2009 AMA Motocross Round# 11 "Dirt Days" Loretta Lynn's Ranch ATV Race Coverage

[Pappy]

Wow, what a wrap up to the 2009 season! The series headed to the world famous Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch for the final round of competition and mother nature turned up the heat! With temperatures into the 90's, the event would be a scorcher!

Some big news was announced at this event, and that would be the announcement that John and Michelle Natalie are now the proud expecting parents of a yet to be determined future racer! Congrats guys, thats great news!

[Pappy]

The Suzuki camp was all a buzz with Wimmer being on the cusp of locking up his second championship. nerves were on full tilt but they did their best to keep it under control:p

[Pappy]

While the racers were busily doing their thing, the ladies in many cases were just enjoying that bright sun and cruising the pits taking it all in!

[Pappy]

After securing the Pro Am class championship, this round would mark Cody Gibson's Pro class debut.

[Pappy]

While Gibson was ready to start his Pro career, a few feet away sat Dustin Wimmer, who is at the top of his career. Amazing what can happen in just a few short years, the future for these guys is very bright indeed

[Pappy]

Fans check out the pro pits and get some autographed goodies to take home

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Doug Gust going over some things with his ace wrench

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Jimmy White had to hurry up and do something when he saw me coming:blah:

Trust me, everyone in these teams works very hard!!

[Pappy]

Gibsons ride under the big tent!

[Pappy]

Man that pool looked awesome!!!

I almost jumped in I swear:p

[Pappy]

Chad Wienen keeping cool and hangin' out before he goes to work!

[Pappy]

ATVrider Magazine's Thad Josey gets some compliments as some folks view his latest work!

[Pappy]

The main drag in and out of LL gets busy as the Pro teams work on the machines after a practice session and racers and fans mill around.

[Pappy]

Well stocked I would say!:D

WILSON!!!!!!:eek:

[Pappy]

The Amatuer racing was great as usual and these guys weren't letting the heat slow them down!

[Pappy]

The track looked pretty mean, and was hard as a rock and then soft ...then hard...wet then dry:p

There were quite a few wrecks this round, but I haven;t heard of anything serious so hopefully they were just your typical get off's:p

[Pappy]

The infamous "Ten Commandment" section tested everyone

[Pappy]

Diggin in and ready to fend off a charge!

[Pappy]

Broken parts suck!

[Pappy]

Nick Moser was at it again, taking 1-2 in 4 Stroke B, and a 1-1 in Production B. Keep your eye on him folks!!!

[Pappy]

Quite a few riders ran off the side of this particuliar jump. When I walked through that area I was quick steppin'!:p

[Pappy]

Chase Snapp was flawless in Pro Am Unlimited going 1-1

[Pappy]

Heather Byrd went 1-1, and nailed down another Pro Am Womens class championship!

[Pappy]

The Pro's came out for their first practice session and we would soon see who brought game to this round!

John Natalie was on it right from the start, he was looking very fast and his machine seemed to be holding up so I figured he might just have himself a solid weekend!

[Pappy]

Pat Brown would be sidelined with an injury this round, so it was up to Thomas Brown to keep things alive for the Yamaha crew

[Pappy]

Pelchat was slamming through the 10 Commandments, infact all the Pro's took a cautious approach to them and with good reason

[Pappy]

The speeds increased after a few laps as the riders learned the rack. Creamer was already looking smoking fast!

[Pappy]

Joe Byrd took some time to stop and watch a few riders hit certain sections, then turned up the wick and hammered his Honda

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Wimmer admitted he was nervous, and rightfully so. He was so close to taking the championship that he couldnt afford the slightest problem.

You couldn't tell once he was on the track, it was business as usual albiet with an added touch of caution.

[Pappy]

Digger Doug Gust was looking as stylish as always. His no-nonsense appraoch to things gets the job done race after race.

[Pappy]

It actually surprised me when I heard that Wienen had taken fastest qualifier, but I have stated before, Chad doesn't look fast but he sure is!

If I had to place a bet from the track without a stop watch, it would have been placed on Creamer.

