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AMA ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #2 - Mill Creek MX
Pell City, Alabama
March 19, 2011
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Can-Am/Motoworks' Chad
Wienen Dominates Mill Creek MX
Can-Am's John Natalie &
Baldwin Motorsports' Josh Upperman Round out
Podium
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AMA
ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #2 - Mill Creek |
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Pell
City, AL (3/19/2011)
– By now it's no secret that the defending
Champion Josh Creamer did not have intentions to
race the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship
Series presented by DWT this year. A change in plans
caused Creamer to race round two aboard his privateer
Honda machine and he may have found out that it's
harder to defend a championship than it is to win
one.
The temperatures were beyond perfect at Millcreek
MX Park in sunny Pell City, Ala. this weekend.
With a full gate of AMA Pro riders and a well-groomed
track, it couldn't have been a better day for
racing.
Motoworks DWT Fox Shox Holz Racing Can-Am rider
Chad "Big Red" Wienen ran the fastest
lap time of the morning, earning himself the $100
ATVRiders.com Fastest Qualifier Award. Coming
off the previous two seasons as just a top three
contender, Wienen has come into 2011 fully prepared
and ready to take home a championship. So far,
the Illinois native has swept every moto, giving
him the points lead heading into round three in
a couple weeks.
Nick Denoble snagged the moto one holeshot aboard
his Grand Central Stations Custom Axis Walsh Race
Craft Jansen Motosports Honda ahead of a stacked
field of riders. JBR American Honda Dasa Walsh
Race craft rider Joe Byrd diced through the whoop-section,
moving past Denoble for the early lead until lap
three when Wienen powered his Can-Am machine to
the front and never looked back.
Motoworks DWT Fox Shox Holz Racing Can-Am rider
John Natalie settled in behind Byrd early in the
moto and pushed the Honda rider for a few laps
before making his move on lap six. Byrd rode with
focus and composure as he kept the pressure on
Natalie to make a mistake. Both veteran riders
know what it takes to ride a smart race, battling
smooth and clean for the second spot. Natalie
handled the pressure and held off Byrd long enough
to break away and settle in behind his Can-Am
teammate for a podium finish in moto one.
As the moto progressed, the loamy clay acquired
big breaking bumps that made for difficult corner
positioning as both Denoble and Rookie Joel Hetrick
found out the hard way. The rough downhill corner
caught the riders and bucked them off the bike.
Baldwin Motorsports JB Racing PEP's Josh Upperman
maintained a comfortable fourth throughout the
moto, but he really put a charge on the Honda
of Joe Byrd at the end - nearly catching Byrd
before the checkers. Had there been another lap,
there's no telling who would have come out on
top.
Jeremy Lawson put in a solid ride aboard his
Walsh Race Craft Fox Shox Maxxis FMF Suzuki, taking
a fifth in moto one. Lawson turned it up midway
through the moto, making a run for Upperman at
the end but didn't have enough time to make it
happen.
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