Can-Am/ Motoworks's John Natalie placed third overall at Unadilla ATV MX Round 8

Vista, CA (7/18/2012) – Can-Am / Motoworks’ John Natalie, Jr. charged his way to the podium in round number eight of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championships while Joel Hetrick finished inside the top five with a fourth place finish.

It was warm and humid at Unadilla in New Berlin, NY, but track conditions were good and there were many fans on hand to cheer on the Can-Am/Motoworks team, which offered plenty of motivation for John Natalie. “I could hear the fans cheering as we went by out there and it really feels good to hear that and helps to keep you going out there,” said Natalie.

As the gate dropped for the first moto, John Natalie, Jr. was just outside of the top five and he went to work right away and began picking off the competition. Natalie made his way into the number three spot and was chasing down the leaders. Natalie had closed the gap a bit but ran out of time before he was able to get close enough to make a move, giving him third at the checkered flag.

John Natalie placed third in the first moto & second in the second moto on his Can-Am DS450 sport ATV

For moto two, Natalie got a much better start and charged off the line in second place. Natalie was looking strong and was able to hold of several attempts from third place as they battled for several laps. Natalie stayed focused and fast as he took the number two spot at the checkered flag, which gave him third place on the Pro podium.

“There was some great racing today. I always want to win but I still finished on the podium so I am happy about that. There’s still four motos left in the season and anything can happen so things could get real interesting at Loretta’s. I just want to thank Can-Am, Motoworks, all of our sponsors, my family, friends and all of the fans out here today. That support really means a lot to me,” said Natalie, who is currently second in points.

Can-Am/ Motoworks's Joel Hetrick went 4-4 earning him fourth overall

Can-Am/Motoworks’ Joel Hetrick ran two solid motos as he took fourth overall. Hetrick got a good start in the first moto in the number three spot and battled it out several times before reaching the checkered flag in fourth place. In the second moto, Hetrick was in the top five off the start and charged his way into the number four spot, which is where he stayed till the checkered flag. Hetricks finish earned him fourth overall for the day and keeping him in a solid third in series points.

Round number nine of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championships will head to Red Bud in Buchanan, MI on July 28th, where the Motoworks team will be going for the podium.