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AMA ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #1 - Can-Am Aonia Pass
Washington, GA
February 26, 2011
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AMA ATV MX Nationals
- Aonia Pass - Pro ATV Race Report
Can-Am's Chad Wienen Wins
& John Natalie & Baldwin' Josh Upperman
Podium
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AMA
ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #1 - Aonia Pass MX |
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Washington,GA
(2/26/2011) – The first round of
the 2011 AMA ATV Motocross Championships kicked
off with a huge win from Can-Am/Motoworks' Chad
Wienen while he was joined on the podium by teammate
John Natalie and Baldwin Motorsports' John Upperman.
Nearly half the the Pro ATV racers that competed
in the series in 2010 were missing from the lineup,
including Josh Creamer (2010 Champion), Dustin
Wimmer (2009 & 08 Champion), but there was
a host of Pro rookies ready to step up and take
their place in the Pro Production class with nine
Pro-Am racers making the move up the Pro ranks,
which included some serious talent with Chase
Snapp, Joel Hetrick, and Travis Moore just to
name a few of the new faces on the starting line-up.
The action at Aonia Pass was intense, but consistency
was the name of the game for many at this round
with both motos ending in identical top ten finishes,
with the Can-Am/Motoworks team showing an early
dominance it what could be one of the most competitive
seasons in recent memory.
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| Can-Am
/ Motoworks' Chad Wienen set the stage on
Saturday by claiming the ATVriders.com Fastest
Qualifier Award |
Can-Am/Motoworks' Chad Wienen picked up right where
he left off last season. Wienen took the fastest
qualifier award earlier in the day and then took
the first moto win of the season. Wienen came off
the line in fourth in the first pro moto and after
a lengthy battle with teammate John Natalie, Wienen
took over the lead and checked out. “The first
turn is really tight and hard to get through but
everything went good from there,” said Wienen,
who took the win by over nine seconds. “It
feels good to start the season off on a strong note,
so I am hoping for a good year. We're just going
to push forward from here,” Wienen stated.
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Can-Am
/ Motoworks' Chad Wienen Goes 1-1 for the
Overall Win |
And push forward is exactly what Big Chad Wienen
did. In the second moto, Wienen was in third off
the line and made a quick move for the lead in the
first lap. Once out front, Wienen was unstoppable
as he pulled away, creating a five second gap between
him and the rest of the pack. Wienen held a consistent
lead to take the moto two win, giving him the overall
for the first race of the season. “Everything
is working so well this season that I come off the
track and I don't even feel tired. I am going to
stay humble, but I really hope that we can continue
to keep winning,” stated Wienen.
Can-Am/Motoworks' John Natalie was looking strong
as he came off the line in a solid second place
in the first moto right behind Josh Upperman.
Natalie and Upperman were battling hard for the
lead when Natalie pushed a little too hard. “Chad
and I were battling and I was trying to pass Josh.
I got a little squirrely when I was trying to
get around Josh and just went off the berm,”
said the Ironman. Natalie fell to fourth, but
quickly worked his way back to the number two
position before reaching the checkered flag. “The
quad was working great. Josh was riding great
and we had a great race. The goal is to have a
great race and come out healthy,” said Natalie.
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| Can-Am
/ Motoworks' Goes 2-2 for the 2nd spot on
the Podium |
In moto two, Natalie had a bit of an issue off the
start, but quickly worked his way into the number
two spot after passing Harold Goodman and Josh Upperman.
Once there he held his ground and kept a blistering
pace to take second in moto two. Natalie's 2-2 finishes
had him taking the second position on the podium
next to his teammate. “We've been training
hard and everyone has been working really hard so
I think Chad and I going one and two for the first
race is pretty good and definitely shows that Can-Am
is a dominating force this season,” said Natalie.
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