#JohnNatalie

Can-Am DS 450 racers picked up several class victories and podiums at the opening round of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championship. Leading the way was Team Motoworks / Can-Am’s John Natalie, who finished second in both Pro class motos and second overall.

Teammate Joel Hetrick won the fastest qualifier award at Aonia Pass MX aboard his DS 450 and finished eighth overall. Can-Am racers also wrapped up several amateur class wins during the opening weekend of the 10-round AMA ATV MX series.

“John battled hard in both Pro class motos and just narrowly missed taking the overall win in the final lap of moto two. He remains steadfast and determined in his title defense,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Joel Hetrick was very impressive, earning the fastest qualifying time in both Pro practices. Unfortunately, his hopes for a weekend podium were dashed after a first-moto crash occurred while he was making a pass for the lead. Both our racers were very strong and are determined to be significant contenders for the Pro class podium at every round this season.”

While some ATV manufacturers are offering less and less support for racing in recent years, Yamaha is expanding its racing support program, including adding another team rider for the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Series.

In addition to the extra rider, Yamaha has grown its AMA trackside support program. Pro Motorsports from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, will lead this effort providing all Yamaha-mounted racers with onsite technical assistance and Yamaha Genuine Parts & Accessories at discounted prices.

Thomas Brown, who finished a strong fourth in the national MX series last year, is back and motivated to climb the podium in 2012. Chad Wienen, a veteran AMA ATV pro and multi event winner, has joined Team Yamaha this year and is excited about his new ride and the opportunity to put another YFZ450R on the podium.

In advance of the national opener this coming weekend, Brown and Wienen discussed how they have been preparing, what the team expansion means, and what they expect this weekend …

This is not the first time John Natalie has had to defend an AMA ATV MX national championship, but the Motoworks/ Can-Am rider may be a touch out of practice when the gates drop this weekend at Aonia Pass MX Park in Washington, Ga. It’s been six years since Natalie started the season with the No. 1 plate.

The pool of talent in this year’s Pro ATVMX class is setting up the 2012 season to be one of the most highly contested battles to date. Baldwin Motorports/PEP/Upperman Racing’s Josh Upperman challenged Natalie’s championship run all the way to the final round of racing, where he and the current champ went head-to-head, leaving Upperman less than ten points short of the title. Ohio’s Upperman is back with his Baldwin Motorsports team on a very familiar Honda machine and looks to continue as a heavy contender once again this season.

Looking to build upon its racing success in 2011 – a season that saw two Pro-class championships, two manufacturer’s cup titles, several amateur-class titles and a successful debut with the Commander side-by-side racing efforts — BRP will again field a team of Can-Am racers on both ATVs and side-by-sides in off-road racing series in the U.S. and Canada in 2012.

“I’m very excited to see the start of a new season and feel very confident that our riders and teams will be very well prepared to do battle aboard their Can-Am machines, including an AMA No. 1 plate on John Natalie’s DS 450,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Overall, I feel we have assembled a race team with talented, determined and dedicated pilots and team personnel; I’m proud to have them competing aboard our Can-Am products.”

Team Motoworks / Can-Am

Team Motoworks / Can-Am and owner Johnny Leach begin their defense of the AMA ATV Motocross title with the Can-Am DS 450, offering factory support for reigning AMA ATV Pro Champion John Natalie. The 2011 Pro Rookie of the Year Joel Hetrick, who finished fifth overall and had won two overalls, was also added for the 2012 season.

MX Sports Pro Racing and ATVPG have announced the 2012 schedule for the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series presented by DWT. The series kicks off March 24 and 25 at Millcreek Raceway in Pell City, Ala. and wraps up August 11 and 12 at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

The series moves to a ten-race format in 2012 and will be returning to many of the ATV racing community’s favorite venues such as High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pa. and Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn.

“The ATV promoters are excited to release the National ATVMX schedule for 2012,” says ATVPG Director Sam Gammon. “We have put a lot of consideration into creating a schedule that best accommodates riders and families, while still creating an exciting series that is worthy of its national status.”

In front of 45,000 fans, Can-Am X-Team Pro ATV racer Richard Pelchat topped an all-Can-Am DS 450 podium in winning the ATV portion of the Montreal Supermotocross event held at Olympic Stadium in Quebec, Canada. Fellow Can-Am racer Mark Holz also recorded a class victory, piloting the No. 673 Holz Racing / Motoworks / Can-Am Commander 1000 X to an historic win in the inaugural Side-By-Side class event. Can-Am ATV racers Cody Miller, reigning 2010 NEATV-MX Champion, and John Natalie, 2011 AMA ATV MX Champion, joined Pelchat on the podium.

“It was another great year for Can-Am at the Montreal Supermotocross. To have a Can-Am DS450 podium sweep, and actually the top 4 finishing spots, was outstanding. I’m proud of Pelchat and happy for him to get his first Montreal win and to accomplish it on a DS 450,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Holz knew he had his work cut out for him, but he did it and came out on top. To have the Motoworks / Can-Am Commander 1000 X take a very convincing win in the inaugural SSV event was icing on the cake, especially against a full gate of competitive side-by-sides. It was mission accomplished for Can-Am in Montreal and a great result for all BRP employees.”

The AMA ATV Motocross Championship Series has announced that Can-Am will be the recipient of the 2011 Manufacturer’s Cup, edging out Honda by less than forty points.

Each year, AMA Pro Racing awards the manufacturer that accumulates the most points in the AMA Pro class throughout the course of a season with the Manufacturer’s Cup. The series points are configured race-to-race, based on each manufacturer’s best overall finisher. Can-Am finished out the season with seven of the eleven victories, aided by Can-Am riders John Natalie, Chad Wienen and Chase Snapp.

“On behalf of BRP and Can-Am we are extremely proud of our racers and teams that contributed to winning this year’s Manufacturer’s Cup championship aboard the DS450. The entire Can-Am / Motorworks team has worked extremely hard, investing countless hours and making numerous sacrifices to help us achieve our common goal,” says Can-Am Race Manager, Jimmie O’Dell. “Our team riders John Natalie and Chad Wienen were true inspirations this season by both overcoming adversity and have also taken training and preparation to another level. I also want to thank Can-Am X-Team rookie pro Chase Snapp and his team as they worked extremely hard this season and have contributed to Can-Am winning this manufacturer’s cup title.”