV Pro class podium is really a great accomplishment.”

Fox-supported athletes put on a show in the most recent round of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championships, sweeping the podium in the competitive pro class.

Chad Wienen led the way, taking both moto wins and the overall pro win at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn., where he was joined on the podium by John Natalie Jr. and Joel Hetrick.

Wienen battled the elements in the first moto and came out ahead after a rain blew through the area and created slick conditions for racers. Those conditions, however, worked to his advantage in his hard-fought win.

“It was nasty out there at the end. The track was slick and rough, but we were able to turn it up for the last two laps,” says Wienen. “My Fox shocks soaked up all the bumps and I was able to get around the competition and take the win.”

Can-Am ATV and UTV racers continue to find success this season and this past weekend was no exception. Team Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racers John Natalie and Joel Hetrick finished second and third in the Pro class at round two of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series held at Muddy Creek in Blountville, Tenn., while Can-Am X-Team ATV and side-by-side racers also had a successful weekend, winning several classes at races held in Texas and Iowa.

“We were excited to have both John and Joel reach the AMA Motocross Pro class podium at Muddy Creek,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Although we didn’t get the overall victory, both of our racers rode well, despite the slick conditions, put themselves in contention and ultimately earned a trip to the podium. John has led motos at both rounds and is currently second in the Pro class points race, while Joel has been the fastest qualifier twice, so they definitely have the speed and skills to win every race they enter.”

Team ITP riders came into round two of the 2012 ATV Motocross National Championship Series at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn. determined to keep their substantial momentum from the opening round rolling.

ITP’s sponsored guys and gals, riding with a variety of ITP QuadCross MX and Holeshot MXR6 tires as well as T-9 Pro Series wheels, claimed several class wins and stepped up on the podium regularly after the dust had settled.

One of the highlights of the weekend for ITP was the on-track introduction of ITP’s all-new Turf Tamer Classic MX. This legendary tire has been redesigned for modern sport quads and features an industry-first pre-grooved tread pattern for an extra competitive edge on loose, loamy track surfaces.

After opening the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series by sweeping both motos in Round 1, Chad Wienen will be sporting the red number plate on his Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha YFZ450R this weekend at the newly renovated Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn. But you can bet defending champ John Natalie and teammate Joel Hetrick will be more than ready to avenge after round one, as both Motoworks/ Can-Am racers came close to winning in Georgia.

It wasn’t actually Wienen who lead the most laps at Aonia Pass MX, though, as Natalie dominated most of Moto 2 until Wienen put an exciting pass on the defending champ on the final lap just before the finish line stretch. And Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman led the early stages of Moto 1 before Wienen and Hetrick took over the lead battle until Hetrick was sent off the track crashing and was forced to watch the remainder of the race as his ATV was towed out.