2008 AMA PRO ATV Motocross Nationals #4 - Birch Creek - Live Race Coverage

Danville, VA - Team Monster Engery/Kawasaki representatives were quick to point out last season that its team was in development mode of its KFX450 quad. However, if Pro rider Josh Creamer's run in qualifying Saturday for the TriangleCycle.com ATV National was any indication, development time is now over and it's time to race. The event, Round 4 of the 2008 ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA Pro ATV Championship, is being held today and tomorrow at Birch Creek Motorsports.

Creamer (No. 9 Team Monster Energy Drink Kawasaki) topped the charts with a one-minute, 55.930-second lap, besting points leader Dustin Wimmer (No. 191 Team MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper) by less than a 10th of a second. Defending Champion Joe Byrd (No. 7 Joe Byrd Racing School/Honda) was third quick.

"This year is going great," said Creamer, who has one podium and an additional top-five finish in three races. "I had an injury early in the season and I can't cross train the way I'd like to. So, I've just put in more seat time. I've been riding as hard as I can and it's beginning to pay off.

"There are a lot of guys out there that would like to be in my shoes right now; I'm just glad I'm wearing them and that they fit," laughed Creamer. "The bike is just perfect; it fits me great."

Team Manager Jimmy White is pleased with Kawasaki's progress this season.

"It's really coming together," said White. "There are a lot of good riders out there now, and the competition is stiff. Suzuki is always there and Can-Am and Yamaha are really stepping it up. But we put in our dues last season, and, without a doubt, we don't expect less than a podium, if not a win, every weekend. We've really stepped it up."

Rocco Arno, Jr., John Ragon, Cale Downen and Greg Gee qualified for tomorrow's finals through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). Nate Morello, Trent Kandel, Christopher Tait, Richard Pelchat, Hunter Miller and Justin Bush didn't qualify for the 20-quad field.

Rain moved in Saturday night, and it iwll remain overcast for most of the day and the rain chances increase through out the day, so hopefully it stays dry for the both Pro Motos.

Since the last round of racing, John Natalie hurt his eye, so he was riding with a patch over his eye during practice, but hopefully he doesn't need the patch for today's race.

With doubts there will be a WPSA race season for 2008, many racers waiting for the WPSA opening round decided to head to Viriginia this weekend, which drove attendance up to yet another record including even more Pro riders like Cale Downen joining in the mix.

Can-Am, Kawasaki, and many other Pro Racers considered the first few rounds of the AMA ATV Motocross practice for the start of the WPSA season, but now that the WPSA is most likely done for the year, it could make for some very exciting racing since many racers now know that test and training is over if they want a chance at a 2008 Championship.

The 1st moto of racing action is just one hour away, so be sure to keep checking back for updates through out the day.

Pro Moto One has been delayed for one hour due to the heavy rain over night, so the 1st Moto will now start at 1PM instead of Noon.

Trying to figure out if your post at 11:42 was really at 11:42am or if it is off by an hour. Looks like the website was not adjusted for DST.

Can't wait for the races to start.

Edit...got it. The website time will be 2:00pm when the races are actually starting at 1:00pm EST.

Good lord, we're going to go nuts here waiting even longer!


Now the question is, are they going to delay the second moto also to give them the same about of time to prep their bikes, etc. Rush time!

Kinda funny how the pros can't run in the rain and slop but the ams can.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by howmuchnow
Kinda funny how the pros can't run in the rain and slop but the ams can.

---

It isn't that they can't, they just don't want to. And they don't have too. Who wants to see some exciting racing? I do. Therefore you wait longer until the track drys up and gets better lines cut in. I wouldn't want to follow behind someone an entire moto.

They make their own lines. The track is groomed before the pros go out every moto. It would still be good racing they are all still running the same track.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by howmuchnow
They make their own lines. The track is groomed before the pros go out every moto. It would still be good racing they are all still running the same track.

---

I'm not going to argue with you, all I'm going to say is that they have earned the right to get the track's "prepped and groomed." They did their years racing in the "slop" in the AM ranks.

I think they are afarid that the VS camcorders will get wet. :D