[Pappy]

Wienen and Pelchat push each other as the practice was in full swing

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Natalie and Upperman pair up and throttle up as they head through a corner

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John gives Josh a look over as they clear a double

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There weren't any elevation changes at Loretta's, except for the man made ones:p Brandon Smith was looking to have a solid race and was looking slick during practice

[Pappy]

The heat was taking its toll as these guys really turned it on for the second practice. With temps soaring into the mid 90's, being in shape is mandatory to do what they do. Gust takes a few seconds in front of a fan to cool off a bit. He wasn't even out of breath:p

[Pappy]

Everything was winding down for the Pro's on saturday, things were being prepped for sundays main event

[Pappy]

Mark Baldwin tweaks on Uppermans ride before sending it off to be washed

[Pappy]

For the Amatuer racers, there were still races to be run

[Pappy]

The Youth racing was as intense as ever.

[Pappy]

The parents and fans and heck, just about everyone on the track does their best to keep an eye on these little tikes......

And it's not an easy task! They roll out!

[Pappy]

The Youth racers give 110% and more, and it shows.

[Pappy]

For those that cant or havent made it to a National, the equipment many of these kids run is out of this world! You would be impressed at their machines, sometimes even more so then their adult counterparts!

[Pappy]

The competition levels are fierce in all classes!

[Pappy]

The skills they have are nothing short of amazing, and teh head start they are gaining for the years to come will be invaluable

[Pappy]

Sunday dawned hot yet again, however some high clouds staved off the bright sun for most of the day. We were already good and roasted but the clouds were a blessing to a point:p

[Pappy]

Bobby Ross would get the holeshot and would be riding strong to keep himself infront of the hungry pack of riders all looking to take his spot!

[Pappy]

The class hits the 10 commandments in force as they race through this section.

[Pappy]

Ross would open up a slight gap between himself and a hard charging Devin Heimes who was himself in thec ross hairs of Casey Martin and Chase Snapp

[Pappy]

Ross was hard on the throttle and riding well as he clears the last hurdle before catching some open track. Heimes and Snapp battle in the back ground for position

[Pappy]

The racing was close all through the pack as the technical aspect of Loretta's was keeping things real!

[Pappy]

Joel Hetrick had been on a roll leading up to teh final round, however would not have a good day here at LL's

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Snapp was now in second and putting pressure on Ross

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Snapp would take the lead and had open ground to race on!

[Pappy]

The action wasn't letting up behind the front runners and remained a battle to the end!

[Pappy]

Snapp opened up some breathing room

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Casey Martin had dropped back but was now looking to move up. Here, Jesse Sheaffer holds his line as Martin shadows him. Martin would take the spot within the next lap

[Pappy]

Jeffrey Rastrelli put n an excellent moto and would finish 4th

[Pappy]

Chase Snapp would ride to victory in moto 1

[Pappy]

Well, the dream was now a reality as Cody Gibson took his hot lap prior to moto 1.

I am sure there was a ton of self imposed pressure placed on himself, the rest of us just wanted him to have a good time and enjoy his first pro race!

[Pappy]

For Dustin Wimmer, it was all pretty much in the bag, he just needed to finish and he would be crowned the champ one more time!

[Pappy]

When the gate dropped, it was Kawasaki's Josh Creamer screaming to the holeshot!

If Wimmer had any intentions at laying up, it wouldnt be at the start as he follows Creamer through teh first turn!

[Pappy]

Josh was in the wind! He was dialed in and rollin'!

[Pappy]

He went into this way to hot and pretty much slammed it and bounced off it:p I thought he might have a big issue but he kept his head and got his quad turnin' and burnin' in no time!

[Pappy]

Creamer had almost no run off the berm and wasn't inside but it worked out for him as he now was back on teh gas and heading into the 10 commandments!

[Pappy]

It was Creamer, Upperman and Wimmer running 1-2-3 as they exit the section!

[Pappy]

Creamer had open track and was running like he was on rails!

Upperman had a good run going and Wimmer was still holding 3rd

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Natalie held 4th and was just ahead of Cody Miller and Greg Gee

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Wienen and Brown had tangled and were now back in the mix trying to make up ground

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Creamer was off the chain as he continued to put ground on second place!

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Cody captures Natalie as he gets out of shape, showing just how rough the track was! John hangs on and keeps her pinned!

[Pappy]

Joe Byrd had been moving up and was now behind Natalie in 5th. Creamer can be seen rocketing away in the back ground!

