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AMA ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #5 - Sunset Ridge MX
Walnut, Illinois
May 7, 2011
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Can-Am/Motoworks' Chad
Wienen Back on Top at Sunset Ridge MX
Chad Wienen Wins, Joel Hetrick
& Josh Upperman Round Out Podium
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AMA
ATV Motocross Nationals
Round #5 - Sunset Ridge MX |
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Walnut,
Il (5/9/2011) –
The chase for the championship tightened up this
weekend at round five of the AMA ATV Motocross National
Championship Series presented by DWT. Only four
points separate the current points leader from second
place, the closest margin yet this season. At almost
halfway through the season, the veteran riders are
beginning to mark their territory while several
Rookie riders are showing flashes of brilliance.
Once again, the Can-Am duo dominated most of
the day Although Wienen lined up at his home track,
all holeshot advantages were pushed aside as Sunset
Ridge debuted a brand new starting structure this
weekend, but that's ok since he grabbed the ATVRiders.com
Fastest Qualifier Award earlier in the day. Makson
Construction/JB Racing/Maximum RPM/Hetrick Racing's
Joel Hetrick had no problem adjusting to the changes
as he shot out of the hydraulic-powered gates
to capture the SSi Decals Holeshot Award. It didn't
take long for Wienen to put the move on Hetrick
as the duo went side-by-side over the finish line
jump on lap two.
Motoworks Can-Am's John Natalie spent the first
half of moto one chasing the Honda of Hetrick,
who rode a tenacious race - even pulling away
from the veteran rider at times. Natalie finally
made his move about halfway through the race,
turning his sights to Can-Am teammate Wienen out
front.
The intense racing action actually took place
in the battle for fifth between Ballance Racing's
Thomas Brown, SSI Decals/Motoworks/JB Racing/Fox
Shox's Chase Snapp and Walsh Race Craft/Fox Shox/Maxxis/FMF's
Jeremy Lawson. Brown got off to a bad start but
hammered his way through the pack and put the
pressure on Lawson who was all over Snapp for
the fifth spot. Snapp, Lawson and Brown were in
freight train formation heading into the corner
- Brown railed the outside while Snapp tucked
inside and Lawson followed. Brown swept around
Lawson first and then went to work on Snapp, eventually
slipping inside on the downhill corner. Snapp
returned the favor the next time around, making
contact with Brown and finishing out the race
in fifth behind Baldwin Motorsports/JB Racing/PEP's
Upperman. Brown held off Lawson for sixth and
the Rookie claimed his first-ever Pro podium behind
the Motoworks Can-Am duo of Wienen and Natalie.
Great ride from the Rookie "You had to be
really patient out there, the track was only turning
a couple fast lines and you really had to pick
them right," Wienen said. "I had to
be really safe on the lines I picked and I just
all of the sudden turned the light switch and
hit it," he added.
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