#JoshUpperman

Can Chad Wienen make it two-for-two to start the ATV Motocross season?

With one wet round of racing under its belt, the 2013 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship, sanctioned by AMA is set to visit Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn. this weekend for the AMSOIL Spring National.

Defending champion Chad Wienen picked up where he left things off in 2012, as he claimed the overall win at the series opener aboard his Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires and Team Vollmer machine. Wienen currently holds the points lead early in the season, but with nine rounds to go, the defending champ has his work cut out for him with a field of rising talent and several veterans of the sport chasing close behind.

Josh Creamer won the second moto going away in the season opener.

The return of 2010 champion, Josh Creamer, proved to be as eventful as expected as he claimed second overall last round. The BCS Can-Am rider will be competing in the ATVMX Pro National Series full-time for the first time in three years and stands tied for second place in series points with Texas native Thomas Brown. Brown made a statement in Moto 1 aboard his new Wienen Motorsports SSi Walsh Yamaha presented by Maxxis Tires and Team Vollmer ride, finishing second in the opening round, ultimately securing third place overall for the weekend.

Although Corrosion Hetrick Racing’s Joel Hetrick currently sits in fifith place overall, it doesn’t reflect the young gun’s impressive race win at the season opener. Hetrick represents an all-new generation of Pro riders who will be gunning for this year’s National Championship.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”