[Pappy]

Back on my side of the track, it was still Creamer hammer down!!!

[Pappy]

Wimmer looked to be playing it conservative, as he had gotten around Upperman, however Upperman had moved back infront as the lap was run

[Pappy]

Natalies roost still flies as Byrd and Goodman come into view

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Miller gets a bit off track as he rails the outside of the berm

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Wimmer had moved back into second as Upperman, Natalie and Byrd all vie for some advantage to make a pass

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Big Chad was doing all he could to make up time

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the top 4 riders were all within sight of each other, and not one of them could afford a mistake!

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Creamer soars over a double as he completes another lap!

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Greg Gee and Nick Denoble battle for position

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Byrd comes off the berm and takes a look at Wimmer....

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Doug Gust had moved up as well and was now working on Denoble

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Gibson wasn't having a great showing, and soon found himself upside down after catching a bad rut.

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Wimmer, Byrd and Natalie run 2-3-4

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Josh heads out for one more lap!

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Byrd would finally pressure Wimmer and the position would fall to Byrd

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Creamer wasn't slowing down for noone! he had teh race won and was going to put the smack down on the field bigtime!

[Pappy]

He was like a robot out there! One goal..one mission and he was making it happen!

[Pappy]

Bryd held second but it would take a huge mistake on Creamers part to let him close the distance so late in the race

[Pappy]

Only a few turns and a few jumps remained for this moto and a Josh Creamer win!

[Pappy]

Wimmer had backed off and Natalie now held 3rd......it looked like it was going to be smooth sailing for Dustin!!!

[Pappy]

Gibson would not be alone as he sat sidelined with jeremy Lawson who ran into issues as well.

[Pappy]

Creamer pumps his fist as he clears the finish line taking the win!

[Pappy]

Dustin Wimmer rolls across the finish line, securing his championship run!!!

One heck of a season and one heck of a comeback kid!! Great job!!!

[Pappy]

A few minutes to towle off, get some fluids and to reflect on what he had just accomplished

[Pappy]

Josh Creamer was stoked with this win as well he should be. Creamer put it all on the line and came out victorious!

[Pappy]

Chad Wienen would finish 13th in moto one but everyone knew he had alot more in him then the results would show. The early crash cost him dearly this moto. He would pick up some pocket money for his fastest qualifier run and get a chance to say a few words from teh podium and share in Creamers win while he was at it!

[Pappy]

Wimmer would roll up on the podium and take the glory on this day!

What an excellent finish to such an exciting season for him.

[Pappy]

Joel Hetrick edged out Chase Snapp for the holeshot as we were underway!

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A pile up right after the start claimed several riders

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Snapp worked over Hetrick and was now the leader as we were 1/2 way into lap 1

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I was focused on Snapp as he cleared this section....look at his front tires....

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I actually watched it through my lens as he hooked a rut and it peeled the tire off the bead lickty split!

Tough break for him!

[Pappy]

Unfortunate for Snapp, but a huge break for those right behind him!

[Pappy]

10 commandment section deffinatley seperated those who can and those who cant.

[Pappy]

Even with a bad tire, Snapp wasn't going down with out a fight!

[Pappy]

To say the battle was intense would be an understatement!

[Pappy]

They were not about to give an inch!

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Ross was running good and held 1st

[Pappy]

casey Martin had a great run going as he held 2nd, but the steam started pourin!

[Pappy]

hetrick and heimes had a good battle brewing between them

[Pappy]

Snapp was running as hard as one could with 3 tires!

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Martin wasnt lifting or letting up...run it til it wont run no'mo!

[Pappy]

Cottage and Rastrelli were wheel to wheel

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Bobby Ross would hold on for the win in moto 2, and Casey Martin would follow him across still makin power and blowin steam for second!

[Pappy]

With the track cleared, it was time for the final Pro moto. Everyone took their chosen position for the start

[Pappy]

It was Harold Goodman racing to the holeshot!

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Goodman and Upperman run 1-2 as this moto was now in full swing!

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Wimmer, Miller and Gee follow suit

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Goodman was running good, Upperman still holding 2nd but a hard charging Joe Byrd was now in the picture

[Pappy]

Goodmans Honda was derailed by a rock between his rim and caliper and he had to pull of to get it out.

Upperman was now the leader as Byrd and Creamer work through a corner

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Gust and Wimmer sporting the red fenders for this moto!

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Lawson and Pelchat battle for position

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Creamer scooted around Upperman forthe lead and Byrd followed suit as he took over 2nd

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Chad was now running top 3 and was looking for more!

[Pappy]

Gibson was off to a better start this moto, but would soon suffer mechanical issues and drop back

[Pappy]

Natalie was running a strong 4th

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Wimmer rounded out the top 5

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Upperman and Brown dig in and fight for position

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Gust running in the 6th spot

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Creamer leading Wienen...not alot of room for a mistake!

[Pappy]

From what I could gather, a slight mistake opened the door for Wienen to take the lead!

[Pappy]

Byrd was holding 3rd as Natalie and Wimmer run 4-5th

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Goodman was back onthe track but the damage was done

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The green machines do their deed as they steal the show!

[Pappy]

Bryd and Natalie head out for the few remaining laps of the race

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The top 5 had pulled away from the pack and were left to run with out any pressure

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Lawson was once again sidelined

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Chad Wienen would hold the lead and take the win!

[Pappy]

As Goodman takes his holeshot money, Natalie drenches himself in some cold water. These guys worked in some serious heat out there!

[Pappy]

John was pretty stoked to find the podium and rightly so. Good way to end the season for him and with the announcement of his impending father hood, it should be an interesting off season for their family!

We wish you gusy all the best!

[Pappy]

Joe Byrd took 2nd on this day and I think he has alot more racing left in hm. Love him, hate him, or carry no opinion of him, he os pretty mean on a quad:p

[Pappy]

John tried to take Josh's horse....which prompted Josh to call on Byrd for some back up:devil:

[Pappy]

A great day of racing followed by some great stories from the racers. The podium was indeed a celebration.

[Pappy]

Its been a roller coaster season for many and for some I am sure they are glad its over.

[Pappy]

That about wraps it up from Tennessee folks. We had a great time and cant thank everyone for another great race to cover!

I still haven't determined if Joe was helping Josh drink the bubbly or if he was preforming water-boarding torture:eek: :devil: (Thats a joke to the folks who have no humor !) Except for the terrorist..Bryd will find you!

Glad to see smiles from the podium!!! You guys rock!

Hope everyone has a great summer (whats left) and an even better fall and winter. Be safe, and god bless you all!

[extremeblastr]

great coverage as usual thank you very much good sir, and yes i stayed up just to read this lol only 4 more hours til i have to get up for work:macho

[Pappy]

Moto 1 video is on the home page

[Jersey450R]

great write up! nice pics too.


I watched the moto one video and creamers bike was plain phenomenal to watch. if anyone remembers the kawi's had suspension set-up troubles on the KFX450 in previous years and to watch creamers bike pillow over everything is just incredible to see. flawless. not that it would have mattered in placing or not (maybe idk) but josh looked soooo much more comfortable on the bike and it looked much more appeasing to ride makes me like them kawasaki's alot more.

[CicconeRacing36]

Hey


Is this Gary? It's Ciccone let christian know Andrew broke his thumb. He is taking a few weeks off

[Crystylephoto]

Originally posted by Pappy
While the racers were busily doing their thing, the ladies in many cases were just enjoying that bright sun and cruising the pits taking it all in!

Thanks for the awesome pic Pappy :D

[TrapZ400]

Loretta Lynn's will air on Sunday, September 27th at 2:30p.m. and it will re-air on Tuesday, September 29th at 5:00p.m on Versus.

[Simon MX49]

Awesome coverage as always.

And glad to see no hard feelings between Byrd and Creamer still.

[Pappy]

They are having me put together an amatuer report for a season recap, so if anyone wants a mention, PM me or email me bkperformance@verizon.net and tell me how your season went and i will do my best to include you in the report...any class ...doesnt matter!

[quad313]

great job all year........!

[Pappy]

Welp I am off to kentucky for another event, couldn't leave with out posting this shot of our Champ!

Congrats again Dustin, great season!!!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/photos/625554900_cDzdz-XL.jpg

[jordan 23]

what event in kentucky..